Bordersdown's Super Ultimate "Best DS Games Ever" Thread

[toythatkills]

And so, here it is.

People always need recommendations. “What DS game shall I buy?” they squeal, weekly. Now, and forevermore, there’s a place for those people, this here thread you’re reading!

What follows is the top five (or so) games in any given genre, in no particular order, as selected by the members of NTSC-UK. Truly, if anyone needs to know what DS games to buy in future, all the recommendations they could possibly need are collected here, with as much information a prospective buyer should need.

This thread should now be used for discussion. Is there a game that you’ve played that isn’t here, that should be? State your case, and if people agree, the list will be updated. Has a new game been released that far exceeds in quality something on the list? State your case.

This thread will be kept updated as long as people are playing and recommending new games - hopefully forever.

So, just what are the best DS games ever?

2- RPG // RPG Remakes
3- Puzzle // Action/Arcade
4- FPS // Adventure
5- Platformer // Music
6- Sports/Racing // Strategy
7- Shooting // Fighting
8- Utilities // Other

9- Best of the Rest
10- Reserved

[toythatkills]

RPG

RPGs, a genre that hasn’t gone begging on the DS, there were an awful lot to choose from.

The World Ends With You
AKA: It’s a Wonderful World (Japan)

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 89
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Brilliant design, engrossing plot, incredibly original, great use of dual screens.

---x---

Pokemon Series
Pokemon Pearl
Pokemon Diamond
Pokemon Platinum

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play (Platinum)
Metacritic 85 (Diamond 85) (Platinum 83)
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia (Diamond) (Platinum)

We all know how good Pokemon is by now, and these games don’t change that. While the critters aren’t of as high a quality as in previous games, the compulsion to catch them all is as great as ever, and with Wi-Fi, easier than ever.

---x---

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play
Metacritic 86
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Not quite as good as Superstar Saga on the GBA, but still hilarious, and a joy to play. Battles are kept interesting with the ability to time presses and defend/critical, the world is bright and lovely, but it’s the script where the real beauty lies.

---x---

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
Metacritic 75
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Looks beautiful. It’s a monster-catcher like Pokemon, but with less focus on catching, and more on breeding and RPGing. The slimes are where it’s at.

---x---

Suikoden: Tierkreis

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 76
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

This is just fantastic. It doesn't seem to have the one on one fights or army battles, which is a shame, but it's got castles and armies and politics and stars of destiny and thumping "going to war" music over dramatic moments. Pretty much everything I want from Suikoden, basically.

-----x-----x-----

RPG REMAKES

Initially these were in the RPG category, but there are simply enough of these, with enough quality each, to warrant their own section. Looking for that nostalgia kick? Look no further.

Final Fantasy IV

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 85
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Absolutely love this remake, the graphics are good and the plot has always been one of my favourites. Sound wise as well the tunes are all good, the voice acting is a bit corny but I think that adds to it all.

---x---

Chrono Trigger DS

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 92
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

A masterclass in how to make an RPG, awesome story, characters who are memorable and you actually care about. A battle system that you can make combos with, a fantastic soundtrack and graphics that still look fresh after 12, 13 years.

---x---

Dragon Quest IV and V

Official Website (V)
First Play (V)
Metacritic 80 (V 84)
Wikipedia (V)
Buy at Play-Asia (V)

One of the most popular RPG series out there for a reason. Brilliant script, with lots of character, unlike almost every other RPG. Combat is solid, and difficulty just about right. The Dragon Quest games always strike a good balance between being too linear and too open - there are always side-quests etc to do outside the main quest, but you've always got a course to follow at the same time.

---x---

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

Official Website
Metacritic 82
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

The original remade. Great story lots of units and fun.

---x---

Disgaea DS

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 82
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Disgaea is already regarded as the finest strategy RPG ever by many people, and this version improves upon it. It’s a shame to lose a lot of the voice acting, but the addition of a grid on the top screen makes it so much more pleasant to play, and makes chaining much clearer.

