The 10th Hour 5.09.08: The Top 10 DS Games

Posted by Derek Robbins on 05.09.2008

The DS may be a gimmicky little device, but that doesn't mean it hasn't had its fair share of great games. This week, the Tenth Hour discusses the top 10 best games for the DS so far.

Hello, and welcome to this week's edition of the 10th Hour…..without Derek Robbins. As he is out of town, I, Drew Robbins, have replaced him for this week. You might remember me from the top 10 64 games column, which I wrote in his place a few months back. However, this time it will be a full article, with responses to comments and all of that good stuff! As usual, a bit of news to hit before the list begins…

- Grand Theft Auto IV is awesome, you probably already know that by now, but I felt it was something that needed to be reiterated.

- Because of the greatness that is GTA IV, a certain great kart racer snuck under the radar. Mario Kart Wii is a pretty great entry in the Mario Kart series, and the Wi-Fi is just a blast to play. I've heard a lot of whining about this game's single player..but seriously, much like Smash Bros, when has Mario Kart ever been about the single player?

Now its time to check out some reader feedback, and there was quite a bit. So don't feel too bad if I couldn't respond to your comment, it would be quite time consuming to try and respond to 53 comments.

Reader Feedback

Keep in mind that this is Drew Robbins responding to these comments, not the author of last week's columns, so don't expect me to agree with everything he had to say. Chances are I won't agree with most things.

Mark Salmela shares some love for General Chaos…


OMFG GENERAL CHAOS! I honestly can't believe you remembered General Chaos. You better believe it's one of the best Genesis video games ever. Hell it's sitting
in my Genesis RIGHT NOW! I love you Derek.

I guess General Chaos was a lot more popular than I had believed. When I saw Derek put it on the list I thought the comments about it would be more in anger than in adoration. You mention how it's still in your Genesis and that is one of the things that make it so great, its still fun to play even to this day!

Guest #1225 has a less positive take on last week's list..

where is shinobi 3 on this list dude? and personally i dont think sonic 3
should be higher then 2, sonic 2 is a classic

I really can't say much about Shinobi. Derek plays it and he liked it, he just claimed to have "forgot" it. Whatever. Sonic 2 is great, but Sonic 3 was just flat out better. Save system, superior connection with Sonic & Knuckles, those are just some of the features that made is so much better.

MC42 really likes Comix Zone..

HELL YEAH Comix Zone, that game was awesome. A bigger HELL YEAH for S3&K
because I can't count how many times I've wanted to strangle people for keeping
S3 and S&K completely seperate. S3&K as a whole was the greatest
Genesis game I've ever played. HYPER SONIC.

Sonic 2 was also a great game and well deserving of it's spot on the list.
Sonic 1...not so much. It was okay but not one of the top 10 on the console.
What Sonic 1 did was essentially serve as a tech demo for the whole blast
processing thing (even for only one zone) and as a jumping point from which
they made the many times better sequels but as a game in itself, it wasn't that
great. Same with Mean Bean Machine to be frank, there's a bundle of RPGs alone
better than both games including but not limited to Phantasy Star, Golden Axe
and Shining Force. Vectorman also deserved a spot in the 10.

Looking back, I'm not really crazy about Comix Zone. I enjoyed it, but at times it was just way too difficult. However, I 100% agree about Sonic 1. That game is nowhere near as good as the rest of the Sonic games on the Genesis, not even Sonic Spinball….ok, I take that back, that's going a little too far. Phantasy Star is, in my opinion, a bit bland. Vectorman? I only have one thing to say about that…EFF YEAH VECTORMAN!

Mike Minotti really likes knights with jetpacks…

Rocket Knight Adventures? HELLS YES! God, I NEED that on the Virtual Console
now!

Rocket Knight Adventures was one of the few Sega games without Ninja Turtles or Blue Hedgehogs that I really loved. It definitely needs to be on virtual console. By the way, big fan of the podcast you and your brother do!

Guest makes a good point..

What about Streets of Rage 2?
Arguably the best scrolling fighting game of all time.

