The Save Points!

The Nintendo DS is the console that I had pretty much the lowest expectations for due to the 3DS coming out early in the year, but it turns out a good number of great games came out for it. A lot of RPGs, but also a couple unique games. Overall not a bad year despite the low overall amounts of releases.

So here are our choices for this year’s best DS games!

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Ghost Trick… It’s a game I’ll remember forever. Not because the gameplay is great, or because the puzzles are rather ingenious, or because the story is really interesting and unique, or because the graphics and animation are fun and wacky… All those things are true of course, but no, I’ll remember this game because of Missile. By far the deepest and most interesting character in gaming in a long time. Just… play this game to the end, if you don’t see Missile as being awesome by the end… you’re heartless. And hey, you’ll have a good time getting to that point, so it’s a win-win situation!

Radiant Historia

Radiant Historia is a DS RPG that flew under the radars of a lot of people following its release. Yet its ability to marry excellent combat with a compelling story is as unique as the game is itself. Combining elements of grid-based combat with time travel and parallel worlds, Radiant Historia is not just one of the best DS RPGs but also one of the best RPGs ever made. An absolute must-play for any RPG fan. (thank you very much Wintrale for the text!)

Monster Tale

That was a hard choice, partly because Pokemon Black/White was great, but I want to highlight something really cool/interesting and actually quite unique. Monster Tale is a Metroid-style 2D platformer, but with a unique twist. Early in the game you get an egg, which houses a monster. That monster can be given… food, toys, whatever, and he’ll grow in power and experience (sometimes unlocking new forms, each with strengths and weaknesses). That monster can switch between the top screen (where he’ll helps you fight enemies and use skills) and to bottom screen (where he gets fed or solves puzzles as directed). As you navigate through the game, you’ll get power-ups that enable you to go to new areas, like Metroid. It turns out being fun all the way through.

jobocan ds, Games, Games of the Year, Handheld