Go Wi-Fi hunting with your DS in ‘Treasure World’

The concept behind Treasure World, a new and innovative game for the Nintendo DS, is a relatively straightforward one — but completing it will take time, patience and a lot of exploration in the real world.

Your objective in Aspyr’s Treasure World ($29.99) is to collect thousands of treasures for your little alien character, who is stranded on Earth, by walking, driving or cycling in your neighborhood and letting the DS, or the newer DSi, detect Wi-Fi networks from homes or businesses.

Regardless of whether these hot spots are open or secure, every time a new network is detected you’ll hear your game system chime to confirm new “stars” have been found, which can then be converted into valuable treasures for your character. Treasures can range from articles of clothing and dance moves to facial features and hairstyles to trees and statues to music notes, songs and brief bits of dialogue.

Consider this game a 21st century scavenger hunt, if you will, and to ensure you’re not walking into people, lampposts or traffic, you’re encouraged to close the clamshell DS or DSi and the hunt for Wi-Fi connections will continue uninterrupted.

Once you convert stars into treasures, or buy new treasure items from your fearless spaceship pilot, you can dress up your character with the items, drop them into your customizable world or lay them down to create unique “songscapes.” You can also change the tempo and pitch of your songscapes, or melodies, record your favorites or choose from 150 classic tunes.

You are also challenged to complete constellations, clusters and galaxies — all of which are collections of similar items. This can get quite challenging, and time consuming, but proves rewarding to those who take the time to amass a huge treasure collection.

An optional game-play component involves going online with the handheld to share treasures with other DS or DSi gamers or signing up for a free account with ClubTreasureWorld.com on a computer and communicating with other Treasure World players.

While this Nintendo DS adventure is certainly unique and enjoyable, there are a few issues with the game. For one, it would’ve been great if there were more to Treasure World than merely collecting treasures and laying them down to create songscapes. Perhaps if the items you collect could be imported into an arcade game, collection of puzzles or assorted minigames, it would offer more value than the collecting being the main game element. It’s still fun and rewarding though.

Secondly, there is only one saved-game slot, therefore only one person can enjoy the game, unless you want to let a family member or friend continue where you left off. An option for a second or third player to start a game from scratch (without affecting your progress) would have been ideal.

Shortcomings aside, Treasure World cleverly takes advantage of the wireless connectivity built into the Nintendo DS or DSi to create a unique game experience. This is especially true for those who enjoy collecting or scavenger hunts.

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