Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Release Date: November 15, 2005
The full feature set of the DS wasn't available on Day 1. It would take another year or so, after November 2004, for the system to really start showing what it could do -- in the area of Wi-Fi Connectivity. And for those players paying attention to the continuing progress being made in the then-already-venerable Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise, the realization of the potential of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection came quickly. In November 2005.
That's when Vicarious Visions checked in with its first installment in the series for the DS, a title that was developed with such detail and attention paid to its Wi-Fi capabilities that it served as more of a flagship for the service than Nintendo's own Mario Kart DS, in a way. Tony Hawk's American Sk8land took early-adopting Wi-Fi pioneers on the portable ride of their lives to that point, as they competed head-to-head against rival skaters across the country, or even around the world.
Now remember, for proper context, that Nintendo's anti-online stance was legendary through the '90s and the first half of the current decade. For the Big N to flip its opinion so quickly, and for Activision to be ready, on the spot, with a focused and well-realized online experience right away was truly impressive. And even today, with subsequent sequels having since arrived to take the Tony Hawk DS series in other, different new directions, Sk8land continues to stand out for the impact it made in its original release.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: June 4, 2007
Panel de Pon was its name in Japan, and here it was sold as Tetris Attack. Pokemon were added into the mix for editions on the N64 and Game Boy Color, and Dr. Mario was placed alongside for its Game Boy Advance debut. But though its history, its look and its name have changed for every new update it's ever received, Nintendo's classic Puzzle League gameplay has always stayed the same.
Until last year, of course. Planet Puzzle League arrived on the Nintendo DS last summer, and once again remixed the presentation of the design built on the core gameplay of shifting and sliding stacks of tiles around a screen, matching three or more of them, and watching them disappear. But it also altered that core gameplay for the first time ever -- replacing the D-Pad-directed cursor control with direct stylus sliding.
The resulting increased pace of play made this take on Puzzle League even faster and more challenging than ever before, and ensured that it would go down in history as one of the most desirable and dangerously addictive puzzle game designs ever released for the handheld. There are likely still those of you picking up this game every day for a dose of the included Daily Play option -- and if that's you, we commend your dedication and recognize why you've felt compelled to continue visiting this Planet over and over again.
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Taito
Release Date: June 17, 2008
One of our Top 25 List's most recent releases finds its roots firmly planted in one of gaming's oldest arcade classics -- Space Invaders Extreme is recognized here, at #22, for its brilliance in reviving the alien-blasting arcade design that celebrates its 30th anniversary of release this year.
Taito's classic Space Invaders was simple in its concept -- a swarm of pixilated alien enemies have appeared at the top of the screen, and it's up to you to blast them all out of the sky before their slow and steady downward march brings them into contact with the ground. That's where your tank is placed, fully armed and equipped with the ability to roll left, roll right, and fire straight up.
Space Invaders Extreme takes the same core concept and wildly expands upon it, in both gameplay and presentation -- your tank can now earn upgrades and power-ups, chains and combos of destroyed enemies open up newly-introduced extra challenges, the entire affair is faster than ever before and the lights, colors and sounds that shape the entire experience are enough to send the weak-willed into a catatonic state. It's an excellent update to an excellent classic game design, and Space Invaders Extreme's existence on the DS speaks to the reality that Nintendo's handheld, in addition to hosting a home for new and completely original gameplay concepts, can also just as easily breathe fresh life into the most familiar experience the industry has to offer.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Jupiter
Release Date: July 30, 2007
Thirteen years ago, the original Game Boy found itself the home of Mario's latest cross-over puzzle game. Called Mario's Picross, it featured the major mascot donning an archaelogist's duds and diving into pyramids full of picross puzzles. Picross being, simply put, a style of wordless crosswords that, when completed, created some kind of simple image or shape.
It sold horribly. The star power of Nintendo's No. 1 plumber did little to boost the sales of the game, and it was doomed to a fate of cult-only appeal in America -- even while its sequels enjoyed continued success in Japan. We in the States would have to wait over a decade for NOA to decide to take another chance on the Picross concept. It finally did, just last year.
