Topic: Semi-Casual Games for the DS

[Phil Sandifer]

My wife got a DS for Christmas, and is rapidly growing skeptical that she will use it. I would describe her as a semi-casual gamer - she thinks that things like Nintendogs are stupid, and is lukewarm at best on Brain Age, but on the Wii she *loved* Elebits, and has had no shortage of enjoyment with Wii Sports and Wario Ware. She also expressed interest in Super Paper Mario, but hasn't gotten around to playing it, so I can't say for certain that she liked it.

She is as uninterested in something big like Zelda or Final Fantasy as one can reasonably be.

She has Cooking Mama, which she seems somewhat pleased with, and I know about Wario Ware Touched. What else would you recommend for her?

[EasyCure]

does she like soap operas or shows with dramas? does she not mind reading? try the Pheonix Wright games.

what about tetris? everyone loves tetris.

what about platformers? theres New Super Mario Bros, or Super Princess Peach and Yoshi's Island 2.

[Phil Sandifer]

Quote
Originally posted by: EasyCure
does she like soap operas or shows with dramas? does she not mind reading? try the Pheonix Wright games.

I've been considering Phoenix Wright for her. Nice to know those instincts were correct.

Quote

what about tetris? everyone loves tetris.

what about platformers? theres New Super Mario Bros, or Super Princess Peach and Yoshi's Island 2.

Entirely possible. I have New Super Mario Bros myself - maybe I'll give it to her.
 

[EasyCure]

I also meant to add Animal Crossing or some of The Sim's games to that as well. I thought of a few others but i cant remember them now, I'm at work and had to switch computers real quick so i finished my post early. oh well.

[Chozo Ghost]

If she likes Wario ware on the wii then why not get her the warioware game that is available for the DS? Another game she might like (but I myself have not yet tried) is Flash Focus. She might also like puzzle games, such as Planet Puzzle league.

Oh! And the absolute best game you could get for her would be Clubhouse games! EVERYONE loves clubhouse games because it has such a huge variety and infinite replay value to it.

[Phil Sandifer]

Quote
Originally posted by: EasyCure
I also meant to add Animal Crossing or some of The Sim's games to that as well. I thought of a few others but i cant remember them now, I'm at work and had to switch computers real quick so i finished my post early. oh well.

Probably not on those - she definitely likes a sense of achievement and challenge, and the endless sandbox thing just bores her. The problem is that she wants to be rewarded for doing better instead of punished for screwing up. For instance, she likes Guitar Hero, but plays on Easy where she can easily beat all the songs and improve her scores, not on medium where she'd fail some a few times.

[vudu]

Is your wife a fan of puzzle games?  I've logged more hours in Picross DS than any game in recent memory.  The puzzles range from super easy to frustratingly hard, so there's sure to be something for her skill level.  There's over 300 puzzles to start with, and Nintendo's also really good about putting new puzzles up on WiFi to download (so far 19 packs of 10 puzzles each).  Combine that with user-created content and the game will last quite some time.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
Is your wife a fan of puzzle games?  I've logged more hours in Picross DS than any game in recent memory.  The puzzles range from super easy to frustratingly hard, so there's sure to be something for her skill level.  There's over 300 puzzles to start with, and Nintendo's also really good about putting new puzzles up on WiFi to download (so far 19 packs of 10 puzzles each).  Combine that with user-created content and the game will last quite some time.

Vudu forgot to mention that Nintendo released this game at a budget price of 19.99 which is a steal.

[LuigiHann]

I'd recommend the GBA WarioWare (and especially Twisted) before the  DS one.

Also, Elite Beat Agents is a fantastic game. I didn't like rhythm games before EBA, so it's worth a shot even if you think you won't like it.  

Also, one that comes to mind is Point Blank... it's similar to the shooting gallery in Wii Play, but with a heck of a lot more personality and variety.  

[IceCold]

Kirby: Canvas Curse.

[Infernal Monkey]

Zoo Keeper, seriously. Extremely easy to get into, highly addictive, and it's probably like $5 by now. It also has the worst music in any game ever, which leads to turning the volume down, which means more battery life, which results in more play time!

[Flames_of_chaos]

Quote
Originally posted by: Infernal Monkey
Zoo Keeper, seriously. Extremely easy to get into, highly addictive, and it's probably like $5 by now. It also has the worst music in any game ever, which leads to turning the volume down, which means more battery life, which results in more play time!

Puzzle Quest (For the DS or PSP or XBLA) >>>>>>>>>>> Zoo Keeper

[Infernal Monkey]

Puzzle Quest merely adds a worthless storyline to the mix and silly RPG stuff! Zoo Keeper has everyones friend HITLER to give you some advice when you get thrown in the gas chamber, that's it!