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The five best Nintendo DS games for iPhone
Cooking Mama for iPhone looks and plays just like the more expensive Nintendo DS version.
(Credit: TAITO Corp.)A few months ago my nine-year-old daughter was clamoring for a Nintendo DS. And by "clamoring" I mean following me around the house chanting, "Can-I-have-a-DS, Dad, can-I-have-a-DS, Dad?"
Long story short: I talked her into an iPod Touch instead. And why not? The Touch (and iPhone, natch) can do nearly everything a DS can, and then some.
More significantly, many of the same games my punkin wanted to play are available in the App Store (and for less money, I argued in my best Practical Dad voice). Here's a look at five popular DS titles you can play on an iPhone or iPod Touch:
- Bust-a-Move The lollipop-colored clear-the-bubbles classic just made its App Store debut, complete with head-to-head competition via Bluetooth. DS price: $19.99*. App price: $4.99. (*The original Bust-a-Move has been discontinued. That price is for the newer, but similar, Space Bust-a-Move.)
- Civilization Revolution Though you probably remember the PC classic, the recently released Civilization Revolution for iPhone is actually a port of the eponymous DS game from last summer. DS price: $11.99. App price: $4.99.
- Cooking Mama I can't say I understand the appeal of this cooking simulator, but, oh, do the kids love it. DS price: $19.99. App price: $6.99.
- Need for Speed Undercover By most accounts, the DS version of this racing gem was a bust. But the iPhone/Touch version earned an incredible 4.5 stars from nearly 4,000 reviewers. DS price: $19.99. App price: $4.99.
- WordJong Mahjong meets Scrabble in this addictive tile game. DS price: $9.99. App price: $2.99.
Granted, there are lots of DS games that aren't available in the App Store--but the reverse is true as well. And how many free DS games have you seen lately? (Just sayin'.)
Know of any other DS gems that have made their way to the iPhone? Discuss 'em in the comments!
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
Battery life isn't that great. My battery drains significantly quicker while playing games than just listening to music.
The lack of physical buttons is a turn-off for me. Games like Assassin's Creed and Pac-man, which use on-screen buttons, don't feel right without some sort of force feedback such as the click of the buttons on the DS.
That being said, a lot of puzzle/strategy games seems perfect for the device. Stuff like Cooking Mama, mahjong, solitaire etc. feel great.
If I were to get him an iPod Touch, he would have one device for music and games, but it seems like all of his friends have DS's and they all play games together, especially Pokeman. I don't believe Pokeman is on the iPod Touch yet.
There's also the issue of parental controls. I don't have to really worry about it on the DS, but I would have to if he had an iPod Touch.
I'm wainting till September for the new iPods to come out. and also for a decent Sonic game and not some Genesis port...
The DS certainly has it's appeal and I doubt nintendo will ever put any of their games on the iPhone/Touch platform but that goes the other way as well.
I think Apple should release an attachable gaming pad (mainly for touch users but I'm sure iPhone users would buy it as well) that would give it all the PSP buttons and put the coding into the SDK such that in the absence of the attachment something would show up on screen for the user to use. That one bit right there would, possibly, kill the DS to be quite honest...
For the casual gamer, it makes a ton of difference for quick puzzle games and what not, but for someone who can sit and play for an hour or more, an actual handheld gaming device should be preferred. Screen real estate can be one thing, but the combined screens of the DS are equal to or larger than the iPhone. The gaming library for the DS is huge, but they are catered to different gamers.
I am a Nintendo fan, but I fully acknowledge the rising power of the iPhone. There are novelties, especially with the accelerometer for certain games, but overall, I believe that a handheld gaming device should stay a handheld gaming device and really nothing more. Unless they can keep the same quality of games as well as extra stuff.
And sometimes, I like to be left alone and I shut my phone off (blasphemy, I know). I wouldn't be able to do that if I was listening to music or playing a game on it. :P For someone like me, having seperate devices is still preferable to having something that does everything. Although, if they made a phone that could replicate food or do my taxes for me, I'd probably look into it.
I cringe at the thought of how easily one of them could break the ipod touch just through carelessness
I have an iphone and them wanting my phone to play games has so far not been and issue.
And as to the games being more expensive we visit Gamestop every few months and trade in games they don't play any more and buy used instead of new except for birthdays and holidays.
Mario!
Zelda PH or ST?
Chrono Trigger?
Pokemon Platinum/HeartGold/SoulSilver?
FFTA2?
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days?
