With ThunderCats on the DS almost here, what other licensed games impressed us.
With the upcoming release of Thundercats on the Nintendo DS, it is the perfect time to look back at the life of the DS and recognize licensed games that didn’t pale in comparison to their source material. Your favorite television show, movie, or character may have made the leap to your DS, and you might never have known it. What other licensed Nintendo DS games did you enjoy? If you have any favorites feel free to shout them out below.
One Piece: Gigant Battle
One Piece lived a short life on North American cable, but has been a long running manga and anime series in Japan. It is only fitting that such a story deserves such an amazing game. This sprite-based brawler caters to fans of the series through its familiar locales and extensive character roster. Along with the game’s single player campaign, there exists a leveling system, secret missions, and even shops to buy additional moves. One Piece: Gigant Battle was never brought to North America, but it did make its way to Europe. A sequel was released exclusively in Japan last fall and also received much praise. Check out our review of the game here.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
The games in the Batman universe have been well-received over the past few years, with the most recent of which heading to the Wii U. Batman: The Brave and the Bold, developed by WayForward, is a fairly straightforward platforming brawler. The game features not only Batman, but plenty of other playable characters like Aquaman and Green Lantern. It may have been a short game, but its fun combat, great presentation, and bonus missions made it a licensed game that wasn’t half bad. Read our review.
Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction
There are plenty of Cartoon Network shows that get their own video games. Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction is a case where that video game is actually good. With the ability to transform into many different aliens, it gives the platforming elements of stages a greater variety. The game uses detailed 3D character art that looks great, and ultimately stands out over other Ben 10 DS games. Check out NWR' review here.
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
Being such a well-known franchise, it might be surprising that there exists a Wizard of Oz RPG on the DS. The game features a completely original story that contains many of the key players from the original tale. The game is controlled completely via the touchscreen, and is done quite well. The world of Oz’s 3D environment looks great and detailed on the DS’s screen. The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road proves that even a license like The Wizard of Oz can be turned into a great game. Check out our review.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Spider-Man is another super hero that generally makes his way to stellar licensed games. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows features a Metroid-like style of exploration that provides non-linear gameplay, and a fantastic control scheme makes combat entertaining and more rewarding than a standard beat ‘em up style of gameplay. Read the review here.
