30 lesser-known DS/3DS games that are worth trying out.

**DS**:

[Air Traffic Chaos] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rc4RESw7gA) – A simulation game in which player manages plane flight take-offs and flight landings at five Japanese airports, and has to make choices such as: when the plane is allowed to taxi, which runway the plane should use, and ultimately, when the plane is and isn’t allowed to take off. The player can be forced to control up to 8 planes at a time, requiring excellent management skills in order to succeed. Each session of gameplay is timed, which are referred to as “shifts,” and at the end of each “shift”, a stats screen will pop up that will inform you of your grade for the round, as well as your stress level and the amount of planes you managed for the “shift.”

[Boing! Docomodake DS] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwqfK7sVEK0) – A platformer in which the player has the ability to split up into a number of small mushrooms (called minis) which are individually controlled with the Stylus. To progress in the levels, the player needs to solve puzzles, e.g. switch puzzles or making mushroom-ladders by using the minis. Throwing minis can be used to get rid of enemies and the minis are also not bound to platforms, i.e. can be dragged anywhere on the screen, but are still subject to collision detection and harm.

[Chronos Twins] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iecwFzj_UM) – An action-adventure game which takes place on both Nintendo DS screens simultaneously: the top screen shows the player in the present, while the touch screen shows the player in the past, and pressing the A Button will make both the past and present player jump simultaneously. While there are certain differences in the past and the present (for example, a platform in the past may not exist in the present), as long as the player is standing on the platform in one time period, they won’t fall.

[Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDEr9GAiotE) – An action-adventure game in which the explores the world and collects Elebits, which are small beings that pulse with electricity. The player can shake trees and lift rocks, which awakes the Elebits hiding underneath these items and forces them to flee, and the player has to catch the them before they disappear. If the player obtains several Elebits within a few seconds, they are rewarded with extra energy, which is used to activate doors and elevators, depending on how many Elebits they captured within that time frame.

[Giana Sisters DS] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl-vRJuXK0A) – A platformer in which the player can use special items that make use of the features of the DS. For example, the bubble gum item that can be activated using the touch screen and the bubble enables the player to fly and is controlled by blowing into the microphone.

[Glory Days 2] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNnPSuAvVNU) – A shooter in which the goal of the game is to provide air support for your ground troops as they advance and capture enemy bunkers, ultimately pushing them back enough that they retreat. Players can choose from three aviators and there are sixteen missions in total, moving on in time from classic WWII aircraft to modern day helicopters and F14’s. The player can also take command of ground units and earn funds, which are acquired by completing missions such as saving civilians or capturing bases, in order to build new units.

[Magnetica] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4O0_dWfMK4) – A puzzle game in which marbles roll across twisted tracks and into a hole in its center. When three same-colored marbles touch each other, they destroy themselves. With the DS Stylus, players must shoot same-colored marbles into the oncoming rows in order to prevent them from falling down the hole and thus clear a track.

[Monster Racers] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNEewFtDZkc) – A role-playing game in which the player can befriend wild monsters to train, and then use them in racing competitions. Races include slight platforming elements, environmental factors appropriate to each race track, and the ability for opponents to attack each other.

[Nanostray 2] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8-ygTKBLYc) – A shooter with a variety of subweapons, including a weapon that fires a straight beam of light for a long range assault, a weapon that fires two beams to target any enemies on screen and seek them out, and a weapon that creates an electrical field around the player and deals damage to all nearby enemies.

[Nervous Brickdown] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcgisAYB_vg) – A ball-and-paddle game that features of variety of levels built around the concept of bouncing a ball with a paddle, such as a stage in which the player needs to draw the paddle on the screen and knock the ball against ink blots, and depending on the form of the drawn paddle, the ball will bounce off differently. Other stages require the player to move through a haunted house and kill ghosts by blowing into the microphone or contain a laser beam which increases its speed.

[Pac ‘n Roll] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziwXxOddXR4) – A platformer in which the player must roll and jump onto platforms by navigating with the icon on the touchscreen. Power-ups include a feather hat which makes the player float and heavy armor which allows the player to go underwater.

[Panzer Tactics DS] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W452lUdpLNI) – A strategy game which includes three campaigns involving the German Wehrmacht, the Red Army and the Western Allies. Players direct their troops, tanks, artillery, naval, and aviation units to engage enemy units, capture cities, and establish supply lines. Hex-maps cover terrain ranging from the deserts of North Africa to the frozen Russian tundra.

[Robocalypse] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz115MXTBY4) – A strategy game in which players are in command of an army of robots defending the Earth against other, evil robots. Instead of giving orders to individual robots or squads, you set action flags down and the computer AI carries out the commands. For example, placing a flag on the ground will have the robo-troops patrolling around that area, one on an enemy base will have your unit attack that base, and one on one of your bases will have your unit defend it.

[Sideswiped] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqW1ut_r_uA) – A racing game that primarily focuses on crashing into other cars at high speed in order to cause the maximum amount of damage and earn points.

[Soul Bubbles] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNhhN-ZFsEI) – A puzzle game that requires the player to save lost Spirits by transporting them in bubbles to the exit of each level. Bubbles can be deflated if they are too big and even cut them into two bubbles and rejoin them later when required. Besides the natural dangers in form of rocks, plants or hungry critters that all destroy the bubble, there are also environment puzzles waiting to be solved like activating a switch which requires a big bubble.

