Holiday Games Gift Guide – 3DS/DS December 22, 2012

The Holidays are coming pretty soon and I know that many of you may very well be opening up brand new gifts including a wide range of consoles and handhelds for the first time. However, with a new console or handheld comes the responsiblity to find some of the best games to get for it. The hope is to bring you a list of currently in print brand new games which are either some of the best for the platform or the best deals on the platform that you can easily pick up at the store for a reasonable price, pop it into your new gaming system and enjoy every second of it! So, in the time leading up to Christmas, I’m going to be posting a series of articles for each platform and handheld system currently on the market and tell you what are some of the must-have games for new console owners!

I’m going to include games here for both the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS, as both platforms are still in print and seeing new games. Also, don’t forget that the Nintendo 3DS is fully backwards compatible with all Nintendo DS games, making it practically two platforms in one.

Okay, so lets start off by listing some games that are out for the DS, and can be played on any model DS or 3DS.

Pokémon Black 2/White 2 – The only official sequel to a Pokémon game of any generation, this game is a direct sequel to the fifth generation Pokémon Black and White games. While the game has just been released, with the heavy sales that have been going on for these games this holiday season, I have seen prices for it as low as $34.99 US each, making it cheaper than a copy of Pokémon SoulSilver. If you prefer to play the original Pokémon Black and White games before playing the sequels, you can also find Pokémon Black or Pokémon White for $34.99 US each.

The World Ends with You – A sleeper hit from Square Enix at its release, The World Ends With You has gained a cult status on the handheld. It has a fantastic art style I appreciated a lot and a unique storyline. Since the release of the iOS version a few months ago, the game has been reprinted on its original platform, the DS. While there hasn’t yet been an announcement of a sequel some of the characters from the game do make an appearance in a game further down this list. If you can find yourself a new copy, I’ve seen prices for it as low as $19.99 US, but given its popularity you may have to pay as high as $34.99 US.

Okay, now lets talk about some 3DS exclusives. These will only work on a Nintendo 3DS or 3DS XL.

Mario Kart 7 – If you own a 3DS, you must own this game. It is simply the best game I have played on the platform. A continuation of the fantastic Mario Kart series the game has some of the best 3D effects on the system, fantastic controls, and some of the best race tracks (new and old) that I have seen on any Mario Kart game. You can also play the game locally with a friend or online and race worldwide. Mario Kart 7 is 3DS exclusive and can be bought for $39.99 US.

Resident Evil Revelations – Many critics found themselves disappointed by Resident Evil 6 for the consoles, but a lot of people found a lot to love in Revelations. This was no series of minigames or rail shooting sequences, this featured the full gameplay features of a console Resident Evil game, and it all came on a handheld device in 3D. Didn’t like the control scheme? It took advantage of the Circle Pad Pro accessory just in case you needed to have an extra thumbstick. Resident Evil Revelations is currently $19.99 US for the Nintendo 3DS.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance – The first game to continue the Kingdom Hearts storyline since the release of Kingdom Hearts II back in 2005, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance easily recaptures all the magic of the original Kingdom Hearts games, and looks stunning on the 3D screen. All the original game’s gameplay is intact, and entirely new features are availble, as well as new Disney worlds to explore. You can probably find the game new for $39.99 US.

Hope you’re enjoying the list!  More will be coming all weekend!