7 for '07 - Nintendo DS

By: VGGEN Staff (Written by Andrew Joy)

Other "7 for '07" Articles

7 for '07 - PlayStation 3
7 for '07 - Xbox 360
7 for '07 - Nintendo Wii
7 for '07 - PlayStation 2
7 for '07 - Nintendo DS
7 for '07 Index

More soon!

Though the Xbox 360 may be looking usurp the PS2, hoping to take over the top spot as the best-selling system this year, it seems the diminutive Nintendo DS may be closer to that goal. Since November of 2004, Nintendo's unique handheld has sold through to more than 35 million people, thanks in part to enhancements such as a free online network known as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and the redesigned Nintendo DS Lite. But most of the credit naturally goes to the games, and the system has amassed quite a library, bringing back customers with sequels like Animal Crossing: Wild World and drawing in newcomers with games like Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes Day (part of the non-gamer-targeted Touch Generations line).

Though both of those titles are first-party, Nintendo isn't alone in this, and more and more video game makers are taking note of the system. For example, Dragon Quest IX, the latest in the juggernaut RPG series (particularly in Japan) from Square Enix, is headed to the DS exclusively and would've easily made our list if we were confident it'll arrive in North America this year. Even though a number of really great-looking titles still to come to the system are early on in development, the games featured on our list prove that now, more than ever, is the time to own a Nintendo DS.

Etrian Odyssey - At first glance, a few things standout about Etrian Odyssey: it is an RPG, it is played in the first person, and it features some very beautiful art. But other than that, why should you care about it? Honestly, apart from using the touch screen to make your own maps, the game seems almost ordinary - there is seemingly no compelling reason that we could find, which makes it a bit of an odd duck on this list. For our reasoning, though, we look to its publisher: Atlus. From the graphical adventure Touch Detective on the DS to the Wii-make of fan-favorite surgical simulator Trauma Center (also on the DS before that), last year Atlus carved out a niche for itself as the publisher to look to for distinctly Japanese games. If it wasn’t for them, a number of games wouldn't have made it outside the Land of the Rising Sun, and the ones that have proved themselves worthy, so the company clearly has good taste. And that alone makes Etrian Odyssey at least worth a second glance.

Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja - See Etrian Odyssey. Only, instead of "beautiful, first-person RPG," put "humorous, top-down dungeon crawler". Oh, and, you know, replace Etrian Odyssey with Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja, but that one's pretty much a given. Also, even if you could, there'd be no point in drawing maps with the touch screen - the dungeons are all randomly generated...can anyone say "replay value"?

Lunar Knights - By now, most people have probably learned the dark secret behind Lunar Nights - it's a sequel. Yes, yes, I know, "Bring the children inside, lock the doors, close the windows, and sleep with the lights on. The horror, the horror!" Well, fear not, for there have been a number of changes to the Boktai formula as the fourth installment makes the jump to the DS. For one, the solar sensor (presumably the nail in the GBA versions' coffin) has been replaced by in-game weather that dynamically changes the gameplay. The gameplay has become much more varied, offering two playable characters - one who harnesses the power of the sun, and the other the power of the moon - and some arcade-like space ship shooting sequences. And the game also features crisp art and detailed animated cutscenes, making Lunar Knights one of the first games this year to include some high-end production values.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl - Right from the beginning, the Pokémon series has been all about connectivity, and Diamond and Pearl, the first true installments of the Big N's franchise on the Nintendo DS (excluding games like Dash and Trozei), look to take that to an all-new level. Not only will you be able to connect with your friends system-to-system, a staple of every game in the past, but you will also be able take the battle (or trade) online, a first for the series! As if that wasn't enough to ensure these games a place on our list, you can also connect with Pokémon Battle Revolution on the Wii to transfer your critters out, your old Game Boy Advance games (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen) to transfer some in, and with Pokémon Ranger to receive a rare egg. Longtime fans will also welcome the return of the much ballyhooed - and much improved - night and day cycles not seen since Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal on the Game Boy Color, which also happen to be some of the best games in the series.

Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon - Ah, Harvest Moon, the gaming world's secret love. People may have laughed at you for years, mocking your seemingly simple and unexciting gameplay, but that ends now. At long last you will be socially acceptable, as Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon adds swords and monsters to the winning formula of hoes and chickens. After being discovered in the forest by a young girl, and with no memory of who you are, the local village sets you up with a small patch of land where you can, grow plants and raise animals (among other activities). Like most other Harvest Moon games, your character will be able to leave the farm and find a wife, wooing close to a dozen women to find the one right for you. Of course, should you ever get tired of the home life and, quite literally, watching the grass grow, Rune Factory allows you to head out for a bit of adventuring!

Wario: Master of Disguise - When most people think of Wario, chances are his micro-game collections come to mind, given their success on the Game Boy Advance (WarioWare: Twisted), Nintendo DS (WarioWare: Touched), and Wii (WarioWare: Smooth Moves). However, in his second appearance on the DS, the portly anti-hero returns to form as a thief in Wario: Master of Disguise. In this game, Wario dons a number of different costumes, eight in all, each with its own specific power that will come in handy throughout the game's diverse locales. Apart from the D-pad for character movement, Master of Disguise is controlled almost entirely with the touch screen, with a different symbol drawn with the stylus for each power, making for some varied gameplay throughout Wario's latest adventure. At the very least, it will give newcomers a chance to see what the party game king is really about before he throws down in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii later this year.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Love them or hate them, the cel-shaded graphics from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GameCube) are back for more as the seminal series makes its debut on the Nintendo DS. That's not all, though - Link also returns to the sea in LoZ: Phantom Hourglass, but in a steamboat this time, not the King of Red Lions. Unfortunately, story details are scant at the moment (and subject to change), though we know the game will be a sequel to Wind Waker, placing it just after the fall of Ganondorf. But like every other Zelda game, our hero will no doubt be donning his green tunic and taking up arms as he tries to rescue the princess. From a design standpoint, Nintendo is hoping the mostly touch-based controls developed for Phantom Hourglass will do for the handhelds what Ocarina of Time did for consoles, setting a standard that will not only be incorporated by future Zelda titles, but other games that follow as well. Here's hoping they can.

Posted: 02/24/2007