I'm a new DS owner. What do I need to play?

[fastbilly1]

If you are even a mild fan - Bomberman DS is a fantastic game in multiplayer (even with just bots). You should be able to find it for nder $10 easily.

Anyone play the Rune Factory games?

Stay away from the first one - it has some terrible bugs, the second one is good, but Ive yet to play the Wii one. They are exactly what you think they are: Harvest Moon meets a Zelda like ARPG. So if you are a Harvest Moon fan and a casual ARPG fan youll love it.

[MR_Soren]

Games I really liked:

MarioKart DS
New Super Mario Bros
Picross
Etrian Odyssey 1&2
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Space Invaders Extreme 1&2
Knights in the Nightmare
Henry Hatsworth
Retro Game Challenge
Contra 4

Currently looking forward to:
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Picross 3D

[Khan]

shonen jump super stars,castlevanis OOE and DOS

though personally I prefer my psp for handheld gaming.

[MX7]

A noticed you have already been shopping for games, good ones at that. Nice to see your not just going the SD card DownloadDownloadDownloadDownload route.

DS games are generally too cheap to justify this, in my opinion.

Taiko no Tatsujin is fun, if a little easy.
The Ouendan games are awesome, and rock hard too.
Flower, Sun and Rain is probably my favourite DS game (I know it's a port). It's tingle down the spine amazing at times.
The World Ends With you is fun, but I can't really bring myself to finish it: It's very repetitive.
Geometry Wars Galaxies plays great, even if it chugs along.
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars is amazing. Best GTA game by a country mile. I sometimes boot it up just to plough down the highway.
Broken Sword is again obviously a port, but it really feels at home on the DS.
As does Disgaea, which really needs to be on a handheld to pump the hours in (unless you have no friends/job)
Ace Attorney series. Everyone knows how good these are.
Mario Kart DS: You need some friends, but when you find a bunch of people, it's just awesome.
Yoshi's Island DS is not as good as the origional (which you can pick up on GBA!), but if you've already played that, then it's a nice follow up.
Etrian Oddessy is like crack, essentially.
Umihara Kawase DS consists of ports of the two best games ever made. The controls are great: I've managed to improve on several of my times.
Bangaioh Spirits is compulsively incredible.
Ketsui DS is brilliant too.
Retro Game challenge was awesome for the two days it lasted. Two heady, awesome, frustration filled days.
The Guitar Hero games are cool. If you have big hands, they may destroy them though.

To my mind, the DS is the best console of this generation.

[fastbilly1]

Another great one is Clubhouse Games/42 All Time Classics. It is mostly classic board and card games for when you travel. Now dont get me wrong the AI for some titles (ie Chess) isnt that great, and it is in no way a suitable replacement to playing with a friend, but it is fun. Also it will teach you how to play the games if you do not already know. So if you dont know how to play Backgammon, Bridge, or Shogi, it is a cheap and easy way to learn. That and it has full online play.

I received my copy yesterday (it was an impulse buy on a Newegg order), and stayed up till 2am playing Backgammon and Spades. Why I waited twenty years to give Backgammon another try is beyond me.

[BulletMagnet]

Most of my personal favorite titles have already been mentioned, but I don't think anyone's recommended Soul Bubbles yet, so I'll definitely throw that on the pile, especially since you can get it for so cheap these days.

[null1024]

Elite Beat Agents, Mariokart DS, Sonic Rush and Pokemon are my top few for the DS [and I'm only posting what I've played, more importantly, only what I've played on real hardware, otherwise I'd put Ketsui DS on there too].

I need to buy more DS games. And get a new DS/get a screwdriver to open this bastard and fix my L/R buttons, Rush is almost unplayable now...

[Mischief Maker]

Here's what I have on my current system. Note that I play my DS on flights/hotel rooms/etc so I don't judge the games by the same standards as at-home games.

