Results tagged “DS” from Game Reviews, News and Trailers - Games Blog

True gentleman and all-round good egg Professor Hershel Layton returns with his sidekick Luke to solve another marvellous mystery on DS.

The plot this time is even more bizarre than the first two games, with Layton receiving a letter from the future from none other than his protege Luke.

What follows is a mind-twisting, time travelling tale, choc full of wonderful conundrums and delightful animation around the streets of London.

The play style will be familiar to those who have experienced the first two games, with the Professor and Luke unraveling clues and solving wicked, bite-sized puzzles.

The 165 head-scratchers in The Lost Future are the usual blend of word puzzles, numerical brain teasers, trick questions and picture-based quizzes. They seem to be a little better balanced than before, although the early going can be a little obtuse.

Shiren the Wanderer on DS is one of my all-time favourite games, but unfortunately it's the only Shiren game available in the UK.

Back in March, US gamers gor their hands on Shiren The Wanderer 3 on Wii, but no
publisher has picked the game up for a European release - a crying shame as it is a fantastic game which deserves a bigger audience.

In Japan, however, the Shiren machine just keeps on rolling. I've picked up several Shiren titles from Japan over the last few years, but the latest game in the series - Shiren 5: Fortune Tower and the Dice of Fate - looks to be the best of the bunch.

Another movie tie-in and yet another wasted opportunity to expand upon an entertaining children's movie.

Stepping into the shoes of Dave Stutler - Balthazar Blake's young apprentice - you are thrown into a paranormal battle to save New York from an evil, all pervading magic.

Things start off promisingly, with the game sporting a pleasing top down view of the action. It's a similar style to that used in the first couple of Grand Theft Auto games, with the dark streets exuding an air of menace.

But the illusion is quickly shattered when the game descends into a run-of-the-mill action romp with the focus firmly on zapping poltergeist-infested rubbish bags.

He first appeared in the wonderfully titled 1954 cartoon, Devil May Hare, but it wasn't until the early Nineties that Taz, the Tasmanian Devil, came to the public's attention.

Appearing regularly on ITV's adult-tinged Saturday morning kids show, What's Up Doc, the snarling Antipodean found a new army of fans. Fame quickly followed, and it wasn't long before Taz had his own range of videogames filling store shelves.

He whizzed about various consoles, including the Sega Megadrive and Super Nintendo - but his appearances were lackluster affairs, following the typical platform/racing genres which dominated the 16-bit era.

Now the growling marsupial has returned for a new adventure on the DS, hoping to regain some of the popularity that made him a favourite 18 years ago.

The last Zelda outing on DS, Phantom Hourglass, made a decent fist of bringing the Zelda experience we know and love to Nintendo's popular hand-held. However, the game failed to click with many fans of the long-running series due to the introduction of time constrained dungeons.

Spirit Tracks does away with this gameplay mechanic, leaving the player more time to explore dungeons and enjoy a more traditional Zelda experience.

The story once again focuses on Link and Zelda, who try and stop an ancient Demon King laying waste to the kingdom of Hyrule. Early on, Zelda is betrayed by her once loyal chancellor, who steals her body, leaving her spirit behind.

Through teamwork, puzzle solving and combat, the pair unite to get Zelda's body back and banish the evil that threatens to envelope the land.

Aimed squarely at the pre-teen market, Style Boutique gives players the opportunity to step into the world of fashion retail.

Initially, you start off as the new face in stylish fashion boutique Primavera. Your first duties require you schmooze with customers and help pick outfits you think they might like.

Some characters like specific brands, others want an individual item of clothing, while some customers ask you to create an entire ensemble.

Chatting with the customer and looking at her profile gives you clues as to what kind of person they are and what they like. Using this knowledge helps when choosing something suitable for them to wear.

The iconic fairy's latest adventure on DS starts with a great deal of promise. The character graphics are instantly appealing, while the upbeat folky soundtrack sets the mood perfectly. However, the initial optimism soon wears off to reveal a rather shallow stab at what could be a decent game.

The story follows the film of the same name and tasks Tinker Bell with putting the finishing touches to the upcoming Autumn Revelry celebrations. However, after Pixie Hollow's precious moonstone is shattered, Tinker Bell and her friends head out on a quest to put things right.