[toythatkills]

PUZZLE

Ah, the humble puzzle. This section is for games with puzzles in them, of the logic variety. None of your Meteos shenanigans.

Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad DS

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
First Play
Buy at Play-Asia

… for sheer brain-hurting "looks easier than it is."

Absolutely the best puzzle game on the DS, and for me, the best game on the DS full stop. Perfection is a word that’s thrown around too often but from the controls to the music, to the presentation, to the puzzles, this game shoves perfection in your face from every angle. Incredible.

---x---

Puzzle Series vol. 11: Nurikabe

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
Buy at Play-Asia

A great example of how to do paper puzzles on DS. Controls really well, there are never issues even with massive puzzles, and nurikabe are a blast to solve.

---x---

Puzzle Series vol. 5: Slitherlink

Official Website
Buy at Play-Asia

Another excellent Hudson translation of a paper game to the screen.

---x---

DS Puzzler: NumPlay Fan & Oekaki Logic

Official Website
Buy at Play-Asia

The presentation doesn’t begin to approach Picross DS, but the controls are excellent which, for me, makes it a much better game. There are four different set ups so you can play how you want. Sudoku puzzles, as well as Picross.

---x---

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play
Metacritic 85
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Superb characterisation, awesome animation and brilliant voice acting which nails the characters, brilliant story and some mind-bending puzzles that all the family can enjoy.

-----x-----x-----

ACTION/ARCADE

Tetris isn’t a puzzle, there’s nothing in Tetris to “solve.” It’s an action game, and this section is for those games that are all too often lazily called puzzlers. And arcade games, too.

Planet Puzzle League

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
Metacritic 86
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Panel de Pon DS is a great subtle revelation: a game that, transformed by the new technology of the DS, manages to rise to the high level heralded by the concept behind the game with splendid flair.

---x---

Tetris DS

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 84
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

The best version of Tetris there’s ever been. A ton of modes, online play, and a brilliant use of Nintendo characters. Lovely.

---x---

Zoo Keeper

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Metacritic 74
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

A concept so ridiculously simple, match three animals to make them vanish and ear more time, and get the highest score you can. Incredibly addictive, but never speak to me about quest mode again.

---x---

Namco Museum DS

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 67
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Full of retro games but worth the admission price just for the incredible Pac-Man Vs. which was excellent on GameCube, but bloody hard to arrange. Now, with single-cart play, you can get a game going in seconds with no hassle at all.

---x---

Meteos

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
First Play
Metacritic 88
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

An action game that looks like a puzzler, it does everything right in my book. Especially the hilarious 2 minute mode.

[toythatkills]

FPS

First Person Shooters have been surprisingly rare on DS, given the potential the controls allow.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Official Website Metacritic 75
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Really underrated game. Very pretty, controls work well apart from the melee events. Good variety of levels, just really really great.

---x---

Metroid Prime: Hunters

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 85
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

It's good stuff - admittedly, the 1-player game doesn't feel as robust as its big brothers, but it isn't weak by any measure; the emphasis is more on shooting than adventuring, but the developers have still managed to capture the feeling that Samus is a lone wolf, stalking corridors & dishing out charge-beam pain to anything that looks a bit iffy.

---x---

English of the Dead

Official Website
Buy at Play-Asia

Like House of the Dead 2, but you use the touchscreen to write letters and words to kill the zombies. Difficulty ranges from writing a letter on the screen, to listening to what the announcer says and then writing it in English (I'm sure it's a lot more difficult if you're not a native English speaker). There are also sections where you have to put a sentence into the correct order for it to make sense to do damage to enemies.

-----x-----x-----

ADVENTURE

For games that don’t really fit snugly into other categories; plot and story led experiences.

