Nintendo DS Rumble Pak

Reviewed by

David Rudden

on 07/24/2006

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CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
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The good: The Nintendo DS Rumble Pak adds another level of immersion to the system's already involving touch-screen games. It simply slides into the GBA slot on an original DS or DS Lite, and there's no setup required.

The bad: There are only four games that support it, and at times the device emits an annoying squealing noise.

The bottom line: While the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak is an interesting concept, we hope enough games will support the device for it to catch on.

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CNET editors' review

CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
Detailed editors' rating

Reviewed by:
David Rudden
Edited by:
David Carnoy
Reviewed on: 07/24/2006
Released on: 10/24/2005

Force-feedback technology--also known as rumble--has been prominent in console gaming for almost a decade now, making its debut on the N64 and PlayStation consoles. It's not something normally associated with portable gaming, even though there have been a few Game Boy cartridges that had integrated rumbling. Nintendo has produced the first approved rumble accessory for a portable system with its Nintendo DS Rumble Pak. Originally packaged with Metroid Prime Pinball, the Rumble Pak is now available separately for $10.

The Nintendo DS Rumble Pak is a device the size and shape of a GBA cartridge that will fit in either the original DS or the DS Lite, though it will protrude from the latter like any GBA cartridge. Currently, there are four games that support the device: Magnetica, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, Metroid Prime: Hunters, and the aforementioned Metroid Prime Pinball. There are two upcoming titles that have been confirmed to have Rumble Pak compatibility; Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and Star Fox DS. While some of Nintendo's top titles are represented, there are some notable omissions that would have been or could be perfect, such as Mario Kart DS and the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. With Nintendo's sketchy support for the device, it's highly doubtful that any third-party companies will develop games that take advantage of the rumble feature.