DS Review: Arkanoid DS
Yet another ball-bouncing, brick-breaking game has been released for the Nintendo DS. Although Arkanoid is a clone of the Breakout pioneer that started this puzzle-esque genre, the title means quality, as many have tried and failed to recreate this experience on the system, whereas Arkanoid DS succeeds. Think of it as a revival of the title; retaining its classic, addictive gameplay, the game is enhanced with catchy tunes, vibrant graphical backgrounds, multiplayer and leaderboards, and tons of replay value.
As you would expect, Arkanoid DS features the classic ‘break the bricks’ gameplay, as you repeatedly bounce a ball with a paddle to make your way through a static stage. You can embark on Clear Mode, in which you clear sets of 5 rounds each for a total of 35 stages to finish the session. The thing is, every Zone matches a letter in the alphabet, giving players hundreds of stages to go through to fully beat the game. Once you clear a Zone, you can enter Quest Mode and clear the Zone’s five stages again, this time with specific challenges such as clearing a certain color of blocks or all of them with limited time or ball bounces. Although there isn’t nothing all that new about these modes, and the gameplay remains repetitive overall, it’s still a very addictive title, especially if you want to go through every stage.
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There’s no doubt about it; Guitar Hero revolutionized the way we see and play rhythm games. The franchise has enjoyed great success in multiple consoles since late 2005. However, when a portable version of Guitar Hero for the Nintendo DS was announced, many were skeptical; how on earth could we get a guitar-playing experience on the go? Will there be a mini-guitar included, or some other peripheral that might or might not work? Discussion and speculation continued for a while, with little to none official word on how the game would pan out. Eventually, the Guitar Grip accessory was revealed; some followers of the title were impressed, while others felt a bit uncomfortable about the idea. With the recent release of the game; we can finally say ‘…almost’.
The great thing about multi-platform releases is that gamers have the option of playing a game on one of many possible systems. The difficulty is choosing which system to get a blockbuster game for. We faced this problem with the recently released LEGO Indiana Jones, which is available for both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, as well as every current home console. Unable to decide between the two portable options, we decided to get both — and report back here on which version we liked best. It is difficult to choose a clear winner, because both handheld consoles handle the game well, and each version has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. If you are still on the fence about which one to buy, read on for the specific details and our verdict on each release.
Players who opt for the DS version are in for a slightly different gameplay experience. Unlike the console and PSP versions, Lego Indiana Jones on the DS makes a few sacrifices in image quality and level size, but brings new features to the table. At many points in the game, players must use the “wind” feature of the microphone to activate certain platforms and puzzles. DS owners with friends can still play in cooperative multiplayer mode over local wifi. The DS version also features touch functionality, although this is somewhat unnecessary and redundant since the same input can be achieved by pressing one of the face buttons. The DS version also predictably adds some touch-screen minigames not found on any other system. 
In September of 2006 Nintendo released two Pokémon Mystery Dungeon titles, one for each of its portable gaming devices, GBA and DS. Developed by ChunSoft, a team with more than enough experience with the genre, Nintendo seemingly started a revival of dungeon crawlers. Not only that, but these Pokémon spin-offs introduced an interesting idea; no longer do you play with Pokémon, now you are one of them, and it’s up to you to figure out why. This premise, the relatively obscure genre, and obviously the brand name made the games a success. Unfortunately, reviewers in general weren’t too keen on the titles, not able to look past the repetitiveness of gameplay and level design. These factors didn’t matter to gamers, though; the franchise quickly found a dedicated ‘cult’ of sorts, populating forums and exchanging rescue codes. A pair of sequels was released in Japan last year, and North American DS players just received the latest updates of the series, Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Unfortunately, most of the flaws present on the first titles remain.
Not even four months could pass between the next installment of the Ace Attorney series. Capcom has treated us with the sudden release of Apollo Justice, and fans of the series couldn’t be happier. Let us state that this game is just like any other Ace Attorney title. For more information on the series, check our 
Among others, the Nintendo DS is the perfect system for two things; to appeal to the casual, nongaming market, and to allow easy and intuitive development of adventure games. Level 5 has created a unique DS title that takes both approaches and executes them well. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is like nothing we have seen on the system so far, and although the game’s puzzle-like premise isn’t for everyone, many will be intrigued by the title’s interesting approach to brain teasers mixed with an enjoyable adventure.
The game takes place in the solemn yet strange town of St. Mystere. As a wealthy citizen of the town passes away, his will is read and a puzzling riddle is disclosed; the late Augustus Reinhold will pass on his entire estate to whoever finds a Golden Apple hidden somewhere in St. Mystere. The baron’s wife, lady Dahlia, has contacted Hershel Layton and his assistant, Luke, to investigate the situation. Your task is set; to explore St. Mystere and converse with townsfolk to dig deep in search for information regarding this and other mysteries. Moving around town and interacting with its citizens and environments is easily done with the stylus. You can tap suspicious-looking objects to find hidden puzzles or items, or enter buildings and other locations to talk to various individuals; the setting is true to the adventure style of play.
Look, all you need to know is that the aliens are back, and they’re badass. Any self-respecting gamer is always waiting, controller within grasp, ready to defend Earth once again from the extraterrestrial menace. Those people have already bought, played, and beaten Contra Four, so this review is directed at the rest of you sissies. There may be a number of things preventing you from playing this game. Perhaps you have been too busy improving your skills in Cake Mania, perhaps action games just aren’t your thing, perhaps the other children made fun of you in kindergarten. Whatever the reason, you need to stiffen that upper lip and march down to the game store this instant, recruit. We won’t soften the blow for you; Contra 4 is hard — unforgivingly so — and has a singular focus which places it firmly in the category of games both admiringly and derisively known as retro. But in a field crowded with effeminate cooking simulators, pocket monster collect-a-thons and games about having your very own pony, Contra 4 represents a much-needed reality check.
Many will agree that the stylus is the most prominent and innovative feature of the Nintendo DS. Using it, we have moved characters, aimed guns, and also cooked food and managed infantry units. The stylus has been a magic wand, a crayon, a baton, even a syringe. This simple object has sparked the creativity of game developers worldwide, and although we have seen similar uses in previous games, the stylus has never been as much of a pen as in Drawn to Life, a platformer that allows you to single-handedly create a game character and objects and items for him or her to use. Not as much of a gimmick as you might think, this premise evidently separates Drawn to Life from standard titles of the genre and gives it a unique playing experience.