NintendoDS

The Nintendo DS is a handheld console from Nintendo, which can also be used to play go or solve go problems.

Since the DS can use GBA cartridges, it can also be used to play the HikaruHandheldGame and Hikaru no Go 2.

Cho Chikun no Tsumego:

full title: daredemo kantan: cho chikun no tsumego
(translates as: easy for everybody: Cho Chikuns Go Problems)

Go Problems by ChoChikun and MannamiKana, ranging from 50 kyu to 1 kyu. The interface is rather limited, there is an explanation mode, a mode that starts at 50 kyu and promotes you for every 2 correct problems, and a challenge mode where You can do 10 problems of a chosen difficulty.

Japanese Page with pictures: http://soft.mycom.co.jp/dsigo/tsumego/index.html

English translation on http://indessed.com/Cho-Chikun-no-Tsumego/

Umezawa Yukari no Yasashi Igo:

(translates as: Umezawa Yukari's Easy Go)

Basic rules explanation, lots of problems in various catagories, and a simple AI opponent.

There are many problems in Challenge section as shown below. If we solve the problems in first attempt, she gives us gold medal, and silver medal for second attempt, and bronze for third or more. Therefore we can check the difficult problems and unsolved problems afterwards. It is very good for study and review the problems in your own level.

And there are also 100 fuseki and 104 joseki problems without level.

Japanese Page with pictures: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/software/yuuj/index.html

Dekiru Igo

full title: itsu demo doko demo dekiru igo: ai igo DS
(translates as: always and everywhere being able to (play) go: ai igo)

the ManyFacesOfGo / AiIgo version for the DS, including an introduction for beginners and a wireless multiplayer mode.

The multiplayer mode unfortunately only works with 2 cardridges

Its actually possible to write down and save game records with this program(and thus playing go against another player with only one DS), by starting the game as black and instantly going into review mode. Unfortunately, they cannot be transferred into sgf as far as I know. Adding comments is also impossible.

Japanese Page with pictures: http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/game/ds/igo/index.html

There is an incomplete FAQ on gamefaqs.com http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/file/931425/41867

Wi-Fi Taiou: Gensen Table Game DS

(Wi-Fi対応 厳選テーブルゲームDS) This game plays Go (and Five-in-a-row, Hanafuda, Mahjongg, Reversi, and cards)) against you and tracks your progress. Touchpad control is fiddly but adequate. Level of play at Go is around 20 kyu, with the computer regularly adding useless stones to dead groups, failing to respond well to ko fights, and making unreasonable attacks.

Japanese page with picture of box: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-9g-49-en-70-1y6m.html

Phelan:The above doesn't mention that you can play online using a wi-fi connection. Also, an english guide can be found at http://www.wifitaiougensen.jalmus.net/pmwiki.php/Main/Go.

Ginsei Igo

full title: asonde igo ga tsuyoku naru: ginsei igo DS
(translates as:by playing around Your go becomes stronger: silver star go DS)

This program has several advantages compared to dekiru igo.

• It can be played as wireless multiplayer with only one cartridge.
• The learning mode actually contains 2000 (mostly easy) go problems and is divided into two parts, introduction and beginners.
• Its possible to use the the game as game clocks for real matches. The touchscreen of the DS will show only two big buttons. Time system is similar to the NHKCup, you can set basic time, overtime length AND byo-yomi length.
• The game features one-color go (you can even chose black or white) and blind go (or is that blindfold go?).
• The game saves Your winning statistics against the computer.

The AI (4 difficulty settings) is as weak as dekiru igo, I (AndreasTeckentrup) won the test game on 19x19 by 150 points. Another weakness I discovered is that the scoring doesnt work well, although the player can manually reassign dead stones. This problem is actually described in the manual, I encountered it only in 19x19 games so far.

