Nintendo DS Lite and its games for Japanese language learning



I have been considering buying handheld console called Nintendo DS Lite
for learning Japanese language. Because of that I have stumbled accross
many more or less interesting Japanese learning games during my endless
journeys in fastests superhigways, narrowest foothpaths and darkest
alleys of information.

I have collected these notes for my personal use, but I think others may
find these notes useful, too. Doozo!


Nintendo DS Lite and its games for Japanese language learning

Author:
Juhapekka “naula” Tolvanen
ユハペッカ・「ナウラ」・トルワネン
http://iki.fi/juhtolv
juhtolv (at) iki (dot) fi

Version: 2008-01-04

This text is public domain. There is no warranty.


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Maybe the best:

正しい漢字かきとりくん「今度は漢検対策だよ!」

Tadashi Kanji Kakitorikun
Kageyama Method - Dennou Hanpuku: Tadashii Kanji Kaki to Rikun
Perfect Kanji ~ Kakitori Kun vol. 1

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/software/a8kj/index.html

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/kageyamamethod/index.html

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/04/new-kanji-game-for-beginners.html
http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/05/japanese-learners-perspective-review-by.html
http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/DS0405
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1544
http://www.nihongojouzu.com/2007/04/nintendo_ds_kan.html


Kondo wa Kanken Taisaku
Perfect Kanji ~ Kakitori Kun 2
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/software/yk8j/index.html
http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/kageyamamethodtadashiikanji/index.html
http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/DS0429


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漢検DS2+常用漢字辞典

http://www.kankends.jp/
http://www.rocketcompany.co.jp/kanken2/

Kanken DS
http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/04/kanken-ds.html

Kanken DS 2
http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/10/kanken-ds-2-review.html

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Said to be weird:

250まんにんのかんけんしんとことんかんじのうIE-institute
DS: 250 Mannin no Kanken

http://www.iek.jp/

http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php?productid=17069


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Other:


漢字そのままDS楽引辞典
Kanji Sono Mama DS Rakubiki Jiten
(Dictionary)

http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php?productid=17035&cat=333&page=1

http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/DS3516

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/kanjisonomamarakubikijiten/index.html

http://ds.ign.com/objects/740/740439.html

http://www.nihongoperapera.com/japanese-english-dictionary-software.php
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/nintendo-ds-japanese-dictionary-guide.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/file/932301/48385

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DS Bimoji Training

Beautiful Kanji Training
(Comes with “brush”)

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/avmj/
http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/DS6449


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Gakken DS Otona No Gakushu Kindaichi Sensei No Nihongo Resson

http://ds-nihongo.gakken.co.jp/

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/gakkends/index.html

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/gakkends/index.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssimilargames&tag=similargames;title;1

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/05/gakken-ds-otona-no-gakushu-kindaichi.html

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大人の漢字練習
Otona no Kanji Renshu
Kanji Training for Adults

http://www.amazon.co.jp/ナウプロダクション-13306371-なぞっておぼえる-大人の漢字練習-完全版/dp/B000VT56MW?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1202551534&sr=8-12

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Otona no Joushikiryoku Training DS
Kanshuu Nippon Joushikiryoku Kentei Kyoukai: Imasara Hito ni wa Kikenai Otona
no Joushikiryoku Training DS

http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/data/934040.html

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Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshu

http://www.nowpro.co.jp/products/game/kanji/index.html
http://www.nowpro.co.jp/products/game/kanzen/

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/nazotteoberuotonanokanjirenshuu/index.html

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/05/nazotte-oboeru-otona-no-kanji-renshu.html

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AIUEO Study with Anpanman
(Kana chars only)

http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/DS0031

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Dora Gana ~ Doraemon Hiragana Study for Nintendo DS
(hiraganas only)

http://www.jbox.com/PRODUCT/DS0594

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シカクイアタマをマルクする
DS漢字の章
Kanji no Shou
Nintendo DS game for learning kanji

http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php?productid=17076&cat=333&page=1

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脳を鍛える大人のDSトレーニング
nou o kitaeru otona no DS tore-ningu

http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php?productid=17039&cat=333&page=1

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Perfect Kanji Power

http://www.jlist.com/PRODUCT/DS7757

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問題な日本語
Mondai na Nihongo

http://www.hudson.co.jp/monnichi/
http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/09/mondai-na-nihongo-review.html

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Tsugawa Method DS

http://www.ertain.com/ja/
http://tsugawa_ds.ertain.com/

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/07/tsugawa-method-ds-review.html

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Obunsha Deru-jun Kokugo DS

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/06/obunsha-deru-jun-kokugo-ds-review.html

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Kanji no Wataridori

http://www.success-corp.co.jp/software/ds/kanji/index.html

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/kanjinowataridori/index.html

