DS Daily: What lured you in?

by Candace Savino { Jun 14th 2008 at 10:30AM }

Many of us here are Nintendo fanatics, so much so that we'll line up to buy a system at launch. Others are more careful about their purchases, waiting until the right circumstances before committing to a console or handheld. Wherever you fall, we assume that by visiting this site, you at least have some appreciation for the Nintendo DS.

Still, we're curious -- what was the first DS game that made you realize Nintendo's handheld was right for you? We're not asking about the first one you bought (although that may happen to be the same game), but what was the first title you played that really sold you on the DS?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

yS @ Jun 14th 2008 10:40AM

That one: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney :)

Swampgirl Inez @ Jun 15th 2008 12:02PM

Seconded.

I got my DS as a means to kill time, but when I started playing Phoenix Wright... instant Fangirl. :)

Char6296 @ Jun 14th 2008 10:41AM

Pok�mon Diamond, I'd say. I first got More Brain Training. Good at first... but boring a month later. Two days after Christmas (I bought my DS a month early, but waited until Christmas), Pok�mon Diamond rescued me from the stamps.

Kimiko @ Jun 14th 2008 10:45AM

Touch Detective. Or maybe it was Magical Starsign.

nil @ Jun 14th 2008 10:48AM

I bought my first DS at launch. I was taken in by the possibilities of the dual screen and Feel the Magic.

supa_s @ Jun 17th 2008 7:56AM

New Super Mario Bros :p After SNES, I lost interest in Nintendo and while I bought the Gamecube, I wasn't too impressed with the games. But after trying out NSMB and other games (including Phoenix Wright), I realized that it's definitely gonna be my #1 for years to come

Very Metal @ Jun 14th 2008 10:57AM

I bought a DS at launch, but it wasn't until Animal Crossing, that I'd been convinced. I played that one every day for 6 months.

McDoobie @ Jun 14th 2008 10:59AM

The presentation of the DS is what sold me, not a game. The fact that, to my knowledge, interacting with games on that level was unheard of I had to get it. My first game purchase was New Super Mario Bros., which I three-starred completion, and then MKDS, which I also three-starred.

deft @ Jun 14th 2008 11:10AM

Resident Evil DS! A gory classic, which was even further improved for the handheld version. I was utterly impressed. Also, it's not a children's game. Before I had my DS I used to think that most of the games weren't suitable for people aged 20 and above.
Turned out I was being fooled ;)

Flint @ Jun 14th 2008 11:05AM

For me it was 42 All Time Classics (I think this was called Clubhouse Games in the US?).

Also, it was the fact that Square Enix had given the DS their full support with loads of games announced and the confirmation that Dragon Quest IX would be a DS exclusive (although I'm still waiting for that one...)

Jackster @ Jun 14th 2008 11:21AM

Super Mario 64 DS was my first DS game and it got me really excited over the DS's graphics capabilities; I mean it was like an N64 in your pocket.

But Phoenix Wright was the one that really got me excited because it showed me that the DS could be the perfect place for adventure games (*ahem* Monkey Island *ahem*) to make a comeback.

iruka @ Jun 14th 2008 11:21AM

Warioware: touched.
I saw someone playing it and I got curious, then when I got the chance to play it, I loved it. I was impressed with how it used the touch screen (and somehow the mic)

Well aside from the game aspect, I got the DS because of the Japanese dictionary I can use with it.

Kadeth @ Jun 14th 2008 11:24AM

When I first saw the Metroid Prime Hunters demo on my cousin's DS phat, I was so impressed with the graphics and control that I researched the DS and decided I wanted one, but waited because I knew that the DS lite would come out soon.

JimThePea @ Jun 14th 2008 11:26AM

Advance Wars: Dual Strike, my personal favourite of the series - played it to death I can tell you...

Mathieu Bonin @ Jun 14th 2008 11:31AM

I always wanted one, but I was really waiting on the first awesome THREESOME; the same week (or just about), they released Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center and Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow.

Two first games looked as awesome as they come (and showcased the whole new DS thing) and Castlevania I just couldn't miss; especially since it was a sequel the Aria of Sorrow from the GBA.

