Nintendo DS Games

Games for the Nintendo DS are stored on solid state ROM 'game cards', rather than the larger, bulkier cartridges used by previous Nintendo systems. These small, thin cards (somewhat similar to a memory card) can currently hold up to 1 gigabit (128 MB) of memory and have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM to save user data, such as game progress or high scores. The game cards are 33.0 x 35.0 x 3.8 mm, and weigh around 3.5 g (1/8 ounces).

The DS console and the games are region free, so that a console bought anywhere in the world will play games bought from any region. The one exception to this is that Chinese version games can only be played on the Chinese iQue DS, as Chinese character glyph images are stored on the console's larger firmware chip.

In addition, some games that need both players to have a Nintendo DS Game Card for multiplayer games will not work together if the games are from different regions; however, some, such as Mario Kart DS, are mutually compatible.

Players who connect online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection can play certain games over the Internet with users of a different region game. Some Wi-Fi enabled games (for example, Mario Kart DS) also allow the selection of opponents by region, so that players can limit competitors to only those opponents based in the same geographical area.

Games

There have been hundreds of games released for the Nintendo DS; the following are just some of the most highly critically-acclaimed:

2D Platformer

• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)
• Sonic Rush (2005)
• Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005)
• Yoshi's Island DS (2006)
• New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
• Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2007)
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (2007)

3D Platformer

• Super Mario 64 DS (2005)

Adventure

• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2006)
• Trauma Center: Under the Knife (2006)
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (2007)

Role-Playing

• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (2006)

Action Role-Playing

• LostMagic (2006)

Fantasy Action Adventure

• Scurge: Hive (2006)

Horror Action Adventure

• Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (2006)

Modern Turn-Based Strategy

• Advance Wars: Dual Strike (2005)

Historic Turn-Based Strategy

• Age of Empires: The Age of Kings (2006)

Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter

• Metroid Prime: Hunters (2006)
• Bionicle Heroes (2007)

Edutainment

• Big Brain Academy (2006)
• Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day (2006)

Virtual Life

• Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends (2005)
• Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends (2005)
• Nintendogs: Labrador and Friends (2005)
• Nintendogs: Dalmatian and Friends (2006)
• Animal Crossing: Wild World (2006)

Puzzle

• Meteos (2005)
• Bomberman (2005)
• Zoo Keeper (2005)
• Feel the Magic: XY/XX (2005)
• Bomberman Land Touch! (2007)
• Gunpey DS (2007)

Rhythm/Music

• Elite Beat Agents (2007)

American Football Sim

• Madden NFL 07 7.7 (2006)

Kart Racing

• Mario Kart DS (2005)

Skateboarding

• Tony Hawk's American Sk8land (2005)

Compilation

• Clubhouse Games (2006)