As the Nintendo 3DS enters our lives, let us take some time to look back at the brilliance of titles found on the humble Nintendo DS and pay homage.
Regrettably, the Nintendo DS never really hit it off with South African gamers. Shelves are littered with Brain Training and Nintendogs but barely anything else (I guess that is one good reason, but that is for another article). As the sun sets on the epic Nintendo DS and a new star is born in the form of the Nintendo 3DS, let’s look back at some of the top rated DS titles.
*Scores taken from either Gamerankings.com or Metacritic.com*
Action and Adventure
Winner – Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown 92%
Chinatown was released on the DS, PSP and iOS. What set the DS version apart was its use of the touch-screen for general selection, as well as making it easier to manage such things as the PDA, Radio and grenades, among others.
Set in Liberty City, you play as Huang Lee, a spoilt son to a murdered Triad boss whose job it is to deliver a sword to the new patriarch of the family, Huang’s Uncle, Wu “Kenny” Lee. Things quickly go awry as Huang is kidnapped, shot and thought to be dead. The sword is also stolen, adding insult to injury considering its importance. This is where the game really starts, involving some great twists in the story.
What set Chinatown apart from the newer breed of GTA games was the use of a camera top-down camera angle. A cell-shaded look was implemented, creating a comic book styling – a GTA first. Another interesting fact is that Chinatown contained more lines of code than that of San Andreas – pretty impressive!
Truly a fantastic game!
Second Place – The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass 88%
Third Place – The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 87%
Honourable Mentions:
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Role-Playing
Winner – Chrono Trigger 91%
Originally released back in 1995, Chrono Trigger is considered by many as THE premiere JRPG (J = Japanese), perhaps even one of the greatest games ever!
Re-released on the DS with bonus material, as well as featuring a few enhancements. Firstly, a more accurate translation was achieved, allowing for the developers true vision to shine through. Other features included new areas, a monster-battling arena and a new ending.
Chrono Trigger is set in a world very much like Earth, with the core feature being time-travel. You play as Crono who stumbles across time-travel in a rather unexpected way. Traveling both into the past as well as the future, he meets new characters (including a frog) that join his group, all the while unraveling time paradoxes as well as other unexpected events as he goes.
Game-play wise, Chrono Trigger is an old school turn-based JRPG, complete with world exploration spanning different eras in time. One big difference is that enemies are seen on the map as one explores, unlike most JRPGs of its era. Chrono Trigger plays like the JRPGs of yore, because… well… it IS one!
Such an oldie, but a classic game for any RPG fans!
Second Place – Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story 90%
Third Place – Pokemon White 88%
Honourable Mentions:
The World Ends With You
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Platformer
Winner – Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow 90%
Such an iconic series, that seems to produce its best work in 2D. Dawn of Sorrow was the first Castlevania to be released on the DS, and arguably the best. Dawn of Sorrow is a sequel to Aria of Sorrow from the Game Boy Advance and shares many elements with it.
Like previous Castlevania titles, Dawn of Sorrow features a mixture of 2D platforming, puzzles as well as RPG elements. It utilized the DS touch-screen via the “Magic Seal” system, whereby drawing patterns on the screen allowed you to defeat enemies. A multiplayer mode was also included – adding to the fantastic singleplayer. This mode pitted players against each other for the fastest level clear times.
You play as Soma Cruz, who is confronted with the task of defeating a cult looking to resurrect Dracula (again). The game involves fast-paced action, platform navigating and a puzzle here or there. The main draw behind the game is the “Tactical Soul” system. These souls acquired from enemies can be used in many ways, from teaching new skills allowing Soma to reach new areas, to increasing combat ability and changing weapons.
An incredible Gothic inspired platformer. Check it out if you track down a copy.
Second Place – New Super Mario Bros 89%
Third Place – Kirby: Canvas Curse 85%
Honourable Mentions:
Super Mario 64 DS
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Puzzle
Winner – Meteos 88%
Meteos is an action puzzle game. Game-play involves blocks falling down from the top of the screen forming stacks. The player can move blocks in the stack seeking to line up three or more matching blocks. Blocks can also be matched horizontally or vertically, causing them to rise, pushing all the blocks upwards. Ultimately, the goal of the game is to lift blocks above the top of the bottom DS screen, earning points.
There are a handful of game modes and 32 different levels (worlds) to play. Each level offers different challenges, such as increased or lessened gravity.
Surprisingly, there is a story. It mentions an evil planet (Meteo), that is attempting to destroy planets by sending Meteos (think meteorites). However, the inhabitants of these worlds discover that Metoes can stack up, sending them back out into space. Using these blocks, they also build a spaceship which they ultimately will use to destroy the sentient planet Meteo.
The game also offers different endings, so I guess there is some decent replay-ability (as if these games needed a story for that!).
Second Place – Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 86%
Third Place – Planet Puzzle League 86%
Honourable Mentions:
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Strategy
Winner – Advance Wars: Dual Strike 90%
Being the perfect platform for strategy games, thanks to the touch-screen and stylus setup, Advance Wars is one of the best titles to hit the DS.
The game’s premise is simple – destroy your enemy’s army with your own. Each side takes turns building and commanding units. Each side has two to four armies governed by commanders. Every turn players can attack, be it by land, sea, or air. Commanding Officers are a focal point of play, gaining experience and getting access to improved skills. There are 28 missions in total.
Dual Strike also includes multiplayer in two modes: Versus and Link Mode. In Versus, one DS is used and is passed from player to player as the turns play out. Link Mode is basically the same as Versus, but players will instead use their own separate DS and connect Wirelessly. Up to eight players can participate and maps can be created and shared through the built-in map editor.
The story revolves mainly around two characters, Jake and Rachael, who are part of the Orange Star Army. They are backed up by an array of interesting characters.
The Black Hole Army has returned under a new leader, Von Bolt, who is draining the land of its energy to gain eternal life (besides other things). You now wage war with members of Allied Nations to defeat Von Bolt.
This game seems pretty hard to come by – snap it up quick if you can!
Second Place – Advance Wars: Days of Ruin 86%
Third Place – Disgaea DS 82%
Honourable Mentions
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Other Great Games
FIFA Soccer 2009 – 84%
Tony Hawk’s American Sk8land – 84%
Mario Kart DS – 91%
Elite Beat Agents – 88%
Animal Crossing: Wild World – 86%
Space Invaders Extreme – 85%
Nintendogs Titles – +-80%
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