Picross DS brought the puzzling design into the current generation, and combined with the natural utilization of the system's touch screen and stylus input, it was finally a game that earned its deserved recognition. Strategically thinking through the numbered clues and revealing each hidden image one block at a time turns out to be a blast when you give it a shot, and Picross DS is still a puzzler that sees regular play even to this day, over a full year later.
What's more, the game's lasting appeal could see it living on for even longer -- the ability to use the included personal puzzle creator significantly boosts that aspect, and we imagine that it's only a matter of time before this concept graduates to Nintendo's home console. Maybe in the form of a WiiWare game. (Of course, there is always WiiPicross.com).
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Developer: 1st Playable Productions
Release Date: March 20, 2007
You enter a darkened cave. You advance slowly inside, your sword and shield at the ready. You suddenly come upon a dragon, you raise your blade, you charge forward and ... you match three blue tiles, clearing them off the screen. Huhwhat? It's Puzzle Quest.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is the surprise hit from 2007 that took the distinctive stylings of the role-playing genre and mashed them up with casual puzzle gaming. It's an odd mixture, as you'd expect to enter some turn-based battle, selecting attacks and spells from a menu when an enemy appears in an RPG -- but in this one, your success over your foes is determined by how good you are at Bejeweled.
The contrasting genres managed to come together beautifully, creating a game that combined the addictiveness of that tried-and-true match-three puzzler design with the depth and intricacy of an RPG. D3 Publisher knew it had a hit on its hands too, and the game soon spread to pretty much every platform in existence today. But it will revisit the DS soon, with its follow-up sci-fi sequel Galactrix scheduled to hit the handheld early next year.
Publisher: Atari
Developer: SilverBirch Studios / Metanet Software
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Focused, refined and distilled to its purest form, N+ is a platformer -- and nothing but. Your diminutive ninja runs and jumps, and does nothing else. There's no sword for him to swing, or guns for him to shoot. No big boss waiting at the end, and no storyline trying to make sense of it all. It's just running and jumping. Pure platforming. And it's a ton of fun.
N (without the plus sign) first appeared online as a free Flash game, and only later became a commerical product when it arrived on Xbox Live Arcade as N+. That edition fleshed out the Flash foundation, turning it into a more robust and appealing package that people would be willing to pay hard-earned Microsoft Points to earn. But this edition on DS, which debuted just a few weeks ago, adds even more plusses to N+ -- including new levels, new modes and an easier method of sharing your user-created levels with your friends.
If you're a fan of platforming at its most pure, if you love ninjas, if you have a thing for collecting gold and avoiding traps and if you're just an overall glutton for punishment, you owe it to yourself to experience N+. It's only been a part of the DS library for a very short while, but it's made such an impact that it's proven its worthiness to be a part of this list.
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: June 24, 2008
The Final Fantasy brand first spun off into the realm of strategy role-playing in 1998, when the first Final Fantasy Tactics title arrived for the PlayStation in America. A spin-off to that spin-off then came to the Game Boy Advance five years later, and, this year, the most recent edition arrived. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift brought turn-based tactical combat to the DS in June, and many players are no doubt still exploring the mysteries of the titular magical tome today.
As with its predecessors, Tactics A2 focuses its gameplay on strategy combat that plays out across checkerboarded grids layed on top of various fantasy environments. You observe the action from an isometric perspective, and deploy your forces to engage the enemy -- advancing to meet them one square at a time. The mechanics are polished, smooth and frightfully addictive. You'll know doubt be sucked in for 40, 60 or even 80 hours once you flip on the power switch the very first time.
The storyline, too, keeps you coming back day after day, as Tactics A2 reveals its plot and major characters even more slowly than past installments in the series -- this could be taken negatively for impatient players, but it's also a continued encouragement to keep moving forward. Winning more battles. Upgrading your fighting force just a little bit more.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is one of the deepest and most consuming titles the DS library has to offer, and we hope it's not the end for the franchise on Nintendo's handhelds. Bring us A3 sometime in the future, Square Enix. We'll lose even more hours, days and weeks from our lives when you do.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Release Date: June 14, 2005
Kirby's long held down a role as Nintendo's go-to handheld hero, having made his video game debut in Kirby's Dream Land on the original Game Boy and revisited each new iteration of that hardware multiple times. So when the Nintendo DS came around, we didn't have to wait long to see the rough and tough pink puff show up to show off his stuff. Kirby Canvas Curse rolled on to the scene in the system's first summer on the market, and looked both familiar and different -- familiar, because it was a side-scrolling platformer. Different, because you couldn't control Kirby any more.
