Reviews by gamers of the top 40 Nintendo DS video games updated monthly.

JANUARY 2008

Nintendo DS - Reviews of the Top 40 Video Games and the DS Console and System

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Final Fantasy III Nintendo DS Video Game $40

I honestly don't see why Square Enix hasn't thought of doing this to all their older Final Fantasy games, really. It would definitely appeal to the newer Final Fantasy audiences who's grownup on all the 3-D games (all the while, giving them a good history lesson on the FF games) yet appeal to us older Final Fantasy fans with its old school style. 

I liked it better when the stories were simpler to follow. That's not to say I dislike the newer Final Fantasy games, though. Things change through the years as do I and I love those games just as much. Final Fantasy III is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

The game starts off with you (Luneth) assembling a team of heroes (Arc, Refia, and Ingus) to restore balance to the world. To do this, you must choose jobs (23 in all) to help aid you in your quest. Every battle you play through will add to each of the character's job level so you'll want to use thought in building not only your characters main level, but also their job proficiency as well.

Although Final Fantasy III is a very challenging game, it's also an entertaining one. I wish the Nintendo DS had more RPGs done in this style. I simply couldn't get enough of the game and kept on finding myself fighting one more battle & whatnot before putting it down. You'll explore the lands, man a boat, pilot an airship, ride a chocobo, find treasure, and more. Not only that but the game is simply beautiful. I agree, it's simply a better overall experience in 3-D.

Maybe it's just me, though, but I get a distinct Final Fantasy VII feel with this game. Don't ask me how but I do. That's a good thing, though.

All in all, you're looking at an RPG that clocks in around the 50/60 hour mark depending on how you play. With new side quests and moogle mail, you'll have a bit more to play.

Final Fantasy III is a DS gem that shouldn't be missed.

Pokemon Ranger Nintendo DS Video Game $30

This game is more structured than the Pokemon RPGs, but it is still quite fun. Capturing Pokemon is fairly easy, and I really like how much you can use the ds stylus. I would recommend this game to any Pokemon fan, and if you have never played a Pokemon game, I would recommend this as a good introduction to the franchise because it is (so far - I am not finished yet) a simpler game and doesn't require as much patience to build up a collection of Pokemon.

The graphics are great, however, it take almost an hour's worth of playing before you're pass the instructional stage. Pokemon Ranger is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

I did not like it because the character is not independent and the whole game seems tightly structured so far. I love how in the older games you got to walk around wherever you pleased. In this game, that does not happen.

Digimon World 6 Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Firstly, this isn't really a game called Digimon World 6. This game is Digimon Story, translated into Digimon World DS. Chronologically, in America, it would be Digimon World 5.

To start things off, this is a really fun game. The premise is that you are a human who is brought to the digital world to raise digital monsters, or Digimon. Throughout the game you can raise your Digimon from Baby to Mega levels, even degenerating to make them more powerful.

Furthermore, there is a training area, called a digi farm, where you can put your Digimon to grow while you are out battling.

The game is an RPG. You gain levels and stats increase, allowing you to digivolve once certain requirements are met. You can also equip swords, shields, and accessories. Digimon World 6I is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Pluses -

You can own over 200 Digimon, and choose to make your favorites as powerful as they can be.

If you are a fan of the show, it's great to see your favorite Digimon show up in the wild, be it Gabumon, Angemon, or even Myotismon.

North America is introduced to Digimon Savers, the new series running in Japan. There are many characters that appear in the game that are from the series.

Negatives -

The game can be a bit glitchy. Some things may not load right away, and I once experienced the top screen, which holds the digi farm, turn black. This was remedied by entering the digi farm and talking to one of my Digimon.

Some of the evolutions of the Digimon aren't the same as the television series. Angewomon doesn't evolve into Magnadramon, Impmon doesn't evolve through to Beelzemon...Matadormon doesn't become Grandracmon and so on. It's not a bad thing, just a tad disappointing to the die hard fans such as I.

All in all, Digimon World DS is a great game. It follows the RPG genre very well, creating an enthralling world for players. One warning though, just because you may be a Pokemon lover doesn't mean you will like this game. The style and speed of gameplay in both games are very different.

You should click the pic above and purchase this game if you are a fan of the Digimon series, the RPG genre, or are just looking for a fun game to put 30 plus hours into.

Yoshi's Island 2 Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Over a decade ago, Yoshi's Island on the Super Nintendo was a blast that at the time took the gaming world by storm. It didn't quite have the same impact when it was released for the GBA in 2002, but it still managed to sport some of its originality. 

We finally get a sequel, and it's actually pretty good. It keeps all the good stuff from the previous game and adds in some new quirks. So it isn't exactly the same game. There are indeed some key differences.

In the first Yoshi's Island, Kamek kidnapped Baby Luigi while Baby Mario fell to Yoshi's Island. The Yoshi's rallied together to reunite Mario with his brother. The adventure was long, satisfying and quite a challenge. In the sequel on DS, Kamek is up to his dirty tricks again, but the key difference is that now the Yoshi's are taking care of more than one baby.

A lot of gameplay mechanics from the first one return. As you go through levels Yoshi does pretty much all that he did in the first one. That is to say you can jump and hover briefly, ground pound, make enemies into eggs and throw those eggs, as well as spitting your enemies back out at others. Yoshi's Island 2I is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

In this aspect Yoshi's Island has not changed at all. In addition to all this, keeping track of the baby on your back is also the same. If Yoshi ever touches an enemy he'll lose the baby off his back and a timer starts to countdown. You have to recover the baby before the timer runs out or else you lose a life. Also like in the first one, stars refill the counter.

There's more that returns. The completion of the game is a spot on match to the first one. As you go through levels you'll see flowers, red coins among the normal ones, and stars that need collecting. 

Upon completing a level you'll be given a score out of 100. The only way to get 100 is if you collect all the flowers, red coins, and manage to keep your counter completely full by collecting stars. There are always 100 points, and if you manage to score 100 points in every level of a world, you'll unlock a bonus stage... just like in the original.

There is one difference in the gameplay in particular that separates Yoshi's Island DS from the original Super Nintendo version. The fact that there is more than one baby that Yoshi can carry on his back. At first this doesn't sound like much, but it makes a difference in some of Yoshi's abilities. 

You'll begin the game with Baby Mario and Baby Peach. As you progress however, you'll get more babies--DK, Wario and Boswer. They each allow you to do something different. Bowser, for example, can spit fire while DK can swing on vines and ropes. In the end, if you actually want to do everything Yoshi's Island has to offer, you'll have to use all the babies. 

Some levels cannot be completed unless you've got the right baby to do it. So if you're having trouble getting some items, or you can't access a certain part of the level, it might be because you're not using the right baby.

The best part about Yoshi's Island is that the game as a whole is a challenge. More so than the original. The mechanic of having to switch babies to progress through levels adds a lot of variety to the levels. Having to score 100 points on every level also adds a lot of variety and challenge. Yoshi's Island DS is also fun to play because it doesn't do away with the mechanics that made the first one so good. The boss fights are just as memorable here as they were in the SNES installment.

Its the graphics where Yoshi's Island DS misses a little bit. In all honesty, it doesn't look all that different from the first one on the Super Nintendo. This isn't bad seeing as how the art style is still unique, but it doesn't look that much better than the game we got over ten years ago. It's pretty and all, but if you played the first one to death, you're not really seeing anything new. Most of the enemies look the same as they did before. Most of the backgrounds and platform look the same. Some of them are given more detail, but for the most part, most of the graphics are all the same.

The game also doesn't use the touch screen. All the top screen is used for is so that you can see more of the level. So if you were expecting it to take full advantage of the DS's capabilities, you'll be disappointed. This in no way detracts from the game's value, though.

In the end, Yoshi's Island DS isn't so bad. The game keeps all the aspects of the original game in tact while adding in some new features that make it unique. It's a satisfying game experience overall, even if it does bring back a little too much from the original.

Clubhouse Games Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Clubhouse games rock!

Many of the games are available at the start, others you have to "unlock" for later.

Three modes of gameplay are available:

"Free play": Play any game you have unlocked/play available games.

