Electroplankton
From Limited Release to DSiWare
By Shaun Hatton - December 14th, 2009
When Electroplankton was first released, Bugsy and I ordered it online through Best Buy’s site as it was one of the only ways Canadians could get their hands on the quirky music program. Within days, the shipment arrived at Bugsy’s house, which at the time was a half hour drive from my place. Although it was late at night when he called, and despite the heavy freezing rain threatening to make the drive deadly, I headed out to his place as safely but as quickly as I could.
Upon getting home, I placed the game into my DS, turned it on, and tuned out to its more ambient modes. It was one of the first non-games I had experienced and at $45 was somewhat more expensive than the typical DS cart. I played the game for a few months, ultimately ignoring it for the likes of Tetris DS. In a weaker moment, I traded it in for some store credit at a local game shop. I had no idea the game would become so expensive just weeks later.
Because of this I hadn’t had an Electroplankton fix in years. Recently, however, I came across the title on Nintendo’s DSiWare service, albeit available à la carte. For 200 Nintendo Points each, one can own Electroplankton mode by mode, and have them ready on the DSi startup menu for whenever the fancy strikes. Cool stuff!
I’ve been getting reacquainted with this old favourite and I find it to be a good relaxation tool for when I need to sit back and unwind. If you’ve got a DSi, check these titles out. At two bucks a pop, you’ve nary a thing to lose.
Here’s hoping the out-of-print Tetris DS sees a DSiWare release, as I’ve had lots of readers ask about its retail availability lately.
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This is seriously one of my favourite DS “games”. Fun to screw around with (Woo, Beatnes!), and very relaxing. It’s helped me fall asleep more times than I can count. In fact, I think I’ll slip this into my DSi to help chill me out on the 24th.
Great news, it’s about time that Electroplankon got a little more love.
It’s actually not too difficult to get hold of here in Europe last time I checked same for Tetris DS - if you know where to look.
Michelle, consider yourself lucky! You also get to play Professor Layton with what I assume is proper English spellings!
Anyone with an Electroplankton cartridge, does it actually work in your DSi? I just got a used Electroplankton, and it works fine in my DS Lite, but not the DSi (perhaps because there’s no Save data on the DS cartridge, which is rare.) Maybe that’s why they re-released it as DSiWare, the DS version doesn’t work on the DSi.
Hi Kent,
If your copy of Electroplankton wasn’t store-bought, there are unfortunately great odds that it is a counterfeit copy and therefore will not work in your DSi.
Thanks, Shaun–disappointing, but a word to the wary. I see numerous listings on eBay for presumably genuine DS games, all with the disclaimer “Doesn’t work on NDSi”, and now I know why…
I think I have a line on a genuine version now, for not too outrageous a price. (Probably should have just downloaded the individual critters on the DSi to begin with, but I don’t want to leave my DS Lite plankton-less!)