[DS] Your Nintendo DS Library

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!
What is it? Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! is a music game. The goal of the game is to tap circles that appear on the screen in the rhythm of the music. What you're basically doing is cheerleading for people who are trying to do something hard (win elections, make great pots, win over the love of their dreams).

Buy it: It's one of the best games on the DS. Incredible fun, awesome music, hilarious animated-manga style storylines, replay value up the wahoo, and if you know someone else with the game, it's also one of the best multiplayer games on the machine.

Don't buy it: If you don't like mainstream J-rock, you might not like the music, I suppose.

Animal Crossing: Wild World
What is it? The sequel to Animal Crossing on the Gamecube. There's not really a set goal, it's just kind of like day-to-day life, but cuter! You live in a town with a bunch of other animals, and try to make your room look nice, help your animal friends out, etc.

Buy it: I have seen many people say this is little more than Animal Crossing+WiFi capabilities, but those must've not played for very long, because this game has so much more to offer. Lots of events, much more varied conversation from the animals, a huge increase of things to collect, and more rooms make for a much more endurable experience.

Don't buy it: It can be boring if you don't like to do menial chores in a cutesy world, basically. It's not exactly action-packed.

Meteos
What is it? A puzzle game. It's very different from your average puzzle game though, as there are plenty of elements influencing the game. Your goal is basically to launch blocks out to the top screen. Depending on which "planet" (or level) you're on, the parameters of the game, such as gravity, launch speed, drop speed, etc. can change radically.

Buy it: It's one of my all time favourite puzzlers, and I'm a puzzle nut. It can be frantic, with loads of blocks raining down on your screen. If you can handle it, it's a great feeling. It's also got some of the best gameplay as far as making use of the DS touch screen is concerned--not only is this game perfect for the DS, it would also be completely impossible to play it on any other console.

Don't buy it: Graphically meagre and the music can be annoying (although I personally like it). Not for people who don't like frantic puzzle games.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
What is it? Your name is Phoenix Wright, and you are a defending attorney for people who have been accused of murder. That may not sound too appealing, but due to the justice system being, well, pretty broken, it's actually quite intense and the graphics are funny.

Buy it: It's basically an adventure game! The game kind of plays like you're in the middle of an anime. There's a lot of gameplay fun to be had if you're into that kind of stuff, and it certainly seems to be one of the more rare gems on the DS.

Don't buy it: It's hard to find. Also, if you don't like linearity, this game is about as linear as they come.

Catch Touch Yoshi
What is it? Although it looks like a platformer, it is actually more like an arcade game. The goal of the game is to guide Yoshi to the end of level (or, in Endless mode, as far as possible) by drawing cloud paths and capturing/shooting bad guys.

Buy it: This is the first DS game I had and although it seems that many people were disappointed, I was actually pleasantly surprised. I had no idea what to expect from the DS, and I wasn't expecting much. And this game was so much fun that I started to see Nintendo's point.

Don't buy it: It's not a platformer, don't be fooled. It's an arcade side-scroller game where the goal is to score as many points as possible, not to reach the ending of the game.

Electroplankton
What is it? A quirky title that is more suited for relaxation than anything, you don't really have a set goal other than to have fun with the various games in there. Each game produces different sounds and is controlled in different ways, and you can play around with it and have it generate all kinds of stuff.

Buy it: It's a pretty great title for someone interested in interactive music, and some of the games are just very relaxing to play when you've had a long day and don't want to be bothered by challenges or enemies or goals.

Don't buy it: It's aimless and I imagine people can get bored of it pretty easily.

Daigasso Band Brothers
What is it? Another music game, this one gives you a lot of control over the composition--you can even make your own songs in the composition tool.

Buy it: Lovely stuff if you're into music.

Don't buy it: Not so great for people who aren't.

Sonic Rush
What is it? It's Sonic. Classic platform game, not much I can say about it really.

Buy it: It's one of the best Sonics in ages (since Sonic 2). The level design is absolutely brilliant, and the music's darn sweet.

Don't buy it: Platformers are a carcass of a game type.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
What is it? Another Castlevania in the new style. I don't know what I can say about this... Metroid-style platform game with vampires and stuff.

