Okamiden issue

[Brother Oni]

My wife's recently started playing Okami-den for the DS and has encountered a weird bug - the in-game menu won't stop scrolling from right to left. It's irritating, but doesn't otherwise affect selecting things from the menu. Only selecting Redo from the menu stops the scrolling.

Google shows no similar issues and from what I can tell from the couple of Let's Plays, this is not normal behaviour.

Since gameplay is otherwise normal (and works fine on every other game), I don't think it's a stuck key or touchscreen issue. I've started a new game and the issue is also present, so it;s not corruption of the original game file.

About the only problem I can think it can be is that we're playing an EU game on a Japanese DS Lite, but I've heard of any region interface issues like this.

Anybody have any ideas?

[Starwulf]

My wife's recently started playing Okami-den for the DS and has encountered a weird bug - the in-game menu won't stop scrolling from right to left. It's irritating, but doesn't otherwise affect selecting things from the menu. Only selecting Redo from the menu stops the scrolling.

Google shows no similar issues and from what I can tell from the couple of Let's Plays, this is not normal behaviour.

Since gameplay is otherwise normal (and works fine on every other game), I don't think it's a stuck key or touchscreen issue. I've started a new game and the issue is also present, so it;s not corruption of the original game file.

About the only problem I can think it can be is that we're playing an EU game on a Japanese DS Lite, but I've heard of any region interface issues like this.

Anybody have any ideas?

Well, the NIntendo DS is region locked, so there is a good chance that is in fact your issue. Nothing else to add since I don't own Okamiden, nor have I ever tried to play a game from another country on my DS.

[Prime32]

On other consoles, these kinds of issues tend to result from holding down a direction button as you turn it on (causing it to think that's the neutral position). But I'm pretty sure that only happens with analogue sticks...

Try playing the game in another DS?

[OracleofWuffing]

Well, the NIntendo DS is region locked, so there is a good chance that is in fact your issue. Nothing else to add since I don't own Okamiden, nor have I ever tried to play a game from another country on my DS.
Original Nintendo DSes and DS Lites are not region locked, and the DSi family only does region locking on DSi-exclusive software (Games that you could play on a regular DS will play regardless of region). Since Okamiden isn't such a title, I wouldn't be too certain.

That is, save for the Chinese iQue DS, which plays DS games regardless of region but has Chinese-exclusive games that other DSes won't be able to play.

[Starwulf]

Original Nintendo DSes and DS Lites are not region locked, and the DSi family only does region locking on DSi-exclusive software (Games that you could play on a regular DS will play regardless of region). Since Okamiden isn't such a title, I wouldn't be too certain.

That is, save for the Chinese iQue DS, which plays DS games regardless of region but has Chinese-exclusive games that other DSes won't be able to play.

Hmm, I've always been under the impression that they are region locked. is it the games that are region locked instead? If so, that would still cause the issue he's coming across, since he got the game from Japan and playing it on a European DS. Either way, I know something is region locked, because I've seen it mentioned in many E-bay auctions.

[OracleofWuffing]

Here's what Nintendo Customerservice (http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/dsi/en_na/faq.jsp#vers) says about it:

Are the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL internationally compatible?
Because these systems utilize region encoding, international compatibility is limited.

DSi Ware games and other downloadable content
The Nintendo DSi Shop is specific to the region for which the system was manufactured. For example, a Japanese system can download DSi Ware games and other software only from the Nintendo DSi Shop for the Japanese region, regardless of where the system is being played.

Nintendo DSi exclusive game cards
Nintendo DSi game cards that are only compatible with Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL (and not Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite) are region locked. This means game cards manufactured for the U.S. market would not work in a system made for another country.

Nintendo DS / Nintendo DS Lite game cards
Older Nintendo DS and DS Lite software is region-free, so you can play most of that software on a Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL from any region. It's possible, however, that future Nintendo DS software will incorporate region encoding. In these instances, these games would not work in a system made for another country.

