DS Game Reviews
Review Junior Brain Trainer (DS)
Shaping the minds of tomorrow or simply boring them today?
Junior Brain Trainer is a learning game in a similar vein to the slew of other "brain training"' games released for the Nintendo DS. The genre was made famous with the massive popularity of Nintendo's Dr.Kawashima's Brain Training and many games since have attempted to capitalize...
Mama trades her spatula for a shovel; will the result be a blossom of fun, or a game only a Mama could love?
Our bright-eyed Mama is back and this time instead of breaking eggs, mixing ingredients and needing dough to make mouth watering recipes, your task is to grow a garden that rivals Eden. As with the entire Mama series this final goal will be...
Review Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
Grand Theft Auto makes the jump from the big screen to Nintendo’s small screen.
Whenever studios branch out and transform series well suited for consoles into the handheld format, there is always an element of risk – none more a prolific example than Rockstar’s GTA Chinatown Wars for the DS. Though we’ve already seen the Grand Theft Auto...
Review Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS)
Who knew Little Red Riding Hood was so much fun?
At Nintendo Life, we very much doubted that anyone expected a great deal from Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ. The title sounded like it would attract a very immature audience, and the box art didn't exactly inspire casual gamers to buy it either. So imagine how surprised we were when we played...
Another great RPG hits the DS in the form of Final Fantasy IV.
When Final Fantasy IV was originally released on the SNES in 1991, it quickly became a hit. Unlike many of the other RPGs at the time, it boasted a large cast of characters that were tied into a deep and intriguing plot, and this helped elevate it above the crowd. In 2005, Final Fantasy...
Review Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS)
Can Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword live up to the standards of previous titles?
Set six months after the events of the original Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden, Ryu Hayabusa has rebuilt Hayabusa Village. Momiji, a resident of Hayabusa, is abducted by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. During his quest to find her, Ryu uncovers the mysteries of the Dark...
Mistwalker gives their Blue Dragon franchise a real-time strategy makeover and the end result is one surprisingly entertaining DS title.
When the original Blue Dragon title was released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, it became one of the system's first traditional RPG experiences. Blue Dragon captivated the gaming audience with its unique charm...
It's not quite as fun as it should be
Released simultaneously with another Taito revival, Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid DS is an attempt at trying to breathe life into an old arcade classic. When Arkanoid was originally released, it was essentially a clone of the Atari classic Breakout. Despite this shameless copying, Arkanoid became quite a hit...
Take a trip to heaven, Nintendo style!
Simplicity in game design is often a double-edged sword. On the positive side, the player is provided with a sleek and easy to understand interface. However, this often has an equally negative impact on the depth of the experience and what you’re left with is a quick 'pick up and play' variety of game. With...
Review Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (DS)
What if you awakened one day as a Pokemon?
What if you awakened one day as a Pokemon? What if all of a sudden you find yourself in an unknown world, where you can speak and interact with many other Pokemon? Well essentially, that's what happens in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team; you wake up one day in a strange new world where you have...
Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube764k Watch on YouTube Review Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol (DS)
Saving our ecosystems, one park at a time.
Chibi-Robo Park Patrol is one of those few great games that many people are just going to skip over because of its exclusivity to select retailers. Well at Nintendo Life we took it upon ourselves to give this game the review it deserves, and we must say that doing so put huge smiles on our faces; the unique...
Review Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
The stylus is mightier than the sword.
With a name like Advance Wars, one is likely to expect an action packed, heart pounding war game. Needless to say, the Advance Wars series is really none of those things. Rather, the franchise has focused on slower paced turn-oriented strategy gameplay that is not unlike a glorified game of chess. So what is...
Time travel has never been so complicated
Ever since the launch of the Nintendo DS console, the format has been heralded as a great way to bring out adventure games to make use of the stylus as a mouse substitute. In many ways this has borne fruit, with releases like Another Code, Hotel Dusk and the Phoenix Wright series all proving to be excellent...
Review Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (DS)
Pokemon Ranger 1.5 arrives on the Nintendo DS
During the holiday season of 2006, the attention of gamers the world over was focused solely on the release of the Wii and Playstation 3, the latest consoles from Nintendo and Sony. As a result, quite a few gems for the Nintendo DS got lost in the marketing onslaught, most notably Elite Beat Agents and...
Review Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero (DS)
The Elebits head to the Nintendo DS in this action-packed sequel.
Shortly after the Wii was launched in 2006, Konami released one of the most bizarre and enjoyable third-party games that year. Entitled Elebits, the game showcased the new functionally of the Wii Remote. Played from a first-person perspective, players explored the land looking for...