Not directly, any way. Direct, D-pad control of Kirby was removed from the equation in order to make Canvas Curse a completely unique and original adventure for the rotund roller, who found his circular body transformed into an even more well-rounded sphere here. Kirby would roll across the screen and increase his speed if you tapped him, while enemies would be stunned if you touched them with the stylus too. But the real innovation was the rainbows.
Drawing long, looping lines anywhere on the touch screen produced shining rainbow strings, which Kirby would automatically follow if he came into contact with them. You used the rainbow to make platforms for him to land on, inclines for him to climb, loops for him to spin through and even shields to protect him from enemy artillery -- it was one mechanic that became multi-purpose. The simple idea was so versatile, in fact, that it felt fresh throughout the entire quest and ultimately solidified Canvas Curse's place among the best and most innovative Kirby adventures ever made. It's more than a worthy addition to this list of the top DS titles, and if you came into the fold of DS ownership sometime later than 2005, you should certainly consider going back to revisit this one.
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Dimps / Sonic Team
Release Date: November 15, 2005
Reactions to new Sonic the Hedgehog titles today are, at best, mixed. Recent reinventions and revivals of the faultering franchise like the PS3/360 platformer, the upcoming half Sonic, half Wolfman Unleashed and the Chronicles RPG here on the DS have been received with open arms by some, but insulted and pushed aside by others. At least we can all agree on one thing, though -- no matter what's been going on elsewhere with the mascot, the Sonic Rush games rock.
Probably because it doesn't try to shoehorn our hero into some other genre, because it doesn't make him howl at the moon and because it doesn't arm him with a gun or a sword, Sonic Rush is pure Sonic fun. Focused, intense and blazingly fast side-scrolling action is what you get here, the same as in days long past sitting in front of a TV and a Genesis. Sonic runs, Sonic jumps, Sonic spins himself through giant loops. It's what he was made to do.
And the games (Sonic Rush also had a sequel, in Sonic Rush Adventure) make great use of the DS system's two screens, having out hero platforming both above and below, as well as navigating giant set pieces that bridge the gap between both displays. And if all that weren't enough, Rush also introduced Blaze -- nothing notable about a Sonic game bringing a new character into the fold, except that Blaze doesn't suck. Like some other of the Sonic franchise's third-string heroes.
If the Hedgehog's recent stumbles have left you disillusioned and pining for the past, retreat to the safety of Rush. It does Sonic proud, because it does Sonic's gameplay right.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: iNiS
Release Date: November 8, 2006
The Men in Black met the All-Varsity Pep Club in this rhythm action mash-up, headlined by a squad of well-dressed male cheerleaders with the signature power to inspire. The Elite Beat Agents are a secret government agency dedicated to encouragement, always appearing when someone's depressed and urging them on with smokin' hot sounds. And dancing. And wearing sunglasses at night.
Elite Beat Agents was Nintendo of America's incredibly odd localization of Japan's incredibly odd Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, a game so thoroughly off-the-wall that it was incredibly odd that it received a localization at all. But the gameplay was so focused and fun that it was worth the time and effort to convert the game, retrofitting it with American characters, scenarios and popular music.
Everything from Village People's classic YMCA to Avril Lavigne's Sk8ter Boi made the cut, as players were tasked to tap, drag and slide icons across the screen, all while keeping the rhythm alive. The design was so distinctive that several other music games have since copied its conventions since then, and even aspects of Bioware's Sonic Chronicles battle system have the Agents to thank for their existence.
