Under the Radar: overlooked DS games of 2007

We have picked our top DS games for 2007, and surely you have your favorites as well. There are, however, a ton of quality DS titles to choose from, and some are bound to go under the radar from most gamers. Low advertisement budgets, exclusivities, or a release date close to other, bigger titles are all reasons that some great games go overlooked, but fear not; we have chosen the five best DS games that hardly anyone played, so that you can consider picking them up if you missed out on them during the year.

Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon
A summer game that didn’t attract as much attention as it should have, Rune Factory takes the Harvest Moon formula, tweaks it up a bit to make it better, and mixes it well with a fun RPG / dungeon crawler dose. Bringing some of the best aspects of both worlds, this title offers something familiar to some ‘hardcore’ gamers not familiar with Harvest Moon, and also changes things up for those familiar with the franchise looking for something new for it. Tons of things to do and great presentation make this a worthy recommendation for anyone interested.

Custom Robo Arena
Arena features exciting Robo battles, lots of customization options, and great multiplayer support including single and multicard battles as well as online play complete with friends-only Voice Chat. Perhaps the series hasn’t caught on as well as Nintendo hoped, but this DS installment is a great game and the perfect jump-in point for anyone not familiar with the franchise.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Many fans overlooked this version and went for the Wii one instead. Fortunately for us, Galaxies on DS offers what many consider a better control method and perfect ‘on-the-go’ gameplay for the system. The game comes jam-packed with levels, including unlockable ones, game sharing and single / multicard multiplayer support, as well as leaderboards for each planet. Consider these factors if you haven’t picked this game; perhaps the DS version is more up your alley.

Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol
With the game being exclusive to Wal-Mart stores and released dangerously close to Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Chibi-Robo for DS didn’t make a big splash. However, this title offers a very interesting and fresh touch screen experience, complete with tons of mini-games and appealing graphics / audio that suit the system perfectly. Although there isn’t a ton of action, Park Patrol offers a fun, enjoyable single-player experience. Check your local Wal-Mart and snag this up!

Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Hotel Dusk pleased anyone who played it. Unfortunately, many were put off by the game’s presentation as an interactive book. Mind you, this isn’t a flat-out book; there are some gameplay elements here and there. That being said, you will spend a lot of time reading and checking out your surroundings, but trust us; this isn’t a bad thing at all. If you stick to it, Hotel Dusk will deliver a great and sophisticated story that will keep you guessing about what’s next.

These are only some of the titles you might have missed. Is there any DS title you loved but that didn’t receive the attention it deserved? Feel free to leave a comment and share it with us!