Thinking about getting a DS. Help?

[AstylahAthrys]

So my dad is offering to get me something nice for my graduation gift and for awhile I have had no idea what to get. Right now I am leaning on getting a DS because my only other sources of mobile gaming are an old GBA and my hulk of a laptop. My only interest in DS games has been for the Pokemon games, which I know I will be getting at least SoulSilver if I do purchase one. But as of now I have no idea what else to get. Is paying more for a DSI worth it? What other good games are there besides Pokemon? Should I not get it and invest my money elsewhere? If so, what other gaming thing would you recommend?

 

[Belgian_Waffles]

Perhaps you should wait for the 3DS, but there is a great list of games worth getting for the DS so far

All the Pokemon's
Zelda's
The world ends with you
Grand theft auto Chinatown Wars
Elite beat agents
Mario kart DS
New super mario bros
Animal Crossing (kinda old but still good)
Metroid prime hunters
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Those are all the ones that come to mind at the moment, the DS is easily the best handheld or arguably console on the market right now.

 

[Flour]

Don't bother with a DSi, a DS lite is a lot better for the simple fact that it has a few hours more battery life. A DS lite will also allow you to play your old GBA games.

And as for game suggestions, Castlevania(I recommend Dawn of Sorrow but there are two other Castlevanias) and Disgaea(it's a strategic RPG, gameplay is similar to Advance Wars, youtube videos explain it better).

 

[Revenant02]

I've found Picross3D incredibly addictive, Retro Games Challenge is a gem if you can find it, those are the two on my shelf with the most universal appeal.

Oh yeah, and /agree on getting a DSLite over a DSi

 

[apelsz]

Nobody mentioned Drawn to Life yet, so I'll add that. And I'd say DS Lite, just for the fact that you can play GBA games on it.

 

[Amnestic]

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Pretty much anything else I can think of has also been suggested already, though heavy recommendation falls on The World Ends With You.

 

[Horticulture]

An M3, R4 or AceKard is nice for running homebrew apps.

 

[Danzaivar]

Would strongly recommend the Zelda games. Phantom hourglass and the Spirit tracks thingy. The latter especially is meant to be amazing.

Oh and yeah, get the DS which actually lets you play old games. The ones without the camera.

 

[Carnagath]

Is the 3DS a new console entirely? It will be backwards compatible in any case, right?

 

[fishfart]

Is the 3DS a new console entirely? It will be backwards compatible in any case, right?

It will be backwards compatible according to Nintendo.

The DS is an amazing little system. When you look at all the game libraries this generation, it's right up there, if not the best. You continually discover great games.

 

[Revenant02]

Definitely check the reviews for Phantom Hourglass first though, the Ocean Temple was game-breaking for me at least... Don't know about Spirit Tracks. Also of the Castlevania games Portrait of Ruin is probably the best starting point.

 

[9NineBreaker9]

I'd suggest waiting for the 3DS, but still, some good DS games include:

The World Ends With You - action RPG set in modern-day Japan. Great story and addicting gameplay.
(A) Castlevania - Dawn of Sorrow stands out, but Order of Ecclesia is definitely good, too.
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 1/2 - medical drama! Great, unique gameplay, and surprisingly good music and story.
Kirby: Super Star Ultra - you know you want you some Kirby!
Pokemon: SoulSilver/HeartGold - these are the best of the DS bunch, and will steal your soul.
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days - action RPG and more Kingdom Hearts goodness.
Elite Beat Agents - more than your average interactive metronome. This game will have you singing and tapping along in minutes.

That's... all I can think of. My DS library seems to consist mostly of RPGs, which is both a good and bad thing.

 

[Ultress]

In addtiion to everything mentioned here Shim Megami Tensei's Strange Journey, if you like pokemon you'll probably enjoy it as It's a lot like pokemon except you talk demons into joining you instead of throughing poke balls.