zens3

This game is true to the "Fantasy" in its name. Having played most of the games in the final fantasy series (before XI), I still say this is my favorite because of its ability to give you that sense of everlasting and calm adventure, which is different from the more upbeat and faster Final Fantasy X. As usual with FF games from VII, this one has a unique skill system, which is worth mastering, not that it is complex.

I cannot say I grew up with contra since I was born into the 90s collect-a-thon games, even still this game is one of my favorite on the DS. This was my first contra game and I believe it is the best to start with because it gives you an easy mode (which is not easy the first time...). The game is difficult and probably the most difficult game on the DS, but it's the good kind of difficult. It rewards you for mastering it, and the controls are solid. You will need to master every side of them. After that, it's just run n gun. The fantastic part is that there is a 2 player mode as well, which non of the other similar games on the DS have. The graphics are smooth with a lot of attention to detail. I remember stopping and looking through a random broken window in one of the stages and finding a fully detailed office when they could've just added a grey background.

If Skyrim met Half-Life 2 this is what you would get. I really enjoyed it and it's dynamic battles and bosses. Skills and levels are greatly implemented. I really wish for there to be a sequel...

This game looks great, plays great and sounds great. It immerses you into the world. I played it on hard, which I usually don't do, but I had a good experience anyways. My only complaint is the length, but I was smart enough to play it in portions and not try to beat it in a few sittings. Still, talking economically, a longer game is just more for the buck, so why complain? By the way, it will scare you and I still rememeber the first time the Alien got me. That just shows how scared I was...

Alice in Wonderland is easily one of the hidden gems for the DS. It is an interesting platformer with many innovative puzzles, and not to say the least bosses. The controls have a perfect learning curve with just enough challenge, but still possible to master. The graphical style of the game is very good as well. There is a bit of comic relief too so as to make the story not come in the way of your experience.

Hotel Dusk is one of the eternal gems for the original DS. It is innovating, captivating and it's graphics style is still nice. Not often do I play though games several times, but this is one of those games. Now to hope the 3DS will get it's spiritual sequel translated.

Final Fantasy 4 Heroes of Light is one of my favorite games for the DS, and it bothers me that I discovered it so late. The soundtrack is fantastic and very memorable. People call it hard, but honestly I didn't find it hard, and I'm not the most die-hard FF fan. I would say that if you've played the 3rd and the 4th FF on the DS, then this will not be more difficult or have any more cryptic stuff than them, without spoiling anything. What makes this game special to me is the way it stands out in terms of story, gameplay and feel. Story-wise, it seemed like they were referencing the traditional FF characters by parodying them, and I think you will notice this if you keep this in mind while playing it, and it makes for a much more comical playthrough. Still, this game manages to make the story into something with sense, that naturally brings you further and keeps variation. My tip to anyone picking this up is to early adapt to the unorthodox game mechanics and upgrading system. Also, my biggest advice is to save all the gems you can, and to do a little bit of harvesting! I would love if this got a sequel of some sorts...