"Stamp mode": Clear all the games in order (yes, each game, but you get stamps when you lose, so you're not stuck on darts or whatever forever!) one stamp for third place or lower, two for second, three for first; three stamps and you can move on to the next game...a great way to familiarize yourself with all the games, plus it's the only way to unlock certain games
and finally,

"Mission mode": Clear specific challenges to move on: Make X number of strikes in bowling, for example.

Some games are great, others stink, ditto to the music, but that's not why we are here...Clubhouse Games is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

There are only a few games available at the start as I previously mentioned:
*Basic Card Games*
old maid
spit (speed or war)
I doubt it (Cheat!)
Sevens
Memory (yes, memory!)
Pig

*Intermediate Card Games
Blackjack
hearts
president
rummy
seven bridge
last card
last card plus

*Advanced Card Games*
five card draw
texas hold'em
nap
spades
contract bridge

*Basic board games*
Chinese checkers
checkers
dots and boxes
hasami shogi
turncoat
connect five
grid attack

*Advanced card games*
Backgammon chess
*three others to be unlocked:
shogi
field tactics
ludo

*Soda shake
dominoes
Koi-koi
*unlockable game
word balloon

*Action games*
bowling
darts
billiards
balance ("Jenga")
takeover

*Single-player games*
Solitaire (Klondike/draw three, go thru deck once; standard/draw 3,6,or infinite, go thru deck infinite)
Escape
Mahjongg Solitaire (lots of different ways to play)

Whenever there are unlockables, simply touch the grayed-out icon to find out what you have to do to unlock it! There are even unlockables in the choose able icons and picto-chat features!

I love the instructions for most of the games! Anytime during a game, you can pull up a help window which will teach you the intricacies of a given game.

Now, this package isn't without stinkers:
In Texas Hold'Em you can't go "all in" or even "raise a bet"
in billiards and darts there is no actual ball physics, etc
however, there is a robust mode of solitaire (both "Klondike" (draw three) and "draw one". Most solitaire games don't have this, and I HATE "draw three!") and mahjongg which are two of my favorite single-player games and I wasted hours late last night trying them out. The instructions to refresh my memory of mahjongg were flawless, complete with icons to help!

The computer AI is great, especially in chess and checkers! How many of us have played online or with an electronic hand held game, where you'd play a game against the computer and end up in a "cat" game? (Where no one wins or loses, and no one can move on)? or in chess, where the AI is stupid, and cheats? This one didn't! It "thought out" moves, it made jumps or moves when I wasn't looking, it even won sometimes, though so did I!

While the package isn't without its duds it does have perks like redesigned/renamed versions of Battleship, Stratego, Trouble, etc (most you have to unlock), and Hanafuda, the card game that Nintendo was famous for before they got into video games in the 1800's!

You can download all games (that you have unlocked) to another ds to let someone try them out, and many games can be played online through Nintendo's wifi service, or a robust single-card and multi-card download play!

This is a great package overall, but some of the games could have been tweaked a bit more. I have Telegame's versions of "Ultimate card games" and "ultimate pocket games" for the GBA which has better renditions of poker and other games then this game, and I'll be picking up their ds version; but for everyone who has ever played solitaire on their calculator or hearts and poker on the computer, this game is a must-buy, especially if you have friends online. You can "picto-chat" chat with your friends or use generic phrases like "good job" and "one more game?" with random match-ups.

I'm glad I clicked the pic above and spent the money for this game, and while not all forty-plus games are available at the start, it's fun to try to unlock them all. This game deserves a solid 8 or 9 out of 10!

Go buy it, and I'll see you online!

Children of Mana Nintendo DS Video Game $30

In truth, there really hasn't been a great Mana game since Secret of Mana back in 1993. Every Mana game since has been met with astonishing mixed feelings, and Children of Mana is no different. Why did I click the pic above and buy it knowing this? 

For the same reason many Mana fans continue to invest in Mana games. There's always hope that the next installment will give us the same joy that Secret of Mana did. Unfortunately, Children of Mana does not do this. It doesn't rekindle the magic Secret of Mana gave us, but that shouldn't suggest it falls short of it either.

The world is in peril when a mana imbalance threatens to send the world back into the dark ages. It is up to a hero or heroine to stop this from happening and thus you'll set out to save the Mana Tree and the world itself. Children of Mana by no means has a great storyline going for it. At least where it falls short in story it more than makes up for in gameplay. Children of ManaI is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

No matter how you look at it, Children of Mana is a dungeon crawler. It is an RPG, but it falls into the dungeon crawling category. When you enter dungeons they're just swarming with monsters, and you'll be surrounded before you know it. So you'll have to make your way through a dungeon battling everything in sight until you reach the boss, take him on, and then you're done. Rinse and repeat. The process does, at times become annoying, but Children of Mana offers some variety and interesting aspects to the gameplay to make up for it.

The first tidbit of interest is how combat works. It's actually pretty fun to go through dungeon killing things. It's surprisingly addictive for the first couple of hours. You've got three hit combos you can perform on enemies. You can knock enemies into other enemies. There's quite a bit of interesting things you can do. However, what also sets it apart from a lot of dungeon crawlers is that you can't get ahead of yourself too fast. 

First and foremost, you can't equip and use everything you find right off the bat. The game will actually restrict you from using overly powerful weapons until you have access to certain dungeons or until you meet certain expectations. This keeps the game from being too simple too fast.

You'll also have access to magic, of course. Each time you go into a dungeon you can take a spirit with you and use the magic that spirit provides for you. It's interesting to play around with as well. In dungeons you can also dual wield weapons, although not in the way you'd think. When I say duel wield I specifically mean you can equip two weapons but only use one each time. So you can't go about swinging both of them at the same time, which probably would've added more variety to the gameplay otherwise.

Along the lines of giving your character a different assortment of weapons, you can also give them gems that can improve their stats or combat abilities. It's interesting, but not really all that deep. You'll mostly find or purchase these gems.

Another interesting aspect is that the game is completely linear should you decide to not to dwell into the many side quests the game has to offer. Children of Mana is not shy about offering you side missions to go on, and they're actually pretty well worth it. However, should you decide not to do any side quests, the game becomes extremely linear.

The problem with the gameplay, however is that this rinse and repeat formula becomes very tiring very fast. The objective in just about every dungeon is to find what's called a "Gleam Drop" and then bring it back to the "Gleam Well." It's annoying mostly because each dungeon plays out in the same way. Fight through a horde of enemies, retrieve the Gleam Drop, fight a boss and leave. Over time it becomes increasingly repetitive. 

Thankfully, Children of Mana has a great remedy for that too. It's multiplayer. Up to four players can play at a time, and the game is so much more fun that way. You and your friends can make your way through dungeons together, and sometimes it's just a blast to do. There are moments of slowdown when playing in multiplayer mode, but it's nothing to get too frustrated with, because it doesn't happen too often. The multiplayer alone adds a lot of variety and complexity to the gameplay.

As far as graphics go the game doesn't look too bad. The sprites look like they're ripped straight out of Sword of Mana... and the game is completely 2D. However, the Mana games have not been about taking graphics to the limit, they've been about its unique art style, which in Children of Mana is absolutely gorgeous. 

Its artwork is just beautiful to look at. Each environment is given extremely good detail. The only problem, as I mentioned, are that the sprites are not nearly as detailed. Musically, Children of Mana sounds fantastic. It's one of the best sounding DS games out to date. Very few of the current games hold a candle up to its fantastic soundtrack.

The bottom line is simple: Children of Mana is a very fun game to play with a very mediocre storyline. There's just enough variety and interest in the gameplay to keep one going for the adventure, even if the storyline is just not all that great to begin with. However, keep in mind that Children of Mana really is just a dungeon crawl, and it's unrealistic to expect an RPG that's all about dungeon crawling to have a fantastic storyline that will blow you away. Also, even with its vast amount of variety in the gameplay, the whole rinse and repeat is so repetitive that some gamers may not even find the game worth going through at all.

On the whole, if you're looking for a game that's fun, you'll find it with Children of Mana. However, if you're looking for a game with a deep storyline and endearing characters, you won't find it in Children of Mana.

