Ping Pals
{{Short description|2004 video game}}
{{Infobox video game|
| image = Ping Pals.jpg
| caption = European packaging artwork
| developer = WayForward Technologies
| publisher = THQ
| designer = Matt Bozon
| producer = Derek Dutilly
| programmer = Ian Wakelin
| writer = Paula Shumard
| artist = Matt Bozon
| composer = Shin'en Multimedia (Manfred Linzner, Martin Schioeler)
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|December 7, 2004{{Cite web |author=IGN Staff |date=2004-11-24 |title=Ping Pals |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/11/24/ping-pals-2 |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=IGN |language=en}}|AUS|February 24, 2005|EU|March 11, 2005}}
| genre = Simulation
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
| platforms = Nintendo DS
}}
Ping Pals is a chat/accessory program developed by WayForward Technologies and published by THQ for the Nintendo DS. It was released on December 8, 2004 in North America & It was released in Europe in early 2005. The program allows the user to customise their "Ping Pal" avatar and game interface by selecting from over 1000 different items such as hairstyles, makeup, clothing, backdrops, music loops and sound effects.
Gameplay
Items can be unlocked by trading with other players or buying them in a shop. Players must trade to complete their collections, as each cartridge's shop offers a different subset of the items.
Players receive a regular allowance of coins, using the DS' date-keeping functionality, and can get more by playing mini-games (such as Guess the Number and Hot Potato), typing certain secret words in chat (each word works once per file) and even for choosing to display the credits screen more than once.
Up to 16 players can connect wirelessly using one game cartridge; each must be within about 100 feet (30 m) of one of the others to exchange text and picture messages.
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Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 28/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/ping-pals/critic-reviews/?platform=ds |title=Ping Pals for DS Reviews |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |accessdate=October 11, 2019 |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331225346/https://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/ping-pals |url-status=live }}
| 1UP = F{{cite web |last=Maragos |first=Nich |date=January 4, 2005 |url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3137602&did=1 |title=Ping Pals |website=1UP.com |publisher=Ziff Davis |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105173714/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3137602&did=1 |archivedate=January 5, 2010 |accessdate=October 11, 2019}}
| EGM = 0.5/10{{cite magazine |author=EGM staff |title=Ping Pals |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=187 |date=January 2005 |page=143}}
| GSpot = 3.3/10{{cite web |last=Navarro |first=Alex |date=December 15, 2004 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ping-pals-review/1900-6115063/ |title=Ping Pals Review [date mislabeled as "December 16, 2004"] |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |accessdate=October 11, 2019 |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011032052/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ping-pals-review/1900-6115063/ |url-status=live }}
| GSpy = {{Rating|1|5}}{{cite web |last=Theobald |first=Phil |date=December 17, 2004 |url=http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/ping-pals/574029p1.html |title=GameSpy: Ping Pals |website=GameSpy |publisher=IGN Entertainment |accessdate=October 11, 2019 |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011152227/http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/ping-pals/574029p1.html |url-status=live }}
| IGN = 3.5/10{{cite web |last=Harris |first=Craig |date=December 14, 2004 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/15/ping-pals |title=Ping Pals |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |accessdate=October 11, 2019 |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011032059/https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/15/ping-pals |url-status=live }}
| NP = 2.8/5{{cite magazine |title=Ping Pals |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo of America |volume=188 |date=February 2005 |page=115}}
| ONM = 9%{{cite magazine |title=Ping Pals review |magazine=Nintendo Official Magazine |volume=151 |publisher=Future plc |date=March 2005}}
}}
Although Ping Pals was marketed as a nonviolent, girl-friendly game, it was frequently criticized as not being interactive enough to be called a game. In addition to this, the DS has a built-in chat program called PictoChat. PictoChat includes features that Ping Pals lacks, and due to this, the game received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. For instance, Nintendo Official Magazine, in its Nintendo DS special, opened their review of the game by describing its existence as being "a bit like paying money to breathe air." By contrast with other summaries in the magazine, which were typed and more detailed, the reviewer gave a one word summary, handwritten in PictoChat, reading "POINTLESS".
Several images in Ping Pals were licensed from QPlay. These include the Cupimon, a green creature that dances in the startup animation, and several avatar and clothing graphics.
The game received two zeroes and one 1.5 from Electronic Gaming Monthly, the lowest average score in the history of the publication.
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See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/nintendo-ds/ping-pals}}
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Nintendo DS-only games
Category:Video games developed in the United States
{{THQ-stub}}