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DS Lite Buyer's Guide

So you finally broke down and bought a DS, eh? Welcome to the fold. Check inside to see which of the hyped-up games deserved the hype, and which you should pass on. We've prepared the perfect DS library for you...

...Continued From Page 2 Just because the DS features a touch screen doesn't mean every game has to use it - the DS has a large library of fantastic titles with more "normal" control schemes. Here are the best:

Buy

Advance Wars DS
Advance Wars DS is a monster of a game, plain and simple. It goes way above the call of duty for a sequel, introducing new units, new COs, new gameplay mechanics, and multiple brand new modes. I maintain that Advance Wars DS is the single best value available on the system today. As you progress you earn medals for reaching milestones, and on my cart I've earned 122/300 medals in 46 hours of play. Despite this huge amount of content and depth, the experience remains accessible, however. Advance Wars DS is a must-purchase for anyone remotely interested in strategy games, and is also recommended for those that think strategy isn't their thing. If one game was going to turn someone on to the genre, this would be it.

Tetris DS

If Tetris DS had a timer counting the number of hours played, I'm almost fearful of how high that number would now be. It's so easy to get online and begin battling someone else that its almost scary. Tetris DS ensures I'll never ever be bored again, because an online match is literally about 30 seconds away. The game isn't a must-buy just because it's Tetris, though. Like Advance Wars, it goes above and beyond the call of duty for a sequel, with a total of six gameplay modes, five of which are brand new to the series. Some of them are so radically new they don't even feel like Tetris. New DS owners shouldn't overlook Tetris DS in favor of "fresher" experiences - it belongs in everyone's library.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

A controversial choice, but we stand by it. Pheonix Wright is, at its core, a point & click adventure game. You play a rookie defense attorney who gathers and examines evidence, speaks to witnesses, and otherwise works to uncover the truth, which invariably proves your client innocent. What makes it a must-own is twofold: first, the outstanding courtroom sequences. You press witnesses, picking apart their testimony and uncovering their lies by presenting evidence that reveals their contradictions. It's extremely exciting to watch them fall apart on the witness stand as the music ratchets up in intensity. The second reason it's a must-own is the incredibly superb writing. Not since the SNES RPG days have I wanted so badly for a game to not end, because of how much I loved the characters. The cast of characters is more endearing than in any game released this generation.

Consider

New Super Mario Bros.
Make no mistake, New Super Mario Bros. is a fantastic game, but it isn't the system seller or the killer app it could have been. It warranted a no-brainer purchase from many gamers simply because it was a new 2D Mario - the first in over 10 years. But the fact is it simply isn't as good as Mario 3, Super Mario World, or Yoshi Island. I have a hard time believing that anyone who buys New Super Mario Bros. wouldn't enjoy the game, but it isn't a title that will be especially memorable a decade from now. Maybe this fall's Yoshi Island 2 will be that 2D nirvana that NSMB almost is.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

Dawn of Sorrow is only in the 'consider' pile if you played the three GBA Castlevanias. If you haven't, then consider this a must-buy, because it's a fantastic mix of exploration, oldschool 2D action, and RPG elements. If you have played the GBA incarnations you might want to think twice before picking this one up, however. It looks and sounds better thanks to the DS's additional horsepower, but doesn't break a lot of new ground. In my opinion it isn't quite the overall package that Aria of Sorrow is, either.

Skip

Super Princess Peach
Super Princess Peach isn't horrible, but it's almost laughably easy, even in the final stages. You meet new baddies and new puzzles as you progress, but they're essentially a fresh coat of paint on the same obstacles you faced in world 1. If both a Bob-omb and a Goomba can be dispatched with one swipe of Peach's parasol (along with most any other enemy), what difference does it make which one populates a level? The puzzles had a similar feeling of obviousness and repetition. There are some clever ones, but for the most part its melting ice with your fire (angry) vibe, clearing away clouds with your whirlwind (happy) vibe, and other problems where the solution is self-evident.