Nintendo DS New Super Mario Bros Video Game $35

In the beginning Nintendo created Mario, and he was good. So good in fact that he's often credited with saving video gaming in the mid 80's. Mario wrote the book on side scrolling platformers but after years of ruling the roost decided to move on to the realm of 3D leaving others to carry on the tradition. Some pretenders to the throne were good and some not so good but in the back of our collective minds we all knew that Elvis had left the building. Well, the King is back and it's as if he never even left.

The oddly named "New" Super Mario Bros launches players' right into the action. After a short 10 second cut scene of the princess being kidnapped (AGAIN) `World 1-1' is ready to go and it feels so right after 15 years of waiting. There are Goomba's and Koopa Troopas, toadstools and green pipes, swimming levels and fire plants and coins galore. 

To all those people who think that the graphics are only a slight improvement on Mario's previous side scrolling adventures I would urge them to pop Mario 2 or 3 into the DS and be amazed at the difference. The new adventure is much more vibrant, colorful and organic with toadstools that dance and sway and water graphics that are absolutely stunning. 

Mario has some new snazzy moves including the ability to bounce off walls and my favorite, the [...] stomp. Instead of smashing bricks from the bottom Mario can now drop from above and in the case of multi-coin bricks Mario can smack down on it and coins just pour out. Both of these are awesome additions that open up all new playing potential. New Super Mario Bros is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

I have a few slight issues with the game. First, the side to side movement doesn't seem as tight as I remember from previous Mario games. Mario doesn't stop on a dime anymore, he kind of slides to a stop as if the levels were coated in a thin layer of ice. I suppose this is more realistic but it gave the game sort of a loose, floaty feel until I got used to it. 

The other issue I have is with saving. Rather than saving after every level you save intermittently when you cash in coins or finish a tower or castle. I'm not sure why they made this change but it seems like a rather poor decision on a system that's intended to be played in potentially short bursts.

Despite a couple of griping points NSMB may well be the greatest side scroller ever and a welcome addition to the Mario legacy. I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to play a new side scrolling Mario game and this has definitely been one of the toughest games on the DS to peel myself away from. Click the pic above and get it and relive the glory years of Mario with an all new adventure.

Elite Beat Agents Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Elite Beat Agents is one of those games that seems awfully silly - but is incredibly addictive once you get started. It's a rhythm game with some fun songs to play along with.

The plot is the silly part. Secret agents watch for trouble - babysitters trying to calm down kids, little girls missing their daddies - and jump in to help out. The way they help is by dancing along to the music. This is like finding a "plot" for Tetris. Just ignore it :)

The real fun is the actual gameplay. You have a song playing in the background - the 19 different tracks include songs like YMCA, Material Girl, You're the Inspiration, La La, Sk8ter Boi, Let's Dance and much more. There's a good mix to please most players. Now you tap along with the song on circles on the screen. Elite Beat AgentsI is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Let's say you're playing Material Girl. They might show 4 circles in a row for you to tap along with the song. A larger circle will show around each circle, closing in on it and matching it right when you're supposed to tap it. Sometimes you slide along a line. Sometimes you double tap. The taps make drum beats and cymbals, so it really does sound like you're playing along with the song. The "closing circles" are really easy to see and understand and draw your eyes along.

In between verses, the top screen shows you manga-like scenes of the "story" you are following. So in one story, a weathergirl is trying to get rainy clouds to go away so she can have a picnic with her son. The scenes show her getting help from people in blowing away the clouds. Depending on how well you do in your playing, you get different endings - so you really have incentive to do your best and to replay.

There are two levels of difficulty, and on each level you get a rating of how well you did. You can easily go back and replay levels to get the highest rating in each one.

You might think that 19 songs aren't a lot, but really, you don't play a song just once. That would be like listening to a song just once on the radio or on your MP3 player! You listen to and play them repeatedly because it's fun to hear the song and fun to play along.

Highly recommended!

Hamsterz Life Nintendo DS Video Game $29

In Hamsterz Life, you adopt a cute hamster from different breeds, raise and train him. As your hamster grows stronger, he can build his own Ham-country with its own bakery, school and bookstore and invite other hamsters.

There are a number of bugs and freezes that really should have been screened by quality assurance before this game had a chance to release. The notable bugs are in the Klingon campaign, where I have suffered two freezes and found a break in the crew banter wherein I hailed and scanned two ships that I had already destroyed.

In terms of gameplay, this title's failures are in the AIs inability to adapt (which I have decided is acceptable for a handheld title) and the lack of a proximity alarm feature. I could have made good use of a proximity alarm several times as I've played through the game, which would have helped me to avoid crashing into a starbase (leading to the destruction of said base) and countless asteroids, although I accept that this is simply a part of play, the fixed camera angles make it an annoying circumstance given the heavy damage to shields and hull. 

I also wish that they had used a more Jedi Academy/Jedi Outcast style for multiplayer, in that you could allot a number of upgrade points to your crew individually instead of simply selecting a general proficiency level, as a player using a lower force mastery setting could beat one with a higher one by wisely allotting points, so too might an ensign crew defeat a captain if they focused their points in an area where the captain player was weak. Star Trek Tactical AssaultI is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

I have read several reviews in which people anticipated traditional RTS style play or were disappointed with the games play premise. To clarify for these people, the tactical end of this game, and the spirit which the game makers were attempting to capture in my opinion, is the spirit of battle sequences from the TOS movies, such as the Wrath of Khan. 

In this regard, the game succeeds brilliantly, the player must be able to command his/her vessel in a tactical scenario that the game presents, outmaneuvering, outgunning, or outsmarting the AI opponents.

The ability to customize your play style through advanced crew training is a very nice touch, and it holds water for immersion as you can take the crew from ship to ship. Another nice immersion touch is the language option for the Klingon interface, which you may set to display in tlhlngan Hol in the options menu. It gives the Klingon campaign a very immersive feel, and does not interfere with play as the control layout for every ship is identical except for aesthetics, such as a green Romulan layout and the traditional red triangular look of Klingon computer terminals used for those ships.

The story arc covers almost all of the classic star trek story types, I'd like to make particular mention of the federation campaign, where you discover that pirates attacking mining freighters are actually disgruntled miners, and that an unscrupulous mining administrator is the real villain. Later on you must protect previous federation enemies from a starship gone rogue. Though this could be criticized as rehashing old Trek plots, in a simulation game of this kind, it's an excellent choice. 

In addition, the writers have chosen to center the game on the Khitomer Massacre, and the events which follow, allowing the player to explore a previously ambiguous portion of Trek history between the Undiscovered Country and TNG wherein the alliance between the Klingon Empire and the Federation truly solidifies. In the Klingon campaign, the dialogue is well written to reflect the rich Klingon culture that has been developed over the franchise's long run, and you will find yourself chuckling at dialogues from both campaigns and enjoy the opportunities to parley with enemy ships, although in the Klingon campaign this is tantamount to a reminder that you mean to shove torpedoes down their throats.

The gameplay itself has a good learning curve, and becomes difficult later on requiring a good grasp of Khan style tactics. It is to your benefit to play with all the ships you can in skirmish mode, the reason for this is to familiarize yourself with enemy capabilities. For example, in the federation campaign you will be pitted against many different types of Klingon ships. By playing as those ships in skirmish, you will be able to see where their shields are weakest, how man guns they bring to bear from which angle, and how maneuverable each vessel is. 

Many times while playing through both campaigns I was only able to win because I knew something about these ships that the computer didn't (pardon my quote). You will have to carefully manage your resources in terms of weapons, shields and energy, and maneuverability is an important skill to master as the computer knows to try and use its shields in a similarly effective manner. 

By customizing your crew, you will be able to choose your play style; for example, my federation play style is heavily reliant upon my ability to recharge shields, while my Klingon crew is optimized to allow me to outgun my opponents.

I have not yet had an opportunity to explore the multiplayer and will not comment on it at this time.

For the price, this game is worth your time, and its flaws are a rare enough occurrence that I find them forgivable. I have thus far run about 8 hours of gameplay on it and am near completion of the Klingon campaign.

Catz Nintendo DS Video Game $30

With Catz you can adopt and care for your very own kitten on your Nintendo DS.! 