Back in 2006, a game called Rhythm Tengoku was released in Japan for the GameBoy Advance. It was given rave reviews across the board, is still widely considered to be one of the system's best games, but inexplicably, was never released in the West.

For my fix, I imported the game in early 2007 and it's a title I still play it on a regular basis.

Although this gaming masterpiece never made it to these shores,Nintendo have done the next best thing and released Tengoku's sequel on the DS in Europe.

Despite the recession, Nintendo are riding on the crest of a wave, with the DS, DSi and Wii continuing to sell by the truckload.

There are still grumblings from some quarters about a lack of quality titles on the Wii, but fortunately for Nintendo, there is no such shortage of great games on the DS, and Pokemon Platinum is the latest title to add to the ever-growing list.

Pokemon Platinum is essentially a remix of the DS's previous titles, Diamond and Pearl, but before we go any further I would like to dispel a long-standing Pokemon myth. Many people think Pokemon is just a game for kids. It's not. It's a game for everyone.

The Go Diego, Go series is a popular educational cartoon show on the Nickelodeon channel. It's firmly aimed at pre-schoolers and stars 8-year-old Diego Márquez, an inquisitive animal loving kid, who teaches children about wildlife - with a bit of Spanish thrown in for good measure.

This outing on DS is based on last year's TV series of the same name, which saw Diego travel back in time, attempting to reunite Maia the Maiasaura with her family. What follows here is a collection of basic, and child friendly, mini-games.

Like Nintendo's Animal Crossing, Cooking Mama started off as nothing more than just another curio from Japan.

However, thanks to the success of the DS and Wii, the series has gone on to enjoy tremendous success across the world, selling an estimated 2.5million copies in the process.

Now Mama has ditched her pinny and decided to turn her attention to her sunshine-filled garden.

This survival horror title on DS was released back in 2007 in the US, so it came as something of a surprise - albeit a welcome one - to see Dementium: The Ward getting a European release.

As if Southpeak Games felt embarrassed about the length of time it took to come out over here, the game doesn't mess about, throwing you straight into the action after a brief and disturbing cutscene.

You find yourself bewildered and confused, trapped in a bloodstained hospital full of dead bodies and zombie-like creatures. Padding around the creepy corridors, you soon find a torch and start to explore the hospital, hoping to unravel the gory mystery.

The box art and title might suggest that Henry Hatsworth is just another run of the mill kids' adventure on DS. However, spend five minutes in its company, and you'll discover that is one of the most interesting, absorbing and addictive games currently on the market.

Star of the show is the titular Mr Hatsworth, an dapper monocle-wearing English gent, who, aside from enjoying regular cups of Earl Grey, is on a quest to find a legendary golden suit.

The team at EA have blended a solid 2D platform romp with a match three of a kind puzzle element, which is similar to DS title Puzzle League.

Based on the popular Disney Channel series, this DS Phineas and Ferb adventure follows the stepbrothers as they attempt to build a roller coaster during their summer holiday.

To do this, the lads have to explore their town, tracking down junk which can then be turned into vital parts for their project, while avoiding their big sister Candace, who is desperate to stop the boys having fun.

The game makes good use of Phileas and Ferb, with the player having to switch between the two characters by tapping the DS's left shoulder button in a style similar to Mario and Luigi's Superstar Saga.

The DS has a vast array of puzzle games – Tetris, Neves and Puzzle Quest are just a few which spring to mind. However, in my opinion, one title remains head and shoulders above the others - Picross.

Its simple, but addictive core concept ticks all the right boxes and it's found a perfect home on Nintendo's popular hand-held.

Now, Rising Star Games have released Colour Cross, a game which takes the central theme of Picross, but adds a twist to the winning formula.

In its native Japan, only Dragon Quest games can match, or even surpass, the popularity of the Final Fantasy series.

The series took a while to come to the UK, but when it did arrive, it arrived in style in the shape of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King onPlayStation 2. It remains one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Its breathtaking art style, wonderful soundtrack, traditional turn-based gameplay and substantial story proved to be a winner in all territories and the game received rave reviews across the board.

Now another game in the series, Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, has made its way on to the DS and I'm glad to say the winning formula has been retained.

Remakes of classic gaming franchises are nothing new, and we’ve all played some terrible games in the past, but this remake of the daddy of all shooters to mark the original’s 30th anniversary is something very special indeed.