Bangai-O Spirits: Equivalent to Gunstar Heroes in fun and depth. That is both a positive and a negative remark. Wildly uneven level design. Some are awesome, some are gimmicky, and some are unspeakably horrible (If I wanted Sobokan, I'd play the actual game, thanks!)

Civilization Revolution: Surprisingly good. A stripped down, faster version of Civ (games average 5 hours) but with all the tactical options intact. The price of admission is crappy graphics, wonky controls, and a cheating AI, like that's anything new.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: I think I'm way more forgiving of this game than most fans of the original. There's a bizarre logic behind all the seemingly ridiculous changes made to this game. The number one goal the designers seemed to have in mind was making a FF:Tactics that didn't get old, but then went about accomplishing this in the strangest ways possible. Learning skills from randomly gained weapons means you're constantly switching jobs and accumulating abilities -the funnest part of FFT1's gameplay- and in the later stages of the game where your chosen classes are mastered, the laws add tactical challenge to the battles that the AI can't provide. Even the furries make a perverse sort of sense. At the game's tiny resolution you'd have a hell of a time telling the difference telling if a thief is a human, hobbit, or elf, but no problem telling the difference between a human, moogle, or playboy bunny. The plot is godawful and as a sit-down-at-home game it's a complete failure. But as a distraction to make waiting in terminals and long flights painless it's the best game in my collection.

GTA: Chinatown wars: Fantastic game, technical marvel, just be wary of the person sitting next to you asking what amazing game that is, then having to spend the remainder of the flight explaining that the game is not all about beating hookers.

Knights in the Nightmare: I linked elsewhere to my Caltrops review. This is my favorite game on the DS. Beautiful, interesting, and original. Just do yourself a favor and start with the instruction book, the tutorial is a near-incomprehensible mess.

Metal Slug 7: Great fun, nifty scoring system, the different characters play and score differently, incredible boss fights. Too bad the levels have to take place in the ugliest locations the designers could think up (Junkyard! Cave! More junkyards!)

Ninja Gaiden DS: Hands down the most beautiful game on the DS. Controls remarkably responsive, the only snag being the scribble to activate the "ultimate technique." Unfortunately the game requires you to beat Easy before unlocking Normal, then beat that to unlock hard. Many players may lose their interest playing Easy mode. My main complaint about the game is my nagging fear that I'll get really into a particular session and do some damage to the touchscreen with my vicious swipes.

Rondo of Swords: An interesting SRPG that brings a fifth element to the old TANK HEAL SNIPE NUKE range of tactics: CAVALRY CHARGE! I'd probably say this is the most balanced SRPG I've played on the console, with the multi-enemy charges of warriors, the move and attack from distance of archers, and the slow-moving but massive area damaging artillery of mages each having a useful role that doesn't eclipse the other classes. As an interesting nod to the limited abilities of SRPG AIs, the game actually has you indirectly controlling the AI's attack priorities with a "momentum counter" on each unit that goes up with damage dealt on the battlefield. The downside is terrible graphics that would have been ugly two generations ago. I can understand that they don't have the artists and manpower that square can bring to FF:TA2, but what's stopping them from using the DS' full color range instead of keeping everything in the orange-brown spectrum?

Sonic Rush 1: Oldskool Sonic speedrun platforming action. It gets pretty difficult in the later stages, but it's still a blast. There's a sequel, but the youtube videos show a game that doesn't look nearly as good weighted down with arbitrary minigame bloat.

Space Invaders Extreme 2: Rez is obsolete! Hurray!

[professor ganson]

To my mind, the DS is the best console of this generation.

I have to agree, even if I tend to play my PSP a bit more. So many good titles if you like rpgs and srpgs. So many I still need to play! And generally so many good Jap titles. I don't think anyone has mentioned

Fire Emblem SD - really blew my mind, as I'd never played anything quite like it before. Variety of difficulty levels gives this one some teeth.

Luminous Arc 2 - probably my overall favorite for the system so far.

Chessmaster - what an awesome way to play chess!

[sfried]

If you are even a mild fan - Bomberman DS is a fantastic game in multiplayer (even with just bots). You should be able to find it for nder $10 easily.