Pick the purr-fect pal from 13 breeds, including Persian, Himalayan, and the exotic Ocicat. Feed, groom, cuddle, and play with your frisky little furball in the house or around the neighborhood. Catz is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Spoil your cat silly with toys and treats you can buy at the store. Extra-special care wins you extra points!

Trauma Center: Under the Knife Nintendo DS Video Game $30

There was a time when the closest I came to becoming a doctor was my handwriting. Thanks to Atlus, now I can at least save lives with my stylus. Yes, the library of innovative, interactive DS games doesn't seem to be drying up, and in Trauma Center: Under the Knife, we've another quirky Japanese title that somehow makes playing games fun again.

Assuming the role of Derek Stiles, a rookie surgeon, your task in Trauma Center is to save the world. Blessed with a unique gift only known as the "healing touch", which gives you extraordinary speed and concentration when performing a surgery, you'll take on a group of terrorists who've brought upon a mysterious, yet life-threatening virus called GUILT upon the world. Trauma Center Under the Knife is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Of course, as a surgeon, you won't have to take on these people head on, Street Fighter-style. Instead, each attack from the terrorists is sent to you in the form of a patient. The injured parts are revealed as close-ups on the touch screen, while you use a host of items to salvage the situation within a time limit. Obviously, the cases get more and more complicated as the game progresses, and saving the lives of these patients becomes truly a race against time, as well as the strange ailments that befall upon them.

In essence, Trauma Center requires you to perform surgeries after surgeries. While this may sound a little repetitive, you probably won't even notice it in practice. The game is paced so quickly, you'd barely have any time to think about what to do next, and before you know it, you're on the job again. Sharp instincts, quick reflexes and a lot of patience are what will get you through the game. But if you're into unveiling the mystery behind GUILT and its perpetrator, you wouldn't be shortchanged too. The game did a good job of making a simple story interesting, and despite some insanely difficult to perform surgeries (and many lost lives), you'll get great satisfaction out of every soul you save.

Saving lives is not exactly rocket science in Trauma Center. It basically involves selecting an item from the icons on the sides of the touch screen, and applying them to the wounded areas. For example, you can suture a wound by stroking your stylus in a zigzag fashion over a cut, or remove a foreign object from the bodies by lifting it in the correct direction by holding it and slowly dragging it away with the stylus. Your assistant will also give you instructions on the top screen on what to do, so you ought to have some ideas on how to make things work like a real surgeon, even though you may never emulate the handwriting. However, as the action gets thicker and faster, you may simply find the advice being a bother rather than help.

And then they give you some cases when no one else is around to advise you.

Such is the pressure of Trauma Center, I'd only recommend it to gamers who have a strong heart (no pun intended). If you're not into looking at wounds and lacerations, the game won't shock you by the quite unrealistic graphics (for the bodies and blood and what have you - the nurses, I mean, people, are generally well drawn). But it does have the potential of making you want to throw your DS towards the wall when you fail to save yet another a life, and that's when the real problem comes in. The game is very difficult to play, and as I mentioned, you'll need a lot of patience to engage it. But at least it tries to help you concentrate on the task by toning down the audios, which may not be a plus point for some, but definitely one for me.

And, if after all that I wrote, you still think you have what it takes to seek the truth behind GUILT, you should immediately turn off that episode of ER, click the pic above and make an appointment with Trauma Center: Under the Knife.

Horsez Nintendo DS Video Game $30

In Horsez, you have been accepted into a prestigious Scottish Horseback riding academy.

 Discover school life with other passionate students. Learn how to take care of your horse and beat new records beside Alexandra Ledermann.

Harvest Moon Nintendo DS Video Game $30

It's true that the graphics aren't fantastic, but what do you expect when the Japanese are trying to keep it traditional? You are still farming in Harvest Moon DS, and many ways it is like the game cube version of Harvest Moon It's a Wonderful Life. You are in the same world, but you can telephone to Mineral Town. If you do own More Friends of Mineral Town, or Mineral Town you can have the gang come and visit on their days off.

Your marriage prospects are also a little bit different. You can still marry Muffy, Celia, and Nami, but now you can also marry Lumina, and Flora. Besides them there are a whole bunch of potential gals to court including a mermaid, a princess, a witch princess, the goddess, and the girls from mineral town. (Note: if you court the girls from mineral town and marry them your game will end). Harvest Moon is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

I like the addition of ducks, along with chickens, cows, sheep etc. Also the new harvest sprite system is enjoyable. As you look for the 101 harvest sprites you unlock a gambling casino where you can get awesome items like recipe books, a teleportation necklace (no running around everywhere hurrah!), a friendship bracelet (now you know where you really stand with everyone in town) and a red cape (to move all your animals inside with a touch of a stylus!).

If you like harvest moon in general I think you will love this one!

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team Nintendo DS Video Game $30

So, you're thinking about clicking the pic above and purchasing Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Force or Blue Rescue Force. Maybe this review will help you make up your mind. If you've been on the web, you may have noticed that Mystery Dungeon has been getting quite low scores for a Pokémon game. Well, I think those people are just afraid of change, underestimate the games, and expected something entirely different. Trust me; this is a very good game.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon goes where no Pokémon game has gone before--you finally get to become a Pokémon and see life through their eyes. You first take a simple personality quiz to determine what kind of Pokémon you best represent. After being told which one of the 16 possible Pokémon starters you are, you pick an appropriate partner. Then the real story begins, and you as a human are transformed into a Pokémon, you go on rescue missions, set up a rescue force, recruit new Pokémon, and learn why you have undergone these drastic changes.

The story and cutscenes of the games really surprised me. Being a fourteen year old, I expected the meat of the game to be a little corny, especially since it's such an interesting story that they've chosen. Boy, was I wrong, because the intriguing story and surprising turn of events really make the game stand out. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Since the two games are nearly identical, the graphics don't really differ between them. They are very good for Game Boy, and are still pretty good for Nintendo DS considering how huge the games are. The music suits the game very well, and I especially love the boss Pokémon tunes. As far as the replay value goes, the game takes anywhere from 14-20 hours to complete the main story, and another 20 or so hours to do the extra missions. Since there are always going to be missions for you to do from the Post Office and Message Board, the games literally never end.

The games, for the most part, hold true to the Pokémon theme, but put it into a different perspective. There are actually levels, commonly called caves or dungeons, which you traverse through and battle wild Pokémon in them. The battles are actually quite similar, but you stay on the same screen during battle and each move (attacking or walking) in the dungeon is one "turn".

There are tons of new items, as well as classic ones, that add a new twist to the games. You need apples to keep from going hungry; rocks and sticks to throw at enemies as attacks; gummies to eat and increase IQ; accessories to change stats or allow certain abilities; seeds to eat and gain abilities or change stats. You can't "catch" Pokémon, you must recruit them by being a high level and having the appropriate "friend area" for them to live in. It takes a little bit to get used to, but once you've got the basics down, they stick with you.

The games are actually pretty difficult in the later levels, and require patience and strategy. Each floor of a dungeon is different, and they change every time you enter them (adding extra replay value), requiring you to traverse the entire floor to find the stairs to the next floor in some instances, or just walking a few steps to the stairs in others. Because it is so random, you should always be prepared! 

I hate it when I see other reviews saying that the game only has around 16 or so dungeons, because that is ENTIRELY wrong. If my counting is correct, I believe there are 43 or 44 different dungeons in the game. Some of the early ones have 3 or 4 floors, but some of the late ones have 99 floors! 

The bosses are yes, legendary Pokémon, and they are pretty hard. The boss battles are epic, and once you complete certain circumstances, you can go back, rebottle them, and even recruit them on your team! Hooray! (Once you beat the main story, you have the option to evolve your Pokémon, and play as other Pokémon other than your starter).

The Mystery Dungeon games have nothing inappropriate in them, aren't very violent at all, and shouldn't cause anything bad to enter your household. 

If you are trying to decide which version to get, here are some tips. The Red version is for Game Boy Advance, and the Blue is for Nintendo DS. If you only have a Game Boy, buy Red. If you have a DS, which can play Red and Blue, buy Blue because you can use the top screen to keep track of your map.

