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    The Nintendo DS is a handheld featuring two screens, one of which is a resistive touchscreen. Four different models are available: the original DS, the DS Lite, the DSi, the DSi XL.

    The best 20 DS games of 2009? (according to critics)

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    oldschool

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    #1  Edited By oldschool

     First, can we dispense with the value of Metacritic and how it compiles scores?  It isn't really relevant and it does provide us with the easiest platform from which to work with. 
     
    On to the real thing.  These are the 20 best reviewd games of 2009 for the DS:
       

     TitleGenreMetascoreUsers
    1Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsAction, Adventure939.0
    2Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside StoryAction, RPG919.2
    3Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, TheAction, Adventure86n/a
    4Might and Magic: Clash of HeroesRPG, Puzzle, Adventure86n/a
    5Peggle: Dual ShotPuzzle858.7
    6Shin Megami Tensei: Devil SurvivorRPG, Strategy849.3
    7Professor Layton and The Diabolical BoxAdventure849.5
    8Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly BrideRPG848.7
    9Art Style: DIGIDRIVE  DSiwarePuzzle839.0
    10Mighty Flip Champs  DSiwareAction, Puzzle8310.0
    11Art Style: PiCTOBiTS  DSiwarePuzzle838.8
    12Rhythm HeavenRhythm, Music839.5
    13Dragon Quest Wars  DSiwareStrategy839.0
    14Pokemon PlatinumRPG838.7
    15Space Invaders Extreme 2Shooter82n/a
    16Dawn of DiscoveryStrategy, Simulation828.5
    17Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!  DSiwareAction, Adventure828.5
    18Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling AdventureAdventure, Puzzle829.2
    19Bomberman IIAction819.0
    20Fire Emblem: Shadow DragonStrategy816.5
     
    5 of them are DSiware.  Considering the rather churlish attitude the the staff here have towards it and their fascination with clocks, that isn't a bad outcome.  
     
    One quarter of them are RPG and that has been the big strength of the DS to the more traditional gamer, plus not a single game that ends in Z  ^-^ 
     
    Considering my large love of the DS, and this may shock some, I have only 5 of these games: 
     1. GTA:CW  - I just get into it after several aborted attempts to start it.  It came free with my DSi.
    8.  DQV:HotHB  - picked this up as bargain buy (down from $70 to $20) and have yet to play it.
    12. Rhythm Heaven  - I am really crap at this.  It is fun and my daughters just loved it.
    14. Pokemon Platinum  - I still love main game Pokemon and this didn't disappoint.  200+ hours and not finished.
    17.MvDK:MMA - I had to spend my DSiware points somewhere and this game was a surprise.  Looks and plays very well. 

    I will eventually get M&L:BIS, LoZ:ST, M&M:CoH, SMT:DS, PL&tDB, DoD & FE:SD (another 7).  Only the puzzle games truly don't interest me. 
     
    What about yourselves?  Did you get any of these games?  What did you think of them?  Was it a good year for the DS?
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    AgentJ

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    #2  Edited By AgentJ

    Nice use of the word "Churlish"! 
    Glad to see SMT, Clash of Heroes, Mighty Flip Champs and Fire Emblem all made the list. It's a shame that Scribblenauts didn't make it, but it's not really a surprise. 

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    oldschool

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    #3  Edited By oldschool
    @AgentJ said:
    " Nice use of the word "Churlish"! Glad to see SMT, Clash of Heroes, Mighty Flip Champs and Fire Emblem all made the list. It's a shame that Scribblenauts didn't make it, but it's not really a surprise.  "
    Churlish is as churlish does  ^-^ 
     
    Might & Magic has really piqued my interest, not just because of your talking it up.  Everything about it is attracting me to it.  I would order Fire Emblem and Shin Megami, but every time I am about to do it, I go and spend another $200 on games.  In the end I can wait for Zelda as I did with Phantom Hourglass.  I think I like the idea of owning a Zelda game more than playing it.  I bought Z:PH cheap and still haven't played it, so waiting for a good price is likely.  Dawn of Discovery would get more game time for me than Zelda, but it is a game that always ends up on a cheap promotion price. 
     
    Scribblenauts is an interesting one.  I wasn't super psyched for it, but I am still keen to own it, but it surely will end upon clearance and then I will swoop in on it.
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    toowalrus

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    #4  Edited By toowalrus

    I would definitly agree with those top 2. I haven't played Zelda yet actually, but it doesn't surprise me that they've rated it highly, and Phantom Hourglass was good.

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    Neon941

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    #5  Edited By Neon941

    good to see Fire Emblem on there, it wasn't as good as the GBA games but it's nice to see it gain some recognition.

