Nintendo DS Games

Nintendo's latest handheld, released in October 2004, has soared to excellence since October 2005 with the introduction of WiFi connectivity. A flurry of deep, exciting titles have been released since then, introducing the DS's golden age. You can't go wrong with any of these games, none of which you can find on any other system.

Top Rated DS Games (from GameSpot.com) Mario Kart DS  Advance Wars: Dual Strike  Nintendogs  New Super Mario Bros.  Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time  Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow  . Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney  Metroid Prime: Hunters  Kirby: Canvas Curse  Meteos

DS vs. DS Lite

Nintendo released the DS in 2004 and replaced it with the smaller, superior DS Lite in 2006. The systems have the same hardware and play the same games, but the DS Lite includes adjustable screen brightness, a larger stylus, better button design and a lighter weight. As time passes, the DS Lite is increasingly being referred to simply as the DS, because it's more prominent in the marketplace.

Must-own DS games

Mario Kart DS : This racing title introduced the DS WiFi connection. When you've tired of plugging through the intense single-player mode, you can go online to face other Mario Kart maniacs worldwide. This is an optimization of one of gamedom's most storied franchises.	Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time : A role-playing game involving plumber brothers Mario and Luigi in their effort to save the princess. The game integrates strategy with item collecting and turn-based battle. If you're in the mood for more traditional Mario action, check out New Super Mario Bros.	Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow : Battle demons, werewolves, zombies and other creatures of the night in this dark adventure game. You play as the reincarnation of Dracula who battles against his vampiric nature.	Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney : A text-based adventure reminiscent of the earliest video games on Commodore 64. Play as an attorney at trial who must collect evidence, submit arguments and win cases. Good practice for the LSAT.

Metroid Prime: Hunters : Samus Aran never met a space creature she didn't like to blast. Travel among the stars in this intense adventure, capturing lost relics that could lead to disaster in the wrong hands. While you're on the hunt, you must fend off other bounty hunters after the same stuff as you. Kinda like shopping during a sale. Another WiFi compatible game, with online death matches.	Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day : This one refutes those who say video games make your brain rot. Through a battery of math, verbal and identification exercises, you work daily to sharpen your brain, thus lowering your "brain age" to the optimum of 20. Hmm. Maybe the thing was designed by a 20-year-old.	Animal Crossing: Wild World : Not for everyone's tastes, but Animal Crossing devotees savor every minute of this build-your-own home game. There are no enemies to kill or goals to complete. This is a peaceful, strategic life simulation experience, set in a village populated by animals. A good way to let kids play house without breaking stuff.	Tony Hawk's American Sk8land : Another strong member of the DS's ever-growing stable of WiFi compatible games, this skateboarding sim lets you pop ollies and slide rail grinds with the best of them.	Age of Empires: The Age of Kings : If you grew up playing Civilization on your PC, this is a game you'll love. The turn-based military strategy game is set in the Middle Ages. You play as historic luminaries such as Joan of Arc and Richard the Lionhearted and lead your troops to victory while fortifying your forces with villages, mills, mines and technologies.

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence : Take on a horde of zombies in this retro throwback to the undead-slashing mid-1990s. The gameplay may seem a bit antiquated, but the thrills are still just as vigorous.	Trauma Center: Under the Knife : One of the most innovative video game concepts in years has players assume the role of a cocky surgeon who must combat a succession of viruses through surgery. You use the DS stylus as a scalpel and needle.	New Super Mario Bros. : Mario's latest side-scrolling adventure recalls the very roots of the modern gaming era. If you ever played Super Mario Bros. on the old Nintendo Entertainment System, you already know all the basic rules and tricks to succeeding in your efforts to save that ever-captured princess. This is an excellent buy for anybody -- you can speed through the game's main mission in about four hours, but there are enough secrets and hidden exits to keep you coming back for months.	Tetris DS : Of all the WiFi DS games, this is the most addictive to date. Another game that's simple to learn and difficult to master. You know the drill -- rotate four-segment blocks as they fall from the sky and form lines. The real action picks up when you're doing so head-to-head against strangers, and your lines push up your opponent's stack.	Wario Ware: Touched! : A gaggle of mini-games crammed into one big package, this one gets you doing silly things such as puffing on the DS microphone to blow out candles and touching the screen to pet puppies. The games are simple enough to entertain a 5-year-old yet addictive enough to intrigue a middle-ager.

Wario Ware: Touched! 

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External links

• DS Heaven -- Nintendo DS message boards.
• Channel DS -- Nintendo's DS-devoted page.
• DS Games That Rock -- An Amazon user's list of favorite DS games.
• The Limey View -- A British site that ranks DS games.