Overall, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue are very good games, and should keep you Pokémon fans busy while you await Diamond and Pearl.

Mario Hoops 3 On 3 Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Mario's been the man on the tennis court and golf course, but he's never walked onto the hardwood of one of America's most popular sports: Basketball. Mario Hoops 3-On-3, a game that was interesting developed by Square-Enix, is a beautiful, impressive game on all fronts of presentation, unlockables, and the traditional Nintendo charm. Sadly, Mario and Co. get stuffed in the key element of any basketball game: the action on-court.

Square-Enix, as I said, worked wonders with the Mario style. Mario Hoops 3-On-3 is one of the most visually impressive DS games to date, if not the most advanced. All of the character models are very bright and detailed, animated as smoothly as possible on this hardware. The courts are detailed with crowds (although these crowds are very basic) and other visual treats like old-school set pieces, floating ghosts, and detailed, moving backgrounds. The dunk animations are quite extreme and would look appropriate for Dwayne Wade and T-Mac in an NBA Street video game.

The sound is as, well, "Nintendo" as you could ask for. You'll hear familiar music and classic sound effects, some even taken from the NES and arcade classic, Donkey Kong. There are all sorts of voice clips that play throughout the game including some new ones that I'd never heard. For example, Mario exclaims "Fantastico!" after sinking a big basket. Mario Hoops 3 on 3 is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

The praise for Mario Hoops 3-On-3, sadly, can't continue. There is something drastic that is missing from the gameplay found here, and it's the fun, easy gameplay that Mario sports titles have become popular for. To say that Mario Hoops 3-On-3 isn't entertaining in a small sense is definitely unfair, as the game features tons of recognizable and legendary characters, but it trips in some way for almost every playable aspect. 

About 80% of your control is done with the stylus and touch screen. This would be just fine if the stylus control was spot-on, which it isn't. To shoot, the player must slide the stylus at a near-perfect angle upward, and to pass, the player slides the stylus at a near-perfect angle towards another player.

Sadly, this just doesn't work well enough when you're trying to move your player with the directional pad, dribble over the game's power-up squares, or even go for a dunk. Stealing the ball is the only thing that I thought was simple to do, and everything else is too sluggish, it's too sketchy. It's too darn bad that they didn't nail the control mechanics, because Mario Hoops 3-On-3 would have been a beast of a handheld game.

The action is slow for a basketball game, featuring all-new rules and tricks. There are two periods, each three minutes long, for players to compete. By collecting coins and items via the power-up squares found on the ground, players can earn coins that increase their score payout when they make a shot, or they can defend the basket with relative ease. Fair items like green turtle shells were fine, but some of the other items, like the homing-missile blue turtle shell, are absolutely absurd.

Also, when the ball is stolen or blocked, you lose some of the coins you've accumulated, and the number of coins you lose seems to be very random. Sometimes it's three or four of the elusive gold pieces, and sometimes you'll lose almost all of your stash. Blocking is inconsistent.

Last of all, like other Mario sports titles, the difficulty curve is very steep. In the game's different tournaments, I noticed that I had a much greater amount of trouble in the later games, to the point where the action wasn't fun and was more of a chore to proceed through the tournaments.

The problems sadly don't end there. Mario Hoops 3-On-3 has the worst A.I. I've ever seen in a sports title. I complained about the Xbox 360 sports titles NCAA Football 2007 and Madden NFL 2007 for the having some weak A.I., but Mario Hoops 3-On-3 takes the cake for the dumbest characters playing any sort of sport. There would be times I'd block a ball or even swat the ball away and my teammates would stand around shifting their weight between their feet and doing nothing to get the ball. They never went for blocks or steals, either. 

This was endlessly frustrating, as a nicely-timed block would often result in the opponent picking up the ball and scoring anyway. The next problem isn't an A.I. flaw but rather a poor design flaw-when passing the ball, the receiver stops moving completely. This means that fast breaks or anything to speed up the action are virtually impossible to do.

Mario Hoops 3-On-3, like most Nintendo DS games these days, features Nintendo WiFi connections that allow you to play against others worldwide with a wireless internet connection. There are stat boards and friend lists as well, which are nice touches. Mario Hoops 3-On-3 is saved by an entertaining multiplayer experience, and if you can find a nearby friend or wireless connection to play online, you'll really enjoy the competitive gameplay.

Overall, it's unfortunate that such an alliance between Square-Enix and Nintendo created such an average and disappointing video game. Mario Hoops 3-On-3 isn't the worst DS game out there, but it can't run with the big dogs like Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, or any other basketball game for that matter.

Better luck next time, guys.

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy Nintendo DS Video Game $35

The developers at Amaze Entertainment and the project managers at LucasArts who rushed this game out the door should be placed on Boba Fett's hit list.

Allied characters, even your buddy character, shoot at the player's character. Sometimes, particularly on some of the fly-through-maze levels, your ship disappears completely. Other times the game just freezes.

This game really needed a grown-up at LucasArts to step up, take responsibility for the problems, and announce a delay for the launch while they worked out the bugs. Lego Star Wars II the Original Trilogy is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

What should have been a fun follow-up to the original game is a stunning disappointment, one that I'm stuck with now that the game is out of the shrink wrap.

I'll take the blame for not waiting for a few reviews to emerge before clicking the pic above and plunking down the cash for this, but someone at LucasArts deserves to be tossed to the Rancor for this.

Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow Nintendo DS Video Game $35

When you look back at gaming icons from yesteryears, a few names keep popping up. There's the Mario Bros. There's the Legend of Zelda. And then there's always Castlevania. Having wooed fans all around the world for almost 20 years, the legendary Castlevania makes its debut now on the Nintendo DS, and it looks better than ever. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, to put it simply, is an instant classic.

The events in Dawn of Sorrow are set in the year 2036, a year after the last GBA Castlevania game, Aria of Sorrow. The hero in that game, Soma Cruz, returns to fight another day. If you didn't already know, Soma is the reincarnation of the notorious Dracula, who was the villain from many Castlevania games of past. With an evil cult hell bent on using him to resurrect the dark lord this time round, Soma was forced to pay a visit to their headquarters, and generally take up the task of stopping the rebirth.

The process of taking on the bad guys, inevitably, happens in a labyrinth-like castle. The design of the castle is similar to previous establishments. Enemies, tough bosses, booby traps and environmental puzzles are littered all over the place, and as Soma, you'll need all your combat and strategizing skills to complete your ultimate objective. Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Dawn of Sorrow throws in a fair amount of enemies for you to fight. In fact, there're a total 116 to take on. Some of these are new enemies making their first appearance in the Castlevania franchise, but many are familiar faces that fans of the game will no doubt remember from previous installments. 

To fight these enemies, you'll be given a wide range of weapons. Depending on the abilities of your enemies, different weapons are required. For example, a pole that strikes horizontally may not be effective in taking out a flying enemy, but a large sword that deals a vertical, frontal blow will do the job very well. This basically means that you'll have to master the advantages of your weapons, or face the possibility of being totally overwhelmed.

Weapons are sometimes found in hidden rooms of the castle, and you'll find it worthwhile to pick up some of them if you happen to see them. If you manage to gain your enemies' souls during fights, however, you can cast them into your weapons to form bigger and more powerful weapons as well. 

This process of upgrading, called weapon synthesis, is one of the most important features of the game. To get the upgrade FOC by killing enemies, then grabbing and casting their souls, the game allows you to increase your effectiveness in combat without the need of spending precious gold on buying these improved weapons. This is definitely a welcomed feature for any player of this game.

You may ask then, what's a soul? Well, if you've played Aria of Sorrow, the concept of souls should not be new. Basically, by killing enemies, you'll get the chance to grab their souls for your own use. Not all enemies give up their souls easily though. In order for you to get some of them, repetition is required. In fact, repeatedly killing an enemy just to get its soul is one of the most mundane parts of the game, and for completists who have to collect every soul, the challenge will be even greater.

Apart from improving your weapons, getting souls also allows you to utilize the special powers of your enemies. For example, if you've the Skeleton soul, you can use it to throw bones at your enemies. If you get the Waiter Skeleton soul, you can start attacking your foes by throwing plates of delicious curry (!). Well, you get the story. While some souls are practically useless, some, like the Axe Armor soul (which allows you to throw flying axes), are very useful in taking out the various bosses in the game. It's advisable to spend time grabbing these souls if you want an easier time in the castle.

