The Nintendo DS Zone

Christmas is that wonderful time of year when parents all over the world lie to their children. The lie of course is "Sorry Timmy, Santa ran out of the game you wanted this year." The truth is that these parents never researched what games are "in" and which one's aren't.  So this Christmas we at the DS Zone have come up with a comprehensive must buy list for the greatest hand held system ever made... the Nintendo DS.

(All of these games are compatible with both the Nintendo DS & DSi)

5.

Chrono Trigger DS

For those of you who want to relive the glory days of the SNES chrono trigger is the RPG for you. The game focused on a time traveling guy named chrono being cast into the past.  With well over 20 hours of playtime in the main story line and tons of side quests to get caught up in, this is a great choice for any RPG lover.

4.

Disgaea DS

You may be noticing a trend with these games. It's a proven fact that any game with the acronym DS after the title is indeed a Nintendo DS game. Amazed, aren't ya!?  Well our choice for number 4 is Disgaea DS. Disgaea is an amazing tactical RPG that was first released on the Playstation 2. Tactical RPGs appeal to a very particular bunch. So this is the game for the video gamer in your life that is a serious strategist.  This isn't an action title, so a Chess playing DS lover would be the perfect candidate!

3.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Probably one of the most beloved franchises of all time is Castlevania. I remember playing it on my NES way back in the late 80s. Castlevania has the story and action that appeals to a variety of gamers so you can feel safe buying this DS title for just about anyone who owns a Nintendo DS. C:OoE is a must own for every gamer.

2.

N+

Coming to a final decision on the number 1 game was difficult. N+ almost made it but we decided to give it the number 2 slot. N+ is a highly addictive platformer that is sure to suck a couple hundred hours out of anyone who happens to come across it. It's polished, elegant and fun. Best of all it can be enjoyed by any with a pair of eyeballs and at least 1 functioning thumb. N+ is one of the best DS games of all time.

1.

Space Invaders Extreme

I make the lists so my own prejudices are sure to make it in here. Space Invaders is probably one of my all time favorite games so when I heard it was getting a DS port it happened: angels sang, lepricahns danced on rainbows and shortly after the seizure I was on my way to Game Stop to pick this one up. It's the game we all remember with some well placed touch ups. With different game modes, online play and an insane amount of difficulty, this remade classic is sure to brighten anyone's Christmas.

Looking for Nintendo DS Roms? Let me tell ya something... every time you play a DS rom it makes all of us honest game players suffer.

What is a game ROM?

What is a "rom" you ask? A rom is essentially a ripped version of a game. Someone hacks the game, downloads the content and creates an "emulator" that will run the game on a computer. Then they make the rom and emulator available to the general public for mass consumption.

The more game pirating there is out there, the higher the prices for video games are going to go! Not only for DS games, but for nintendo games in general. Nintendo has to cut it's losses somehow and it will start by raising prices.

Don't get me wrong, Roms are great in certain circumstances. If you already own a game, having a rom is like having a backup in case your game is lost, broken or stolen. I have dozens of Roms for games that I already own for Genesis, sega cd and nintendo and nothing beats playing a good ol' game on my computer.

Don't steal DS games by downloading roms - unless of course, you already own the game in question.

Mario never got any rest did he? He went directly from saving Peach in Donkey Kong to battling Bowser in Nintendo's next big smash hit Super Mario Brothers. In 1985 Super Mario Brothers was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Luckily for Mario this time he had help from his brother Luigi. On the down side he had a far tougher battle ahead of him, Bowser and the Koopas stood between Mario and the castle where Princess Peach was being held captive.

Oh... the memories....

Super Mario Brothers is back!
This year Nintendo released New Super Mario Bros., and this new release does not disappoint. The best thing about this new release is it's a side scrolling adventure similar to the old versions that we all grew to know and love. Yet at the same time this Nintendo DS game is packed with lots of new features and takes advantage of the duel DS screen very nicely. I admit I was a fan of the 3D world found in Super Mario 64 but come on, there is something mind-numbingly fun about that side scrolling action.

Continue reading "New Super Mario Brothers"