Saul's Favorite Multiplayer DS Games
Mario Kart DS: It's Mario Kart. It's online. Not much more needs to be said, right? We'll, I'll say more anyway. The first game to take Nintendo's revered kart racing series online, Mario Kart DS nails the classic gameplay, adds innovative power ups, and delivers on just about everything it sets out to do. Mario Kart has always been a fantastic multiplayer experience, but the ability to play your friends locally and online ups the ante. Playing against strangers is fun, although a little impersonal due to the fact that you can't communicate with anyone or add them to your friends list. Playing with cheating "snakers" is also an experience in frustration. Still, playing with friends, either locally or online, is pure bliss thanks to the series' trademark balance and hijinks. Every DS owner with a wifi connection should definitely have this game in their catalog.
Goldeneye: Rogue Agent: It's a port of a crappy game, looks spotty, and has a weak single player mode. So why is it on my list? Because it controls great and is as fun as the N64 Goldeneye in multiplayer. Seriously. Slow sales and mediocre scores kept most gamers from playing this game, and its tough to recommend this game if you don't have friends with a DS to play against, but if you do, check this one out. First of all, you can do wireless multiplayer with up to four other people with just one cart. Having multiple copies of the games opens up more (and larger) maps. The gunplay is very satisfying, thanks to touch controls that rival Metroid Prime Hunters and a nice lineup of guns that feel satisfying and are balanced well. The maps are multi-tiered and fun, with a mix of open areas and tight corridors not unlike the classic N64 Goleneye. With online play, this game would've easily have been superior to Metroid Prime Hunter's multiplayer, and if you have friends with the game that you can play, it still is.
Animal Crossing: Wild World is not your typical multiplayer game. There is no competition, no scoreboards, and no rankings. Instead you join friends in their town (or yours) and........share. And while that may seem like no fun in multiplayer, its perfect for Animal Crossing. A huge part of Animal Crossing involves collecting, so the ability to search out and find rare items in your friend's towns, or trade valuable goods, is pretty cool. You can send basic text messages to each other, and you can even help out by planting or dropping gifts. Animal Crossing is already a very addicting game, but the ability to go out and share items, including custom made patterns for decals, takes the experience to another level.
Clark's Favorite Multiplayer DS Games:
Saul already mentioned this one, but I have to point it out anyway, because it's that good. Mario Kart DS is surefire. I've played this game more than any other in my DS collection, logging over 800 multiplayer races. When my friends and I get together for some Mario Kart, we set the tracks on random and play until we've seen all 32 races. Then we move onto the battle mode. This never gets old.
My second most-played multiplayer game is Bomberman Land Touch. There is no ultimate Bomberman on DS, since the two currently on the market both have their problems, but Bomberman Land Touch is the preferred experience. The revenge mode works much better, and you get the ability to turn off those annoying power-down items. This is also one of the best examples of good download play. It doesn't take long at all to broadcast the full battle mode to the other (eight? oh yeah!) players, and once you've gotten past that, you never have to wait again.
Another great multiplayer game is Big Brain Academy. This one is hilarious with three or more people. I love watching the other players' icons jump forward or fall back depending on how good/bad they are doing. When you take the time to actually think about the questions/puzzles, it's not difficult to get them right. But because you are up against other players, it becomes such a scramble to be first and prove yourself as the "smartest."
Pac Man Vs was one of the best multiplayer games on GameCube, and it appears on the DS in mostly good form in Namco Museum DS. While the museum compilation sucks overall, Pac Man Vs is a must-have for those of you with three DS friends. And since the game sports download play, only one of you needs to have it. But this is one of those games that has to be played with all four people, otherwise you just won't get the same effect.
For those of you into the import scene, Jump! Ultimate Stars makes for a great fighting game. The download option is very stripped, however, so you really need to hook up with other people who also own it. But, uh... good luck finding them. Seriously, though, this is a deep and rich fighter that nearly bests Super Smash Bros. It just doesn't work so well with four players, because the framerate absolutely dies.
