N+

Action Platformer 2D

You are a ninja in N+. Your god-like speed, dexterity, jumping power, and reflexes are all the result of an amazingly fast metabolism; sadly, so is your natural lifespan of 1.5 minutes. Like all Ninjas, you have an unquenchable thirst for gold and a natural propensity for exploring rooms infested by increasingly lethal Ninja-killing robots. N emphasizes pacifism, humility, and the need to traverse 5 rooms before the end of your lifetime; a feat known only as ‘beating an episode’. In accordance with the teachings of N, it is your profound hope that one day you will develop your platforming skills, intelligence, and inexplicable ability to reincarnate to achieve total mastery of all 300 levels. [Atari]

Phantasy Star Zero

Role-Playing Action RPG

Phantasy Star Ø takes place on an alternate Earth 200 years after the Great Blank, a massive war that has reduced the once-prosperous civilization to almost nothing. The sole surviving Humans have worked hard to exist peacefully and have built thriving Cities. The Humans that adventure past the outskirts of these Cities, called Hunters, explore the vast wilderness and hunt dangerous monsters to keep Cities safe. Players will take up the role of Hunters and select from three types of races and different classes, as well as gender for a total of 14 customizable character types. Each character type will play very differently and give players access to a great range of items, armor and weapons. Featuring over 350 unique weapons, gamers will venture out on Earth, combat dangerous monsters to gain experience and meet new major characters. As players explore further, they will unravel the mystery of the Great Blank and discover a dangerous new force that must be stopped. Featuring both wireless and full Wi-Fi multiplayer options, Phantasy Star Ø takes advantage of the touch screen capabilities of Nintendo DS with the new Visual Chat feature. Gamers can now design their own Visual Chat commands that can be used in multiplayer modes. These Visual Chat commands will be displayed as text bubbles above the user’s character, enabling easy and fun communication when adventuring with friends. [Sega]

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Action Adventure Fantasy Open-World

[Metacritic's 2007 DS Game of the Year] Many months have passed since the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Link, Tetra and Tetra’s band of pirates have set sail in search of new lands. They come across a patch of ocean covered in a dense fog, in which they discover an abandoned ship. Tetra falls into danger when she explores the ship alone, and Link falls into the ocean when he attempts to rescue her. When he washes up unconscious on the shores of a mysterious island, he is awakened by the sound of a fairy’s voice. With the aid of this fairy, he sets off to find Tetra – and his way back to the seas he once knew. The stylus makes controlling Link easier than ever. Tap on the screen to make Link move, or sweep the stylus around him to swing the sword. Players can even draw a path for his boomerang and send it flying into hard-to-reach targets. Players can stash the map on the top screen for quick reference or drop it to the touch screen to make notes, study enemies, or chart a path for their boat to follow while they man the cannons. Compete with a friend over a local wireless connection: Guide Link through special dungeons to capture the Triforce or command the forces that oppose him. [Nintendo]

Bleach: The Blade of Fate

Action Fighting 2D

(Also known as "Bleach DS") Players face a variety of opponents as one of 28 highly-stylized characters in intense action-packed battles based on the animated series. Bleach: The Blade of Fate on the Nintendo DS brings a twist to the traditional 2D fighting game with a new kind of battle system that enables players to move between upper and lower split-plane battle arenas to chase after or escape from opponents. The game also allows gamers to build Spirit Card Decks to strategically access power-ups and power-downs to perform special attacks, cast healing spells on themselves, displace opponents, or prohibit them from using their own Spirit Cards. Additionally, gamers can take to the streets battling against enemies with up to four players in fast-paced combat via the Nintendo DS' Wi-Fi capabilities. [Sega]