Treasure World DS - A Mini Review

In responding to today’s Amazon deal in a comment at Tiny Cartridge, I ended up writing a mini-review of a neat little bit of entertainment for the Nintendo DS called Treasure World.  The central “gameplay” of Treasure World is “wardriving” otherwise known as hunting for wifi hotspots.  The more hotspots you find, the more treasure you collect.  I thought I would add my mini review here as well…

I’ve really enjoyed Treasure World — more than I expected.  Overall, it’s not much of a “game” but hunting for hotspots is a lot of fun (oh, the names people choose) and there is a bit of depth in the chiptune creation, though sadly the compositions are only a few seconds long.

My only criticism lies outside the design of the “game”.   I feel bad for the kids who get this title, but have no one to drive them around looking for hotspots.  To truly enjoy this game and really benefit from the online component, you do need to collect a lot of Stardust (from wifi hotspots), the game’s currency.  Without it, you can’t do much.

I’m surprised there are no mini-games that would let you earn Stardust, either online to help build the community, or within the game itself.  I understand that was not how the game was conceptualized and designed, but it would certainly expand the player base beyond those who have the freedom to seek out the thousands of hotspots needed to make gameplay worthwhile.

Otherwise, the game is a delight.  Each Treasure you collect has a corresponding sound with which you can use to mix your own music; there are hundreds of items  to “disguise” your little in game character; and the music, art and sound design are all pleasing and well thought out.

If any of this sounds intriguing:  the chiptune creation,  the treasure collecting or the “wardriving with the tween set”, then I suggest you pick it up.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The USA Today likes it.  Gave it four out of five stars. I totally agree.