Ace Attorney Series
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10 (JfA 8/10) (TaT 9/10) (AJ 7/10)
First Play (JfA) (TaT) (AJ)
Metacritic 81 (JfA 76) (TaT 81) (AJ 78)
Wikipedia (JfA) (TaT) (AJ)
Buy at Play-Asia (JfA) (TaT) (AJ)

Each of the four plays very similarly. Collect evidence, and then take it to court where presenting the right evidence will advance the action. Sounds incredibly dull, but the incredible script and great characters keep things interesting throughout every game.

---x---

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 90
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

It controls so well, near enough every part of controlling Link is with the stylus, from moving him around to using the sword, and it's not a chore either, I think it's better. I like how it looks too, Wind Waker is my favourite Zelda so I'm glad Nintendo stuck with the Wind Waker theme for this game.

---x---

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 94
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

It's both old style and introduces new things at the same time. Never feels like a cut-down version of the console ones.

---x---

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
AKA: Biohazard: Deadly Silence (Japan)

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Metacritic 71
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

It is fantastic! From the second you boot up the game, all those memories of playing it for the first time come flooding back, but unlike a lot of games I played 10 years ago Resident Evil is still a joy to play.

Ultimately, Resi is the best survival horror game on a handheld, and Capcom managed to pull off the seemingly-impossible, some would say silly task of bringing the genre onto a handheld, and pulled it off with style. That deserves some credit imo.

---x---

Hotel Dusk: Room 215
AKA: Wish Room: Angel’s Memory (Japan)

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play
Metacritic 78
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

The game oozes noir style and beauty. The characters all look fantastic in their hand drawn appearance, and they are nicely animated as well. Its not just looks either, the soundtrack is great as well and is by far the best ive heard on the DS so far.

[toythatkills]

PLATFORMER

Platformers, you know the drill with these by now. Platforms, jumping and that.

New Super Mario Brothers

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
First Play
Metacritic 89
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Just an excellent game. Especially towards the end where you get quite a few tricky stages and some really nice level ideas... as well as some great ones returning from Mario World, which made me feel all nostalgic.

---x---

Kirby: Canvas Curse
AKA: Kirby: Power Paintbrush (Europe); Touch! Kirby (Japan)

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play
Metacritic 86
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Fun and challenging without being frustrating, perfect use of the touch screen.

---x---

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 6/10
First Play
Metacritic 85
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

I find it much more enjoyable than the others. Excellent music and art and lots of little extras and tweaks to keep you interested.

---x---

Lode Runner DS

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Buy at Play-Asia

Lode Runner DS will keep you up till the small hours, with that great “I can nail this level, I know it”-type feeling. It has everything it needs to ensure an addictive handheld title, from the simple concept to the rock-hard level design.

---x---

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 82
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Absolutely wonderful game, I can't stop myself playing it. You would never think that a puzzle game clone of Bejeweled and a 2d platformer would work so brilliantly together. It's so full of whimsy and charm, Harry makes me chuckle everytime he speaks. Its like Animal Crossing speak in Old ye english guffs. Such a lovely game.

-----x-----x-----

MUSIC

Almost every rhythm action game on the DS is incredible, but here are the best.

Electroplankton

Official Website
NTSC-UK review
First Play
Metacritic 71
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

The presentation is first class from the beautiful metallic outer box, to the lovingly hand drawn manual. You can clearly see this was a labour of love. It's a perfect de-stressing game, a few minuites on lumiloop & im super calm.

---x---

Osu! Tatake! Ouendan Series
Osu! Tatake! Ouendan
Elite Beat Agents
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii: Osu! Tatake! Ouendan 2

Official Website (EBA) (M!NRDO!T!O2)
NTSC-UK review 9/10 (M!NRDO!T!O2 8/10)
First Play (EBA) (M!NRDO!T!O2)
Metacritic 87 (EBA 87) (M!NRDO!T!O2 86)
Wikipedia (EBA) (M!NRDO!T!O2)
Buy at Play-Asia (EBA) (M!NRDO!T!O2)

Three of the best games on DS. An absolutely brilliant, fun game to play, and while the music is never as good as in the original Osu! Tatake! Ouendan, both sequels retain the gameplay – and it’s here where the real excellence lies.