Boss fights, like fighting enemies, are frequent occurrences throughout this game. You'll usually get more powerful abilities after taking out bosses, again in the form of souls, which allow you to proceed in the game. For example, you'll need to kill the first boss to get the Flying Armor soul, so that you can "hang" in the air while jumping. This is essential to reach a previously unreachable area because a high platform is blocking your way. Environmental puzzles like this are common in Dawn of Sorrow, and when you encounter one, you'll have to ask whether you've the required souls to solve them. So, even when grabbing souls could be tedious, you'd want to spend some time doing it, if only just to get what you really need to progress. In any case, if you're really out of sorts, you may consider trading extra enemies' souls with your friend through Wi-Fi.

Soul-searching is not the only thing that requires repeated effort though. Recent Castlevania games have included a leveling up element that is commonly found in RPGs, and Dawn of Sorrow is no exception. Fighting (and beating) enemies earns you experience points, and gaining these points will in turn make you a stronger fighter. For example, an enemy that takes you three strikes to destroy at level 1 will be a breeze at level 10.

Enemies in the later part of the game are very tough, so gaining a respectable level will definitely help your quest better. However, as the game is pretty short in the story mode, you may not reach a high enough level to take on the game's more powerful bosses. As such, you'll need to spend time killing enemies over and over again to raise your levels, and this gets annoying after a while. The good thing is, while soul-searching and leveling up take up a lot of time, at least the enemies will always respawn, thus speeding up the process a little. Still, if repetitive gameplay bores you easily, you may find these portions of the game really tedious.

Apart from weapons, you'll also come across a variety of items in the game. This could include healing items (potions, meat strip, milk, etc.), protective gear (tunic, scarves, breastplate, etc.) and even performance-enhancement rings (get more gold, increase luck, gain more experience points, etc.) Some of these items can be purchased at a permanent shop, while others require some exploration. Again, this gives you the incentive to check out the castle completely for any hidden rooms. Apart from these items, you'll also get seemingly useless items like rotten food, which reduces your health if you take them. But then again, if you gain a soul that allows you to eat unpalatable food, the same rotten food can become a healing agent when the going gets tough.

The shop also sells items like periodicals, which include stuff like tabloids and maps. The tabloids will inform you about rare souls that hide in the background of the screens they appear, and how you can get their souls. These are important if you want to achieve 100% souls. But the most important periodical to buy is no doubt the castle map. The map will appear on the top screen of your DS, which means that the days of pausing the game just to check your map are over! This is definitely a handy improvement from previous versions of the game, thanks to the DS' dual screen.

Dawn of Sorrow also utilizes some the DS' touch screen, even though not in abundance. After earning the soul of Balore, you'll be able to break ice crystals that block you path by touching them with the stylus. The game also introduces the concept of Magical Seals, which are essential in completely destroying a boss. When a boss' health reaches zero during a fight, a magical seal will appear on the touch screen. You'll need to draw the seal with your stylus so as to "seal" the boss for good. If you don't do it properly, the boss will regain health, and you'll have to fight it again. This is a nice little idea that makes use of the DS' feature, but it's not entirely user-friendly for left-handers. Thankfully, you don't really need to draw the seal in an exact fashion. As long as you get the strokes right, the game will register it, and you should be fine.

The graphics of the game are also top-notch. Yes, they're 2D, but they're also as good as you can get for a 2D presentation. The background of each level of the castle, for example, is simply breath-taking. The levels are also separated by various themes, so you'll end up visiting an eerie garden, a creepy playhouse, a dark chapel, and even hell. The designs for each area are drawn to such perfection that you'll find yourself immersing into the background as you go along. Also, while the characters do look a little small on screen, the details on them are still amazingly rendered. 

The mood of each level is also aptly complemented by some great music. In fact, the music is so good that Konami decided to include a Sound Test as an unlockable if you manage to complete the game with the "good" ending. This allows you to listen to the various tracks without having to play the game. Ideal for enjoying them without worrying about the dreaded Medusa Head floating around on screen!

Recent Castlevania games have a similarity. They all have a "good" ending, a "bad" ending, and a completely "fake" ending. Ideally, you should achieve every one of them if you intend to watch all the possibilities, but you'd really want to achieve both the good and bad ones, because they unlock some really awesome goodies.

As I mentioned, the good ending unlocks the Sound Test, which is really cool. It also triggers a brand new play mode called the Boss Rush Mode. In this mode, you'll take on the bosses that you fought in the story mode in quick succession, and beating the specific time requirements will earn you special items not found in the regular game. Sounds good? Well, there's more.

Completing the bad ending will unlock the Julius Mode, which allows you to engage the current castle with characters like Julius Belmont, Yoko Belnades and Alucard, who're established characters in the Castlevania universe. Telling more about this mode will spoil the fun, so I'll just leave it at that.

Apart from these special modes, completing the game will also unlock Hard Mode, which is essentially the same game you've played, only with a host of tougher enemies and environment. And if you fancy playing the game with a friend, you can take the Enemy Set Mode, which allows you to design your own castle, and then take on your friend through Wi-Fi to see who can finish the areas faster. Regardless of what additional modes you decide to play, they've all been included to encourage replayability, and they should add to the 10-12 hours of estimated play time you can clock on the main story mode.

This game is named Dawn of Sorrow as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the DS, but it's really a dawn of a brighter future for the Castlevania franchise. Dawn of Sorrow has the potential to be the game of the year, at least for the DS, and it's not difficult to understand why. Great gameplay, impressive graphics, awesome audios and a whole lot of goodies to boot - what do you mean you don't have a DS?

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Nintendo DS Video Game $25

Once in a while, a Japanese game gets translated, takes the scene by storm, and makes people wonder why it didn't happen earlier. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has the potential to become such a game. Originally released only in Japan, "Gyakuten Saiban" (loosely translated as "reversal judgment") is a popular legal simulation game for the GBA that gives you a chance to become a defense attorney. 

The series has already spanned three installments, with one more being slated for release for the Nintendo DS next year. Before that happens, however, Capcom released "Gyakuten Saiban: Yomigaeru Gyakuten" in September to pave the title's transition from the GBA to the DS. The game included a fully translated English version, which is eventually released in the US as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (PWAA) recently.

So, what really is PWAA? Well, it's basically a point-and-click adventure game that is set in a legal background. As rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright, you'll take on five cases in this game, which includes four from the first Gyakuten Saiban game, as well as a brand new case that was created with the features of the DS In mind. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

The game takes place primarily in two platforms - investigation and court proceedings. In the earlier scenario, you go from place to place, talking to people and examining crime scenes to gather evidence that may be important in proving your client's innocence. Although the investigation process could be tedious at times, it's never dull since the game throws up so many colorful characters and stereotypes to keep you busy with. 

Also, despite a large number of items to examine in the various locales pertaining to a certain case, the game is rather helpful as it automatically includes all evidence that will somehow have some bearings on the case. This means that you'll never really need to wonder what's useful and what's not, thus reducing information overload. It also essentially leaves you with the task of finding out why the evidence is important, which gives the game a better focus.

Information that you gather during the investigation will be added to your court record, which is one of your greatest weapons in court. The court record also provides additional information about the evidence that is collected. For example, you may score an autopsy report from the detective in charge of the case, but it's only when you look into this report in the record that you'll get a summary of the contents. 

This applies to most, if not all the evidences at your disposal, and because of that, reading the court record becomes an important task that you should never forget. The game also has the knack of turning the most insignificant looking clue into a decisive one, so you should take heed that a screwdriver, for example, could turn out to be that one clue that nails the truth for you in court.

During court proceedings, apart from coming against prosecutors who're eager to convince the judge that your client is guilty, you'll also come face-to-face with witnesses who can either make or break your defense. You'll get to cross-examine these witnesses as well, which is where the fun really begins. Almost every testimony you come across in this game has some weakness or two, which you can exploit to turn the tide in your favor. Each testimony is broken down into statements, and each statement allows you the opportunity either to press for more information, or object by presenting contradictory evidence. 