Publisher: RedOctane
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Release Date: June 22, 2008
You've got to give it to Vicarious Visions. It's not all that easy of a task to take one of the industry's most popular home console franchises -- a franchise filled with licensed music, meant to be blared out of huge home stereo systems, and intended to be played with full-on plastic replica instrument peripherals -- and condense it all down into handheld form. But you've got to give it to them, because they pulled it off. The team members at VV brought GH to the DS.
Guitar Hero: On Tour is the first portable edition of RedOctane's smash hit music series, a game made possible through the development of a DS-specific plug-in peripheral that features the fret buttons normally found on the neck of the console versions' guitar controllers. The fact that the peripheral works is astonishing, as it really does recreate the feel of playing "big" Guitar Hero on the little system. The further fact that the game is fun, in addition to being functional, is icing on the cake.
On Tour turns your stylus in a string-strumming guitar pick, as you wail away on the virtual axe placed prominently on the touch screen while the series' signature note paths appear and do their usual thing on the top screen above. Well, not really above -- because you hold the DS in its sideways "book style" configuration so that the top screen becomes the left screen. (Or the right screen, if you're a lefty.)
All these elements taken together, there's no way we could leave Guitar Hero: On Tour off the list of top 25 DS titles. The developers twisted and turned the system, transformed the stylus, added an all-new set of hardware buttons when the hardware alone wouldn't suffice -- there was no stopping this game from happening, no restriction that wasn't overcome. It's an impressive feat, and we look forward to how the team will respond to the next challenge ahead of them -- recreating this success on Nintendo's DSi, which removes the critical GBA slot.
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Tecmo's Team Ninja might have fallen on hard times recently, but whatever issues plaguing the developers didn't keep them from crafting one of the most intense action experiences ever seen on the DS. Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword adapts the fast-paced brutality of its console counterparts to the small screen, and makes few sacrifices in the transition -- though Ryu Hayabusa doesn't stand as tall on the DS, his ability to bring the pain is just as vast as anywhere else.
Like Guitar Hero: On Tour and Planet Puzzle League seen earlier in this list, the DS edition of Ninja Gaiden turns the system on its side for "book style" gameplay. This gives Ryu a taller-than-wide touch screen to adventure across, as players direct his movements with stylus inputs. The left screen is relegated to a map display much of the time, which is useful -- it can be hard to keep track of where you're headed when you're busy helping your enemies to be beheaded.
Both displays get in on the action in the game's dynamic cutscenes, though, as the artistic, comic-book style sequences pay homage to the legacy established in the very first Ninja Gaiden game to come to a Nintendo system. At the end of the day, Dragon Sword is an innovate and invigorating offering for the hardcore half of the DS audience, and its place in this list is well deserved.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: August 22, 2005
After almost four years on the market, it's safe to say that the Nintendo DS is the home of more virtual pet, pet simulation, pet doctor and virtual pet simulation doctor games than any other piece of hardware, ever. Much of that blame is appropriate to place here, at the four pawed feet of Nintendo's Nintendogs. Because it leapt into action in the system's first year, set the bar for interactive pet experiences ridiculously high, and ever other publisher has been trying to clone the success ever since.
Nintendogs isn't Nintendo's most innovative concept -- after all, owning and caring for virtual cats, dogs and other animals is an idea that goes back several years beyond even the first planning meetings for the two-screened handheld. But what made Nintendogs so compelling is that it had that Nintendo level of polish. Sure, it was a virtual pet game. But it was a first-party virtual pet game, and that made all the difference.
The Big N knew it had a hit on its hands to begin with, too, pre-planning for megaton sales numbers by producing three different editions starring three different sets of dogs. The Dachshund & Friends edition is the box you see pictured above, but there were also Chihuahua and Labrador versions. And then a Dalmation version, and a Best Friends version -- five in all, by the end of it. We're shocked they never went to the Special Shih Tzu Edition.
But most interesting of all is the fact that, despite the success and continued appeal of this design, the franchise has been dormant in the three years since the games' initial release -- surely we'll see Nintendo revive the concept some time in the future for a true sequel or console edition. Those little dogs are just too cute to ignore.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: December 5, 2005
Animal Crossing addicts the world over are no doubt revisiting this title frequently right now, trying their best to get their fix while counting down the days remaining until next month's launch of the Wii sequel, City Folk. And that Wii sequel owes many of its pioneering features to this DS edition, which updated the GameCube classic original with a new visual style, upgrades to its item management interface and the arrival of the series' first real multiplayer experience.
