The DS is well-known for its unusual design features, the two-screen format and the touch screen. Many of the DS's most popular games make good use of these features, and there are many outstanding games, like Meteos, that make strong enough use of them that they could fairly be said to depend on these features. There wouldn't be too much to Brain Age without the handwriting input, and it is hard to imagine Elite Beat Agents existing at all without either the unique interface or the simultaneous cutscene/gameplay presentation.
But for as much attention as the DS gets for its unique features, many of its best games use them in only the most cursory of ways. Some of the best-reviewed, most popular DS games have only optional touch-screen use, or some function that is nonessential to gameplay. Some games squander their second screen on inventories and maps. Many such games not only could have worked just as well on other systems, they are from long-standing series that worked just fine back in the dark ages when game systems only had a single screen and controls were mapped only to buttons.
The games on this list are the highest-ranked games according to Metacritic that fall under the category of "traditional" games. In fact, the top four DS games according to Metacritic are all traditional. Each game on this list is an excellent DS game that is excellent independent of the DS' inherent advantages.
If you're near a Best Buy store, gather up your $2 bills and get going, because they're in the midst of an epic videogame clearance, and you'll want to get there before the unscrupulous speculator types grab all the stuff to sacrifice to the ravenous eBay. You've got to be wily to get to the goods before the FatWalleters and the CAGs!
We've got a list of all the DS and GBA software on sale after the jump. Don't expect to find all of it-- most of it has been out of stock for months or years at most stores, and the price changed to clear out remaining copies. But we hope you do find what you're looking for in abundance. We wish we could go tomorrow and check it out ourselves. By the time we get there, there won't be anything but cobwebs and tumbleweeds, and those will probably be regular price.
In using a special cartridge that allows a video signal to be sent to the GBA, You Tube user jackal27 rocks his Wii on the portable's tiny screen. Obviously, the practical use of such a feature is almost nonexistent, but it makes for a fun little You Tube video. Check out the video, which has been embedded past the post break.
Update: me am not so English good (I omitted a word or two in the post).
When we conducted our daily perusal of poppa site Joystiq, we were intrigued by the above image. A DS cartridge case that allows one to hold up to 4 DS game cartridges and one GBA game cartridge. The case is Shogakukan's Hyper Carrying Case, available to Japanese consumers for a cool ¥480 (or roughly $4 USD). Do not be fooled by the wonderful graphic on the front of the case though. Inside there are no Mega Man games.
Back when the "Ivalice Alliance" was announced and a sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was unveiled, there was some confusion over which handheld system would reap the rewards. Surely, the DS is the hottest thing since the SN 1054 supernova in the Crab Nebula, but the "Advance" moniker was unsettling.
Just kidding. No it wasn't. Square-Enix aren't a bunch of fools, and with the intense support they've been showing lately toward the machine of the future, this announcement was merely a formality. Hopefully, FFTA2 won't be a mess of obscure gameplay rules and can bring back what made the original Tactics so great ... Calculators.
Sabarasa Entertainment has eyes for the DS apparently, as they already have begun work on a sequel to Mazes of Fate, a GBA title that released just this past week. We cannot find any reviews for the game online, having navigated the many tubes it is comprised of in search of just one score. Regardless, a sequel is coming, says Sabarasa Entertainment CEO Javier Otaegui:
"We are definitely thinking of the DS, but not for porting exactly this game. We have already started pre-production work for Mazes of Fate 2 for DS."
Even with the DS selling with the consistency of those hotcakes people seem to love, Nintendo thinks the Game Boy has at least one holiday left in it. In speaking with Reuters, Nintendo head honcho Reggie Fils-Aime lays it all on the table, revealing that the GBA is still selling well and is a great first handheld system for young gamers.
"We think that Game Boy Advance certainly has at least one more holiday season left in it. For us, it continues to be a great stepping stone for five-, six-, seven-year-old consumers to have their first great handheld gaming experience and then transition right into DS. For as great a Black Friday weekend that we had on DS, we had just as good a selling season so far on Game Boy Advance."
This is all confusing, making us wonder just how long of a life the handheld really has left. Reggie isn't willing to divulge anything on its future or a successor to its throne, obviously, instead leaving us to jump to our own conclusions. Considering the wild popularity of the DS, is there even a future for a new Game Boy?
EA has announced a new Harry Potter game based on the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The movie, which is based on J.K Rowling's fifth book, has Harry returning to Hogwart's only to be questioned about his previous year's encounter with Lord Voldemort. With the wizarding community questioning that Lord Voldemort has returned, as well as the Minister of Magic doubting Dumbledore, it's all up to Harry to set things straight.