While this may sound easy, finding the exact evidence to present could still be a tricky task if you don't follow the case closely. Of course, being good at solving puzzles of this nature helps a great deal, but the cases are all designed in a logical, though linear, fashion that even those who're not exactly quick-witted can guess the killer if only they exercise some diligence and commonsense.

Now, as there's usually only one correct objection for each testimony, it's entirely likely that, when confronted by a bottleneck, you eliminate incorrect choices by simply presenting everything in your record if no form of restriction is set. To prevent this possible abuse, the game has a penalty system that reduces your "health" if you present a wrong objection. The health gauge is represented by exclamation marks on the screen. Each incorrect objection will lead to a dramatic explosion of one exclamation mark. Do this for five times, and you'll be greeted with the game over screen. While this may sound harsh, it actually encourages you to spend time thinking through the cases, which should in turn lead to a more satisfying gaming experience.

Now, there seems to be so many things to do in the game, so the controls must be pretty complex? Well, not exactly. In fact, the controls of PWAA are so user-friendly, you can play through the game without even using the buttons on your DS at all. Every action can be performed by clicking the respective buttons on the touch screen with your stylus. Want to move to another area? Click "move", and a menu will appear to ask where do you want to go. 

Want to examine an item? Point your stylus to it, tap it, and you'll get your findings. It's just that simple. Apart from waving your stylus, the game also makes use of the DS' voice recognition ability, so it's possible for you to shout "Objection!" into the mic to counter a witness' statement. Similarly, you can also shout "Hold it!" to press a statement, and "Take that!" to present a decisive evidence. Although the idea is a little quirky, it does give you that sense of satisfaction, especially when you finally deal the murderer with a forceful "Take that!" after a tiresome three-day trial. The voice recognition, however, is never forced upon you, so if you're not into talking to a machine, you can always rely on your good old stylus.

Additional controls are added for the fifth case of PWAA. As I mentioned earlier, this fifth case was designed specifically for the DS. This brand new case fully utilizes the DS' innovative features. You'll get to rotate and zoom-in on evidence to examine them more thoroughly. You'll also get to join pieces of broken evidence together. You can even set powder on your screen, and then blow it away to gather fingerprints. All these features really provide a strong involvement for the player - they make you feel that you're right in the thick of the action.

Graphically, PWAA uses an anime style to portray the various quirky characters. The style should appeal to most people, even though they expectedly become repetitive as the game progresses. Still, as you'll be spending most of the time reading the conversations, you'll tend to be more forgiving when Phoenix Wright points his finger out again (for the umpteenth time) as he tells the judge that the witness' testimony is faulty. 

The audios of the game are also heavily anime-inspired. The music blends in with the action really well, and it's quite obvious that the developers actually tried to create different background music that are unique to the different characters. Again, this complemented the game greatly.

All in all, PWAA is a game that I'd recommend to all DS owners, even those who're not exactly interested in murder mysteries. The game may be a little too linear for players who tend to think ahead of time, but it's still a great adventure for those who want to try something different. It's not everyday that you become a lawyer, and I'm pretty sure that after you relive your role as Phoenix Wright, you'll be itching for a sequel. If playing a quality game is a thing for you, then you should really consider clicking the pic above and making an appointment with PWAA.

Mega Man ZX Nintendo DS Video Game $27

Mega Man ZX has a lot of varieties for you to play. There are six biometals you need to collect and used before you can proceed to your next destinations.

Sound: COA removed most of the Japanese voiceover dialogues when your selected character is interacting with other sprite characters in the game, except for the anime cutscene. By the way, whenever Vent or Aile morph into their Biometal form, they say "Rock On!", despite what the game manual said "Megamerge!".

Note: "Rockman ZX" has all of the Japanese voiceovers for all of the characters. Mega Man ZX is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Video:
It is a little blurry to be played on Nintendo DS, but overall most of the cutscenes run okay in my opinion.

Music:
Better than I expected to be than "Mega Man Zero" series hard rock music.

Gameplay:
Good- Fun and entertaining when selecting your preferred Biometals on some missions. There are time when you have to select the right biometal in order to proceed to your destination, such as flying over spikes w/ Model HX or eliminating boulders that block your path by using Model FX.
Bad- You can get lost on where you are going on your selected missions.

Overall:
The game is fun and entertaining, but the main point is that I am really disappointed with the voiceover dialogue that have been removed. Plus it does not make any sense when the credit starts rolling, it shows all of the Japanese cast and most of them are not heard in this version, such as the character named Prairie.

I would like to give it an overall five star-ratings if COA hired Ocean Group to act on for the English voiceovers or leave it in Japanese instead.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 March of the Minis Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Mario vs. Donkey Kong was a fairly good game. There were a few things that kept it from being great, but the basic premise and formula worked for it. Now we have Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, and it's quite a good game. Those who enjoy nostalgia will probably enjoy this more than those who don't. In other words, if you really liked the original Donkey Kong, or the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong, you'll definitely like March of the Mini's.

The game begins with Mario being at the new Super Mini Mario World theme park. He's alongside a princess. It's not Princess Peach, and it's not Princess Daisy of Super Mario Land, either. Rather it's Pauline, the princess from the very first Donkey Kong game released in the arcade more than twenty years ago! DK has already got his sights on her. When she turns his affection away, he throws a fit, and then takes her to the very top of the theme park. It's up to those Mini-Mario's to go up and save her, and that's what you'll be doing. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Throughout the game you'll take control of the mini's in one level. In each level you'll find mini Mario's scattered all over the place. All of them are deactivated from the get go. This is where the unique controls come in. You'll use the stylus a lot in this game. You'll have to tap a Mini-Mario to make it go, and then you'll have to use the stylus to make him change directions, jump and avoid traps all together. If you tap on a Mini-Mario while he's going, he'll stop. There are plenty of Mini-Mario's in one stage. The basic goal is to get them all to the end of a level. Most levels play out like this. In the last level of every world you'll have to face off with Donkey Kong as the boss.

The controls are actually really unique. It takes a moment to get used to, and you'll have to move the camera around in order to take control of the other Mini's and see what they're doing. It takes a little getting used to, but after a while it becomes second nature. The game is certainly no cakewalk this way, but it's fairly addictive.

A neat aspect of the game is that you are graded on how well you do in a level. Getting all the Mini's to the exit at the same time (as opposed to one by one), doing it fast and without losing lives all go into your overall ranking at the end of a level. You'll be scored with either a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating. The replay value from this game comes almost entirely from trying to obtain a Gold rating. It's fun because to get one actually forces you to replay through levels over and over and ultimately master the game itself.

Another really cool aspect of this game is the ability to design your own levels. It's not too difficult and you can even share them online using Nintendo Wi-Fi. You can also load up other levels and see if you can complete them just the same. It's really simple to use, and won't keep you busy for hours trying to figure out where all the small kinks go.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 looks really good. A little too cute for some gamers, but I wasn't expecting anything more than that. The games look suffices, and so do some of the tunes. Some full of nostalgia. Although, it does get a little annoying to hear the voices of the Mini's. You'll quickly get used to it, but sometimes it's just annoying.

The whole game in and of itself gets a little nostalgia going for it. While story mode itself is really short, it's got a ton of replay going for it simply to get that Gold rating. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 is sure to keep the gamers who can't put a game down until they've done absolutely everything.

Cooking Mama Nintendo DS Video Game $20

Let's get cooking, mama!

I won't say that Cooking Mama is the best game I've played in recent months. Surely, there's something more important than cooking - like, killing zombies on the X360, for example. However, it's certainly the most innovative, especially when you consider how much you can do on the limited dimensions of a Nintendo DS touch screen.

In Cooking Mama, you're an apprentice in the fine art of cuisine management. Your master, a certain Mama, will put you through a series of saliva-inducing recipes, and will grill you through the preparation of each as if it's the only thing you live for. You can choose to practice before hand, but when you go into the actual process of making a particular food, you'll find that there's no room for error. A wrong move, and Mama will not hesitate to show you her wrath.

