Match ‘em: Top DS puzzle games

A good puzzle game is truly a gaming jewel to be recognized. The amount of replay value and overall fun that some puzzle games offer is enormous, and they hardly get old. A lot of puzzle tittles offer a ton of unlockables and entertaining multiplayer features, as well as a variety of gameplay modes to keep everyone, regardless of skill, glued to their DS for hours to end. We have compiled a list of some of the best DS puzzle games out now; all of the games except for Tetris DS are the classic ‘match three similar pieces’ style, but their designs are very different and each is very fun in a unique way, and any of these should satisfy any puzzle lover and keep you busy for a very long time.

Planet Puzzle League: This one is the newest, and possibly the best, classic puzzle entry to the Nintendo DS. Known as Tetris Attack / Pokémon Puzzle League/Challenge / Puzzle League for a variety of previous Nintendo systems, the fast-paced puzzle gameplay is enhanced with touch controls, Wi-Fi play with voice chat, and new gameplay modes. This game is easy to learn, hard to master, and offers a great deal of replay value, especially if you have a few friends to challenge. Full review here.

Meteos: This one might be a bit hard to find nowadays, but you can’t go wrong with this space puzzler with incredibly intuitive touch controls and crazy puzzle action. Play in a large variety of planets—each with different physics, field dimensions, and music / sound effects—as you launch Meteos up to your human or CPU opponents. This game also offers a lot of unlockables and four-player multiplayer action, single or multi-card. Meteos also features one of the best soundtracks for a Nintendo DS game.

Tetris DS: The classic Tetris gets the double-screen treatment, enhanced with new gameplay modes, touch screen puzzle solving, and Wi-Fi play in two different gameplay styles. What’s more, the entire game is jam-packed with Nintendo history, as famous characters such as Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong accompany you as you play, while you listen to remixes of their corresponding music. Not much in the unlockables department, but Tetris DS is still a lot of fun, both for single and multi-player sessions.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords: A great blend of puzzle and RPG gaming action, Puzzle Quest will keep you playing for a very long time. The addictive gameplay is well mixed with RPG elements such as leveling up, weapon / armor equipment, and more, as an interesting although a bit bland story ties it all up. Multicard multiplayer is awesome as well, but the long single-player quest is the main attraction. Full review here.

Zoo Keeper: One of the DS budget titles worth checking out, Zoo Keeper takes the classic Bejeweled gameplay and adds touch screen controls to make it even better. There are four gameplay modes, although only featuring slight differences amongst each other, but the fun and addictive gameplay is there, and single-card multiplayer is great as well; $20 well spent, if you can track down a copy of the title.

Thanks to the innovative touch screen controls, the Nintendo DS has created new puzzle gaming styles that have left many of us craving for more. There are many more puzzle games worth checking out, such as Polarium, Magnetica, and Break ‘Em All, so puzzle fans have a lot of games to choose from, and regardless of your preferred genres, many of these games are bound to attract you with their addictive gameplay and great value and deserve to be in your DS collection.