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    oldschool

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    #6  Edited By oldschool
    @Neon941 said:
    " good to see Fire Emblem on there, it wasn't as good as the GBA games but it's nice to see it gain some recognition. "
    I really loved the GBA Fire Emblem games.  Played the hell out of them and along with the 2 Advance Wars games and Final Fantasy Tactics, they were the games that I spent far too many hours playing (is that even possible?).  I understand that this is a remake, in the FF and DQ way I suppose and this doesn't deter me.  However, I wish they would make a completely new game with new graphics for the DS.  I finally just got around to picking up Radiant Dawn on the Wii, so I will till get a big fix of Fire Emblem until the DS game finally makes it way into my collection.
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    Neon941

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    #7  Edited By Neon941
    @oldschool: yeah, it's actually a pretty faithful 1-1 remake of the original on the Famicom aside from an early tutorial sequence which arguably has the most story in the game. Really it's a pity they didn't add the second chapter they created from the first time the original Fire Emblem was remade, it seems like a waste.
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    L33tfella_H

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    #8  Edited By L33tfella_H

    Devil Survivor is quite good, i'm really enjoying it.
     
    I also heard Bowser's inside story is better than Partners In Time, which i felt was a bit dissapointing, so i may pick that up aswell.
     
    Layton was great and the DQ remakes have been pretty good so far. didn't play too much of Chinatown Wars, but i hear it's really good.
     
    This list also reminds me that i should get back to Fire Emblem.

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    DanielJW

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    #9  Edited By DanielJW

    I wish Scribblenauts was good enough to make it. :( 
     
    That game had so much promise. I really hope the do a sequel so it can do everything it should have.

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    JJOR64

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    #10  Edited By JJOR64

    I still need to check out GTA.

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    Hot_Karl

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    #11  Edited By Hot_Karl

    I bought Dragon Quest Wars- boring as hell. I want my $5 back for that game.
    Bomberman for DSiware however is pure bliss. $5 for a portable, online multiplayer enabled Bomberman game? Fuck yes.
     
    Also, I think that Henry Hatsworth should be higher (it is on my list)- amazing game. It's Puzzle Quest with a fun platformer instead of a crappy Fantasy RPG, and a Planet Puzzle League (the best puzzle game that's not  named Tetris or Lumines) side game. And it's as awesome as it sounds.

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    shirogane

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    #12  Edited By shirogane

    A list that i don't disagree with. Quite rare. Well, there are games on there that i wouldn't play, but i understand others would like, like peggle and fire emblem. 
    Seems i need to get a DS sometime, sold mine earlier this year to my friend, it was a phat, and was getting really old too. Only console of this gen that i'm missing too... 
    Some of those games look worth getting.
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    eric_buck

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    #13  Edited By eric_buck
    @oldschool:  200 hours on pokemon!!! Wow. I play around 50 hours max before I get sick of pokemon games... that is impressive.
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    oldschool

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    #14  Edited By oldschool
    @Neon941 said:
    " @oldschool: yeah, it's actually a pretty faithful 1-1 remake of the original on the Famicom aside from an early tutorial sequence which arguably has the most story in the game. Really it's a pity they didn't add the second chapter they created from the first time the original Fire Emblem was remade, it seems like a waste. "
    We can only hope for a totally new game.  These things tend to spring up as a surprise, so who knows. 
     
    @Eric_Buck said:
    " @oldschool:  200 hours on pokemon!!! Wow. I play around 50 hours max before I get sick of pokemon games... that is impressive. "
    OCD - it helps.  I can't believe the need for completion of everything, the need to get all the fruit and not just a few, but hundreds of each and getting every Pokemon at each stage of evolution and levelling up every last one of them.  It is almost painful, if it weren't for the fact that I enjoy it so much.  If you think that is bad, it was 1000 hours on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - every character and every class.
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    Linkyshinks

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    #15  Edited By Linkyshinks
    @VinceNotVance:  
     
    I may well get the Bomberman myself, I only passed on it recently because I alrready have Bomberman Blast on WiiWare (awesome). If it's anything like that game I should probably buy it. Is there single cart MP option?
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    Hot_Karl

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    #16  Edited By Hot_Karl
    @Linkyshinks:  It's pretty much like Bomberman Blast, yes, so if you like that, and you want it in portable form, there you go.
     
    No single-cart multiplayer however.
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    JonathanMoore

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    #17  Edited By JonathanMoore

    Still need to play Mario RPG, might buy it soon.

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    oldschool

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    #18  Edited By oldschool
    @Shirogane said:
    " A list that i don't disagree with. Quite rare. Well, there are games on there that i wouldn't play, but i understand others would like, like peggle and fire emblem. Seems i need to get a DS sometime, sold mine earlier this year to my friend, it was a phat, and was getting really old too. Only console of this gen that i'm missing too... Some of those games look worth getting. "
    You need a DS Lite.  A purchase you won't regret when you compare it to what the phat was like.
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