Just got myself a Nintendo DS this week

[cosmic-ark]

Konami arcade classics rocks for the ds kept me amused for a nine hour train ride

[Tr3vor]

gotta have Metroid Prime: Hunters. thats the bes one that i have.

and, mabe, Call of Duty 4.

[johnny_boy]

I gotta say, most of the games mentioned here leave me cold. I'm very hard to please when it comes to contemporary releases, but I still found a few good titles for the DS.

 

Soul Bubbles

Guide and bend bubbles across a maze-like world. Grab a copy before they disappear, it's already getting difficult to find them. An easygoing, likeable game.

 

Mystery Dungeon

Rogue-like, deep and somewhat complex, with a pleasing 16-bit look. Didn't sell too well unfortunately. America wont get the DS sequel, what a tragedy!

 

Ninja Five-O (GBA)

Delicious old school Shinobi/Bionic Commando amalgam. Impossible to find.

 

I do enjoy "New SMB" - simple, unpretentious, nostalgic fun. Space Invaders Extreme ain't too shabby either, but I do miss me some Galaga.

[Lord Thag]

If you like old school dungeon crawlers like Wizardry, get The Dark Spire. Great game. All the Advance Wars and Castlevania games are great too.

[Gabriel]

Despite my extreme dislike of the platform, I absolutely LOVED Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. I highly recommend it.

 

As silly as it is, I'd also recommend Pokemon: Diamond/Pearl (Platinum is both of them in one cart, right?).

 

Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier is also pretty damn good.

 

My recommendation is to actively avoid anything which makes any major use of the touchscreen. As a control device, it's total ass and is almost exclusively used for game ruining gimmickry.

[johnny_boy]

My recommendation is to actively avoid anything which makes any major use of the touchscreen. As a control device, it's total ass and is almost exclusively used for game ruining gimmickry.

An adequate point you raised there. There are very few games where the control system truly benefits from fancy touch maneuvers. Too often it feels tacked on, and tarnishes my long-term enjoyment of the product, which is really all that matters.

 

I do believe though there are a few games that do depend exclusivement on the touch screen, and would be far different otherwise.

 

This also very much applies to the Wii, and its damn motion gimmickry.

[Smatchmo]

The DS has so many amazing games a "must have" list ends up being huge... *snip*

 

Agreed.

That said, aside from the aforementioned MarioKart, I'd suggest giving Hotel Dusk Room 215 a shot. By far, it's my favorite game; stylistically, it's absolutely beautiful, the story is top-notch & and the game play is sleek and smooth. Zero replay value after beating it, though.

(Cinq, make more DS games! )

 

Someone mentioned dungeon crawlers, I'd recommend Powder.

 

Congrats, new DS owner! I'd say it's one of the greatest systems, and probably THE greatest handheld, of all time.

[classicgamingguy]

This is an interesting topic. I myself am getting an Original Platinum DS. I have had one of these before, and have also had a DS Lite. I personally prefer the original DS model. I know, perhaps I'm being too old fashioned, but I figure older game systems are really appreciated around here!

 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to owning the DS again. Since it's inception, I have been impressed by the number of titles released for it. Yes, there is a good amount of "shovelware" out there, but with a little patience, you can end up with a great selection of games.

 

Understandably, we all know that the DSi has the potential to run "better games" down the line, resulting in some games being exclusive to just the DSi. That's fine, since there are still 100's of titles available to pick up for the DS and DS Lite. It's like with any "older" gaming system...you just have to hunt for the deals.

 

I can't wait..I think the DS will be my favorite portable again in no time.

 

Steve