CVG Most Wanted: DS

15 Comments

What's this then? The CVG Most Wanted award - that blue spot brandished across this page - recognises those games in development which the CVG editors themselves are most looking forward to playing.

The specially trained artist in our crack production laboratory (the bloke in the corner of the office next to the printer) has designed the award to recognise the truly epic and ground-breaking titles - these are the games CVG would be first in the queue for on the morning of release and ones which we'd actually spend our own hard earned dollars on.

Any game which receives the CVG Most Wanted Award will have the badge proudly displayed on its game page to advise you of the titles we believe are a sign of true gaming excellence.

Today we present the first ten DS games to receive The CVG Most Wanted award:

Sonic Rush Adventure

Sega needn't have given us any specific details about this game. Just by being the sequel to Sonic Rush, it automatically became one of our most anticipated games.

But Sega DID speak about what to expect and it sounds awesome. The main point is that, despite the addition of the word 'Adventure' on the title which, for the console games, equated to 'naff 3D and shoddy physics', Sonic Rush Adventure retains the same awesome 2D mega-sprinting seem in the first DS title. But added to this game are new 3D actions stages that let you use the stylus to control a hover craft, water bike and submarine, then take on 3D bosses.

You can see these new stages in action with screens tucked away elsewhere on the site.

Custom Robo Arena

It's got giant robots that fight. That's what we like in our games, although recent mech games on other platforms have been a bit on the dull side (cough... Chrome Hounds).

But this isn't dull. You take your robot into huge battle arenas to pound the crap out of other robots with fat rockets, bombs and other explosive weapons in hectic bouts. Win and you move on, earning parts to customise your robot as you go. And if that's not already THE NUTS to you, throw in online versus play too. That sounds like "WINNER" to us.

More assets and stuff is here, but keep an eye out for a lot more in the run up to its UK release.

Kirby Mouse Attack

He may be a giant, round, slightly gay-looking pink puff ball but we've got no problems with admitting we still love Kirby games, and he's already had a good run at DS with Kirby: Power Paintbrush.

Kirby Mouse Attack, aka Kirby Squeak Squad (what is it with Kirby and rubbish game names?), is one for fans of his old-school platformers (yes, that's you, don't be shy). Only this time you can mix the abilities of multiple enemies. Plus Kirby can now interact with the environment too, burning trees with his flame breath and freezing water with ice breath. He's all about powerful breath, is Kirby.

Embrace his pink power. Look at more screens here.

Final Fantasy: Chocobo Tales

This year is a dream year for DS-owning Final Fantasy fans. Square Enix is all over the dual-screen handheld with FFIII, Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates and this, a Final Fantasy-themed mini game romp.

You can walk around and talk to people - like you FF fans seem to love doing so much - but the core gameplay lies in a series of clever mini game challenges that uses the two screens and touch functions in a wide range of mechanics. Each game is rather quirkily related to a fairy tale of some kind. And they're great fun in the wireless four-player mode, too. Who says we're too old for fairy tales?

Elite Beat Agents

If the name Ouendan means anything to you, then you will already know why Elite Beat Agents is special. But if not, you don't know what you've been missing.

Ouendan is one of the most imported games in the DS. It's an awesome touch-screen rhythm-action game that's totally off its head, and as insanely addictive as it is challenging. Western games got a whiff of it, word spread and we all went bonkers for it, hence a westernised re-working, in the form of Elite Beat Agents, was born. It's got songs in a language you can understand (even though one of them is shamefully Avril Lavigne's 'Skater Boi') and the stories are of an American theme.

Get groovy with more screens and info.

SimCity

The DS remake of the classic god game is on its way, and we reckon its going to prove that the prospect of building your own city never gets old. Ever.

The fact that this will be a PROPER SimCity game on a portable console is exiting enough. But this version has all sorts of DS trickery tucked away in it's dark back-alleys. Building with the stylus will make construction as easy at it was on PC, and the dual screens let you keep a closer eye on the whole town via an overview map on one screen while you continue your activities in the normal view on the other.

Plus you can put out fires by blowing on the DS microphone, and you know how much you love all these games that make you blow your DS.

Take a look here for more.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

The main FFXII quest is going down a storm on the PS2, and Square Enix has got a treat lined up for DS fans with this spin-off.

Little to nothing is known about the DS version, except that it's going to have a closely related but alternate story line to the PS2 adventure, and will allow fans to visit many of the main locations in the console game. Also, being designed for a portable, Revenant Wings will lead you through its plot in bite-size episodes, and the new battle system in FFXII will make use of the stylus.

Either way, the more Final Fantasy on DS the better. There'll be a lot more info appearing here as Square Enix uncovers what treats it has in store.

Nanostray 2

We're suckers for old-school scrolling shoot-'em-ups and, quite frankly, there's not enough of them on DS.

The original Nanostray looked awesome and had all the makings of a great shooter (lasers and insane bullets swarms, and hard-as-nails bosses) but its strange 3D perspective and crap touch-screen weapon-select system put a downer on things.

Nanostray 2 has all that sorted, and throws in some new tricks too: awesome levels that rotate from vertical to horizontal scrolling, screen-sized bosses that go berserk with lasers, and new weapons. Yes!

Just look at the trailer, guys. That's all you need to do.

MySims

We're looking forward to the Wii game, so you can bet we're keeping a close eye on the DS version of MySims, too.

Although EA seems more than happy to show off that the Wii game will be all about, it's keeping the DS version very much under wraps, only showing a few screenshots that show it will boast the same cartoony art direction as its bigger brother. But we're not expecting simply a cut-down version of the console game - we expect the DS game to put a different spin on the new Sims universe, and even connect with the Wii version for some sort of wireless character transfer action or something along those lines. EA's on to something good with this one.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates

What? Three Final Fantasy games in our first 10 Most Wanted DS games list? Yeah, you heard us. Like we said, the more Final Fantasy games on DS, the better.

The great thing is Square Enix is putting in the effort to deliver something different each time the FF series hits DS. Ring of Fates follows up from the spin-off Crystal Chronicles series which started on GameCube, with more action-orientated gameplay (no turn-based stuff) and a clever co-operation mechanic, just like its predecessor. You'll be exploring vast dungeons full of beasts to battle and puzzles to ponder over, and unlike the original you won't have to worry about carrying that bloody crystal.

Square is keeping FFCC locked away in a giant RPG-filled chest at the moment but there'll be more here when it decides to unleash the FF love.

Mike Jackson