Buy it: It's one of the better instalments in the game, and the use of the dual screen is (although minimal) VERY useful. Also, the Julius Mode is a lot of fun for us old folks that remember the classic Castlevanias. The music also kicks arse.

Don't buy it: It's another one of those games, and it's pretty easy to boot.

Jump SuperStars
What is it? It's a brawling/fighting type game in the style of Super Smash Brothers, but with Jump characters (Dragonball Z, Bleach, Death Note...). You can make your own "deck", which looks like a manga page, and then use it in the game. You can select your character/powerups on the touch screen.

Buy it: It's a lovely game, especially multiplayer, and there's so much to unlock and customise that you won't get bored too soon.

Don't buy it: The AI is pretty awful. Aside from the levels where you can't be hit at all it's all pretty easy. And it was never translated into English so you can't play it without a guide (or working knowledge of Japanese).

Nintendogs
What is it? It's a raising game, you get a puppy which you must feed, teach tricks, go for walks with, train, and enter into various contests.

Buy it: It's the title that established the DS in Japan as the handheld system to have. Girls love this game. It's very hard to resist the cuteness of the puppies, who really behave as puppies should.

Don't buy it: It takes a lot of time, and it's kind of sad if you get tired of the game. But there's only so much to do in the game, really.

Another Code: Twin Memories
What is it? An adventure game--you're a young girl who ends up wrapped in a mystery, with her dad and a ghost boy.

Buy it: With lots of different puzzles that make excellent use of the DS hardware, and a surprisingly compelling story, this was one of the first-generation games that gave us a glimpse of what an adventure game on the DS could achieve.

Don't buy it: However, it's very, very short. If you're a bit of puzzle/adventure game buff, it's beatable in one or two sittings. This is really a shame.

Polarium
What is it? A puzzle game, the goal is to clear lines by making them either completely black or completely white.

Buy it: This game is utterly original, and it's a great idea.

Don't buy it: Unfortunately once you finish the puzzles (there's 100 of them, but it's over rather quickly), there's not much else to do in the game (although you can load in custom player-made ones with a code, it's not quite the same for some reason). The "Tetris" like mode seems like a brilliant idea, but it's far too limited to work. Really a missed opportunity.

Pac Pix
What is it? Ghosts are running amok in books! You have to draw Pac Mans with your magical pen to gobble them up again. Later on you get to draw all kinds of things, such as bombs and stuff.

Buy it: Seeing your crudely-drawn Pac Man chomp off and eat some ghosts is inexplicably satisfying. There's just something about that that really made me giddy when it happened.

Don't buy it: There's really not much to this game. It's more of a tech demo than anything (and that's how it started, so that makes sense). I'm not sure if they could've done anything more with it, really, it's a rather limited concept.


*Phew*

I also have a few more games that I worked on the music for, but I am in no position to judge them. (They are: Sims 2 DS, Narnia, Shrek Super Slam, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Burnout DS.)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

There is already a rating system with the colors. Numbers are just more clear.

And therefore, also, unnecessary.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Agrias

Animal Crossing: Wild World

Not for those w/o Wi-Fi access, like me. Someone should've warned me before purchase.

I don't get this, I barely ever go on Wi-Fi and it's just fine for me. What were you expecting it to do?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Agrias

Pretty much it was supposed to keep me busy last winter vacation. Unfortunately, this (as you know) is the kind of game one can only play for (at max) an hour at a time, doing chores around town. Especially if you can't wi-fi, imho, you feel trapped in your own "wild" world.

It was a let-down for me, when everybody hyped it up so much. Even more-so with the wi-fi issue.

Yeah, that's true. I guess it was somewhat overhyped perhaps. I think most people kind of underrate it (maybe because they didn't play enough of the Gamecube game to notice how much more there is to do in this version), but if you're expecting a game that keeps you playing for hours at a time, then yeah that certainly isn't the one.

Personally, I was most disappointed by the Wi-Fi support in the game, I think they should've done a lot more with it to have special events if someone visits or so. It seems to me like everything just kind of closes down when someone comes to visit.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Lik-sang.com is my prefered site for import titles. I don't think you can mark packages as gift, but on the other hand they ship games for free (and also have fairly reasonable fast shipping), and I've never had any of their packages stuck at customs.

I was speaking idiomatically.