While this is the first Harry Potter game to grace the newest consoles, the DS and GBA versions of the game should not be excluded in the excitement of all Hogwarts-loving fans out there. With multiple characters at your disposal, the concepts presented by this game sound interesting and we'll update you as news develops.
Just about everyone has heard of Tony Hawk. Whether you're a fan of skateboarding or gaming, the man has made an impact, often considered equal, in both cultures. With his first game being released way back when on the original Playstation, folks have had plenty of time to learn how to bust kickflips and grind massive rails in his games.
His games on the GBA have been no joke, either. Featuring an isolated bird's eye view, previous games featured excellent 3D graphics and gameplay on the portable system. But where the old games were all about busting big lines and tearing up the course to your heart's content, this game is more of a racing game and, as such, you're limited in the tricks department.
The September NPD sales numbers have come in and the DS, once again, did favorably. Out of all consoles, DS titles had a good showing, taking up four spots. Of course, Madden took the top spot, showing that we Americans love our football.
Madden NFL 07 - PS2
Saints Row - Xbox 360
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - PS2
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team - DS
Madden NFL 07 - Xbox 360
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team - GBA
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - GC
Madden NFL 07 - Xbox
Star Fox Command - DS
New Super Mario Bros. - DS
NBA Live 07 - PS2
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - Xbox 360
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - Xbox
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus - PS2
Test Drive Unlimited - Xbox 360
Dead Rising - Xbox 360
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 - DS
Okami - PS2
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories - PS2
Madden NFL 07 - PSP
We've included a listing of the top DS and GBA game only listings, available after the break.
According to the latest issue of Famitsu, by way of DS-x2, four Metal Slug titles slated for released on the GBA have been cancelled. Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug 3, and Metal Slug X have all been tossed to the garbage. No other information explaining why the titles have been cancelled is available. Could it have something to do with the upcoming release of Metal Slug Anthology?
Another week comes and another assault of games are released for the DS and GBA. This week brings plenty of tasty morsels of maniacal offerings, but if you're like us, you're wondering just how you will store any more games in your already crammed case. Personally, our entire wardrobe of pants had to be changed out for cargos since we need at least 3 pockets just for our DS Lite and games.
Click into the post to check out the releases and tell us which game (or games) tickles your fancy this week!
[Update: We added a photo image credit to 8 Bit Joystick.]
For those of you with an addiction for turn-based role-playing games and fantasies of the final sort, the Japanese minisite for Final Fantasy V has launched. Within it are such treasures as character bios, a breakdown on the game's job system, and an introduction to the game's story. With three new job classes in Gladiator, Cannoneer, and Oracle, along with a new dungeon, Final Fantasy V is one appealing GBA game.
If you're near a 
Back when the "Ivalice Alliance" was announced and 
Sabarasa Entertainment has eyes for the DS apparently, as they already have begun work on a sequel to Mazes of Fate, a GBA title that released just this past week. We cannot find any reviews for the game online, having navigated the many tubes it is comprised of in search of just one score. Regardless, a sequel is coming, says Sabarasa Entertainment CEO Javier Otaegui:
Even with the DS 
EA has announced a new Harry Potter game based on the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The movie, which is based on J.K Rowling's fifth book, has Harry returning to Hogwart's only to be questioned about his previous year's encounter with Lord Voldemort. With the wizarding community questioning that Lord Voldemort has returned, as well as the Minister of Magic doubting Dumbledore, it's all up to Harry to set things straight.
Just about everyone has heard of Tony Hawk. Whether you're a fan of skateboarding or gaming, the man has made an impact, often considered equal, in both cultures. With his first game being released way back when on the original Playstation, folks have had plenty of time to learn how to bust kickflips and grind massive rails in his games.
According to the latest issue of Famitsu, by way of DS-x2, four Metal Slug titles slated for released on the GBA have been cancelled. Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug 3, and Metal Slug X have all been tossed to the garbage. No other information explaining why the titles have been cancelled is available. Could it have something to do with the upcoming release of Metal Slug Anthology?
Another week comes and another assault of games are released for the DS and GBA. This week brings plenty of tasty morsels of maniacal offerings, but if you're like us, you're wondering just how you will store any more games in your already crammed case. Personally, our entire wardrobe of pants had to be changed out for cargos since we need at least 3 pockets just for our DS Lite and games.