Japanese page with pictures, 2007 version: http://www.silverstar.co.jp/02products/gigods/gigods.htm
Japanese page with pictures, 2009 version: http://www.silverstar.co.jp/02products/gigods2/index.html
( PeterHB: I think its intended as a newer version, but may be covering a different niche. Difficult to tell without being able to read japanese. )

Zarlan: Given I know a little Japanese (and have some helpful tools), I can tell, judging by the titles, that it is a newer version or sequel. While the first version has the title written above, the new one is called "asonde igo ga sarani tsuyoku naru: ginsei igo DS chuukyuu hen"

"sarani" meaning something like more, furthermore, again... "chuukyuu hen" meaning intermediate level compilation.
Menu Translation

Main Menu (red background)

1. New Game

     1. vs. CPU
          Color    Black stones/White stones
          Level    Introductory/Beginner/Medium/High/Highest
          Handicap
          Komi
          Board Size

          (B) previous menu (A) decide (start game)

     2. vs. Human

     (B) previous menu

2. Load Game

     List of games
     Return to previous (B)  Open game (A)

3. Study Room (Lessons and Problems)

     1. Introduction
     1-1. rule
     1-2. outline
     1-3. life: 28
     1-4. atari: 28
     1-5. capture: 28
     1-6. life: 28
     1-7. atari: 36
     1-8. life: 10
     2-1. direction of atari: 52
     2-2. escape: 34
     2-3. double atari: 36
     2-4. forbidden: 28
     2-5. ko: 36
     3-1. connect and cut: 72
     3-2. cut: 35
     3-3. ladder: 48
     3-4. net: 40
     4-1. snapback: 24
     4-2. connect and die: 20
     4-3. semeai: 36
     4-4. life and death of surrounded group: 22
     4-5. territory: 37
     5-1. seki: 18
     5-2. life and death: 40
     5-3. life and death: 86
     5-4. order: -
     6-1. life and atari: 40
     6-2. connect and cut: 40
     6-3. ladder, net, snapback, seki and ko: 112
     6-4. connect and die, semeai: 80
     6-5. life and death. yose: 124
     summing up 1218 problems
     2. Beginners
     1-1. shape: 42
     1-2. direction: 44
     1-3. L&D: 104
     1-4. tesuji: 100
     2-1. fuseki: 25
     2-2. tesuji: 96
     2-3. L&D: 112
     3-1. joseki: 44
     3-2. fuseki: -
     3-3. yose: 12
     3-4. L&D: 196
     4-1. joseki: 56
     4-2. L&D: 104
     4-3. comprehensive: 100
     summing up 1035 problems
     total 2253 problems in this software
     3. End (B)

4. Game Statistics

5. Game Clock

6. Options

Ginsei Igo2 (middle kyu)

full title: asonde igo ga sarani tsuyoku naru: ginsei igo DS (chu kyu hen)
(translates as:by playing around Your go becomes much stronger: silver star go DS middle kyu)

There are many problems in the Igo school section.

There are also many problems in study room. 1-1. Joseki & Fuseki: 70 1-2. direction: 68 1-3. tesuji 1: 72 1-4. L&D 1: 44 1-5. yose 1: 30 2-1. tesuji 2: 88 2-2. L&D 2: 32 2-3. best move: 64 2-4. yose 2: 30 2-5. comprehensive: 104 summing up 602 problems There are 1202 problems in total in this software.

1500 DS Spirits Vol.10 - Igo

The most recently released Igo program for the Nintendo DS.

DSgf

DSgf is a homebrew application allowing sgf editing on Nintendo DS (NDS). Alpha 2.11, available on sourceforge was released in February 2008 and works well. DSgf provides a clean and intuitive GUI for your game recordings. 2.11 appears to be the final version of the software, according to the developer's post in his blog.

TsumegoDS

TsumegoDS is a homebrew application allowing sgf editing, as a portative goban (with clock) and tsumego. Available on sourceforge

Actualy the interface is a little rough

DsGoClock

DSGoClock is a homebrew application by Trooper for the Nintendo DS games console. It simulates a Go clock and takes advantage of the DS's touchscreen to do this. The software is currently at version 2.0.

After the timer is set up, players only need to touch the touchscreen with a finger (or the DS's stylus) to activate the other player's clock.

Discussion

Chris : Wi-Fi Taiou: Gensen Table Game DS work fine to play Go online. I don't speak japanese but i succeed to doing a WIFI game even though it'll be interesting to translate some menus. Edit : i've finally created a wiki to translate this excellent game : http://www.wifitaiougensen.jalmus.net

MrShin: Has anyone played either of these games? I'm thinking of getting them. I hear Dekiru Igo has a nice multiplayer feature.