The GameCube Animal Crossing supported more than one player, but never at the same time. It wasn't until Wild World came about that AC villagers could actually interact with one another, in addition to the NPC animal neighbors -- holding impromptu fishing contests, races and T-shirt design competitions all through the power of Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. The expanded possibilities of playing with other players breathed new life into the concept, which had already been played for weeks, months and even years by some on the Big N's big purple Cube.
For even more info on Wild World and the Animal Crossing series as a whole, why not click over to the "Happy Anniversary, Animal Crossing" feature published here just last month? The series proper has just recently celebrated six full years in the States, and you can get yourself good and educated as you prepare yourself to potentially purchase the new City Folk sequel.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Release Date: August 22, 2005
Nintendo's first-party Famicom Wars franchise had entertained Japanese audiences for years with its unique presentation of military strategy before it ever came to America -- and when it finally did, in 2001, it arrived in force. The original Advance Wars became one of the Game Boy Advance's most defining titles, and its sequel Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising further solidified the fanbase in the States that had been waiting since the 8-bit era to get their hands on English-language versions of the tactical titles.
So expectations were high when the hardware transition took us away from Game Boy and brought us to DS, and when the first installment in the Advance Wars series was announced to be heading to the dual-screened platform. Luckily, those expectations were met. Dual Strike, like its predecessors before it, became a defining title for the system and a flagship for the handheld's first year on the market.
Not because it did all that much different -- the core gameplay remained the same, many of the characters crossed over from the GBA titles, and more. But because it embraced the reverse, actually. Not overly relying on the fancy new DS features, not putting too much focus on touch screen control or simultaneous use of both screens (though it did introduce both of those). So commanders already accustomed to deploying their forces in the first two AW games could make the transition to this new battle easily, and without any worry about losing anything in translation.
Dual Strike also set the stage for this year's excellent follow-up Days of Ruin, which is a game also well worth looking into -- it took some bolder steps away from the established norm, introducing a new storyline, new units and more. But we'll officially award the #10 spot to Dual Strike, for setting the stage on the DS for tactical, grid-based, blow-up-the-enemy combat.
Publisher: Rockstar
Developer: Rockstar Leeds
Release Date: March 17, 2009
The idea of taking Rockstar's immensely popular and successful Grand Theft Auto series and making it a portable experience isn't exactly new: we've had scaled back editions on the Game Boy platform, and the PlayStation Portable has enjoyed two faithful console editions over the course of its four year lifespan.
No, what makes Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars such a noteworthy Nintendo DS game isn't its portability. It's because it's easily one of the most ambitious and elaborate Nintendo DS productions that bring almost every aspect of the GTA experience to the handheld, an impressive feat when you consider the limitations of the DS hardware as well as the restrictions of the cartridge media.
The game may take on a slightly different look and perspective for the Nintendo DS, but GTA: Chinatown Wars retains nearly every gameplay element introduced into the series for the consoles up until its release. On top of the usual carjacking, city driving gameplay mechanics, you can also take part in an extensive drug trafficking element that extends the experience in a brand new direction. And playing the game on a smaller system never diminishes the enormous fun inherent in the design.
There's also a really excellent multiplayer component for local Nintendo DS owners where four players can compete in a series of GTA-related challenges. Let's not forget the very cool online component that ties into the company's Social Club website for additional content.
It's rare to see such ambition and production values go into a Nintendo DS product, and for that we thank Rockstar and its DS team for putting that much effort into the DS edition of Grand Theft Auto.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Game Freak
Release Date: April 22, 2007; March 22, 2009
Some people called it a fad. Some people looked at Pokémon when it first came to America, sized it up, and declared it to be a temporary phenomenon. Destined to be swept out of popularity before long, and left there, long forgotten. Some people said that. Those people were wrong.