While it's totally possible to region lock at the cartridge level (Why, Namco, why did you do the equivalent of this on Mr. Driller Drill Land!?), the fact that he can still play the game seems to imply it's something else. Nthing borrowing someone else's DS, Japanese or not, and seeing what happens.

Wait, what buttons do you push in order to scroll the menu in that game? If it's something like the shoulder buttons... Okay, long shot that doesn't make much sense either, maybe one of your shoulder buttons is worn down?

[Mistral]

Here's what Nintendo Customerservice (http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/dsi/en_na/faq.jsp#vers) says about it:


While it's totally possible to region lock at the cartridge level (Why, Namco, why did you do the equivalent of this on Mr. Driller Drill Land!?), the fact that he can still play the game seems to imply it's something else. Nthing borrowing someone else's DS, Japanese or not, and seeing what happens.

Wait, what buttons do you push in order to scroll the menu in that game? If it's something like the shoulder buttons... Okay, long shot that doesn't make much sense either, maybe one of your shoulder buttons is worn down?

Or dust. A bit of dust getting into the shoulder buttons and causing it to stick is an issue I hear about every so often. If you have an air can or a pair of lungs, it should be easy to just blow it out. Still, if it works for every other game except Okami-den, it's pretty unlikely, but it's the only thing I can think of that would cause this sort of behaviour.

[Brother Oni]

Wait, what buttons do you push in order to scroll the menu in that game? If it's something like the shoulder buttons... Okay, long shot that doesn't make much sense either, maybe one of your shoulder buttons is worn down?

Er, this is embarrassing. :smallredface:

I thought I had already tested this, but it turns out that only one of the games my wife has, uses the L shoulder button and it's doing it in there too, so it looks like this is the answer.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[OracleofWuffing]

I thought I had already tested this, but it turns out that only one of the games my wife has, uses the L shoulder button and it's doing it in there too, so it looks like this is the answer.

Thanks for the help everyone.
Whew, good to hear that I was helpful after all!

Basically, the mechanism under the part you press down for the shoulder buttons on the DS Lite is like a tiny safety pin. When you press what you think is the L Button, the pin is "closed," otherwise, it is open. Now, when that pin is closed? That's when the a microswitch is being hit, which registers the button press. Yes, you could say there is a button inside the button, so you are pressing a button while you are pressing a button.

A number of DS Lite owners have had experiences that they attribute to this design, claiming that the pin gets bent or unaligned with the shoulder button's plastic, the length of the pin between areas snaps apart, or- as Mistral pointed out- dust getting caked in between some part of the design, causing it to stick in some manner. Air canning is a possibility if that's the issue. Braver souls can track down a shoulder button assembly replacement kit and disassemble the thing, but I don't really recommend it because you are dealing with really really small parts that handle a lot of pressure and can spring most anywhere. Not. That. I. Would. Know. About. That. :smallfurious:

[Brother Oni]

Given that the L button sounds different when depressed compared to the R button, I suspect the spring or pin has become misaligned, or something's physically stuck in there.

Since I can't seem to blow it out, I've ordered a triwing screwdriver (my current triheaded screw driver is too thick to get at the screws :smallsigh:) and will take it apart. Thanks for the tip about the spring - I'll make sure to take appropriate precautions. :smallbiggrin:

[OracleofWuffing]

Well, here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWZ1-VDCUjQ) that'll at least get you to where you need to be. It doesn't sound like things need to be soldered, though, so you should just stop watching by about halfway through, examine the parts, and see what needs to be done. Then skip to about 9:15 for the reassembly (there are a few gotchas in that process, mainly the catches for the power and volume). Good news is you won't have to unthread/rethread the top screen's data/power cables or the cords that go under the DS cart slot :smallfurious:

Only other thing I can think of once was that my 3DS's shoulder button got stuck down once, but all I needed to do was gently push it back up until it popped up into normal positioning.