Retro gaming: Treasure World on DS

If you’re a hoarder, you had better not read any further. If you can’t stand not having found every item that can be collected, you’d better click away to another blog. Because this article is about a game that is purely based on just that: collecting. And once you’ve started feeding your addiction, it won’t be easy to turn away! Alright, you have been warned! I wanted to tell you about the DS game Treasure World.

Still reading? Okay, let me tell you a bit more about this retro game. Maybe not many of you have heard about it, though it’s easy to buy used at a reasonable price. At least, easy to buy in America, the only country where it was released. I’m not much of a hoarder when it comes to owning games and special editions. I had such good memories about this one though, that I had to have it in my collection again. The game was made by Aspyr Media Inc from Texas. And it was the first time that I experienced the things you could do with WiFi signals floating around us all.

The story of Star Sweep

It tells the story of the Star Sweep: the greatest treasure collector in the universe. During his travels he crashed on Earth. In order to launch Hally, his ship, he desperately needs Stardust as fuel to power it up again.  To get this Stardust, you really need the Wish Finder. Because the Wish Finder finds the stars that need cleaning, thus giving you stardust. Makes perfect sense, right

You see, every star in the cosmos makes music only the Wish Finder can hear. It can spot which star it hears and sweep it clean of Stardust with the Scope. Not only does the Scope find Stardust though, it also finds treasure. And that is where the collecting bit kicks in.

Gameplay is unique

Overall, the game is a blank field, where you can display your treasures. The Wish Finder is happy when you find him some new clothing. And using the Firefly Lantern you can record up to 30 Songscapes. Tunes that are created by the treasures you find. Because placing the treasures in a certain patterns makes for a sound. That’s because every treasure has a specific tone, and all of them together makes music. A perfect idea for people who love making music!

You couldn’t visit your friends worlds in the DS, but there was a way to share your efforts. Aspyr had a website set up, where you could upload the worlds you created to get the ohhhs and ahhhs from amazed friends. Nowadays, the website is no longer functional, so I can’t go back to see what I made back then. Pity, that.

Verdict

Thinking back, I wonder why this game is such fun. After all, there’s not really any gaming to be done. Still, it’s such a nice feeling to take your DS with you when you are out and about. Opening the lid, finding how many WiFi signals the Wish Finder has detected. Because that’s what the Stars are, WiFi signals in real life. Unwrapping the treasures that the WiFi signals have brought is exiting. Finding new stuff that you didn’t have yet, arranging them in a nice way. There’s 2.600 treasures to collect in Treasure World, so you see why I made the reference to hoarding!

In a way you could say this is a very early form of Streetpassing. Later on, I felt the same exited feeling when the little green light blinked! So, to wrap it up: not a real game but a unique one. But you can get your creative juices flowing in decorating and arranging. And if you love composing music, it’s an extra treat. The excitement to get new treasures, getting your collections complete, is the main attraction. And with the way WiFi signals have multiplied since the game was released, it’s still a fun game to play.