Pokémon has proven its longevity over the course of a full decade in America now, and emphatically re-asserted its dominance as a force for driving hardware and software sales last year, when the fourth generation of the core RPG games arrived for Nintendo DS. Following the well-established formula for the series, Pokémon Diamond & Pearl appeared and presented the same basic ideas as before -- you're an aspiring young trainer setting out on travels through a world full of monsters, you're dreaming of being the best, and you've gotta catch 'em all. It worked in '98, and it's still working today.
It also helps that more new monsters keep appearing to keep things fresh, and as Diamond & Pearl arrived the total number of catchable creatures grew to an astounding 493 (not counting the monsters who also have different versions and body shapes). It's become even more of a Herculean task to try to get every single monster, and that's only made the fans all the more ravenous to achieve that goal. It helps that this DS upgrade for the series also introduced Wi-Fi trading, allowing players to trade their creatures with other trainers from all across the globe.
Truly, the Pokémon phenomenon was not a fad and is still going strong. And that fact has been proven yet again with Pokémon Platinum, the third game in the series, released March 22, 2009.
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Q Entertainment
Release Date: June 27, 2005
The puzzle genre has seen something of a renaissance occur in the past few years, as the category of gaming traditionally devoted to falling block-style Tetris clones has opened up to include many more unique and inviting ideas. Like Meteos. Almost an anti-thesis of the Tetris idea, it's a game where blocks do fall into a pit -- but your job is to send them rocketing back to the sky that they fell from.
There's just something inherently satisfying about Meteos, which rewards you for victory in multiplayer matches by letting you witness the destruction of your opponent's home planet -- nothing like striving for mass murder of an entire species by competing at a puzzle game. It's all in good fun though, and the stylus-based touch screen controls make it all the more enjoyable. You have to line up like-colored tiles to encourage them to ignite and blast off toward the top of the screen, but you don't have to use a cursor or D-pad control. You simply touch and slide the panels around the screen with your trusty plastic pen.
Meteos has made something of a lasting name for itself, too, since its DS debut -- it's had a follow-up sequel on the system branded with Disney characters, and it's also set to be reinvented for Xbox Live Arcade soon as well. We'll stick with the original, though, because XBLA can't do touch control, and there's only so many times you can take playing a game starring Lilo & Stich.
(To prove the point, here's a video starring Lilo & Stitch.)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: NST
Release Date: March 20, 2006
The original killer app. Earliest adopters of the Nintendo DS hardware -- the DS Phat, DS Chunky, whatever you want to call it -- were treated to a little something extra that's rarely seen with newly-released hardware any more. They got a pack-in game -- a little trial run of Samus Aran's latest adventure called Metroid Prime: Hunters -- First Hunt. The demo cartridge was an early indicator of the two-screened system's early potential, and it was well received by fans at its asking price of free. What those fans didn't know at the time, though, was that that First Hunt would be the only hunt for another year and a half.
It wasn't until the Spring of 2006 that the full Metroid Prime: Hunters adventure was finally released. But while the wait was an exceptionally lengthy one, it was also well worth it. The time and effort invested in the Metroid series spin-off showed, and Hunters was quickly established as one of the best experiences available on the system.
The title finally did something that the greater Metroid series had never done before, in that it introduced new main characters to the franchise. Sylux, Weavel, Kanden and other rival bounty hunters appeared to challenge Samus, and became an integral part of both the game's single-player story mode, and the multiplayer Deathmatches that were also included. Multiplayer was a major focus, in fact, also for the first time in the history of the series. (Prime 2: Echoes also had multiplayer, but it kind of sucked.)
Though we'd love to see Samus make a return to the 2D form that served her adventures so well on Nintendo's earlier handhelds, we have to acknowledge that this 3D actionfest was truly impressive. We got a taste with the First Hunt demo. We had to wait a long while. But the wait was worth it, and the final product takes #7 on our list because of it.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: March 20, 2006
The Nintendo DS wouldn't exist without Tetris. It wouldn't exist because the Game Boy wouldn't have made it -- because no one would have bought it without the very first pack-in for that first Nintendo handheld: Tetris. That you're reading this list at all right now is a reality you owe to Tetris. Say thanks to it.
