> You guys have GOT to check out 'Brothers In Arms' fucking awesome shit! feels
> like a mix of metroid prime hunters, call of duty and gears of war! As I keep
> playing i'm very shocked the DS can handle this.
>

YUPPERS on that one. I originally was going to ignore it as BiA is like SOldier of Fortune (which is like kinda Rainbow Six) where it focuses on strategizing teams and one bullet you die which is just fucking aggravating. I learned this sucker plays just like COD2 but in a Gears of War type 3rd person style with a few other similarities so I gave it a go.

Visually and aureally blows away Metroid. Game has long draw distance, high detail, destructable walls and entire structures. Frame rate is kept consistant which helps as it can get damn hard on some stages. Audio is top notch with the sarge bitchin out orders left and right as blasts, mortar, gunfire and music plays on. The controls are spot on and smooth, a bit less fast/twitchy than Metroid so it handles smoother. THe life bar is like COD2 so it's pressure sensitive with a recovery if you can get out of the line of fire before it's too much. Grenades are the most intuitive I've seen using the dpad left/right to aim that way and then the panel to touch the icon then drag up a meter which cross hairs on the top screen where it'll pop...release and blamo. :P

Game is not insanely long, but it's not that easy on some stages at all. You start on normal, unlock 2 higher levels so normal is really 'easy.' Game will take you I'd guess 6-10hours depending how much you get waxed, but the harder modes will take longer, and it has up to 4P local multiplay too. Oh and there are some unlockable weapons and a nicer tank too on completing normal.

I hate to say it as I am no fan, but IGN has a very fair review of it which ended in a 8/10 which very well hits the good and few crap points to it. Check it for details.


...also picked up Sim City DS same day and it's a blast too. VERY well handled, has a nice learning curve to it, and quite a lot of options. If you're into SC titles it's like a nice hybrid mix of much of 3K and a bit of 2K thrown in.