Search
Search
Sign on Options
Theme: [Light Selected] To Dark»

Best DS Game

This is the highest honor that we bestow upon a Nintendo DS game, and with it we acknowledge the one game that stands out from all the rest as being the greatest, most highly recommendable game of the year. After a less-than-spectacular launch toward the end of last year, Nintendo's latest handheld system has enjoyed a strong 2005 and now boasts an array of innovative, extremely good, and exclusive games. In considering the winner in this category, we weighed each game's various accomplishments, including everything from its technical merits to its impact on the industry. Ultimately, the sheer level of fun and entertainment each game provides is the most important factor.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform: DS
ESRB: Everyone
Check Prices

Advance Wars: Dual Strike significantly broadens the scope of this very deep and incredibly fun strategy series while not messing with the fundamentals that made it so great.

Animal Crossing: Wild World
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: DS
ESRB: Everyone
Check Prices

Wild World doesn't toy with the original Animal Crossing formula, but simply being able to take your town with you on the go makes it an easy recommendation.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Developer: Konami
Platform: DS
ESRB: Teen
Check Prices

Whether you're familiar with the series or not, you can't go wrong with Dawn of Sorrow.

Mario Kart DS
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: DS
ESRB: Everyone
Check Prices

Mario Kart DS represents a significant step forward for Nintendo's much-loved racing series, and not only because it's the first to feature online play.

Nintendogs: Lab & Friends
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: DS
ESRB: Everyone
Check Prices

You'd have to have a cold heart indeed to not be charmed by the bright eyes and madly wagging tails of the wonderfully lifelike Nintendogs.

And the winner is... Mario Kart DS
Platform: DS
ESRB: Everyone
Check Prices

Our inaugural Best DS Game award was arguably one of the most hotly contested this year, which is a testament to just how great 2005 has been for Nintendo's handheld. Mario Kart DS emerged as the victor not only because it did such a great job of introducing gamers the world over to Nintendo's Wi-Fi service, but also because it's by far the easiest DS game released this year to recommend, to anyone. Mario Kart DS boasts more than enough single-player content to keep solo racers entertained for weeks, and it would represent excellent value for the money even without its excellent multiplayer support.