The reason this classic was left off the list is because Derek is an idiot. He claims to have 'forgotten' it. Whatever. However, I remembered it, and I must agree with you on this one. Streets of Rage 2 was a really great beat em up, but then again, I'm just a big fan of those old school beat em ups.

Smithy demands more games on this list with vehicles


How could you forget Road Rash? That game made my childhood... I almost remember Skitchin. Think Road Rash but with rollerblades and latching onto the back of
cars and somehow propelling yourself ahead of the car!

Derek didn't forget it. He just didn't think it was worthy of being on this list. It's a pretty fun arcade-like motorcycle beat-em-up...but seeing it as a top-10 game? I dunno...

Stronellis questions Derek's Genesis knowledge…

this is supposed to be the 10 best genesis of all time, dude get a new hobby
cause you don't know shit about Genesis,

Mortal Kombat
Mutant League Football
Primal Rage
NBA Jam TE

All games that could be on hear and theres tons more. Yet you have 3, fucking 3
sonic titles on here. I like sonic too but in no way does sonic amount to 3 of
the top 10 genesis titles of all time.

Before I start ranting about those 4 games, I will point out one thing. Sonic was the Genesis, and while I may not agree with one of the Sonic games on there, I will say that putting three Sonic games on a Sega top 10 is in no way wrong. Now, lets look at those games you listed.

Mortal Kombat – Overrated garbage. Mortal Kombat's fighting system is like a broken version of Street Fighter's, and the fatalities are not enough to make this game top ten worthy. I think the reason people like this game is the blood. Nothing more.

Mutant League Football – This one was a fun little game.

Primal Rage – See Mortal Kombat, only this game has giant beasts.

NBA Jam TE – NBA JAM TE is a great title, but...it's cross-platform so no dice.

dan shows us his top 10…

mine is:

1. sonic 3
2. sonic and knuckles
3. sonic 1
4. sonic 2
5. streets of rage 2
6. streets of rage
7. phantasy star 2
8. phantasy star 4
9. revenge of shinobi
10. altered beast

I've already stated my opinion on Phantasy Star, and Shinobi. But you have brought Altered Beast into the mix, and this is a game that I have deemed vile. I don't know if this game is well liked, but I can't stand it. The controls seemed a bit irresponsive and it wasn't really that fun to play.

Josh Rumsey is another supporter of Phantasy Star

How do you leave of Phantasy Star 4? That was the best RPG for the Sega. Come on
Derek your out of the game.

Oh Josh, you always have had a taste for boring old RPGs. I'm surprised you aren't commenting about how Derek got a copy of Gunstar Heroes, that's a story that I'm sure the 10th hour fans would enjoy!

Mike thinks this list needed more Toejam!

GREAT call on General Chaos, man I loved that game so much. I would have put it
up at number 4 or 5, personally. But one HUGE game that I think you're missing
is Toejam and Earl 2: Panic on Funkatron. That is by far my favorite genesis
game. "HYPER-FUNK ZONE. YES! YES! ALRIGHT! COOL! ALRIGHT! YES!"

Now, a year ago I would've agreed with Toejam and Earl 2. However, this is a game that has not aged very well. While I loved it as a child, when I downloaded it on the virtual console it was much worse than I remembered. It was basically hide and seek with aliens, so I'm not sure how that would fit in with a top 10 list.

Toddo shows us another top 10 list

10. King of the Monsters (I know it was a port, but it was still fun)
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ( I know I never beat it, but it was fun)
8. California Games
7. Captain America And the Avengers
6. NBA JAM
5. Death and Return of Superman (yes I liked a Superman game)
4. The Lion King
3. Comix Zone ( I hear rumors of this coming to XBLA.. Can anyone confirm?)
2. Earthworm Jim
1. Mortal Kombat ( The reason I got a Genesis in the first place.

King of the Monsters was interesting…a wrestling game with giant monsters, that sells itself. Never played California games, Captain America is great, NBA Jam is similarly great. A Superman game, well I won't say anything because I have never played it. Lion King is a great movie based game, Comix Zone is decent, and Earthworm Jim is amazing. The news of a fourth Earthworm Jim has excited me. If you haven't played an Earthworm Jim game, let me tell you about this new entry in the series being announced: It is the most important thing that has EVER happened.