**3DS**:

[Crash City Mayhem] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95kBOuVYxY) – A racing game in which there are missions that range from collecting data scattered around a city, to chasing down traitors, to stealing important items from an embassy, all while earning points for destroying anything that gets in the player’s way.

[Edge] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50oUNLfrdLE) – A puzzle game in which the player controls a cube in a geometric landscape consisting of platforms and moving shapes viewed from an isometric perspective. Each level is full of traps where the player can fall if they do not manage to roll their cube from a platform to another in the right time. Players are also able to transform the cube into a smaller version to traverse narrow passages.

[Fluidity: Spin Cycle] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt3TCAzFPUo) – A platformer in which the player takes control of a large pool of water. The water can jump, as well as transform into either a block of ice that can smash barriers, weigh down switches and cling to objects or into a cloud of vapor that can float around freely, expel gusts of wind and electrify objects by striking them with lightning.

[Frogger 3D] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBEqBTp9DaY) – An action game in which the goal is to reach a glowing marker on the other side of the stage. Obstacles that have to be dodged include cars, hawks, and the rush of coins from slot machines. Power-ups come in the form of frogs that grant different powers for a brief period of time, including a Metal Frog that allows the player to smash obstacles, a Big Frog that can leap gaps, and a Vore Frog that can leap two spaces instead of one in order to eat the food that’s on that space.

[Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSzqZ0pcAD4) – A role-playing game in which the player can use a drill that has up to four power levels and are increased through combat or restoration points in levels and decreased by taking damage. Various headwear can acquired, which have varying effects while equipped such as protection from water damage, stronger attacks, or HP restoration. Each piece of headwear can also be upgraded to increase their effects.

[Ketzal’s Corridors] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLyyR_Jyujk) – A puzzle game in which the player navigates Tetris-like shapes through shape-matching missions.

[Kokuga] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj45GuY_nKo) – A shooter in which, rather than collecting power-ups, players already have 20 “cards” to utilize. Of these 20 attack and support cards, four are randomly displayed on the touch-screen at a time and offer a variety of abilities, from an offensive laser ring around the player, to homing shots, to shield restoration and damage repairs. Players cannot cycle through the cards, and in order to get new ones, at least one current card must be used.

[OlliOlli] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSw5WJEjFgA) – A sports game in which the player guides a skateboarder that moves forward automatically through different levels with many objectives to complete, such as reaching a certain score, performing a specific trick, catching air, pushing a limited amount of times, grinding specific objects, or getting certain landings. There are no enemies in the environment, so the focus is entirely on performing tricks by jumping, doing spins, grabs, slides, flips, kicks, etc, which can be linked together into combos.

[Order Up!!] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EClhc20r9eI) – A simulation game which not only involves cooking and serving food, but also managing and running multiple restaurants. This involves adding new dishes to the menu, buying new spices, upgrading kitchens, and hiring and firing sous chefs.

[Proun+] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovpRnDKV9cM) – A racing game in which the player races a ball along a pipe while dodging obstacles.

[River City: Tokyo Rumble] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjdNrNlDKJc) – A beat-’em-up in which the player bashes their way across side-scrolling sections of Tokyo, fighting off mobs of rivals and local punks and picking up the loot and cash they drop. The player can buy food, equipment, and skills to help raise fighting stats, like boots and brass knuckles, while buying instructions on new fighting skills from bookstores adds new moves to the player’s arsenal. Pummeling enemies also increases levels.

[Siesta Fiesta] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHZStKUfSnE) – A ball-and-paddle game in which players take control of Siesta, a peacefully sleeping little guy whose bed functions as a paddle for bouncing a ball. The game features various power-ups, such as fire and ice, and special blocks that break in different ways, creating a mix of auto-scrolling platforming and pinball-like scoring combos. Levels include time-trial stages, explosive blocks that subtract points, flaming blocks, and inflatable balloons.

[Squids Odyssey] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xosdMn-tog) – A role-playing game in which the goal is to defeat a range of aquatic enemies with a party of up to four anthropomorphic squids, which belong to one of four character classes: stomper (melee fighter), shooter (ranged fighter), scout or healer. Combat is turn-based, but not grid-bound: squids are flicked across the playing field by a motion of the Stylus, bumping like billiard-balls into enemies to attack them.

[Toki Tori 3D] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfkZo4D69hw) – A puzzle game in which the goal is to collect all of the eggs scattered around the levels using whatever abilities the player has been given. The player is able to run around, climb ladders, jump half block distances, and survive any drop by flapping Toki Tori’s wings. Items include a freeze gun to disable enemies, a bridge tool to build across gaps, and a teleport power to move past some walls.

[Yumi’s Odd Odyssey] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOOx6581En8) – A platformer in which the player can use a fishing line to hook onto most surfaces, allowing the player to swing around between platforms, and stun enemies. There are also other playable characters with special abilities, including the ability to slow down time and the ability to create check points mid-level.

Thanks to Giant Bomb and MobyGames for help with descriptions.

by electricmastro