---x---

Rhythm Tengoku Gold
AKA: Rhythm Heaven (America); Rhythm Paradise (Europe)

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
First Play
Metacritic 82
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Doesn’t quite reach the heights of its GBA father, but few games could. What it does offer is catchy tunes, funny characters, and a slew of content. Controls (mostly) very well, too.

---x---

Taiko no Tatsujin DS

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

I feel this game is much better than the PSP version. Not only does it give you a better sense of control over the PSP version but it makes it far more entertaining to play. I also think the music selection is a much broader mix, theres a few gaming tracks, some J Pop and a couple of other genres.

---x---

Daigasso! Band Brothers

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play
Metacritic 84
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

The game is different enough from others to keep even the hardened music game freak happy. Loads of songs which are mostly good even though there are a few cack ones. One section that I really like is the ability to create your very own songs using the voice recognition feature. Daigasso ! Band Brothers is indeed a fine bit of software that will keep you amused for hours.

[toythatkills]

SPORT/RACING

Racing cars! Sporty things! Not much going down in this category – where are the games?

Mario Kart DS

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10 Metacritic 91
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

If it wasn't for the snaking and no battle mode net play, this would be the best version of the game.

---x---

Trackmania DS

Official Website
Metacritic 75
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Race at breathtaking speeds, over 100 tracks, in varying environments (rally, desert, stadium). Different game modes (race, platform, puzzle). It’s challenging trying to get all the medals and it’s got that addictive one more go quality, which you can have with the instant restart. It’s digital racing crack.

-----x-----x-----

STRATEGY

Games that require just that little bit more thought, and generally are full of squares.

Advance Wars Series
Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Famicom Wars DS (Japan))
Advance Wars: Dark Conflict (Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (America); Famicom Wars DS 2 (Japan))

Official Website (AWDC)
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play (AWDC)
Metacritic 90 (AWDC 86)
Wikipedia (AWDC)
Buy at Play-Asia (AWDC)

(Advance Wars: Dual Strike) A bit imbalanced with two insane difficulty spikes in the campaign, but it's still among the best turn based strategy games around.

(Advance Wars: Dark Conflict) It can be safely told that it's still the old same good Advance Wars that delighted us westeners since the first GBA game, so it can be still described as an highly addictive drug inserted into a cartridge and then sold for a relatively low price, especially now that there's a free online mode thanks to the Wi-Fi Connection.

---x---

Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 78
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Anno 1701 comes highly recommended. I never would have noticed it had it not been for the recommendations here. It could easily get lost on a shelf and doesn't come from a big developer. But it's great. It really is. If you have any interest in this type of game, you won't find much better than this.

---x---

Robocalypse

Official Website
Metacritic 78
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

It’s a 'funny' robot based RTS that works really well on the DS. It uses a command flag system for the non hero units rather than a direct click on the unit and click on where you want it to go. The plot is written and animated by the Spongebob Squarepants people. Four player multiplayer online or there’s a skirmish mode with 1-4 players (or AI teams). The missions are pretty short so ideal for a quick go. It’s really simple and really fun.

---x---

Age of Empires: Mythlogies

Official Website
Metacritic 78
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Age of Empires on a handheld, lots of units, great sound and visuals and AI.

---x---

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 80
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

I'm really enjoying it. I love the fact that I can play a full game of Civ in a few hours and concentrate on the overall picture without having to worry about micro-managing workers etc.

[toythatkills]

SHOOTING

Shooty shooty. The shmuppy kind of games.

Space Invaders Extreme

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 8/10
First Play
Metacritic 85
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Space Invaders but rebooted for the Rez generation. It’s colourful, has great tunes, new weaponry, multipliers and it’s addictive.

