If you don't mind the simpler graphics (some people really seem to hate them) I'd try FF6 for the GBA first. It's got a fantastic story and is a bit less hardcore than the DS ones (3 is punishingly hard at times, with a fairly so-so plot, while 4 isn't as hard, though bosses need proper strategy, but it has a fantastic story).

And as everyone has already said, go for it with Zelda, you really don't need to know any backstory.

As for KH games I'm not sure. There was a GBA game that sat between the two main games, and it looks like the DS KH game is a spin off of Roxas story (he's the Nobody created when Sora became a Heartless AFAIK). Not sure if it will play into the plot significantly or not... details are sketchy...

I'm a bit ashamed of this, but I've never played it at all....

Didn't really get into console gaming till a few years ago, I was a PC gamer all through Uni. That said I can't wait for CTDS to come out, and will definitely be getting it. Now SE just has to do FFVII for the DS and translate Sigma Harmonics to English and I'll be happy :)

"Best" game is always a hard call.

It's definitely a great game, and one of my favourites, but sometimes (albeit rarely) I'm not in the mood for epic RPG, and am just keen for some simpler fun.

Plus it's a JRPG, and many RPG fans find them too restricted and irritating.

POSSIBLE TWEWY SPOILERS

As an example, on the first day of joshuas game in TWEWY you are given a mathematical clue, whose answer is 104. But you can't go there until someone tells Neku how to do the math, even though it's very basic. That kind of railroading really bugs some people.

So I'm in my local EBGames here in Cairns the other day, and I see a big "Coming Soon" banned over some Etrian Odyssey box art, with a date in late August. And I think "Hey, that's not bad for EO2, it's only been out a few weeks or so".

Then I look closer.

No.

Sorry.

It's Etrian Odyssey 1. You know, from like 2 years ago. That I imported over 18 months ago.

Seriously Atlus, I love your games, but WTF? Do you keep forgetting where Australia is? (HINT - We're down the bottom.....)

I'm gonna add my voice to both Golden Sun games, and all FF games (though you may as well just wait for IV to be remade on DS, it'll be nicer and you won't have to buy it twice :) )

I'd also suggest Minish Cap, M&L Superstar Saga, both Metroid games and both Boktai games (fun, but you need direct sunlight...)

You're never too old to start pokemon

I'm 27 and I played my first Pokemon game this year (Diamond) in response to my wife's encouragement (she's played them for years). Now I own Emerald and am hunting for Leaf Green and Fire Red so I can complete my pokedex. It's stunningly addictive (especially if you have slight OCD :))

I crave a sequel to Fusion.... but a remake of super metroid or metroid would be cool too.

Updated graphics would be great, especially with what the DS can do with 2.5D. Nintendo should, at all costs, NOT use the mic for anything (blow to remove gas, etc would just suck) and I'd be quite happy for them to ignore the touch screen all together. Metroid doesn't need it, and I'd hate for them to slap something on just because they felt they had to.

This is assuming, of course, that Metroid Dread is actually still happening, and that this isn't some nasty nintendo trick :)

I got it from www.play-asia.com

It'll never come out here in Australia, and play-asia charges about 30 dollars less per game (AU$50 as opposed to AU$80). Great game, but as mentioned, if you hate old-school dungeon crawling games then don't buy it. Though one does assume that if you're looking for a game, then you know what it is:)

ummmm

Whats the polite way to tell you that you're retarded? Not better than SNES? Are you serious? Because if you are then why the hell did Square-Enix spend any money to update FFIII with new graphics when it was originally for a system that (you claim) was better than DS anyway? They'd have to downgrade all the graphics if your ridiculous comment was actually true.

Moron.