Ryan is now my favorite commenter ever…

Tip of that hat for mentioning Lost Vikings...wag of the finger for leaving out
Streets of Rage and Kid Chameleon.

I was searching for a Lost Vikings fan in that comments section, and I finally found one. THAT GAME ROCKS! Tip of the hat for the Stephen Colbert reference, wag of the finger for liking Kid Chameleon.

Murph questions this list's sexuality..


No Golden Axe? Gay.

Gay? Okay, you're right, Golden Axe was pretty cool.

Natedoggoata wasn't too pleased with this list…

These lists should be actual top 10's rather than opinion top 10's

I said it in the comments section, and I'll say it again, Actual Top 10 lists are impossible. There is no such thing as a factual ranking of games.

And now…its time for…



Top 10 DS Games So Far

The DS has been a pretty great system so far, and what better way to honor it than giving it a top ten list of its own? You may recall a top 10 portable list, but do not claim to have found a contradiction in this list, because this is NOT Derek Robbins, this is his brother. I have to tell you this a lot because last time I subbed in nobody noticed and still said it was the work of Derek.

The rules for this list are the same as usual, I have to have played the game, and it must be released in the US. Sorry, no Ouendan 2, but trust me, that series will get some love in this list…

10) Animal Crossing DS - When Animal Crossing was first brought to America, it was very well received. People couldn't get enough of paying ridiculous amounts of money to a raccoon. The game was so popular that it spawned a sequel on the Nintendo DS. The strange thing about this game is that, while it is better than the original in parts, it pales in comparison to the original in others. Lets start with the negatives, and my only complaint is where the heck are the NES games? That was one of my favorite features, and it gave the game more replay value. It was the only way I could get my Punch Out fix without plugging in my Super Nintendo. However, that is the only thing that this game does worse than its predecessor. There are on the other hand, many improvements. There is no set place for your house in the game, its not always in that small block below the train station (which is not in this game). Now its just in any random place around the village. WiFi was a big addition to the game, probably the most wanted of all. I never really got to try it out, but it wasn't that big of a deal, though it's a nice feature to have lying around.

- A dog playing guitar? Instant win.

9) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Rings of Fates - Well first off, whew, what a lengthy name. But if you can get past that the game inside is ridiculously fun. Unlike its predecessor on the Gamecube, this game featured an interesting story. While I have yet to finish the game, I assure you that up to the point where I quit, the game's story had me intrigued. The single player is great, but the game truly shines in its multiplayer. The multiplayer is basically the same as the single player, minus all of the story segments. Actually, it is kind of like a local multiplayer version of WoW. You go through dungeons, collect loot, and do quests with the help of your friends. That's really all there is to it. Another great thing about this game is the boss battles. Much like Metroid, I spend every level looking forward to the point where I get to take on a boss that will surely challenge me. This is, much like Animal Crossing, a sequel on the DS that surpasses the Gamecube original.


8) Mario and Luigi Partners in Time - Now here is a series that I just can't get enough of. Mario RPGs are always a delight to play through, and this is coming from someone who hates almost every RPG there is. This is a lot like a portable version of Paper Mario, as winning battles is based on reaction times. The original only featured Mario and Luigi, while this sequel brings in the baby versions of our two heroes. What this does is add extra depth to the puzzles that you encounter throughout the game. Most of the time Mario and Luigi will carry their baby counterparts, but if you need to, you can separate the pairs and take on the puzzles as two different teams. While the combat is excellent, that isn't even the best part about this game. This game has a great sense of humor, which is used throughout to lighten the mood and remind you not to take this game too seriously. The bosses are just kind of wacky and so is everyone else in the game, which just makes this game even more loveable. You can usually expect a good game to have fun combat or good dialogue, but having both? Now that is impressive.



