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Try It! / Avoid It!	Nintendogs
Full Review

Despite all the positive press collected by Nintendogs it’s probably amassed as many haters as it has lovers, so, for this reason, we’ve duly marked it as both must try and also avoid. How on Earth can that be? Well, some may say it’s a little boring, and that there’s an awful lot of faffing involved with actually training your dog—who also damages the overall game thanks to largely dumb A.I., which really isn’t in keeping with canine intelligence. Of course, if you’re an über patient gamer and you like cutesy pooches, then Nintendogs is obviously a must buy title. If, on the other hand, you’re less patient, and aren’t that interested in preening, feeding, and training your modern-day Tamagotchi (because that’s pretty much what this is) then avoid! Simple.

Try It!	Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Full Review

And here’s another DS game that falls into the ‘odd and quirky’ category. You play as Phoenix Wright, a male attorney involved in numerous weird cases in this story-driven title. If you’re looking for something a little different, then you may well have found it here, but take note: it’s not for those gamers who want fast-paced action. Much of Phoenix Wright involves reading text and taking careful note of evidence and what people are saying. If you can get over the dodgy storylines, you’ll likely enjoy Mr Wright’s antics. Objection!

Avoid It!	PingPals
Full Review

Oh dear, what we have here is essentially a reworking of the free firmware that comes on every DS, that of ‘Pictochat’. The odd thing about Ping Pals is that it’s not even as good as Pictochat, yet you’re expected to actually pay money for it. This appears to be a title that THQ thought they’d rush out for when the Nintendo DS was first released—and it shows. Even if this is in the bargain bin, at a bargain price, on a day when you’re actually looking for a bargain, you’ll probably be wise to think again.

Buy It!	Pokemon Trozei
Full Review

Don’t be fooled by the ‘Pokemon’ title, sure this has pokemon in it, but don’t let that put you off. If you like puzzle titles then you’ll find Pokemon Trozei a great deal of fun. You use the DS stylus to slide entire rows of pokemon around until you have a line of four or more that match, whereupon they disappear. There are various modes to play, but it all comes down to the same thing, which is matching up and removing pokemon—not that this is a bad thing. Ignore the ‘Pokemon’ element of the title, which makes it sound like a kiddie-only game, if you’re a fan of puzzle games then the chances are that you may well enjoy this one. If you’re a fan of Zoo Keeper, it’s pretty much a given.

Buy It!	WarioWare Touched!
Full Review

If you're new to the DS scene, you've missed some shining examples of innovative gameplay and WarioWare Touched in one of such example. It's weird, fun and seriously addictive, though some may argue it lacks depth. What you essentially have is loads of insane mini games that utilise each aspect of the DS console. Use the mic and touchscreen to fight your way through the various levels, getting through as many as possible. It's fast, frantic and a whole lot of laughs. If you don't have it, you can probably get it cheap now. What are you waiting for.

Try It!	Trauma Center: Under the Knife

And yet another innovative title from the Nintendo stable. In Trauma Center, you play as a young surgeon in what could be deemed a 21st century version of ‘Operation’—the electronic board game where players removed bones and organs from a patient, and the game would buzz if the metallic sides of the incision were touched with the removal tweezers. Obviously Trauma Center is far more complicated than that, but the idea is the same as you suture, stitch, and tweeze your way through various cases. The downside of Trauma Center is its difficulty, which has a tendency to ramp up a little way in and can lead to some frustratingly repetitive gaming hours.

Try It!	Zoo Keeper
Full Review

Yes, okay, you can play it for free on your PC, but that’s no reason not to purchase this on the DS platform too. It’s as basic a puzzler as you’re ever likely to get, but, let’s face it, a puzzle title doesn’t need to be all bells and whistles to be a lot of fun and as addictive as hell, which, by the way, Zoo Keeper is. All players need do is use the stylus to drag and join up groups of three animal icon blocks so that they match and disappear—you know the sort of thing, you’ve seen it countless times. However, Zoo Keeper is one of those games that’s hard to remove from the DS; indeed, only the aforementioned Pokemon Trozei is likely to usurp it.