What's your favorite Nintendo DS/Nintendo GBA games, and why?

[Piratecat]

Let's say you wanted to give me a crash course on games for the GBA and the DS. What games have you really loved, and why?

Likewise, what games have you really thought were huge missed opportunities, and what did they do wrong?

I need to learn more about these fairly quickly, and thought I'd turn to folks I trusted.

Thanks!

 

[Bront]

I loved:

Metroid: Fusion - Great story and spin on the Metroid series, though perhaps a bit too linier, Also has a unlock for Metroid Prime (Fusion suit and origional metroid). In my opinion, best Metroid game ever, and does have some replay value in unlocking the end sequences.

Metroid: Mission Zero - Improved version of the origional, with an extra scene, AND the origional. Not quite as many endings, and I have yet to find anyone who's managed to get 100% of the items (There's one missile container that I can't figure out how to get, or can't time the charged-run-roll-ballbomb-jump-chargedflight-perfectlylinedup combo (and I have yet to find a guide explain well how to get that one))

Zelda: The Minish Cap - Lots of fun, good story, challenge was about right

Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls - Some people think that they're not good because they (at least FF1) is easier than it was on the initial consol, but I think it was quite enjoyable.

Phantasy Star collection - It was 1-3, and 3 was enjoyable, 1 and 2 took a bit more getting used to. Could have benifited from improved graphics.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Seems fairly nice, though there's a few minor annoyances about things disapearing if you go into menu, and the side down 3D perspective makes it dificult to collect things at times.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland - It's entertaining, a good kids game or just down time relaxing game.

Didn't like:
Earthworm Jim - No save game, so you need to play it all the way through, not good on a hand held.

Missed Opertunities:
Megaman Battle Network 3: Entertaining game, has some of the Megaman feel, and some RP feel, but advancement and improvement was a little slow on the Megaman side, so combat can become rough to play, particularly with the random card system. I've heard the others were fairly similar, some like them, some don't.

Disclamer - I am a HUGE Zelda and Metroid fan. I bought a Gameboy and later a Game Cube specificly for those games.

 

[stevelabny]

I havent played all of them, I'm pretty sure the Metroids and Minish cap will be great, as well as the sequel to the games on my list.

MARIO AND LUIGI SUPERSTAR SAGA: Not only is the best Gameboy Advance game, it could actually be one of the best games ever. Part RPG and part platformer, filled with lots of comedy and just plain fun.

When I eventually get a DS, Mario and Luigi Partners in Time is first on my list.

IF you have a DS you can't play pre-Advance gameboy games, but if you have a GBA go back and get Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Total Zelda goodness with some different items that make some different puzzles.

WarioWare: micro-game madness!

Mario vs Donkley Kong and Mario Pinball are two very different kinds of games that probably deserve mention, eben though I have problems playing Pinball.

Golden Sun 1 and 2: RPGs. Again, I havent finished them, but I have played enough to believe all the hype.

The Castlevania series, people swear by Advance Wars if youre into that, and of course there's tons of remakes of older games, especially from old series like Mario, DonkyKongCountry, FinalFantasy.


Basically, any first-party Nintendo franchises will rock. And any other game that was any good has probably already spawned a franchise itself (or soon will)

In theory that might be a bad or even boring way to look at video games, but really, how many games does anyone have time to play?

One "stange" game I do want to get my hands on is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

 

[trancejeremy]

Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis - I actually bought this game even before I had a GBA. It's basically a slightly stripped down version of Tactics Ogre (with a new storyline), which some (okay, me) say is the greatest video game of all time.

Rebelstar - This is basically the tactical portion of X-com, which some say is the greatest PC game of all time (again, me).

Advance Wars 1/2 - Very similar to The Perfect General, another classic PC game.

Ultimate Card Games - Basically a collection of card games. I've probably played this more than anything else. Hearts, spades, poker, canasta, gin rummy, cribbage, go fish, about a dozen versions of solitaire.

Most of the retro arcade game compilations are good enough, port wise, but only have a few games. Rather disappointing that most only have 4-5 games. Even though they could have fit a lot more. The Activision Atari anthology does have a lot, but is missing the Imagic ones that console version had (no Demon Attack! or Atlantis or Cosmic Ark)

I found the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance game to be disappointing. They turned it into a kiddie game.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I got a DS when entering week 2 with no power after Wilma. Castlevania was a fun little sidescroller. Other games I enjoyed were Trace Memory, though it's a better rent than buy, and Mario & Luigi: Partners in time. M&L was quite fun, turn based combat with timed moves worked well once you get the hang of it.

Sonic Dash was very disappointing, Resident Evil I'm not even sure why I rented it. Kirby was easy and fun, but didn't appeal enough to me for me to continue playing it. I like Polarium a lot, it's a different sort of puzzle game. Rub Rabbits is stupid, I hated Sims, though I forget which it was. Animal Crossing didn't last long either... Lost in Blue was tedious, you need to constantly hunt for food and make tools and stuff.

Most of these I rented through Gamefly, so my reviews may not be the best. Some of them I only played for an hour before sending back.

For GBA games, I bought Gauntlet, which is a good thing, but otherwise I haven't had much luck with GBA games. There's not a wide selection locally.

 

[Bront]

Oddly, one of the best places to find GBA games is Target (For most consols actualy). Great selection (Better than the Best Buy, Curcut City, EB Games, and Gamespots in my area), AND usually cheaper too.

I forgot the Castlevania games. I played Circle of the Moon, was a lot of fun. There's 2 others that are on a 2 in one cartidge I intend to pick up at some point.

The 2 Zelda Oracle games were great as well, I was talking mostly advance games though.

 

[trancejeremy]

Bookworm is really good, too. It's hard to find though. I got one on ebay, which unfortunately turned out to be a counterfeit. It's sort of a puzzle game, kinda combing boggle with a very slow moving tetris.

The Castlevania double pack is pretty good. The first Castlevania game got bad reviews, which is apparently why it wasn't a triple pack. But some like it. The ones for the DS are supposed to be really good (one of the reasons I plan on getting a DS eventually)

 

[Piratecat]

Good list for starting. Interesting about the "first tier Nintendo products or franchise" comment. Good to remember.

Okay, time for a second question: what is it about a good GBA or DS game that makes it rise up above the bad ones? Also, is Gamefly (the Netflix of games) worth it?

 

[Bront]

Good games:
-Allow you to save at regular enough spots where you can put the game down after as little as 5 minutes of play most of the time. (it is a portable system)
-Have easy to use control schemes
-Focus on gameplay more than graphics (though good graphics make for a nice presentation)
-Often are replayable if they are short (Circle of the Moon I played 8-10 times through, because there were different ways to play once you beat it) or are long enough to give you a good 20+ hours of play.

If I think of more, I'll post them

 

[BrooklynKnight]

Mind Age is a real intresting brain game to work your mental muscles.

Lost Magic is...well harder then I thought it would be. You have to be pretty decent with the stylus and fast. The game is pretty challenging.

Lunar is a decent RPG i've been playing that for a bit.

Tetris DS is a MUST HAVE. Its a nintendo fans dream. If you love Tetris and Nintendo overall this game is just something thats a crime not to have in your library.

Mario Kart DS came with my DS and its just like any other Mario Kart. You really need a Wifi place to utalize the connection and play with other people. So far i've only managed to connect to one other person over the national network to play. You'd think more people would connect.

Sonic Rush was like an old sonic side scroller but its not that great. If you can get it used for 15 bucks grab it up.

I recommend any Zelda game as well.

Zelda DS comes out in a few weeks as does Super Mario Bros DS and i really reccommend getting those games based on the trailers.