Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Rhythm and music
Release date: Available now
Review by: Michael Smith

The first game of the massively successful Guitar Hero series arrived on the Playstation 2 in 2005, with other versions released later for the next-generation consoles and the PC. You could even play it on your cell phone starting in the spring of 2008, but owners of hand-held gaming systems were left out in the cold — until now. With the release of Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS, Activision has finally invited on-the-go gamers to the party.

The biggest hurdle to pass for designers has been a control method; nobody wants to have to carry bulky peripherals with their portable systems. GH: OT‘s creators solved this problem with a guitar controller small enough to make the game practical with a minimum of inconvenience. The four-button controller is inserted into the Game Boy Advance slot and includes an adjustable strap to anchor the system to your hand. Players still using the original DS system haven’t been forgotten, as GH: OT ships with a small adapter that allows the controller to attach to the console. If the geek factor isn’t a problem for you, the game also includes stickers you can use to decorate the controller.

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Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Razorback Devlopment
System: DS
Genre: Puzzle
Release date: Available now
Review by: Duane Simer

Riding the tide of the recent popularity of brain teasing and puzzle-style games is Brain Voyage, a title designed to test the logic, memory and deductive abilities of its players. Basically a large suite of games and puzzles with varying levels of difficulty, Brain Voyage takes creative mind benders from a myriad of cultures and offers them up as a collection of clever, challenging and original activities.

There are several ways to access these games from the menu. The main mode, World Tour, consists of traveling the world to complete puzzles from various countries, and earning bronze, silver, or gold medals to mark the speed or accuracy of achievement. Second in line is Random Play, which surprises the player with a random puzzle. There’s also the Puzzle Bank, where players can store previously played puzzles for later use. Finally, the DS Download and Play feature allows other players to download specific puzzles. Though not a multiplayer function, it allows the transfer of games between multiple DS units.

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Review by: Matthew Frost
Published: April 14th, 2006

It sure has been a long time in coming, but Nintendo Software Technology’s Metroid Prime: Hunters is finally here. You early adopters out there might recall, and probably still have, the old “First Hunt” demo that shipped with the original run of DS systems. Heck, you probably even remember that this game was one of the original tech demos displaying the power of Nintendo’s then-new handheld. ( read more… )

Review by: Duane Simer

Published: March 8th, 2006

Mario Kart DS is a welcome addition to the Mario Kart line, and unlike some of the handheld editions of the past, this one could hold its own as a sequel to any of the previous games.  In fact, there are so many new features in this one that it is a surprise that the game isn’t more renowned than it is, and I say this about a game that is being hailed among other games in its league.  All multiplayer possibilities aside, Mario Kart DS plays as a solid single player experience, and with the addition of the Wi-Fi and local wireless-based multiplayer, exists as a must-have title for DS owners.

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Review by: Matthew Frost
Published: September 17th, 2005

The scrolling-shooter hasn’t changed very much from when it first appeared more than two decades ago. Despite this, the age-old genre still has some life in it with recent and very impressive releases such as Ikaruga, Gradius V, and R-Type Final showing a whole new generation of gamers why the simple formula has endured for so long. ( read more… )