Well, that might be a little of an extreme opinion -- but you can't deny that the first Game Boy edition of Tetris was incredibly prominent and important in establishing Nintendo in the handheld market space, and that the same game is what continues to fuel nostalgia for the classic Russian block-dropping design to this day. Luckily, the edition of Tetris that ultimately came to the Nintendo DS was no simple cut-and-paste of the original design. It remixed the classic. A lot.
Touch screen control modes, puzzle modes, missions modes. Graphics of Samus from Metroid, and Link from the Legend of Zelda. Even Mario got into the action in Tetris DS, which could have more easily been named something like Tetris: Old-School Nintendo Insane Edition. There are so many different modes, iterations and crazy ideas included in this one tiny cartridge that it boggles the brain. And it's the most capitalizing-on-nostalgia product available on the DS, too. It's clearly worthy of recognition in a list of top titles.
And so it falls into position here, at #6. No other puzzle game ranks higher on the list, we'll go ahead and tell you that. If you want excellent puzzle genre action on your DS system, then look to games featured earlier like Planet Puzzle League, Picross DS and Meteos. But most of all look here, to the original king, and its latest DS reinvention.
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Jupiter
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Did you think it wouldn't make the cut? No doubt some of you have been concerned, but there was really no need to be -- The World Ends With You is a such a distinctive, innovative, attractive and mind-blowing role-playing experience that there's no way we would have left it out of our list of the Top 25 DS titles. And, better still, it finds its position in the Top 5.
The World Ends With You is a highly stylized RPG experience developed by Jupiter, known to most as the team responsible for the Kingdom Hearts series. Knowing that, it's easy to pick up on similarities in the art styles employed by both -- but that's really where the similarities end. World Ends has a style all its own.
And style, in fact, is one of its gameplay aspects -- as you control young protagonist Neku on his quest to save himself from erasure by eliminating "Noise" from the world, you'll find that he gets stat bonuses by wearing the right clothes. And the proper pins. And eating the right food.
And that's all in preparation for participation in the game's many battles, which task you to take simultaneous control of both Neku and a partner character, on both of the system's screens, using both the D-Pad and stylus at the same time. It's all insane, it's wonderfully weird, and it's among the most unique games we've had the privilege to play in years. If you missed this one earlier this year, go back and take a closer look. You'll have a whole lot of fun where the world ends.
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami TYO
Release Date: October 4, 2005
Even before it was announced that Konami's classic vampire-hunting action series was coming to the DS, the bar was already high -- the three installments in the franchise that had come to the Game Boy Advance had set it there by establishing a firm formula for adventures through Dracula's castle on a Nintendo handheld. But Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow couldn't help but succeed, because even though the measure of success was a lofty one, the games that made that measure also gave its development some serious momentum.
It helped out, too, that Dawn of Sorrow was created as a direct sequel to the last GBA game, Aria of Sorrow. Same setting, same hero. Same Soul-absorbing abilities. In the history of handheld Castlevania, Koji Igarashi's team has almost always gone back to the drawing board for every individual installment. But they broke that pattern here, and the refinements introduced to an already proven gameplay mechanic made it all the more memorable of an experience.
Now Dawn of Sorrow didn't do everything right -- its anime-inspired art style didn't mesh all that well with Castlevania's traditionally gothic themes, and we're happy to see that the new Order of Ecclesia has moved on to something more appropriate for the series. But Dawn was the first Castlevania game to come to the DS, and without its success Order of Ecclesia might not have been made. So the #4 spot on our countdown goes to it, and we encourage you to revisit the game today. Iga's portable Castlevania titles on Nintendo systems continue to impress, and this is the one that kept that momentum going into the two-screen transition.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: October 1, 2007
The cel-shaded style of visuals used in The Wind Waker might still be a source of heated debate among franchise fans today, but it's hard to argue against that same cartoony look being used on the Nintendo DS. The Legend of Zelda's most recent adventure, Phantom Hourglass, hit the handheld a year ago and made a major splash -- giving new life and new purpose to the graphical style that's since been abandoned for console installments in the series.