---x---

Big Bang Mini

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 78
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

A shmup with a difference! Move your ship with the stylus, and use the stylus to shoot from anywhere else on the screen. Miss though,you’re your fire comes back at you and must be avoided. Excellent presentation, and a really pretty game. Fireworky.

---x---

Bangai-O Spirits

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
First Play
Metacritic 83
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Controls great. Action is really frantic and tense. It's broken up into short stages, some divided by theme - from straight out action to puzzlers. Stages can be difficult, but some barely last more than a few seconds, so it's perfect for portable gaming. Of course, it's easy to sink hours in.

---x---

Ketsui: Death Label

Official Website
First Play
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia (good luck!)

Crazy boss rush shoot 'em up with fantastic graphics and sound. You'd think that it'd get boring pretty quickly as it's only boss fights but the time flies by! Trying to figure out the quickest way to destroy each boss is good fun and you get a real feeling of achievement when you bump the game up a difficulty level and achieve another high score.

---x---

Geometry Wars Galaxies

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Metacritic 79
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Fans of the genre will find enough here to keep them going for a good while, particularly in the quest to attain gold medals for each and every planet in every galaxy. This is a worthy and satisfying conclusion to the Geometry Wars concept. Galaxies has the potential to convert more than just '80s arcade enthusiasts to its retro-tinged ways.

-----x-----x-----

FIGHTING

Punch, Kick, it’s all in the section entitled “fighting.”

Bleach: Dark Souls

Official Website
Metacritic 81
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Has 44 characters to choose from, the anime is awesome, the sprits and background work look sweet, it has strategy too with card combos and its made by Treasure. Need I say more?

---x---

JUMP! Super Stars

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Metacritic 80
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Loads of characters, simple controls and great 2D graphics make this the best fighter on the DS. Facing off random Bleach, Naruto, One Piece and Black Cat characers against each other and calling in support from a plethora of other Shonen Jump faces is pure fan service and really shines in multiplayer.

---x---

Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers

Official Website
Metacritic 60
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

A JUMP! Superstars clone but good fun and great animation on characters.

[toythatkills]

UTILITIES

For non-games, stuff that?s just quite useful, or, well, not a game.

Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten

Official Website
First Play
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Costs about 10% the price of an electronic dictionary with stylus input.

---x---

KORG DS-10

Official Website
Metacritic 82
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Nobody wanted to accept responsibility for this one, but the Metacritic score and opinions from elsewhere online suggest it?s a great buy. A great buy at your own risk!

---x---

100 Classic Book Collection

Official Website
Metacritic 72
Wikipedia

Well, it?s easier and cheaper than carrying 100 books around!

---x---

My French Coach

Official Website
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

French Coach is interactive & fun - I think a beginner would definitely benefit from it, and it's probably a better way for kids to pick up vocabulary than just learning by rote.

-----x-----x-----

OTHER

Stuff that simply fits nowhere else.

Soul Bubbles

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 7/10
First Play
Metacritic 78
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

This is a charming little puzzle game which involves controlling a little flying fairy thing that has to blow bubbles around a course to save these little spirit things inside and get them to the end. It reminds me of lots of different puzzlers from the past, bit of Locoroco, bit of Cameltry, few others I can't remember.

---x---

Retro Game Challenge
AKA: Game Center CX: Arino?s Challenge (Japan)

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 77
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

An excellent compilation of faux-retro games wrapped up in a charming story of childhood. Full of lovely little touches and references to more innocent times. A couple of the games are a bit lame, but it?s a very strong collection in spite of this.

---x---

Animal Crossing: Wild World

Official Website
NTSC-UK review 9/10
First Play
Metacritic 86
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

Animal Crossing: Wild World allows gamers? senses to soar beyond the veil of reality into an alternative mystical realm of fiction. Whether you are a fan of the previous titles or not, the wonderfully incorporated real-time system combined with the villager?s emotional-pull creates a world that has the potential to alter your sleep patterns and actually intertwine and weave its presence into your daily lives.

