Thinking about getting Electroplankton on the DS...

[dcescott]

Just your thoughts I ask for. I play the guitar and piano anyways and I dig synths. It looks cool. Are there any mp3's or wav files floating around? Also Japan has a LE w/ headphones. Ebay sells it for 50 buck shipped. It's being released in the states in Jan06

[Mayhem]

http://www.ntsc-uk.com/review.php?platform=nds&game=Electroplankton

(mine is the first piece on it, not the second)

[dcescott]

The save feature. It needs a save feature.

Other than that, it looks cool. I'm not a rpg fan or someone with a whole lot of time to spend on Animal Crossing on the wifi (it looks like a lot of fun, but given the amount of time I truly need to spend on it, I might as welll pass on the game)

It just looks appealing. Something I could use live...

[max 330 mega]

hmm.. after hearing about the lack of a save feature, and also the seemingly small amount of tones that the plankton can make has me alot less excited about the U.S. release now..
its a real turn off to me that you have so little control of determining the tones, and the specific beat and way you want the song your creating to be. i was hoping for more of a "living" synthesizer. it seems like overall, alot of what music is produced is out of the persons control.

am i assuming things? if someone who has played the japanese version would like to change my mind, id appreciate it, because for a long time i was incredibly psyched about this games release, and now i feel let down.

[dcescott]

Yeah what he said,
Whoever owns this game need to enlighten us!

[joshnickerson]

I'm picking it up, if not for it's quirkiness appeal, then for the possibility it'll be harder to find down the road (a la Pokemon Box)

[Six Switch]

i hope this will be cool
but i am getting it no matter what

[THATinkjar]

hmm.. after hearing about the lack of a save feature, and also the seemingly small amount of tones that the plankton can make has me alot less excited about the U.S. release now..
its a real turn off to me that you have so little control of determining the tones, and the specific beat and way you want the song your creating to be. i was hoping for more of a "living" synthesizer. it seems like overall, alot of what music is produced is out of the persons control.

am i assuming things? if someone who has played the japanese version would like to change my mind, id appreciate it, because for a long time i was incredibly psyched about this games release, and now i feel let down.

I have played this (*cough*), and you've summed it up fairly well. You don't have nearly as much control as I thought you might, but it takes nothing away from it. It just sucks up your time in the most unconstructive (yet fun) way imaginable. For instance, one of the "modes/levels" plays a Mario song (off the top of my head, I think it is the music played when he is invincible) but there are no other songs. You merely add to the music by composing some very short beats, really, and it plays them over and over until you record a new pattern.

Another level you have these four coloured stars (or something) drifting around a grid and each point on the grid has an arrow, and you can turn every arrow in eight directions to send the stars all over the screen. Each point on the grid plays a different note, and it does result in some nice sounds - but, again, very little control.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a full blown music studio, and for what it is, it is pretty magical. Don't expect too much, and you'll probably fall in love like I did. I can't wait to buy this :)

[2Dskillz]

I watched a 15 minute play video online, and I am very excited about it. Think of it as a toy for creativity. No real purpose other than a temporary, fun escape.

I think with this in mind it will be the best portable escapist program yet. I am waiting for the U.S. release just to up the stateside sales. We need more unique ideas like this, I never want gaming to stagnate.

[djbeatmongrel]

no matter what i still plan on recording samples from it and using it in my production

[dcescott]

mr dj,
There's a guy named Paul Slocum who created music from old C64's and a program he made out of an Atari2600 called synth cart (found at www.atariage.com). He has a band called Tree Wave with a girl singing to his machines, very good stuff. It might seem cheesy, but would you create loops live, with the DS on stage mic'd?

[djbeatmongrel]

depends on how the interface is when it comes to live use. by the way i dont think you need to mic it at all, just use the headphone jack as an output and either connect it to and amp or mixer/mixing board. really though i (as the name suggests) am a dj so i would just use it for production and hope a song using it is pressed on to vinyl :D

[dcescott]

I forgot about the 1/8 jack for headphones. That means you could add effects on the back end right? I've done that a few times live.
Anyhoo, as far as the "game" is concerned, I wouldn't mind hearing some mp3's or equilivant files somehow!

[djbeatmongrel]

I forgot about the 1/8 jack for headphones. That means you could add effects on the back end right?

exactly, they sell all sorts of 1/8" to which ever connections. just make sure they are balanced so you dont get any static. its better to connect it this way for the clearest audio initially isntead of miccing(if you want it at its clearest anyways). but from there you can run the audio through samplers, effects proccers or even a vocoder if you can toy around with it enough. so it does have come cool on the fly aspect that can be applied. really under the same principles you can do live sample work from any gaming device in this manner.

[blissfulnoise]

I own Electroplankton. And I enjoy it quite a bit. Think of it more as an electronic toy than a music maker (though DJB is onto something using it for samples).

It features 10 (I believe) different "stages" that consist of various types of activities. Through these activities you can create audio/visual experiences via the tool set that's unique to the "stage".

For example:

One of the stages features a "cannon" like method of projecting the little Electroplanktons onto a series of leaves. The EPs will bounce around on the leaves making a unique sound until they plop into the water. The leaves are adjustable to vary the pitch and tone of the sounds they play. And by adjusting them, you can change the frequency and rhythm of the sounds (e.g. the EPs will bounce around faster, more often, to generate additional "notes"). You can also change the trajectory of the "cannon" to vary the audio output.

Another stage has EPs that move around a dot grid similar to this:

. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

You can create paths for the EPs to take via directional arrows. Each path generates a different type of sound and each EP moves at a different speed. You can keep individual EPs still or put them all in motion. It's up to what you want to do.

And yet another stage has various fish that swim across the screen. By touching a fish you can record a short audio clip via the DS mic onto the fish. Then you can trigger off the voice and change pitch and timber to output different types of audio.

It's a rare "game" that you can call a truly unique experience. There's really no game there. It's just a stylish toy (and I don't say that with derogatory intent at all). Unless you're absolutely dieing for it, wait for the US release. (Though, the Japanese packaging is exceedingly cool.)

Import fiends need not worry though, the only Japanese in the game is on the titles of stages.

[Jasoco]

Sorry I'm LTTP. (Late to the party) Wasn't sure whether to bump or post new.

I finally bought this game after waiting a long time. I ordered it from Nintendo about two nights ago and it arrived just this afternoon! Super fast shipping. My god am I happy.

So I put it in. At first I wasn't sure. I had picked the wrong Plankton to start on (10) and didn't know what I was doing.

So I quit that one and tried 1. Awesome! Then 2. Even better! They kept getting better and better. I love this! I love music! I love game music! I love plankton!

About the save feature, damn right it needs one. If the ever make an Electroplankton 2, let's hope to God they put the ability to save in it. I don't have recording equipment. I don't even have a Mic jack on my computer.

I am very happy. I love it. This is why I love the DS. The weird experimental games that get mixed with the serious fun ones. So awesome. I am very glad to have this in my collection. Definitely a great time killer.

BeatNES is awesome. If you hit Select you change to a new set of game instruments. It's awesome. I was really going there.

Luminaria is another fave.

Hanenbow is great to play with the leaves. Move them slightly and change the whole sound and feel. Awesome!

Awesome game all around.