The Nintendo DSi
Legends of Exidia
The game itself is fairly standard: you’re a guy that needs to save a princess, beat monsters, slay a dragon, etc. So what was different: the way it was done. There are actually quite a number of awesome puzzles that made this game much better than any hack and slash, and some enemies even require skill and timing to defeat correctly. The most underrated part of the game is the unlockable content. It it extremely difficult to beat, but adds so much more to the story and gameplay.
Dracula: Undead Awakening
By far, this is my favorite Nintendo DSi game ever. You’re Van Helsing and need to defeat waves of vampires and monsters. The armies of the undead will unceasingly come at you until you die. And it seems like you can never win.
And that’s the awesome and addicting part: you can’t win. The best you can do is just try to top your other scores and learn from your mistakes.
Van Helsing typically starts out with a lowly pistol and upgrades the arsenal as time goes on. He also gets to unlock various powers that make him that much more deadly against Dracula’s minions. Of all the games on this list, this is the one that I literally always start up each time I pick up my DSi after taking a long break from it.
Earthworm Jim
The remake of the much-loved 16-bit game is also one that I still can’t beat. While it won’t take up a big chunk of your life like Dracula can, it’s still a very badass game. Players of the original may remember how difficult it was to beat; the remake has an easier option, plus specific content designed for the DSi version of the game.
What puts it on this list is its simple nostalgia value, humor, and the new mini-games. For example, in several places the player will encounter a camera and needs to mimic Jim’s facial expression for a certain period of time in order to get extra bonuses. It’s a neat use of the DSi’s hardware camera.
Dark Void Zero
Ostensibly a companion piece to Capcom’s Dark Void on the Xbox 360 and PS3, Dark Void Zero is a surprisingly fun and frustratingly hard retro action game. It feels like a cross between Metroid and Blaster Master, sending the player through three sprawling levels with only a jetpack, a gun, and a very limited amount of health. It’s a great bit of faux-nostalgia with great work from Capcom on the game’s 8-bit-style sprites and beepy soundtrack. You even have to “blow” on the “cartridge” (into the mic) to start the game. Like Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Capcom managed to make a retro companion piece that completely outshines the game it was intended to promote.
Soul of Darkness
What puts this Castlevania-ish game on the list is just how many challenging puzzles are in it. They require precise timing, skill and care, all in concert with the right in-game powers available to the prince. It’s a Twilight Metroidvania for dudes, and you can read my full review on the game here.
Hero of Sparta
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology and 300, you’ll probably like Hero of Sparta. There’s no saving anyone in this game: just defeat the lord of the Underworld and his minions. However, the various types of attacks, combinations, and weapon upgrades keep the gameplay fresh. The sheer pleasure that one gets when chopping and slicing into hoards of mythological creatures is just so satisfying, as are the gorey sounds that go with it. Replaying the entire game again in hard mode is really quite a challenge as well.
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
What would this list be without a Mario game? Donkey Kong has kidnapped the princess (yet again) and it is up to you to save her. To do this, you’ll deploy little Mario robots to do your bidding. The requires sending the robots off in the right directions to solve various puzzles and then getting them home in a certain amount of time. It’s actually the hardest puzzle game I’ve ever played to the point of where I totally gave up but still come back to it on occasion. As a bonus, the level creator and extensive user-generated content available through WFC will keep you coming back to the game.
Do you feel I left anything out? Let us know in the comments below.