There's 5+ reasons that the iPod Touch/iPhone will never be the gaming device the DS/DSi is. iPods certainly rule the roost when it comes to digital music & the iPhone does seem to be a rather popular cell phone option... and maybe for the casual, "non-gamer" gamer there might be some adequate games available for it...
But the DS is freakin' awesome, even if they do seem to have an abundance of rather lame games.
And the price is great, I got Assassin's creed on sale for $5, you can't get it for the DS used at that price.
If I had one though, I'd probably get the few games that I'm too lazy to bring my ds for. I wouldn't use it to game for hours. I just find playing on the ds more comfortable cause that's what the games were made for.
They do create some good stuff and have great marketing... not to mention a lot fanboys and zombies....
Did you also hear that with the introduction of the new iPhone, sales of Sony's and Canon's HD camcorders and digital camera have decreased by 50%....
My son wanted a Camcorder and I bought him an iPhone instead..... I mean why need a camcorder if you have an iPhone....
My girlfriend wanted something that vibrates.... and I immediately thought of the iPhone... I mean what better device can be smooth enough ....sensitive and caring than the iPhone.... my only objection is that it talks back to you.... so if Apple could come up with a vibrating iphone that does not talk.... I would not hesitate to give it to my girlfriend.... They also might want consider different sizes......
Also apple might want to consider a 4th of July special edition of the iPhone... since I heard some media reports about exploding iPhones, I thought great... Next year I might buy my daughter an iPhone on the 4th of July.... She will impress her friends better with the fireworks especially coming out of her pocket..... Actually the DOD was going to start supplying some to our troops which really scared some defense contractor that Apple will soon take over their business share... come on think about it... an exploding iPhone..... May be even one that could go off on demand..... like when you send a txt message or call a special number... Damn... Brilliant ideas....
Come on guys... you don't have an iPhone yet.... why not..... It can do anything for you and everything.....
Want to wipe you *ss .... There is an app for that.....
I spent $179 fot the DS and buy about 1 game per month at $25. So the DS basically cost me $25 a month after the initial $179.
I bought the Iphone for $199 and pay about $100 a month for it along with any apps I bought to make it more functional from the start about $50. Also I had to get a 2 year contract on it which forces me to have to use it otherwise I will lose quite a bit of money. So the Iphone costs me $100 a month plus the initial $149. There were many other fees but I can't think of them all.
So honestly for price, services and games the DS is way better but as far a multi use phone the Iphone beats the DS every time...
Space Invaders: Infinity Gene
Alive4ever
The Commodore64 emulator (C64)
Samurai: Way of the Warrior (beauitful game)
Castle of Magic (refulgent platformer that actually plays well on the touch screen)
Rolando series
de Blob
Asphalt 4 (5 on its way)
Lost Empires
Hero of Sparta
Modern Combat: Sandstorm (FPS that works very well on the touch platform)
Real Racing (accelerometer works great here)
Spider
Need for Speed Undercover
Gangstar (well designed GTA sandbox clone)
Assassins Creed
Zenonia
on its way: GTA Chinatown Wars
Notwithstanding, I appreciate each of my gaming products for the irreproducible experiences they offer. And each mobile platform (DS, iphone/ipodTouch, PSP) has scads of crap as well ... it's been my experience, for instance, when walking through a gaming aisle featuring DS titles, that about 80 percent of what I'm looking I would never touch with a hundred-foot pole, not unless I were five years old. And the same can go for the AppStore, the PSP's library, and the DS' ... as one commenter said: apples and oranges man ... it largely depends on the user, the demographic. As an iphone owner, and as a gamer, I might as well game on my iPhone and occasionally save myself the trouble of packing two-to-three mobile gaming devices on a trip ... but that's just me.
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by Zomgrei
November 3, 2009 10:09 PM PST
- While there's definitely some pros and cons to either gaming system, one thing is clear: the iPod selection and price points are definitely key to what's going to make the iPod a success in the gaming market. While many people are crying that the iPod will never kill the DS (which is true), the point is that the iPod Touch and iPhone are viable alternatives to gaming devices. They're affordable, they are fully media capable (not to mention wi-fi ready with built-in web browser, which the DS does NOT offer without purchase of an external product, plus they offer a vast array of games (and not just games, but also applications) for a very small price. Nintendo expects $30 a pop for each of its new titles, sometimes more, whereas the average price for a game on the app store is $1.99, more often than not less. Granted, the Touch's games are more often than not gimicky, take a look at the Wii. 95% of it's titles are complete crap (minigames, anyone?) and yet the Wii has almost full control over the casual gaming console market.
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