I want to make a list of released DS software that helps you learn japanese/kanji writing, etc. If you know any game that I missed then feel free to post here and I add it. Also I want to start a debate on which game is really best for your personal japanese skills. I will not sort it chronologically but by difficulty.
What we have:
1. Shikakui Atama wo Maruku Suru: DS Kanji no Shou
This is the easiest kanji-learning game out there. The interface is of course completely in japanese and it uses some basic Kanji, so you have to know some, before you can start learning new ones. Still, this game helps you learn the first Kanji, maybe of JLPT level 4 and 3. This is where you can start. It teaches you with mini-games, where you usually answer through multiple-choice boxes.
2. Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Kounin: KanKen DS
This is from the same guys that made the previous game on my list. It looks and feels quite different though. Its niveau is a bit higher, maybe JLPT level 3 and 2. You have to know even more Kanji already to understand the menus. This is really for people, who already have a decent knowledge of japanese language and Kanji. You also learn how to write Kanji yourself.
3. Minna no DS Seminar: Kanpeki Kanji Ryoku
And the winner is: Minna no DS Seminar! This is really top notch. It is aimed at native-speakers and JLPT level 4. It helps you learn very difficult Kanji that even some japanese people may not know. It is very good, but also very difficult.
Last but not least, there is of course Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten, which is a very good japenese-english dictionary. You will find nearly everything in there and you can even draw Kanji (if you're good enough :-) )
Now, to the next part:
What we miss:
1. There is no game that really teaches you the basics of japenese kanji. All games I listed require you to know many japanese words and a varying amount of Kanji. You will have to learn your first Kanji the old fashioned way. Something that helps you recognise the radicals would also be good.
2. There is no software for grammar-learning. Again you will have to know grammer, sentence-structure and conjugation before you can actually use the japanese software we have so far.
3. Vocabulary! No game teaches you japanese vocabulary. It could start as easy as showing you a picture of a watch and you have to type in "tokei". This would be really cool, as I myself have some problems with vocabulary learning. The best way is to write them on flah cards, but the are you really willing to create 1000+ flash cards for the most basic words? A game could make that so much easier.
4. No Kanji-Lexicon. As of now, you can search for Kanji, by either writing its pronounciation and writing the Kanji itself. This is all well and good, but anyone who knows Kanji-Lexicons in physical form, knows that there are other methods. Namely searching by stroke number and radical number. A dictionary that allows that would be cool.
5. Lastly, something that really sums up the above 4 points: A game made for foreigners learning japanese! I think this is a no-brainer. I myself am not so crazy about something like that. I take courses and read books to learn the basics. I could also use a game in japanese, if only there was one with a little less difficulty.
So, this is it. If you have any comments or want to add something, please post here. Thanks for reading :-)
What we have:
1. Shikakui Atama wo Maruku Suru: DS Kanji no Shou
This is the easiest kanji-learning game out there. The interface is of course completely in japanese and it uses some basic Kanji, so you have to know some, before you can start learning new ones. Still, this game helps you learn the first Kanji, maybe of JLPT level 4 and 3. This is where you can start. It teaches you with mini-games, where you usually answer through multiple-choice boxes.
2. Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Kounin: KanKen DS
This is from the same guys that made the previous game on my list. It looks and feels quite different though. Its niveau is a bit higher, maybe JLPT level 3 and 2. You have to know even more Kanji already to understand the menus. This is really for people, who already have a decent knowledge of japanese language and Kanji. You also learn how to write Kanji yourself.
3. Minna no DS Seminar: Kanpeki Kanji Ryoku
And the winner is: Minna no DS Seminar! This is really top notch. It is aimed at native-speakers and JLPT level 4. It helps you learn very difficult Kanji that even some japanese people may not know. It is very good, but also very difficult.
Last but not least, there is of course Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten, which is a very good japenese-english dictionary. You will find nearly everything in there and you can even draw Kanji (if you're good enough :-) )
Now, to the next part:
What we miss:
1. There is no game that really teaches you the basics of japenese kanji. All games I listed require you to know many japanese words and a varying amount of Kanji. You will have to learn your first Kanji the old fashioned way. Something that helps you recognise the radicals would also be good.
2. There is no software for grammar-learning. Again you will have to know grammer, sentence-structure and conjugation before you can actually use the japanese software we have so far.
3. Vocabulary! No game teaches you japanese vocabulary. It could start as easy as showing you a picture of a watch and you have to type in "tokei". This would be really cool, as I myself have some problems with vocabulary learning. The best way is to write them on flah cards, but the are you really willing to create 1000+ flash cards for the most basic words? A game could make that so much easier.
4. No Kanji-Lexicon. As of now, you can search for Kanji, by either writing its pronounciation and writing the Kanji itself. This is all well and good, but anyone who knows Kanji-Lexicons in physical form, knows that there are other methods. Namely searching by stroke number and radical number. A dictionary that allows that would be cool.
5. Lastly, something that really sums up the above 4 points: A game made for foreigners learning japanese! I think this is a no-brainer. I myself am not so crazy about something like that. I take courses and read books to learn the basics. I could also use a game in japanese, if only there was one with a little less difficulty.
So, this is it. If you have any comments or want to add something, please post here. Thanks for reading :-)
