Tell me about Nintendo DS please

[Moxie]

My 7 1/2 year old has been saving his money for a Nintendo DS for a long time. He even picked a WM gift card as his Cub Scout popcorn selling prize to use for his Nintendo. I thought it was a passing fancy but the little stinker is almost there! So, what do I need to know? Do you buy games for it? Are there any games that would be best for his age?

[lauriep]

I'll give you my general answer and I'm sure others will give you specific suggestions. Search on-line for DS game reviews before you buy any of the game cartridges. The good games are $30 each. Don't go to the store to buy games without doing homework first. I will now only buy games with a reviewer rating between a high 6 and 10, the higher the better. There are plenty of fun-looking games at the stores that are pretty lame. Also if you live near a Blockbuster, check to see if they have DS games available to rent so you can try them first if you're unsure.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My 7 1/2 year old has been saving his money for a Nintendo DS for a long time. He even picked a WM gift card as his Cub Scout popcorn selling prize to use for his Nintendo. I thought it was a passing fancy but the little stinker is almost there! So, what do I need to know? Do you buy games for it? Are there any games that would be best for his age?

 

The kids have to do research on any game and explain if it is honoring of our family's values. This also helps them find games that seem like they'd be fun (like Harry Potter) but that are reviewed as pretty poor gameplay.

 

We have enjoyed Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime Hunters and the various Pokemon games. Zoo Tycoon is a favorite (we have both the original and #2).

 

A couple things to look for. Some games can be played multiplayer with a gamecard in one DS and downloaded to other DS games. Others require each player to have their own cartridge.

We've also had good luck with getting slightly older games used from stores like Gamestop. They still come with a warranty period (enough to see that the game does work) and are less expensive than new games.

I made our kids buy their own DS, but I bought a screen guard and a Nerf outer case for them to protect the game. The Nerf case fits on the outside of the case. It makes it a bit larger, but I figured that the way my kids drop things that it was worth the $12.

[Brenda in FL]

He would probably like the Lego games - Star Wars (there's a few different ones, but the newest is The Complete Saga) and Indiana Jones. There's also Batman, but my kids haven't tried that one yet.

 

Mine also like Pokemon - but there's a whole culture of Pokemon that will come into your home if you go that route!! It can become an obsession. However, it doesn't last forever!

[TKs]

My son has all the lego games. They are great fun. He also have one of the Mario games, can't remember the name. We bought his the DS for his birthday, but he has bought all of games. But he is not allowed to buy a game with a rating of T or higher, with out us, the parents, looking into it first. We do put a time limit on it, or else he would be on there all day.

[Tracey in TX]

My kids love DS. My favorite game is "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" The like Nintendogs (get to have your own 'pretend' dog, with personal idiosyncrasies), Animal Crossing, and Mario Cart. It's a good activity to keep attention at dr appt, car rides, etc. The DS Lite allows you to "IM" each other (if you have the "friend code"). DCs enjoy texting each other and passing notes at bedtime! :)

[hsmamainva]

First, find a used video game store! You can save $$$ buying used games, and you can find games that aren't available anymore.

 

My boys love all the Lego games (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.). They also love anything with Mario in it. Pokemon is a BIG hit with my 9 year old!!!

 

They like games with animated characters and there are numerous ones out there...just make sure it's rated "E" for Everyone, since you have a young player.

[ummix3]

Both my girls have a DS. We only had one then my dh bought them another one because you can play against eachother and also chat if you're in the same room. They like Mario Party DS, Sonic and Mario and the olympic games, Mario Hoops (if he/she likes basketball), yoshis island is also a favorite.

 

One thing to keep in mind though there is a new ds that is coming out soon (not sure how soon though) you can check it out here:

 

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3170305

 

 

Michelle

[Laura Corin]

My boys enjoy playing Super Mario Kart - it's a fairly simple racing game that was a good starter for them.

 

Laura

[Night Elf]

I second the used game store idea. The one near us is called Game Stop. In all retail stores, new video games cannot be returned once opened. At Game Stop, I can buy used games, take them home and play them for a day or two and return them for a full refund if we don't like the game.

 

One of our favorite games is Professor Layton and the Curious Village. It's a mystery solved by working lots of logic puzzles.