Making a food involves several steps. Some are short, while some may take forever. For example, when preparing a pan-fried fish, you'll have to go through the coating of the fish slices, the melting of the butter, the actual pan-frying and the arranging of the plate. Each process in turn involves different ways of doing things. Cooking Mama is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Coating the fish slices, for example, requires you to drag your stylus in a left-right manner while touching the fish. Melting the butter requires you to rapidly drag the butter in a circular motion when it's on a hot plate. Pan-frying involves a "following the command on-screen" mini-game that requires you to perform whatever Mama tells you to, and so on.

The impressive thing here is that, even though you're just stroking your stylus throughout the game's 70+ recipes, you're essentially doing different things. It's a bit like Trauma Center from last year, but instead of seeing body parts, you're looking at food. If you're more adventurous, you can even combine recipes to form new ones, which adds depth to the gameplay.

For a game as quirky as this, it's understandable that it uses quirky graphics. The presentation of Cooking Mama is light-hearted, and makes the hectic process of cooking (to me, at least) much more enjoyable. The music is a little weak, even though it does have some nice variety. But seriously, graphics and audios are not what you'd click the pic above and buy this game for. I mean, who cares about these things when you've Fried Octopus Balls to make?

For its sheer audacity in bringing the kitchen onto the DS, I'd recommend Cooking Mama to every owner of the DS. Don't expect to see your DS in a few weeks, however, if you bought this game, and have a missus in the house. Now, if only my wife can learn a few tips out of this.

Mech Assault Phantom War Nintendo DS Video Game $30

Everyone should stop talking about this as compared to the Xbox version. Sure, they share some concepts, units, etc, but Phantom War was built from the ground up for the DS, so it shouldn't be looked at as a port.

As a whole, it's pretty fun. There are some moments that'll have you pulling your hair out, especially those missions that require you to hack other units (groan), and being forced to start some missions in completely underpowered units, but overall, it is enjoyable. Mech Assault Phantom War is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

Graphics and sound are what you'd expect for a game with this much "stuff" going on (lots of units on screen, plenty of action, and huge environments), far from stellar, but this is the DS, not a full-sized console, so I give the developers some leeway as they had to work with the limitations of the platform.

In the end, it's a good game, though a bit short and frustrating at times. It's most sinful omission is the lack of Internet multiplayer, which stinks, because honestly, how many DS owners do you know who'll come over to your house with copies of this game just to play over the regular (non-Internet) DS multiplayer?

Nintendo DS - Animal Crossing: Wild World  Video Game $34

I'm a huge fan of the original Animal Crossing game. It's like a Sims game, but with more of an anime / fun style to it. Animal Crossing Wild World takes the same fun on your handheld.

You're playing on a relatively small town map, so it's really easy to get to know where all of the residents' houses are located. You start with just 3 residents, and new ones join in slowly. Each resident is a different kind of animal, with a name, personality, likes, dislikes and more.

As the game progresses, they give you presents, you write them letters, you trade compliments and they really do begin to seem like friends. But this is only the beginning. You set up a whole trade system with the local shop. You can buy and sell turnips on the "stalk market", learning to time your trades to make the most money. You can harvest the local tree fruit and sell that. You can go fishing and either donate the fish to the local aquarium or sell the extras.

You can design a town song that plays in the background, design your own clothing, even breed new types of flowers. You can learn songs from the local guitar player, look at the constellations in the sky, and much more. The game is incredibly immersive, and is just as much fun if you only have say 1/2 hr a day to play while you're riding the bus. That's plenty of time to catch up with your virtual friends and keep the town tidy.

The Wi-Fi capabilities are neat if you have online friends - as long as you give your secret code, you can visit each other. That of course is critical - the last thing you'd want is some unwelcome visitor able to leap into your town and chop down your trees! Animal Crossing Wild World Video is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

I do have some complaints with the game. First, I do think the day-night cycle is neat, that it's timed with your actual clock. However, I am a night owl. I work very hard in the day and the only time I have to play is in the early morning hours, say 2am - 5am. 

The stores and everything are closed in the game!! I finally had to actually change my DS clock to be able to sell some stuff but I *hate* having to do that. Why couldn't the store have a "night shift" so that those of us who are night owls could still enjoy the game?

Also, some of the conversation gets redundant. You have to sit through certain greetings - say at the store - every single time. Surely they could either think of something new to say or just let me get about my business. Also, when I am dropping off full loads at the store, it'd be REALLY nice to have a "select all" button instead of having to drag every single little thing one by one.

Still, those are relatively minor complaints with the game. It is really quite relaxing and fun, and since you customize your little world by planting flowers, decorating your home, thinking up nicknames and quotes and even designing your own clothes, it is just so "comfy" to be there. There are tons of little touches that add great delight to the game. If you drop a rose on yourself, you carry it around in your teeth :)

Highly recommended!

Big Brain Academy Nintendo DS Video Game $20

Big Brain Academy for the Nintendo DS is a lot like Brain Age. It's a collection of puzzles designed to test and stimulate your intellect.

While we enjoy Brain Age, it has numerous issues. You only get 'scored' on each game once a day. The number of games is REALLY limited and many of them can get maxed out within weeks of playing. How much fun is it to get straight 5s on Head Count hard, with no chance of ever improving? I was really happy, then, when Big Brain Academy came along. While it still doesn't have nearly as many games in it as it should have, at least it has a wider selection.

In Big Brain Academy, you're not fighting for a low brain age (which I always found to be an EXTREMELY questionable goal). Instead, you're working towards a "big" brain which is much better. There are puzzles split up into five areas - thinking, memorizing, analyzing, computing and identifying. Each area has 3 games, with multiple difficulty levels. So that's 15 games total. You're already far ahead of Brain Age with that quantity, plus the difficulty levels too.

You can practice as much as you want, aiming for a gold medal in each game at each difficulty level. As you go, you fill up a 'brain graph' - a pentagon that shows which areas you're best at. When you're ready, you do the actual test. Big Brain Academy is included in the top reviews of cheap new and upcoming Nintendo DS (NDS) video games.

The test randomly chooses a game from each of the 5 areas and sets you at them. It's on a timer, so you do as well as you can within that time limit. At the end, your total brain weight is calculated. This isn't of course "real" - it is more a general scale to show how well you're doing. It also gives you a "type" of brain you have based on what you did well in. Someone who does really well in computing is called a "calculator" - while someone who's great at memorizing and thinking is a "museum curator".

The puzzles are simple but fun. They're the type of puzzles that young kids would enjoy but that adults would find entertaining as well. Traditional things such as memory games, box counting, shape recognition and more are the norm here.

Just like Brain Age, this game shares the problem of INCESSANT CHATTER from the "helper". You have to go paging through numerous completely meaningless messages to get through some areas. They really need to get a handle on that for future releases.

I'm still baffled why they can't have 6 games per area, instead of 3. At least this is a huge step up from Brain Age in that area, but still, there should really be far more games included in the set. It would really help to make this an excellent game, instead of a fun game that has a limited lifetime of enjoyment.

Mario Kart Nintendo DS Video Game $35

I had my doubts about Mario Kart DS in the early stages of its development. Mario Kart: Double Dash (Gamecube) was never one of my favorite games, and I was hoping that Nintendo would stick to the roots with their DS edition of the high-selling, fan-favorite racing game. With Mario Kart DS, they've done just that.

It seems that the developers took everything great from Super Mario Kart (SNES), Mario Kart 64 (N64), Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA), and Mario Kart: Double Dash (GC) and put all of those elements into a single Mario Kart game. When you consider how wonderful all of these games have been and how much fun they still are today, that's quite an achievement. Mario Kart DS features some of the same gameplay modes that fans have seen for years: Grand Prix, Time Trial, and Battle. They're the same as always, with three ranks of difficulty in Grand Prix and several different battle modes in Battle.

Nintendo didn't stop with the classic game modes. In fact, they added another interesting mode called "Challenge" in which you pick up certain numbers of coins or do a set number of power slides in a lap under a certain amount of time. These challenges can be excruciatingly difficult but they make you a much more weathered Mario Kart player and therefore are a great addition to the game. 

Also, Multiplayer has come in the form of Nintendo's first WiFi-enabled online multip