Mario Kart DS: It's Mario Kart. It's online. Not much more needs to be said, right? We'll, I'll say more anyway. The first game to take Nintendo's revered kart racing series online, Mario Kart DS nails the classic gameplay, adds innovative power ups, and delivers on just about everything it sets out to do. Mario Kart has always been a fantastic multiplayer experience, but the ability to play your friends locally and online ups the ante. Playing against strangers is fun, although a little impersonal due to the fact that you can't communicate with anyone or add them to your friends list. Playing with cheating "snakers" is also an experience in frustration. Still, playing with friends, either locally or online, is pure bliss thanks to the series' trademark balance and hijinks. Every DS owner with a wifi connection should definitely have this game in their catalog.
Goldeneye: Rogue Agent: It's a port of a crappy game, looks spotty, and has a weak single player mode. So why is it on my list? Because it controls great and is as fun as the N64 Goldeneye in multiplayer. Seriously. Slow sales and mediocre scores kept most gamers from playing this game, and its tough to recommend this game if you don't have friends with a DS to play against, but if you do, check this one out. First of all, you can do wireless multiplayer with up to four other people with just one cart. Having multiple copies of the games opens up more (and larger) maps. The gunplay is very satisfying, thanks to touch controls that rival Metroid Prime Hunters and a nice lineup of guns that feel satisfying and are balanced well. The maps are multi-tiered and fun, with a mix of open areas and tight corridors not unlike the classic N64 Goleneye. With online play, this game would've easily have been superior to Metroid Prime Hunter's multiplayer, and if you have friends with the game that you can play, it still is.
Animal Crossing: Wild World is not your typical multiplayer game. There is no competition, no scoreboards, and no rankings. Instead you join friends in their town (or yours) and........share. And while that may seem like no fun in multiplayer, its perfect for Animal Crossing. A huge part of Animal Crossing involves collecting, so the ability to search out and find rare items in your friend's towns, or trade valuable goods, is pretty cool. You can send basic text messages to each other, and you can even help out by planting or dropping gifts. Animal Crossing is already a very addicting game, but the ability to go out and share items, including custom made patterns for decals, takes the experience to another level.
Clark's Favorite Multiplayer DS Games:
Saul already mentioned this one, but I have to point it out anyway, because it's that good. Mario Kart DS is surefire. I've played this game more than any other in my DS collection, logging over 800 multiplayer races. When my friends and I get together for some Mario Kart, we set the tracks on random and play until we've seen all 32 races. Then we move onto the battle mode. This never gets old.
My second most-played multiplayer game is Bomberman Land Touch. There is no ultimate Bomberman on DS, since the two currently on the market both have their problems, but Bomberman Land Touch is the preferred experience. The revenge mode works much better, and you get the ability to turn off those annoying power-down items. This is also one of the best examples of good download play. It doesn't take long at all to broadcast the full battle mode to the other (eight? oh yeah!) players, and once you've gotten past that, you never have to wait again.
Another great multiplayer game is Big Brain Academy. This one is hilarious with three or more people. I love watching the other players' icons jump forward or fall back depending on how good/bad they are doing. When you take the time to actually think about the questions/puzzles, it's not difficult to get them right. But because you are up against other players, it becomes such a scramble to be first and prove yourself as the "smartest."
Pac Man Vs was one of the best multiplayer games on GameCube, and it appears on the DS in mostly good form in Namco Museum DS. While the museum compilation sucks overall, Pac Man Vs is a must-have for those of you with three DS friends. And since the game sports download play, only one of you needs to have it. But this is one of those games that has to be played with all four people, otherwise you just won't get the same effect.
For those of you into the import scene, Jump! Ultimate Stars makes for a great fighting game. The download option is very stripped, however, so you really need to hook up with other people who also own it. But, uh... good luck finding them. Seriously, though, this is a deep and rich fighter that nearly bests Super Smash Bros. It just doesn't work so well with four players, because the framerate absolutely dies.
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