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/04/kanji-no-wataridori.html

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Kanpeki Kanjiryoku

http://www.min-semi.com/

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美しい日本語の書き方・話し方DS
Utsukushii Nihongo no Kakikata - Hanashikata DS

http://www.amazon.co.jp/アイイーインスティテュート-13306371-美しい日本語の書き方・話し方DS-特典-さらすら感覚特製12cmタッチペン付き/dp/B000O9ZHVE?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1178466652&sr=8-1

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/kakikatahanashikatads/index.html

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/05/two-more-nintendo-ds-titles-on-way.html

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旺文社 でる順 国語DS
Obunsha Derujun Kokugo DS

http://www.amazon.co.jp/旺文社-でる順-国語DS-特典-さらすら感覚特製12cmタッチペン付き/dp/B000O9ZHZU?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1178466707&sr=8-3

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/2007/05/two-more-nintendo-ds-titles-on-way.html

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読めそうで読めない漢字ＤＳ
yomesoude yomenai kanji

http://moura.jp/lifeculture/kanji2000/index-top.html

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Nihongo Kentei DS

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/nihongokenteids/index.html

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My Japanese Coach

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/myjapanesecoach/index.html

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Yomesou de Yomenai Kanji DS

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/yomesoudeyomenaikanjids/index.html

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Nandoku Kanji DS

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/nandokukanjids/index.html

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Let's Play in Japanese ~ Nihongo de Asobo

http://www.jbox.com/PRODUCT/DS1565

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100 Great Works of Japanese Literature

http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/catalog/100-Great-Works-of-Japanese-Literature-p-16531.html

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Buying places and their sub-pages:

http://www.thejapanshop.com/
http://www.thejapanshop.com/home.php?cat=333

http://www.jlist.com/
http://www.jlist.com/SEARCH/nintendo_ds/1/

http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/
http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/catalog/Gamesofts-orderby0-p-1-c-252.html

http://www.amazon.co.jp/

http://www.tenso.com/

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Lists:

http://www.nihongoperapera.com/nintendo-ds.html

http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/search/label/nintendo%20ds


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Some other games for Nintendo DS Lite:

(OR: Something to play after learning enough Japanese for that day)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders_Extreme
http://www.retrothing.com/2008/07/30-years-of-spa.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_DS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetHack
http://stuartp.commixus.com/nhds/
http://frodo.dyn.gno.org/~brettk/NetHackDS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_(video_game)
http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/DsDoom
http://www.dsdoom.com/


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Competitors outside the realm of Nintendo DS Lite:


Canon Wordtank C50 (Super low-price!)

http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/catalog/Canon-Wordtank-C50-Super-low-price-p-16147.html

Pros:

- Many many dictionaries
- Cheaper than Nintendo DS Lite and its dictionary (Kanji Sono Mama DS
Rakubiki Jiten) combined.

Cons:

- It has nothing else but dictionaries. There is no language learning
games or other edutainment software and you can not install that kind of
software to it.
- You can not play any games after you have learned enough Japanese for that
day.

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Talkman: Talking Global with PSP (two versions: Asia and Euro!)

http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/catalog/TalkmanTalking-Global-with-PSP-two-versions-Asia-and-Euro-p-16156.html

Pros:

- If you already have Sony PSP, this may be good alternative

Cons:

- Sony PSP is generally more expensive than Nintendo DS Lite
- That Talkman… is the only Japanese language learning game for PSP I
have found, yet.

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Yet another idea: subnotebook ot netbook

1) Buy some cheap subnotebook or netbook with GNU/Linux (for example
ASUS Eee PC or OLPC)
2) Port some software that runs on GNU/Linux of desktop-computers for that
subnotebook or netbook (for example mnemosyne, Anki and GJiten)
3) Enjoy!

Pros:

- You can use that notebook for many other tasks in addition to learning
Japanese language.
- Real keyboard.
- Very inexpensive software: Free software (AKA open-source software) is
free also as in “free beer”.

Cons:

- Most subnotebooks are still more expensive than Nintendo DS Lite (but after
that initial investment all software is free as in “free beer” and “free
speech”).
- Not many software-titles for Japanese language learning and there is not
many of them for children.
- Everybody can not do that software porting and packaging for subnotebooks.
There may be ready-made packages available somewhere, though.

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--
Juhapekka "naula" Tolvanen * http colon slash slash iki dot fi slash juhtolv
"ore wo mitsumeteiru anata sama wa ossharu bakari. kes*** dakiyosete wa
kurenai ooki na anata no te. ore no tanjoubi ni wa ai wo kai ataeru. kyou wa
kumori nochi ame." Dir en grey
.