Anyone play the Rune Factory games?

Stay away from the first one - it has some terrible bugs, the second one is good, but Ive yet to play the Wii one. They are exactly what you think they are: Harvest Moon meets a Zelda like ARPG. So if you are a Harvest Moon fan and a casual ARPG fan youll love it.

I have the first one, and it isn't bad at all. It's like Harvest Moon meets dungeon crawling. Dunno it it's "casual", but the mosters do get tougher and you are encouraged to grow croms in the dungeons that also help you replenish life. My only qualm with that game is the lack of dedicated touchscreen control which forces you to use the R button in adittion to using the screen (You can control the game with Control Pad + Buttons entirely, but it would've been better if you also had full touch controls a la Zelda).

[lgb]

Pokemon

also trauma center is kinda neat and under the knife 2 has music by namiki~

[boagman]

To my mind, the DS is the best console of this generation.

I have to agree, even if I tend to play my PSP a bit more. So many good titles if you like rpgs and srpgs.

And if you don't like RPGs and SRPGs? Though I do own both (and I'm certainly glad that I do), I'd actually give that nod to the PSP. There are many games on the DS that are good, but overall, the PSP is really what I consider to be a "next step" in what portable gaming should be bringing to the table. The DS' touchscreen is nifty, yes, but no matter how nifty it is, it's underutilized for the most part, and the rest of the system's specs just don't advance far enough for my tastes.

Playing on the PSP's screen and then going back to the DS' screen is just...painful. Never thought I'd be an elitest in that way, but I guess I'm spoiled by the PSP's beautiful high-def resolution, general overall sexiness, and yes: even the game selection available. PSP, to me, in the best console of this generation, and not just by a little...it's got at least one full letter grade above the DS to me.

[fastbilly1]

I have the first one, and it isn't bad at all. It's like Harvest Moon meets dungeon crawling. Dunno it it's "casual", but the mosters do get tougher and you are encouraged to grow croms in the dungeons that also help you replenish life. My only qualm with that game is the lack of dedicated touchscreen control which forces you to use the R button in adittion to using the screen (You can control the game with Control Pad + Buttons entirely, but it would've been better if you also had full touch controls a la Zelda).

I agree with the touch screen options, but my copy was buggy (apparently many others had problems aswell). You know, little things like all my crops disappearing when I walked off the screen or getting stuck in walls. When I went to return it they gave me the sequel instead - which I was fine with since I didnt have a buggy moment in it at all.

And DSi XL comes out next week. I cant wait! I am still using my Launch DS...

[professor ganson]

To my mind, the DS is the best console of this generation.

I have to agree, even if I tend to play my PSP a bit more. So many good titles if you like rpgs and srpgs.

And if you don't like RPGs and SRPGs? Though I do own both (and I'm certainly glad that I do), I'd actually give that nod to the PSP. There are many games on the DS that are good, but overall, the PSP is really what I consider to be a "next step" in what portable gaming should be bringing to the table. The DS' touchscreen is nifty, yes, but no matter how nifty it is, it's underutilized for the most part, and the rest of the system's specs just don't advance far enough for my tastes.

Playing on the PSP's screen and then going back to the DS' screen is just...painful. Never thought I'd be an elitest in that way, but I guess I'm spoiled by the PSP's beautiful high-def resolution, general overall sexiness, and yes: even the game selection available. PSP, to me, in the best console of this generation, and not just by a little...it's got at least one full letter grade above the DS to me.

Yeah, I think of the difference between Disgaea for DS and PSP, and there's really no comparison. Playing the latter was one of my most memorable gaming experiences of this past year. And Jeanne D'Arc is one of my favorite games period. I just give the nod to DS because of the sheer quantity of quality titles.

[Vexorg]

Disgaea is one of those games that just works so much better in a portable form factor, especially something with suspend/resume capabilities to make it much that much easier to just pick up and play. I've had a hard time getting into Disgaea 3 on the PS3 because of this. I haven't tried Disgaea DS, but given the choice, the PSP is far superior for these. Too bad there's so little else I've found worth keeping one around for.

