I was going to draw a clever little flow chart to follow depending on your answer to that question but I’m lazy and every answer pointed to being a retard if you didn’t and going out to immediately purchase one. I’d describe the DS as being very close to heaven if I believed in invisible home somewhere in space were spirits spend all their time praising a mythical magical daddy with a big white beard (that’s my one rant this post, promise!) The DS is a really great system and I’m not the only one who thinks so, there are 20 million DS users in the United States alone, the DS is on its way to being the best selling console of all time! So stop reading this and go get one, their relatively cheap, especially considering the prices of current home consoles (arm, leg, soul).
Did you get one? Is it shiny and new and beautiful? Yes stroke your DS, love it, say goodbye to your significant other for the time being too, this baby can be a time sink, and best of all you can sink time anywhere! Now what to play on it? Here is my top 10 games for the system.
10. New Super Mario Brothers – A new 2-d platform adventure with our man with the mustache. The game is rendered in 3-d but the play is everything you remember from those days sitting in front of your television going up and down tubes and consuming mushrooms. A must have!
9. Nintendogs – Can’t afford a real dog? Don’t have time for a real dog?Maybe you just don’t have room or your significant other is allergic? If that is the case, Nintendo has the answer to your dilemma! A virtual pet that you can’t kill and will always remain an adorable puppy! Plus all those boring things you hate doing, like bathing, walking, picking up shit, are now fun mini-games!
8. Pokemon Pearl/Diamond – Gotta Catch’em All!
7. Super Mario Kart DS – It’s Mario Kart! You can play on-line (*shudder* friend codes, Nintendo needs to rethink their on-line multiplayer strategy) The same old fun that you’ve come to expect from the kart series. The game is easy enough to get into and beat but it’ll take dedication and practice to master it!
6. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – I can’t seem to get into the new console bases Zelda’s I just don’t like the 3-d view and gameplay, call me old fashioned, I like my Zelda from a top down view. Phantom Hourglass delivers old-school Zelda gameplay with great graphics and intuitive gameplay using the touchpad and stylus.
5. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow – It isn’t Symphony of the Night, but nothing is! This is as close as you’re going to get on the portable front, well you could buy a PSP and get it that way, but then you’d have a 200+ dollar toy that plays one good game… Back to the DS! Castlevania has a convoluted story that involves Dracula, but it can mostly be ignored. What you need to know is that the game is a fantastic 2-d exploration game steeped in western horror tropes.
4. Animal Crossing: Wild World – How to describe Animal Crossing? It’s like real life but fun and your an animal. You have a house, you do odd jobs, you buy furniture, you build friendships.. It sounds terrible but this game has a huge following, if you have friends who have the game as well, your options expand exponentially as you can visit them and they can visit you. Animal Crossing is less a game and more an experience. If you have doubts rent it first, but you’ll like it!
3. Advance Wars: Dual Strike – Advance Wars is Nintendo’s turn based strategy game. Unlike other TBS games though it doesn’t take itself to seriously, the graphics are bright and cartooney, and the story is light-hearted. They’ve moved to a darker more serious look with their newest game in the series, which is why I’ve picked this one as it retains the light heartedness that made it fun, it’s not war and pain, but rock-paper-scissors, but you call it soldier, tank, airplane.
2. Puzzle Quest – Who doesn’t love Bejeweled? No one. Now add some RPG and strategy elements throw in duels, and you have yourself an addicting juggernaut that so far has taken on every console and the PC. Everyone love’s this game! I can’t get my hands on my DS at times because Diana is still playing this game!
1. Contra 4 – Not for the light hearted! I’m currently obsessed with this game despite its crushing difficulty. It’s too addictive to put down. Check out my review at Gamestooge.com
Best of all the DS is a system which largely has the field to itself, and one that is extremely popular so we can look forward to more great games.
P.S. Did you know that your DS can also play Gameboy Advance games? Of course you do, you read the manual. Next time I’ll tell you what games you absolutely need for the last Gameboy.