AndreasTeckentrup: I created the page but I only saw the games in a shop so far. Im thinking about buying Dekiru Igo but the Tsumego program is probably to easy for me. Ill update the information if I buy the game, but if anybody already has it, feel free to update.

update: I now own all three programs (going back to germany). The tsumego program is a bit too easy for me (egf 1d) but I think its very nice for mid-kyu players. About the go playing programs, theyre both pretty weak, with dekiru igo you can record games and with ginsei igo You can do go problems and need only one cartridge for multiplayer. I only tested Ginsei Igo for a short while so ill probably update after more testing.

Dlugar: I'm thinking of buying the game, but I was wondering what the "multiplayer" was like. Is there download play available? Or do both players have to have the game? Can you play multiple players with a single DS (passing it back and forth)? Thanks in advance!

Nogitsune: Has anyone tried this third cartridge: Asonde Igo ga Tsuyoku naru!! Ginsei Igo DS -- http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-hw-49-en-70-1sm0.html

Not sure how it translates, but I'm tempted to order this one too. I just ordered the Cho Chikun tsumego module; I'll post a more complete review when it arrives.....

TommyThorn?: This is very useful. Could you say anything about how useful these would be for someone who doesn't read any Japanese?

Ted: I tried Dekiru Igo, Ginsei Igo and Cho Chikun no tsumego. Dekiru igo is normal AI for playing and isn't very strong. Ginsei Igo has a lot of 'lessons', but if you don't read japanese it's meaningless to play it because there's always some text and questions and so.... Cho Chikun no tsumego is quite good collection of tsumego - you start at 50kyu and go up to 1kyu. But it is only collection of tsumego.

Dieter: 1/2 year since I got my Nintendo DS equipped with homebrew extensions I wondered why GnuGO was missing for the NDS . It already took some informatic knowledge to get Mr Jandujars DSGo running. I wondered why his approach was missing on most homebrew sites and also here. Too weak, I guess. However his great work for GnuGO 1.2 would be almost lost ... if I wouldnot have the courage to update it with GnuGO engine 3.7. I have it and I still hope that I would be the first to release the first "strong" GnuGO engine on NDS. Unfortunately it is still under construction. Interested ? http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=15191 Of course, if you like, please inform me if another open source and free development for GnuGO already exists.

imabuddha: I'd be very interested in seeing GnuGO 3.x running on the DS! Please keep working on it. I tried your forum link but the server is down.

Can anyone translate the principal pages of Cho Chikun no Tsumego, Dekiru Igo or Ginsei Igo games to English? I don't know a word of Japanese but this games are interesting. I can't understand why the authors doesn't make an EN version, it could be played (and consequently extend the number of Go players) in the World...

Zarlan: There are, quite simply, far too few people, who would buy the games, for it to be profitable. Of course, a fan made translation patch, could be made I guess, but it's not really all that problematic in Japanese...

Dieter: For the ones owning homebrew equipment for NDS (M3 Perfect, Supercard, G6 ...) including extra RAM (>>16MB) I integrated GnuGO 3.7.11 1:1 into DSLinux for NDS. Every move takes 2-3 times compared to a modern PC due to memory limits of NDS. It's not the last step after only 3 weeks but the first of improvements. Please refer to Gameboy advances development on NDS , http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=15191, to get the software.

Chris: I began the development of an IGS client for Nintendo DS : DiSigo? port of ViZigo. Just a demo is actually available on http://developer.berlios.de/projects/disigo/ . This is an open source project and any help would be most welcome.

krtek? I just wrote a new homebrew that act like a Go Clock. It stills need some testing and improvement, but I'll post it on this page as soon as I think it's ready to use. If you want to help me doing some testing, you can download the rom : http://krtek.gloump.net/GoClock.nds

Azeral: Many of these games boast the ability to play against the AI or other players through wireless or wifi. None of these descriptions, however, seem to mention the ability to play on the same NDS with someone beside you, passing it back and forth. A digital goban is precisely what I'm looking for and DSgf, though awkwardly functional in this regard, is not really designed for it. Which of these would suit this need? English is a plus, though I can muddle through Japanese if necessary.