[P_HAT]

1) Go buy flashcart.
2) Go google for Tetris The Grand master DS rom (free game, btw).
3) Play.


Aslo - Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure cost like 19$ for new one. Worth every penny. Insane and fun mix of platform and puzzle game.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/revie ... orth/47007

[MR_Soren]

Yeah, I think of the difference between Disgaea for DS and PSP, and there's really no comparison. Playing the latter was one of my most memorable gaming experiences of this past year. And Jeanne D'Arc is one of my favorite games period. I just give the nod to DS because of the sheer quantity of quality titles.

I enjoyed the crap out of Disgaea DS, but I have no delusions of it being better than the PSP version. The better screen would be welcomed. However, I also consider the DS the best game system of this generation because there are so many good games available.

[Drum]

I like the DS okay, but there aren't that many games I'd count among my favourites. Feel the same way about the PSP. Games in general this gen seem pretty evenly spread across all platforms for me (yes, even the Wii), with PC coming out on top because of all the great indie stuff. I don't think the DS or the PSP can touch the games that came out during the GBA's (relatively brief) lifespan, and I feel console games have gone downhill a lot too.

[Momijitsuki]

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are pretty good too; definitely worth picking up.

[t0yrobo]

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are pretty good too; definitely worth picking up.

Second that. I got HeartGold as a impulse buy on Sunday and it's pretty fun. The pokewalker is a neat addition to the game. I didn't expect a pokemon game to suck me in, but I can already tell I'll be playing it for quite awhile.

[sfried]

Playing on the PSP's screen and then going back to the DS' screen is just...painful. Never thought I'd be an elitest in that way, but I guess I'm spoiled by the PSP's beautiful high-def resolution, general overall sexiness, and yes: even the game selection available. PSP, to me, in the best console of this generation, and not just by a little...it's got at least one full letter grade above the DS to me.

Dunno about that. Between the two version of Chinatown Wars, the DS version is still superior. The PSP version...not so much, especially with the glitches. Not to mention Umihara Kawase, which has the PS1 version in it, screwed up so badly with the emulation while the DS version plays it just fine.

You also forget in terms of selection, the DS wins hands down. I'm not saying there aren;t any good games on the PSP, it's just that the quality and quantity of software on the DS is quite robust. This month alone there like Infinite Space and Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey. I'd say the DS is two letter grades above the PSP.

And to add to the list: the Professor Layton series and Hotel Dusk are worth checking out. I'm pretty sure somebody already mentioned Castlevania Order of Ecclesia.

[mesh control]

DS's biggest downfall is the lack of GB and GBC support.

I do own a M3 DS real too, but it's not the same....

[The Eidolon]

If you like rougelikes, Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer is excellent.
I think I've put hundreds of hours into it. And only a maniac could claim
that kind of game is too easy...

Other games I've enjoyed greatly on the DS:
Bangai-O Spirits
Puzzle Quest (not the Galactrix one, though)
SMT: Devil Survivor
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (flawed, but still fun)
Castlevania (I liked Portrait of Ruin the best, but most people prefer Aria of Sorrow)
Professor Layton series is cute and fun
Mr. Driller
Retro Game Challenge

The DS is great if you have a commute by train, or if you have kids, since you
can play it while doing other things. I hardly have any uninterrupted time for
console gaming, but I still manage to play the DS quite a bit.

[boagman]

Playing on the PSP's screen and then going back to the DS' screen is just...painful. Never thought I'd be an elitest in that way, but I guess I'm spoiled by the PSP's beautiful high-def resolution, general overall sexiness, and yes: even the game selection available. PSP, to me, in the best console of this generation, and not just by a little...it's got at least one full letter grade above the DS to me.

Dunno about that. Between the two version of Chinatown Wars, the DS version is still superior. The PSP version...not so much, especially with the glitches. Not to mention Umihara Kawase, which has the PS1 version in it, screwed up so badly with the emulation while the DS version plays it just fine.

You also forget in terms of selection, the DS wins hands down. I'm not saying there aren;t any good games on the PSP, it's just that the quality and quantity of software on the DS is quite robust. This month alone there like Infinite Space and Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey. I'd say the DS is two letter grades above the PSP.

And to add to the list: the Professor Layton series and Hotel Dusk are worth checking out. I'm pretty sure somebody already mentioned Castlevania Order of Ecclesia.

It's all subjective, though. None of the games you've mentioned above (with the possible minor exception of Chinatown Wars) have any draw for me. Zero. None. I have Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrows for the DS, and while it was a decent distraction (I guess), it didn't blow my mind or anything. At least a couple of games (UG&G, EEE) have been mind-blowers for me on the PSP.

Not only that, but when I think about games that I still want to buy for the DS, only Bangai-O Spirits comes to mind. That's it. There are multiple games I conceivably want for the PSP.

I guess my biggest judgment criteria is total play time, and satisfaction with my purchase, and in both of those categories, PSP wins by a large margin. Also, due to what the PSP has brought to the table in terms of boosting the technical quality of the portable experience, I'm more inclined to think highly of it.

[sfried]

None of the games you've mentioned above (with the possible minor exception of Chinatown Wars) have any draw for me. Zero. None.

Really? What do you play then? PS2 ports?

Also, due to what the PSP has brought to the table in terms of boosting the technical quality of the portable experience, I'm more inclined to think highly of it.

If by "technical experience" you mean "sucking at battery life" and making the ill-choice of using moving parts on a handheld, I'm afraid the former is nothing new, and the latter brings nothing good to the handheld table. I've never had any problem with the DS Lite/DSi's display, and the touch screen has never been an issue for me and in fact is a welcome addition. (I will give it that newer models display on a TV, but even that hasn't been a new endevour.)

The DS has brought to me a very satisfying experience. Been constantly playing Shiren, Phantasy Star Zero and Retro Game Challenge along with Knights in the Nightmare (yeah, good luck trying to replicate THAT gameplay on the PSP), not to mention it is the only platform that singlehandedly revived the point-and-click adventure genre for me with Hotel Dusk, Another Code, and the Professor Layton series. Not to mention there are some pretty unique games on the system like Big Bang Mini, Soul Bubbles and even that Ninja Gaiden DS title. And you have your regular RPG stuff like Rune Factory, Avalon Code, and Soma Bringer. Then there's your selection of rhythm/music games (Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents, Rhythm Heaven, countless Guitar Heroes).

Aslo Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia has to be some of the best Igavania since...Rondo of Blood? (Yes, PSP has Dracula X Chronicles, but the original Rondo's emulation is shoddy at best.)

Then there's Infinite Space and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey this March.

I also happen to like the "tools" the library has such as Korg DS-10 and the flexibility with what you coould do with it (such as syncing up 4 DSs to use as a synth box each). Stuff like Flipnote Studio and the new WarioWare are like great successors to Mario Paint.

To me, there's too many reasons to list how the DS trumphs the PSP in almost every other single way save technical specs. But as you said, "it's all subjective"...

[boagman]

But as you said, "it's all subjective"...

And this is something that I cannot emphasize enough. I'm *dead sure* that I have far, far different tastes than about 99.999999999% of the people on this board (and many others) when it comes to games I'd choose to play, much less games that cause me to raise an eyebrow. Seriously: raise your hand if you haven't played a FPS since Goldeneye on N64. ::raises hand:: Raise your hand if you haven't played *any type of RPG* in 20 years. ::raises hand::

I bought the PSP for one reason only (UG&G), and ended up liking it for more than just that. I also like it far more than I like the DS for the games I've played on it. I'm not *slamming* the DS, mind you...I think it's been fine. It's been everything Nintendo intended it to be, and perhaps even then some. When it comes down to me, though, the PSP, much to my surprise, has been the winner. I bought the DS first because I thought it would be more enjoyed by me...it turns out I was wrong, and I've got nothing more than a smile on my face because of it!

