The Nintendo DS offered many classic titles, as well as innovative experiments like Tetris DS and Brain Age which utilized its touchscreen feature to offer immersive and novel experiences for players who may have previously avoided video gaming.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger was one of the most influential games ever created, and still stands up well today. It offers an engaging story with greater depth than many more modern RPGs; memorable characters; tons of secrets; immersive ways to teach players how to play; as well as being much simpler to understand and play than other DS titles.
The game takes place in an Earth-like world with various eras (prehistoric humans coexisted with dinosaurs; knights and monsters roamed freely during medieval times; post-apocalyptic future) accessible through a time machine-like device known as The Wings of Time. By traveling between these periods, a party can gain allies, equipment and knowledge necessary for their quest.
In 2009, Chrono Trigger was relaunched for the DS system with newly animated cutscenes, included as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles compilation, alongside Final Fantasy IV. Additionally, there was also an improved battle mode designed to utilize both screens of the system.
Chrono Trigger also inspired a one-episode anime special on V-Jump anime network called Nuumamonjaa directed by Akira Toriyama featuring Crono and Marle, two main protagonists from the original game.
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV stands as a renowned JRPG title that introduced many core concepts to the genre almost thirty years ago. Now nearly thirty years later, its captivating narrative never falters and its battle system remains superior in every respect compared to its counterparts in subsequent titles in the series. Pixel resemblance and quality-of-life tweaks help offset some signs of age while an augment system and orchestrated soundtrack certainly help compensate.
Set in Baron, this tale follows Dark Knight Cecil and his crew of companions as they embark on an extraordinary adventure. At first, Cecil uses his air force to massacre nearby townsfolk in defense of King Rulo’s crystal; but as more innocent lives come under his rifle barrel, Cecil eventually comes face-to-face with his conscience being rattled.
Though its narrative occasionally relies too heavily on “Saturday morning cartoon” tropes, Final Fantasy IV still offers some genuine emotional moments that still ring true 30 years after release. Furthermore, an amazing cast of characters comprised of Kain Highwind (Cecil’s enemy and co-soldier); Rosa Farrell (Love interest/friend to both); Cid Pollendina (Airship builder for King’s vast fleets); and Cid Pollendina (Airship maker). Even with its rough fonts and unmistakable sense of ageing; Final Fantasy IV should still be played by any RPG fan!
Wario: Master of Disguise
Wario from Wario Ware returns here with this title but unfortunately hasn’t changed much from previous installments – still stealing money and food, only this time for “The Wario Bowl Games.”
Wario becomes jealous as he watches Silver Zephyr steal from various locations while using different disguises and becomes inspired to invent a device known as Telmet to gain entry to TV screens and take over his show.
Wario can use his Telmet to access new rooms on his map by tapping its touchscreen, with each room represented as an icon on it and rooms filled with yellow indicating treasure chests to find in that location. Rooms marked in red indicate boss battles for Wario to face off against.
The gameplay consists of various puzzles and mini-games playable on the touch screen, though most are less than enjoyable and quickly become tedious. There are also short boss fights requiring precise use of Wario’s various disguises – these may provide more entertainment, though their impact alone cannot save this mediocre title.
Tetris DS
Tetris, one of the all-time great puzzle games, has made its mark across multiple systems over its existence. While Tetris has seen subtle evolution over the years, none have been detrimental – in fact many enhancements may actually improve gameplay! The DS version adds several exciting modes and features sure to please handheld gamers.
Standard, Push, Touch, Puzzle and Mission modes all feature classic Nintendo themes for the background and music. In addition to using the DS stylus for the first time ever in Tetris series and supporting up to 10 players locally wireless battles. New items have also been introduced that either aid or hinder gameplay experience.
THQ’s Tetris Worlds includes an innovative feature which allows players to keep a piece alive by continuously rotating it – this feature also appears here with Tetris DS adding plenty of additional features that make this portable version one of the best available today.
Tetris fans who appreciate this classic will certainly enjoy this dual screen portable version – it certainly lives up to its reputation and provides plenty of Tetris fun! Although not providing an “authentic” Tetris experience and offering only limited online gameplay modes, this dual screen portable game still delivers all the same Tetris fun that has long been associated with this iconic puzzler. This dual screen portable edition makes a worthwhile purchase!