Reviews » Ping Pals

Category: Video Game
Country: United States
Genre: Chat, Accessory
Platform: Nintendo DS
Publishers: THQ
ESRB Rating: E

Brief Synopsis:
There is no real story to this game: the basic point is to chat with other people wirelessly over WiFi. You earn coins while chatting and playing a few mini-games to spend on items to customize your avatar.

Ping Pals review by Jamie
What can I even say about this game? Aside from the fact that this isn't even a game.

I think the major flaw with this game is simply that there's no one to chat with. The game does offer multiple players to play on a single cartridge, but then you would have to get a friend with a Nintendo DS who is within 100 feet of you to hop on. But what would the point be then? You'd just be texting.

Not just that but there isn't even enough to do in the game for it to be even constituted as a game. So what does that make it then?

The 'mini-games' are not even that fun. From your options menu, you can go to the store, view your inventory, or choose from a few Single and Multi Player options.

Single Player:
Top 10
Hi-Lo
Solo Chat

Multi-Player:
Hot Potato
Doodle


First of all, since there is nobody to play this game with, I could not test the "Hot Potato" or "Doodle" games. But juding by the single player games, I don't think I'd want to try them.

The single player games were horrific. The most frustrating out of the three is "Top 10". The basis of the mini-game is that the computer will give you a random question or a subject, and you have to think of the top 10 key words that the computer has selected.

When I was lucky, the computer actually gave me a phrase that made some sense - and I'd only get maybe four or five of the answers out of ten. This one was just way too hard, there were no hints, and you hardly got any money for each answer.

On the other hand, one of the easiest ways to make some good money is the "Hi-Lo" game. You pick a number 1 through 10 and the computer tells you what number was the 'right' number. You recieve coins or get them taken away from you depending on how off the number you chose is. You can win up to 100 coins by hitting the number on the dot, or get up to 30 coins taken away if you are completely off. An easy way to mindlessly grind for coins.

The most laughable option is the "Solo Chat". It's quite sad. The computer that is generated is hilarious, most are stereotyped and chat about stupid things like how so and so football player and cheerleader broke up, even though they were so perfect (seriously, I had this conversation with the game). The best part about it, you can only really answer with 'YES' or 'NO'. The computer gives you no time to give any input in the conversation until it asks you another yes or no question, and if you try to be smart like me and reply with "YEAH" instead of "YES", they say, "I don't understand!" (see screenshot below).

In the rare occasion that they aren't asking you a yes or no question, it then becomes multiple choice where you have to type in the numbers 1, 2, or 3 to give your answer. COME ON! You get more money by keeping the computer in the conversation longer, and generally the answers they are asking you are so obvious, you know which one is the right or wrong answer.

What's funniest about this game was that it was marketed as a "nonviolent, girl-friendly game". Another example of a "girl game" that has absoloutly no substance. Come on now guys, at least put some effort into it.

Overall, I'm not that surprised, so I'm really not that disappointed.


Strong Points: Avatars are cute
Weak Points: Everything
Overall Rating: