@labrat7: I recommend Art Academy (at least get the first one).

so Pictobits is a good long game ? got 500 pts left and trying to figure out what to spend on them

the new texas hold em game... digger dan and now im starting to look at this,

Edit think i found the answer... one review site said there is only 30 levels .... so could be short (could always replay them)

@slidecage: Many of those 30 levels will take you a good long while to beat. The game gets insanely hard about halfway through. Get Trajectile first if you haven't already.

The problem with DSiWare recommendations of Art Style games is that each one is geared toward a different type of puzzle gamer. For instance, I really liked Base10, precipice and Zengage and did not really enjoy Pictobits at all other than the Nintendo nostalgia factor. Some people do not want to pay more than $5 for a game, even if it has loads of content. Others expect a short gaming experience for $5.

Anyway, I've found that with DSiWare sometimes you just have to take the plunge. Sometimes you might like it, other times you will be disappointed.

i highly recommend this game. I never really been into TD games, but this one is definitely one that everybody can enjoy.

About platformers, these are good ones:
Darkvoid Zero & Soul of Darkness- short but worth 500 nps. SoD is kinda easy unless you don't upgrade so often.
Rayman- difficult platformer
10 Second Run- all around good buy for 200 nps.

Hi,I`m trying to choose between buying Game&Watch donkey kong jr. and Mario`s cement factory.
I`d buy both but I only got enough blocks for one and won`t be getting an SD card for awhile.
So can someone tell me which one may be more fun? I`m leaning towards donkey kong jr. but not sure yet.

This may sound a little funny, I'm looking for a shooting game for my 6 year old. It can be E-T rated. If it's a game I can enjoy too, all the better.

EDIT: By shooting, I mean any game that uses anything that resembles a gun of some sort like Foto Face even.

@Brandon: A shooter huh? I don't think there are too many on the service. That's not to say there isn't a couple options. If you are wanting an arcade shooting experience somewhat like Galaga, then Metal Torrent may be a good option. Its a bit bare-bones with just Normal and Hard mode but there is a little variety because you can opt for the enemies to be in patterns or random. Also, to give it legs, its got full online leaderboard support for all modes which is very nice. Its 500 points.

If you are more in the market for a Third-Person shooter then look no further than Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ. The game has a great atmosphere and pretty good graphics for DSiWare. There are plenty of bosses and they are all rendered in full 3D. And here's the kicker, the game is actually a full cartridge release. Nothing has been cut from this downloadable version which is great. The game can also be quite a challenge, but not too much. It is 800 points.

If you're after more of a First-Person Sci-Fi shooter, then X-Scape is a great option. Its one of the more ambitious DSiWare games sporting a very sleek, yet minimalistic style. It is also quite a lengthy little adventure with alot of variety and side quests. Honestly, this game could likely stand as a DS retail game for what it packs. It is 800 points.

Those are the only DSiWare shooters I've played personally. Other items on the shop you might consider is Thorium Wars(1000 points) or one of the G.G. series games, I'm not quite sure of the title. Hope you find what you're looking for!

EDIT: Hmmmm...In response to you edit, I guess Cave Story could also be a good option. I personally don't think it's THAT great but it is certainly good and quite a long game. Its also a bit steep at 1000 points.

Thorium Wars is great, and X-Scape is highly recommended.

@bboy - Zombie BBQ for a 6 year old? While the gameplay is simple enough, the dialogue and character design show why the game got it's T-rating.

In this day and age I don't really think its a big deal. He did say that rated T was fine. I guess it really has to do with how strict of a parent we are talking. I don't personally think its bad. Its not like there's any blood or swearing involved. Just guns and Zombie's which given the current climate of the industry is perfectly normal.

Just because it's socially accepted doesn't necessarily mean it's appropriate.

Hey, I don't agree with where society has gone, I was just given the guy a suggestion based on his criteria. I would hope he would look a little deeper into any game that has been recommended to see if that game is truly the right for his situation.

Thanks bboy for your recommendations. I did in fact consider Zombie BBQ when I looked up the shooter category on DSi Shop, but then I thought about how the kid gets nervous at the sight of zombies, even the ones in Plants vs. Zombies LOL. I don't necessarily keep my kid away from "bad" games though unless it's something extreme like Dead Space. He can even play/watch Red Dead if it's not Undead Nightmare. Pretty much everything is fair game if sexual themes are kept to a minimum and it doesn't involve zombies/demons/vampires etc.

Anyway I ended up buying him Defense Wars, Paul's Shooting Adventure, and Cosmo Fighters. I figured we could have a good time beating each other up in that title.

In case anyone was wondering about the 200pts. games I settled on they are:
myDiary
Go series: 10 Second Run
Extreme Hangman
Pop Island: Paperfield
Glory Days: Tactical Defense

I'm trying to decide between Digger Dan, Animal Color Cross and Tetris Party Live. Advice would be appreciated.

Tetris Party Live is a good game. Don't know about the others.

Animal Color Cross is decent. Would choose TP Live over it, though.

@EmpireIndustries: I would say my favorite game out of that group is Tetris Party Live. Its got a good amount of replay value on it because of the online. The only problem is that it doesn't have local multi-player for whatever reason. That's not to say Digger Dan isn't good. I actually quite liked it and it seems to have a pretty good set of legs on it with 100 levels in all. The art style and design is a little strange but its still a fun puzzle action game. As far as Color Cross goes, its....good. It just feels a little lazy. There isn't any music and it lacks a certain level of polish. Just a little rough around the edges. So if you really like Tetris and don't have any version on DS already, go with Tetris Party Live. If you could live w/o Tetris, Digger Dan is a great option. Only opt for Color Cross if you don't mind a game that is a little rough and you are desperate for Picross on the go. Really though, you should spring for both Tetris and Digger Dan as both deserve your time and are great games. Hope I helped

can anyone recommend

505 Tangram

Fun game to pick up and play every so offen... Trying to do all of the puzzles without hints so it takes longer ...
did around 20 puzzles in around an hour.... if the pace keeps up... 25 hour game .

hit the states tomorrow and thinking about it

I've been meaning to give a shout out to a game for a long time. It seems I haven't found the energy to write in detail about why the game thoroughly captures my attention, so just take my word for it: Metal Torrent rocks! OK, let me elaborate a little. Are you the type that likes to chase high scores? Do you have your WIFI setup so that you can track your progress on the leaderboard? Do you like quick bursts of action, learning patterns and exploding things? Metal Torrent rocks. It's a shooter made with the platform its on in mind. Meaning the length and 'high score' chasing is entirely deliberate and symbiotic with the DSi. The refinement like screen selection (I actually prefer the non default bottom screen) and button mapping (again I enjoy non defaults even more) and statistic tracking are clues of Nintendo's publishing. This is a REALLY nicely done title and woefully overlooked.

i'm looking for a game like bejeweled. We tried bejeweled twist and didn't like it, we'd just like something similar to the original version. Can't believe popcap hasn't released it! thanks everybody.