Tokyo Beat Down DS

Tokyo Beat Down is a big pulsating pun, but happily one with a big heart. Somehow this little game gave me the warm fuzzies, despite derivative brawling game play straight out of the 80's.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4 DS

The strategy in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4 is deep and interesting, but ultimately it was too much work to master. I'll happily leave this one to existing fans of the series.

Fossil Fighters DS

Fossil Fighters DS triangulates the perfect combination of Dinosaurs, Fossil Hunting and card collecting. Our kids had no chance against such a rich vein of play. If you're not in the US, it's well worth importing, compared to the other DS Dinosaur games.

Super Scribblenauts DS

Super Scribblenauts DS does more than fix the physics. With 800 new objects and countless adjective driven variations there are more ways to solve each puzzle than ever.

Legend of Kay DS

Legend of Kay DS has a strong central premise in 'The Way', a philosophy of non-violence that means combat is a no-no, but while avoiding violence the game fails to find anything entertaining to replace it with and instead resorts to endless, tedious cut scenes.

SMT: Strange Journey DS

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a claustrophobic RPG that constantly feels oppressive and dark. Mixing demonic battles with more adult themes this balances atmosphere with the traditional role-play mechanics. This is the kind of soulful experience that's all too rare on the DS.

Jewel Quest Mysteries Curse of the Emerald DS

Jewel Quest Mysteries: Curse of the Emerald Tear DS is as ecelectic as it gets. Search for all manner of unusual objects as the game test your powers of observation.

Maestro! Jump in Music DS

Maestro! Jump in Music charmed me with its creative blend of rhythm and platforming. I consider it a microcosm of silliness, by no means a criticism.

Knights in the Nightmare DS

Knights in the Nightmare DS is a genuine curiosity. It's the most challenging role-play I've tried for some time. It mismatches tactical adventuring with shooting elements, all wrapped up with expert storytelling that left my head and heart spinning.

Pokemon HeartGold SoulSilver DS

Pokemon Gold/Silver get's us out the house with its innovative Pokeball pedometer. It sounds like a gimmick but actually makes this Pokemon a fresh experience.

Lifesigns DS

Lifesigns DS is a mix of ideas that perplexed as much as they enticed. Biology or medical students may find some educational entertainment here, but other than them I struggle to see who would play it.

Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders DS

Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders DS confidently turns literature into puzzles without loosing the sense of intrigue. A gently unravelling tale coerces players through each challenge with great finesse.

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled DS

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled DS is a staggeringly dull and cliched fantasy RPG not even remotely enlivened by oddly flippant dialogue and characterisation.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies DS

Dragon Quest IX DS is a detailed and interesting stride towards a more progressive role play experience. But although it's technically impressive on the DS the usually soulful Dragon Quest story feels strangely absent.

Animal Kororo DS

Animal Kororo DS is a bizarre puzzle game. Flicking little cretures around the screen became surprisingly addictive though. I couldn't resist the fun of having so much power over such cute little creatures.

Nintendo Crossword Collection DS

Nintendo Crossword Collection doesn't just offer the little black and white squared variety, but also word searches and anagrams too.

Wizards of Waverly Place DS

Wizards of Waverly Place DS is a child-friendly hidden object graphic adventure. It's a breezy game that suffers from a lack of drama.

Last Window: The Secret of Cape West DS

Last Window expands Hotel Dusk's success with a branching story and multiple endings, but happily keeps hold of the sketchbook aesthetic and steady prose.

Naruto Shippuden Ninja Council 4 DS

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 DS is frustrating. Shallow gameplay, stifled platforming and unresponsive controls simply scream "cheap tie-in".

Rooms The Main Building DS

Rooms is a sliding puzzle game, that follows up the recent popularity of hidden object and brain training on the Nintendo DS.