---x---

42 All Time Classics
AKA: Clubhouse Games (America)

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 83
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

I spent almost an entire weekend playing it online and off. Many of my favourite games are in there and there are even a few games I've always wanted to play like Shogi and Hanafuda.

---x---

Air Traffic Chaos
AKA: Boku wa kuukou kanseikan DS (Japan)

Official Website
First Play
Metacritic 66
Wikipedia
Buy at Play-Asia

It is a good game, made a lot more "interesting" by the addition of runways and ground collisions. That is what gets hard, juggling the gates and take off slots.

[toythatkills]

BEST OF THE REST

Some games were on the list but got knocked off when something better came along. Some games just weren’t quite good enough to make it, but are still worth your money, they’ll be collected in this post, in no particular order. You’ll have to research these ones yourself!

The Second Division

• Mario64 DS
• Kirby: Mouse Attacks
• Contact
• Picross DS
• Nanostray
• Nanostray 2
• WarioWare Touched
• Project Rub (AKA Feel The Magic XY/XX (America); Kimi no Tame nara Shineru (Japan)
• Lock's Quest
• Ninjatown
• Another Code: Two Memories

---x---

Then there are games that are announced, they're probably going to be awesome, but who can tell? Look for them in the future!

Coming Soon...

• Scribblenauts
• Dragon Quest IX
• Golden Sun DS

[toythatkills]

RESERVED

Just in case someone comes up with something that really should be included, at a later date. That can go here.

This is in no way a sneaky attempt at creating a tenth post so that in the default settings, there’s not just one single rogue post on the first page. No way at all is that the case.

Ideas for this post?

---x---

This thread took freakin’ hours, and 34 pages in Microsoft Word. Anyone that wants to do an ultimate games thread for any other system is welcome; one is more than enough for me!

I think the links all function OK, but I haven’t tried them all, there are 390!

I’ll keep this updated, you keep playing new games and suggesting them here. That, or this thread will disappear into obscurity and I’ll sob at all the time I spent on it!

Thanks to everyone who contributed, whether you realised it or not (I stole a few comments from First Play!)

[Strolls]

Namco Museum DS / Pac-Man Vs.

The link to Play-Asia shows them as sold out. MovieTyme also list it at ?12, with no indicators that it's out of stock.


Utilities

I think it's worth including the My Coach series - I've got My French Coach, and it's not bad. I think it'd definitely be worthwhile for kids, but I did quite a few years of French at school, and it didn't manage to keep me interested that long. I see that they now have a "level 2" version, and I may very well pick that up - since I did learn a little from the original, the level 2 should be perfect to get me on my toes.

I think if you had 6 candidates for the Utilities section, then these would trump the 100 Classic Book Collection IMO. That's just basically 100 old books that are out of copyright - the kind of rubbish that hardly anyone buys for ?1 a go at the discount store, and which you can download for free from Project Gutenburg. All the developers of this collection have done is wrap a DS interface around a bunch of free text files. I mean, I'm not knocking it - if you like Austen, Bronte, Dickens & Shakespeare (those authors probably compose 50% of the collection) then 100 Classic Book Collection is probably fantastic! But how many of us do actually read those classics for fun?

French Coach, on the other hand, is interactive & fun - I think a beginner would definitely benefit from it, and it's probably a better way for kids to pick up vocabulary than just learning by rote.

Stroller.

[charlesr]

Good job!

How about Nanostray 1 and 2 for best of the rest? Sunk countless hours into the first one.

[merf]

that list would make a great holiday flash cart, not of course that anybody here owns such things.

[PeteJ]

Nothing to add, but great thread

[mekanor]

awesome list. if we have more reccomendations do you want us to post here or in the other one?

if you decide to add a minigame list may i reccomend warioware touched? first warioware game i played and i was blown away by the wackiness and hilarity of such quickfire awesomeness.

also Kimi no Tame nara Shineru/Project Rub. got to be one of the wierdest games ive ever played but all around good fun, funny sound effects and engrish voices.