7) New Super Mario Bros - Super Mario Bros is the game that started it all, and it is well loved by anybody who has spent a few minutes with the game. Nintendo was aiming to bring back the joy of goomba stomping with this DS resurrection of the old school Mario gameplay. I'm going to get this out of the way now…this game is awesome. Everything you remember and love about the original game is back, now with a slight 3D tune up to the graphics. It also featured a map system like Super Mario Bros. 3, but this one is significantly dumbed down. Basically, its just a few lines with a couple of obstacles to get around. While many people loved the map system in Mario Bros 3, I was not a fan. Mario Bros was just jumping level to level, and the map, I felt, just slowed everything down. And now, they add maps like this into just about every platformer, which especially slows down games like Sonic Rush. All of that aside, New Super Mario Bros. is a fun return to the ways of old, and belongs in anyone's collection of DS games.

- It…Its HUGE!

6) Sonic Rush Adventure Speaking of Sonic Rush, what a great DS game, and an even better sequel. Since Sonic's jump to next generation consoles, the handhelds have been the only way to get your classic Sonic fix. Sonic Rush was a pretty fun game, with a few problems (life bars in my Sonic? GTFO), and Sonic Rush Adventure improved on everything that was good and, well I think there were still some life bars.so what the heck Sega? What was different about this game you may ask? Well, look at the extra title to the game, Adventure. This represents the new sailing mechanics that were added between levels. I actually liked this feature; it didn't slow down the game, it was just like a little mini game between the levels. So don't worry, this isn't the major slowdown of the action like the sailing was in Wind Waker. Of course, this game certainly isn't without fault, but none of it is so big as to detract from its overall standing. I would complain about grinding, but I played WoW and got a character to level 70 so…I sure would look hypocritical.

- Another bland Sonic character…just stick to the main three, please!

5) Mario Kart DS - In the beginning of the column I talked about how much I loved Mario Kart Wii, and what you must understand is, Mario Kart Wii is more or less the DS game put on a console, with a few extra racers added on. Many consider the DS version to be the best entry in the series, as it was the first to introduce online play and it had more vehicles than any other Mario Karts before it. In fact, its the only Mario Kart to have character exclusive Karts, which is a little unfortunate, the fact that every character in the Wii version had the same karts was a bit disappointing. Were there any problems with Mario Kart DS, I seem to have them with every other game on this list. The only real problem is one that exists in every other Mario Kart game, the luck can get a bit out of hand. I have, on a few occasions, been mere inches from the finish line, only to be nailed with a red shell and lose my standing. This isn't really a big deal unless you play Mario Kart competitively, which I don't recommend, this definitely isn't a game you should take seriously. As I stated earlier this is the first online Mario Kart game (as an extra note, this was also the first online DS game), and it was very good for a first try. Clearly they've made advancements, with the new points system in the Wii version, but this game at least kept stats, unlike a certain online disappointment…I'm looking at you Super Smash Bros Brawl!

- Nintendo game with online play? Surely you jest!

4) The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass - The opinions on this game are pretty spread out. Some like it, some hate it, some just prefer the old school flavor of the original Zelda. I am a fan, to some extent. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish this game was more like Minish Cap instead of some completely touch screen based adventure. Even this minor annoyance couldn't keep this from becoming a classic entry into the Zelda series. Some of the touch screen features were just so nice to have. Playing this game was the most fun I've ever had writing down notes, which isn't saying much but…that isn't the point. The point is that this game had some really neat uses of the DS functionalities. And to think, all of those neat functionalities and they still couldn't make the sailing fun…I guess there are some things you just can't fix. Now on to the best part of the game…the art style. Wind Waker is the best Zelda game of all time, which was helped largely by its artistic style. Phantom Hourglass has the same style, and the graphics are barely tuned down, making this the sequel to Wind Waker that I have been demanding for quite a long time. While I do like this game, I would hope that any future DS Zeldas will control like the usual portable Zelda.