Phantom Hourglass wasn't all about the look, though. It also employed a distinctive touch screen interface that saw Link being directed with stylus swipes and taps, as opposed to the traditional D-Pad control that players of past portable Zelda games might have expected. This decision to go all-touch turned out to be almost as controversial as the graphics style of Wind Waker, lending further proof to the theory that Zelda fans are just never satisfied. (In truth, it's probably because Zelda fans are just used to an exceptional level of excellence in each sequel in the series.)
At the end of the day, though, the look, the control, the storyline and every other element came together beautifully, as Phantom Hourglass presented itself as a wonderfully worthy wearer of the Legend of Zelda name. The ocean exploration and map interaction were excellent. The remixed mechanics for several well-known items worked well. And many of the newly-introduced non-player characters, particularly Linebeck, will likely go down in franchise history as some of the most memorable additions to Hyrule's dramatis personae we've ever met.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an incredible experience on the Nintendo DS, and truly deserves its placement high atop the list of the system's best titles. It comes in at #3.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: December 5, 2005
For many of the games on our list associated with long-running franchises, we've made the case that they represented their series well. They were solid installments, doing a great job of bringing ideas born elsewhere to the unique DS hardware. But while the same could be said for this game, it might even be appropriate to go even further -- it's arguable that Mario Kart DS is not only a great sequel for Mario Kart as a whole, but could be seen as the best Mario Kart game ever made.
Everything is done right in Mario Kart DS. The gameplay is tight and responsive. The tracks are well-designed. The character and vehicle selections are robust and inventive. And, more than that, the game isn't plagued by any unnecessary gimmicks -- you've just got cars here, no motorcycles like Mario Kart Wii. You've just got one driver per car, not two like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Those features weren't necessarily bad in those other Kart installments, but their lack here keeps the focus where it should be -- on the racing.
If all Mario Kart DS did was offer the best version of Kart we've ever seen, it would certainly still deserve a spot on this list. But, beyond that, it took the concept to the next level by introducing online multiplayer racing. Mario Kart DS was one of the debut titles for Nintendo's WiFi Connection service, compatibility for which has gone on to become an expected inclusion in most major releases any more. But in late 2005, when the idea was still just getting going, it was Kart that helped solidify its appeal. Chances are Mario Kart DS is the first Nintendo game you ever played online.
Your favorite might be on a different system. You might still think Mario Kart 64 was the best, or the SNES original. And we're not saying you're wrong -- but Mario Kart DS is so solid, so fun and so focused a take on the Mario Kart concept that it could very easily take top honors for the entire franchise. And so it easily takes this lofty spot on our list.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release Date: May 19, 2006
Everything old is new again. For all the advancements made in technology, for all the possibilities for innovation on Nintendo's latest handheld, and for all the praise we've just spent 24 past pages offering to those games who've pursued those avenues the final salute has to go to one of the simplest designs of all. The best game on the Nintendo DS doesn't make use of the WiFi Connection. It doesn't do anything drastic with the two separate screens. It doesn't make much use of the touch capability at all, and all of that is because it just doesn't have to -- New Super Mario Bros. is compelling and fun on the strength of its gameplay and the power of nostalgia alone.
By the time it was released in the Spring of 2006, it had been almost 15 years since the last most recent Mario side-scroller had come to a Nintendo system. There had been plenty of spin-offs in that decade and a half, and lots of 3D adventures keeping the plumber in play -- but good old 2D action with Mario had been a dormant idea since Super Mario World.
With this rebirth, Shigeru Miyamoto and team returned the hero to his roots. Running to the right of the screen, stomping Goombas, saving the princess -- it was all there, exactly as you'd expect, and feeling just right. But the designers in charge made sure the "New" descriptor made sense too, by adding in such fresh elements as the Mega and Mini Mushroom power-ups, the Blue Shell our hero could don to gain a new spinning attack move, new-to-2D acrobatic maneuvers like wall-jumping and more.
Playing New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS made us all feel young again, and the design was done so well that many fans have gone on record to declare it their favorite Mario platformer ever. That's high praise indeed, and it's the level of praise you'd expect from the game being awarded the #1 spot at the conclusion of our countdown.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar