WITH retro making a comeback, old gaming consoles are likewise surfacing. If we will look at sites like Facebook, Shopee, and Carousell, there has been a boom in posting when it comes to gaming consoles, handheld ones, particularly, the likes of PSP, Gameboy, and of course, the Nintendo DS.
Incidentally, DS, an initialism for “Developers System” or “Dual Screen,” introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem (the bottom one being a touchscreen) a built-in microphone, and support for wireless connectivity.
Given that the DS first came out in 2006, many Gen Zs who managed to get a hold of it were still kids when they first started playing the likes of Kirby, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, and perhaps even Animal Crossing.
Aside from these well-loved games at the time, though, there were tons of other films on the DS that you could enjoy. Here are some of them that you may still remember.
If you don’t, here are some you can start playing if you still have your old DS just lying around and collecting dust.
- Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times
This game served as the ultimate dupe to Animal Crossing, with the added bonus of the fact that there’s magic in it, too. Take that, Tom Nook!
In this life simulation game, you’d play as a kid going to a Magic Academy, learning new spells, and going on different adventures with each day that passes. With you are several quirky characters, who serve as your classmates in the game.
Though it shares plenty of similarities to Animal Crossing, there were a lot of unique things you could do here, too.
You could have a number of girlfriends or boyfriends all at once, for example, which a lot of you definitely took advantage of. You could form a band, summon creatures, and even activate a feature called Mystery Time, where the world around you changes colors and you can partake in activities exclusive to that given time only.
If no one else dares to say it, we will: this game’s better than Animal Crossing, and no, you can’t change our minds.
- Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Serving as a gritty puzzle-solving mystery, your character is a former NYPD detective-turned-salesman who goes by the name of Kyle Hyde. One day, you find yourself going to a place called Hotel Dusk.
Why? Because it is rumored to be able to grant the wish of anyone who may enter it.
This game is filled with several twists and turns, with the outcome depending entirely on how you play it. How you talk to the other people at the hotel, how you spend your time – all of it may affect your road to Room 215.
You’re sure to have spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out how to solve the mysteries in this game, as well as oohing and awing at its format given that it requires you to play with your DS as if it were a notebook.
Also: damn that soundtrack is smooth as hell, with great animation to go right along with it.
- Princess Debut
In this game rhythm game, you get to play as a teenage girl tired of her mundane life, who’s one day visited by your twin from another reality, who tells you she’s the princess of a magical kingdom. More importantly, she’s in dire need of your help.
Suddenly you’re transported to this wonderful world filled with cute boys and even cuter outfit choices, and have to learn how to dance as best as you can within thirty days, so you can outshine the rest of your kingdom at the big ball.
As a kid, the player may remember feeling giddy over the cute boys in this game, perhaps even prioritizing them instead of perfecting your dance moves. There’s Luciano, a grumpy, brooding guy who eventually opens up his heart to you. Or Cesar, who’s known to flirt with practically every girl he sees. Or even Vince, a young boy who loves to indulge in childish pranks just to get one to notice him.
No matter who we choose in this game though, it will be fun playing the game over and over to see how life would be with each prince. And, of course, the dancing itself was pretty fun, too.
- Tamagotchi Corner Shop
If you’ve ever had a Tamagotchi, then you probably got this game as soon as you saw it.
Here in this shop simulator game, you can choose from three Tamagotchi, and then spend the rest of the game running a shop with them. You also have many other shops to choose from, where you can play mini-games while interacting with all the people in the Tamagotchi world.
There were some remakes of this game and even a 3D one made in Japan. No matter the version you played, you’re sure to have spent countless hours in the shops of Mame City, whether it be at the Dentist, the Cleaners, the Beauty Salon, the Flower Shop, or wherever else for that matter.
Through this game, even the most mundane of tasks were made out to be fun adventures. That’s the wonder of technology, after all.
- Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams
If you don’t have the budget to play Hello Kitty Adventure, then this could be the next best thing.
At the start of the game, Hello Kitty leaves the quaint Sanrio Town and moves into an apartment in The Big City. Her dream – to earn enough moolah to move from the ground floor all the way up to the penthouse
As the player of the game, you’re meant to explore the city, meet new friends, and play many different mini-games to help Hello Kitty achieve her dream.
What’s fun about this game is as a kid, it allowed you to interact with Hello Kitty and all of her friends. In this game, for example, you’d get to play with the Little Twin Stars, Keroppi, My Melody, Badtz-Maru, Pochacco, Tuxedo Sam, and Pompompurin.
Also present in this game are some more obscure Sanrio characters such as Pekkle, Boo Gey Woo, Kappa no Kappy, Monkichi, Kuririn, and many more adorable and exciting furry friends.