[sfried]

But as you said, "it's all subjective"...

And this is something that I cannot emphasize enough. I'm *dead sure* that I have far, far different tastes than about 99.999999999% of the people on this board (and many others) when it comes to games I'd choose to play, much less games that cause me to raise an eyebrow. Seriously: raise your hand if you haven't played a FPS since Goldeneye on N64. ::raises hand:: Raise your hand if you haven't played *any type of RPG* in 20 years. ::raises hand::

Have you tried Dementium: The Ward and Moon by Renegade Kid? Both are great FPSs.

I bought the DS first because I thought it would be more enjoyed by me...it turns out I was wrong, and I've got nothing more than a smile on my face because of it!

Hey, no pressure, man. It's cool.

[boagman]

I bought the DS first because I thought it would be more enjoyed by me...it turns out I was wrong, and I've got nothing more than a smile on my face because of it!

Hey, no pressure, man. It's cool.

Never thought there was any pressure from you. It's all good. My tastes are pretty limited, actually, when I give it some thought. I'm all about old-school arcade gameyness, and most console releases really wouldn't do much for me, period. I respect some of the truly monumental achievements (Ninja Gaiden's redux, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Street Fighter IV, etc.) even if they're not necessarily up my alley. Heck, I bought and paid full price for MGS: Portable Ops when it came out for PSP simply based on my utter love and respect for the original MGS on PS1...and barely touched the portable one. Just couldn't get into it.

It should say something about me that Every Extend Extra hasn't left my PSP in, at the very least, 6 months, but more than likely, it's been over a year. I'm...strange, and I totally accept that about myself.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Then there's Infinite Space and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey this March.

I also happen to like the "tools" the library has such as Korg DS-10 and the flexibility with what you coould do with it (such as syncing up 4 DSs to use as a synth box each).

Yeah, it's cool to compose your own music with the Korg DS-10...I bought the re-issue of it when it was made available again. It does take some time to learn exactly what everything does and carefully compose the layers until it sounds just right. Listening to some of the cool sampled tunes created with Korg DS-10 on youtube is amazing. Of course, it does take time + trial 'n' error to come up with your own signature beats.

Here's a cool YT vid of user DenkiTribe using Korg DS-10 to sample some interesting bits that resemble digitized speech samples. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXu-_mTFZf8

Having worked with the PSX game import of Deazaemon Plus' BGM Editor for over four years...the limited sound library & space limitations really forces you to try to come up with some imaginative beats to spur the shmup player to do his or her best.

With the upcoming Infinite Space coming for the NDS, it looks to be an interesting sci-fi RPG. Glad Sega of America (SOA) is making it available for the North American NDS market. Will there be any promotional extra goodies included with the USA release of "IS" game such as an OST or something else?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[sfried]

With the upcoming Infinite Space coming for the NDS, it looks to be an interesting sci-fi RPG. Glad Sega of America (SOA) is making it available for the North American NDS market. Will there be any promotional extra goodies included with the USA release of "IS" game such as an OST or something else?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

No extras for I.S., sadly. Strange Journey does, though, being an Atlus game and all.

As great as Infinite Space is, I'm still waiting for Sega to actually bring out 7th Dragon here. Only rumors popped up but so far no concrete evidence.

It should say something about me that Every Extend Extra hasn't left my PSP in, at the very least, 6 months, but more than likely, it's been over a year. I'm...strange, and I totally accept that about myself.

You should try Space Invaders Extreme. The XBLA version has the music by Jeff Minter, so I honestly don't know how that sounds, but the portable SIEs have some awfully catchy soundtracks. SIE for PSP doesn't have online multiplayer, though (the best part of SIE), and also your ship only had one set of effects as opposed to the Lumines-style sound remixing in the DS version (which is really odd). I heard development of that was handled by some other guys. The DS version works with the Taito paddle.