Let’s say you are browsing a used games store looking to see what they have, and you see piles and piles of (relatively new) DS games and (pretty old) GBA games. What would you be looking for?
See, I’m phrasing the “I just got a new handheld and what should I get?” differently. I’ve never had a handheld before, ever. This gaming on the go thing is all new and shiny for me. I’m finding sitting on park benches in the sun and playing is pretty fun.
So I know I shoudl get Trama Center, and I’m keeping a look out for Advanced Wars. What GBA games are good? Other DS games? I can look on gamerankings but I want opinions from people in the know.
I’m looking for little pick up and play 15 minutes while commuting games as well as longer strategy games. Twich games, not so much.
I really like Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. And the new Pokemon. And Mario Kart.
If you like strategy games, go for the GBA game Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones.
The lack of cooperative mode kills this game. If I can’t randomly KO my buddy with a trash can, why play?
I just bought a DS myself for a road trip and Etrian Odyssey. The game store didn’t have EO in stock, so I went with Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow and am happy with it. I plan to pick up some old-school Final Fantasys before I leave since I skipped out on the Japan-only versions back in the day.
Ouendan (which must be ordered from Japan at play-asia or yes-asia or something) and Elite Beat Agents are the greatest portable games ever crafted. The two of them have lasted me months apiece as the only game I needed.
I’m hoping for a RCRds myself w/ online co-op, but I wont hold my breath…
guapo: everything in this thread. Also, GBA-wise, they are cheap, so dont be afraid to take a chance. Ninja 5-0 is awesome and undermentioned (single screen action…puzzler?), also I liked SUPER ARMY WAR.
I like advance wars 2 better than the DS one.
oh and ALL the castlevanias for gba AND ds are great, and all the gba metroids are also great.
If you like platform action that makes you beat yourself on the head and come back for more I really liked the megaman zero series (There’s also ZX but I didn’t play) if wears off if you play them all, the first one is the best, no mercy toward the player at all, and for some bizzare reason it’s fun.
Mario & Luigi (the GBA one, though the DS one is OK)
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Advance Wars (both)
Castlevania (all)
Fire Emblem (the first)
Pokemon Diamond / Pearl
Super Robot Taisen
Warioware
GBA -
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
FF IV Advance
FF V Advance
FF VI Advance
FF Tactics Advance
Riviera: The Promised Land
Summon Night Swordcraft Story
Summon Night Swordcraft Story II
NDS -
Age of Kings
Castlevania The Both
Contact
Etrian Odyssey
FF III
Izuna Legend of The Unemployed Ninja
Lunar Knights
Mario Kart DS
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
Puzzle Quest
Rocket Slime
Sadly, I bought Fire Emblem, played for 15 minutes, and never picked it up again. Some combination of “I already played through the long-ass campaign for Advance Wars 2” and “GBA games don’t support sleep mode” just keeps me from ever getting going on it.
Lots of good games mentioned already.
If you like the more casual games, as I do, keep an eye out on Picross and Planet Puzzle League, both coming out in the next few months. Oh! And Nervous Brickdown too!
