Nintendo DS News and Tips

Five DS Games That Adults Will Enjoy

Nintendo (and by association, its consoles included its handheld system, the Nintendo DS) has always suffered from one big weakness: the public perception that it is a company that exclusively caters to children. With original properties and company mascots like Mario, Luigi, Kirby, Pikachu and Donkey Kong, it is easy to determine why the non-gaming population thinks of Nintendo DS games are just for kids.

Being kid-friendly has its perks, of course. But it also narrows down the potential audience for a gaming platform.

Well, since the first incarnation of Resident Evil 4 made its way to the Nintendo Gamecube, the company has made a conscious effort to destroy such perception and build a reputation that its systems are for gamers of all ages, of all orientation, and of all preferences.

The Nintendo DS is at the forefront of the company's drive to debunk the common misconception.

With the 5 Nintendo DS games listed below, the company is hoping that people will start to see the Nintendo DS as a viable platform for all types of games made for all types of gamers.

1. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. The Grand Theft Auto series is the poster boy of mature games. Now that it has invaded the Nintendo DS courtesy of the fantastically designed Chinatown Wars, the portable system has been marked as an "All Ages" gaming console.

2. The New York Times Crosswords. The New York Times is known for 3 things: hard hitting articles, well-written pieces, and frustratingly difficult but amazingly fulfilling crossword puzzles. The last part can now be played as one of the newer Nintendo DS games, but only kid geniuses will be able to guess most of the words required by the puzzles.

3. Metroid Prime: Hunters. The FPS Metroid that debuted on the Gamecube has made its way to the library of Nintendo DS games. Though not as bloody nor as gory as other first person shooters in the market, the rather difficult puzzles and the dependence on realistic weapons make this Nintendo DS game more ideal for grownups.

4. Final Fantasy IV. This remake may carry the name of the all-ages series, Final Fantasy, but don't let that fool you. Considered as the installment with the best storyline in the series, this Nintendo DS remake tells the tale of a fall from grace and a redemption, of betrayal of people close to your heart and the loss of people who don't deserve to suffer, of sacrifice and of failure, and of love that shines brighter than everything else. This is not a story for children. Indeed, FFIV is one of the few Nintendo DS games that can solicit a tear or two from your eye.

5. Phoenix Wright series. These Nintendo DS games are about crimes and investigations and the ensuing courtroom battles to prosecute (or defend) the accused. Though the comical presentation of these Nintendo DS hits may make them seem like kid games, they are hardly meant for children. Situations involving murder and a variety of sexual innuendos (cleverly concealed) classify the Phoenix Wright series as Nintendo DS games that adults will appreciate.

And for bonus 6th game title, we'll go ahead and add Pokemon Platinum as a title that appeals to all ages...a suprising number of adults enjoy the alternate-world escapism of the Pokemon universe. The clever puzzles and combination of free-form play and scripted backstory are a nice diversion from the stress of everyday life.