Review DK: Jungle Climber (DS)
You spin me right round baby right round...
It's time to spin, swing, and fling yourself into adventure with DK: Jungle Climber! Using the game's simple controls, players take control of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as they journey throughout the land trying to assist a talking banana known as Xananab. For you see, the evil King K. Rool stole five...
Review Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (DS)
Is this addition to Nintendo's Touch Generations line worth investigation?
If there’s one thing that the Nintendo DS has excelled at, it’s that it managed to expand the remit of the video gaming industry. Prior to the release of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo wasn’t doing too well in Japan. With great software failing to sell well, Nintendo had to...
Review Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - The Director’s Cut (DS)
Murder, mystery and… Clowns?
It is a terrible mistake to call Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars a simple port seeing as it’s a game that has more added material than Nintendo have fanboys. Yet there is some basis to the claim; this game has been released on a handheld before. Originally brought to Nintendo through the GBA, Broken Sword was...
Review Kirby Squeak Squad (DS)
Does Kirby still have the old magic or is he just full of air?
The old adage "don't judge a book by its cover" holds true in many formats. Encompassed by that is essentially everything we deal with, and the ultimate lesson is to avoid judgment based on appearances. Needless to say, it also applies to games. To simply glance at the Kirby series, you...
Review Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Get your thinking cap on!
A glass jar holds a single germ. After one minute, the germ splits into two germs. One minute after that, the two germs each split again, forming a total of four germs. Continuing at this rate, a single germ can multiply to fill the whole jar in exactly one hour. Knowing this, how long in minutes would it take to fill the...
The unstoppable Pokémon returns to the Nintendo DS
It’s hard to believe that a decade has already passed since Pokémon first debuted in North America. In 1998, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red made gamers want to attempt and ‘catch-em all’ as they explored the vast land of Kanto, unearthing its secrets along the way. The game became a...
Review Suikoden: Tierkreis (DS)
Is the first handheld instalment in Konami's classic RPG series as fun to play as it is to pronounce?
Who could have guessed that the current console generation's go-to platform for RPGs both old and new would turn out to be the humble DS? It's a hand-held, it's manufactured by Nintendo and the hardware leaves a lot to be desired in comparison to...
Review Henry Hatsworth in The Puzzling Adventure (DS)
Henry Hatsworth stars in one of the Nintendo DS' best puzzler offerings
First looks can be very deceiving. Just by taking a quick glance at Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, it isn’t difficult to assume it’s aimed at younger audiences wanting in on a simple and fun puzzle experience. Surprisingly though, there’s actually a rather...
Is that a rocket in your pants or are you just pleased to see me?
Modern videogames can be rather depressing sometimes. As the industry becomes evermore concerned with reaching as many gamers as possible in order to generate the most cash, we’ve seen imaginative concepts fall by the wayside as ‘sure fire’ hits fly onto store shelves with...
Handheld heaven or a portable pariah?
A few years ago, EA tapped a rich vein of old-school strategy games by revamping Theme Park and Sim City for the DS's touch screens. A few years later, Bullfrog's famed God game has received similar treatment, but is it the second coming or just a slap-headed Samson? The DS's twin screens are a natural fit for...
Review Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (DS)
Strategy RPG fans rejoice - another gem has come to the DS
Never played a Valkyrie Profile game before? No problem! This is the first time a Valkyrie Profile game has been on a system outside one of Sony's and you need not know a thing about tri-Ace's successful franchise or its history to jump right into the DS's first installment of this 10-year...
Has it stood the test of time?
Without a shadow of a doubt, there will be two groups of people reading this: those who have played Chrono Trigger before, and those who never had the privilege. If you are of the former, then you’ll not find too many surprises waiting you in this remake: most of what you'll find was either included on the SNES...
Peggle heads to the Nintendo DS in one of the handheld's best offerings.
Over the past few years, Peggle has become known as one of the most addicting and enjoyable puzzle action games on the market. After playing for only a few minutes, you know you’re playing special and will immediately become hooked on the game. After already hitting the Xbox...
Review Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS)
What this remake lacks in innovation it more than makes up for in polish
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Nintendo DS is the best current generation system to look to when it comes to role-playing games. With titles like Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest V, The World Ends With You and Children of Mana, this portable gaming wonder plays host to some of...
It’s a blast!
I promise that’s the first and only pun you’ll see in this review - If you’ve played any of the popular Geometry Wars games on Xbox 360, Wii or DS you’ll be perfectly at home when you fire up XG Blast. From its instantly gratifying action and futuristic aesthetic, it borrows from any one of a dozen classic shooters, but does...