- Linebeck…man I hate that guy

3) Phoenix Wright Franchise - Before I go on about how this is such a great game, I figure I should mention that I just beat the original last night, and I'm saying franchise based on the assumption that all of them are just as great. That might be expecting a bit much, because the first game in this series has one of the best stories I have ever seen in a game. When I got to the last case I could not put my DS down, I just had to keep going. Every case was like that, when I think about it. The first case gets you wrapped up in the excitement of the court scenes, the second one introduces an interesting new character, the third case makes you think outside of the box, and the last case…holy crap its easily one of the best stages in gaming history. As usual, a great story grows from great character development, and the Phoenix Wright franchise is no exception. You come to love characters like Phoenix and Maya, and it makes some extremely convincing villains. The murderer in case two was so bad I wanted to bring him to life so I could beat the crap out of him. Its hard to talk about a game like this because its something you just have to play to understand, no words I say will do this game justice. Actually, that's not true, here are some words that will do just that….buy this game NOW!

- HOLD IT!!.....OBJECTION!!

2) Pokemon Diamond and Pearl -Are you really surprised to see a Pokemon game ranked this high on a list of great portable games? Pokemon saved the original Gameboy, and sent shockwaves through the kids of America. Television, movies, toys, trading cards…Pokemon dominated all forms of media. Even now that its popularity is cooling down (well, compared to how it was in ye olden days), the games are still a constant treat on portable Nintendo systems. Diamond and Pearl are the perfect pokemon games, everything the old games could do, Diamond and Pearl did better. The first big change that you see is the online features of the game. You can now trade and battle with all of your friends across the planet. This was quite the improvement over gathering all of your friends in one place, then having to attach those annoying link cables (thank god those things are gone). Don't have any friends? No problem, the GTS allows you to trade with complete strangers. The GTS is like a Pokemon auction house, you put up a pokemon, say what you want, and then you play the waiting game. Another addition was the Poketch, which was a gimmicky little watch that occupied the bottom screen of the DS. It didn't serve any important function, but it had some watch, which reminds me how long I'd been wasting my time on the game, so that is pretty useful. Those new bells and whistles don't change the fact that this is a pokemon game, and still has the same classic play style. Running around, catching pokemon, getting badges, and finding ways around obstacles. What really makes this game special is the fact that it has brought back the people who grew up with pokemon as well as the young kids who are just now getting into the series. Things like the EV system will occupy the older gamers and the kids will just flock to the little creatures that you can catch, so its fun for the whole family!

- This goes out to the fans of Croagunk everywhere.

1) Elite Beat Agents - Best. Rhythm game. Ever. Don't even argue with me on this one, because I will just ignore every point you make. Elite Beat Agents is easily in my top ten games of all time, and provides a thrill that few other games provide. For example, when you are playing Jumping Jack Flash, you get so into the music as you tap those notes. By the way, if you click that link you will see how incredibly freaking hard that last mission is. The difficulty isn't too annoying, and it actually ends up making the game better. You'll get tired of those songs with a low amount of notes and will enjoy songs filled with quick taps and tons of notes a lot more. At first, you'll think the game is really hard, and the accomplishment you'll feel after conquering Jumping Jack Flash will be enormous. But there is more! There are four difficulties in this game, and the last two are so hard it may very well drive you insane. One thing that turns people off to this game is the track list. Well, honestly, this track list is no worse than some of the crap they force down our throats in Guitar Hero. But the big reason you can't ignore this game based on the track list is that this game has the best cover bands ever. If you clicked that link I posted you heard Jumping Jack Flash, I dare you to listen to the old version, its awful. Most every song on the track was greatly improved by the cover bands, the bands are so good they made an Ashlee Simpson song good! The other thing that turned people off of this game was the appearance, it looked too weird, and you know what happens to games that look too weird? Nobody buys them, and the series never sees the light of day again in America. This is the sad truth, there will probably never be another Elite Beat Agents in the United States. We get one Elite Beat Agents and we're going to get 3 Guitar Heroes in one year, that makes a lot of sense. Oh well, here is wishing for another EBA to hit Western shores…

- EBA, EBA, EBA….

Honorable Mentions: Etrian Odyssey, Kirby Canvas Curse, Wario Ware Touched, The World Ends With You (I haven't played it, but Derek has been bragging on it)



That's all for this week's edition of the 10th hour, next week Derek Robbins will be back with a vengeance, and from what he tells me it will be a good one! If you have any feedback for me send it to [e-mail] or leave a comment below!