Never felt let down since - too many games to play in fact.

FoliathR @ Jun 14th 2008 11:31AM

Children of Mana... And it made me lose interest after a short while, but luckily the presence of many other great games made my purchase worthwhile =) I would say my personal favourite's NSMB and Mario Kart DS...

GuardianBob @ Jun 14th 2008 11:32AM

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. I usually end up buying any system featuring a Castlevania title.

Hissy @ Jun 14th 2008 11:40AM

Touch Detective! I don't care what anyone says, I love that little game to death.

MKDS and Animal Crossing helped, too.

strangemusician @ Jun 14th 2008 11:46AM

Mario Kart DS was my first game, but Elite Beat Agents made me really go "wow, this system is amazing". That, and Puzzle Quest.

geekgrrl @ Jun 14th 2008 11:46AM

I'd been interested in getting a DS for a while. When the cobalt-and-black version came out, that put it over the top for me. Been enjoying it ever since :)

Nigeria @ Jun 14th 2008 11:59AM

Nintendogs: I've long sold the game, but I really did enjoy it. At the time, actually I still believe, I thought it was amazing. It was a 3D tamagotchi and I loved that kind of stuff when I was younger.I should probably buy another a copy.

ShacklesMcgee @ Jun 14th 2008 12:03PM

I just bought a DS on the tenth of June, anticipating the new Final Fantasy Tactics game. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is arguable my favourite game of all time, so ya...I needed the sequel

fliedlice @ Jun 14th 2008 12:08PM

trauma center, i was hooked instantly

bryan @ Jun 14th 2008 1:26PM

I bought it for Phantom Hourglass, although the first game I played was Warioware touched at my friends house, and I couldn't believe how much fun it was.

I bought my DS a little over a year ago with Yoshi's Island, and that and a few others held me over until October.

Roto13 @ Jun 14th 2008 12:33PM

The mini games in Mario 64 DS were cool, but the first game to really make me think "Wow, the DS is awesome" was Kirby's Canvas Curse.

Bull @ Jun 14th 2008 1:05PM

(My friend was playing his DS)
Me:Wtf?? Are you controlling Link with the stylus?
Me:The door is there!!! The trigger is there!!!!
....
(Can't stand me anymore. He saved and changed to Metroid Prime:Hunter)
Me: Your skill sucks!!! Take cover, don't run around like that.....
He: Then buy a DS and see who sucks more.

So I did it and proved that ... I suck :(

Safiel @ Jun 14th 2008 1:57PM

I had a ds pretty much since launch, but I got it as a gift and wasn't sure about the thing in the long run. Then I played Canvas Curse, and it was all good from there.

Professor Lario @ Jun 14th 2008 2:21PM

Professor Layton was the last straw. : )
I had been watching the DS for a while as it seemed the best way to re-live my SNES glory days.

BlackDS @ Jun 14th 2008 2:24PM

Mario Kart DS.

I played that game until my thumbs were tingling and numb. I have three stars on all tracks on all speeds, plus mirror mode.

Super Princess Peach was also fantastic (discovered the joy of Stafy).

Peace.

Matt G. @ Jun 14th 2008 2:47PM

Awesome topic, first off.

For me, the game that made me say "I need a DS, NOW" was SM64 DS. Back at the start of the Gamecube's lifespan, I was thinking "man, wouldn't it be great if they remade DKC2 and SM64, two of my absolute favorite games." Well, I got my wish in 2004 in that both games were remade and released that year. I bought a DS for SM64 DS.

Of course, after that, I didn't buy another game until a year later, MK DS. And that's when I knew my purchase of the handheld was well-justified.

xtremuuuu @ Jun 14th 2008 3:13PM

Professor Layton was the one that made me decide to purchase the DS. : )

Zis @ Jun 14th 2008 3:26PM

It was Electroplancton.
I used that one to convince my best friend to get a DS.
He ended up watching me play with it most of the time. Eventually he and my bf bought me my own DS. I got Wario Ware Touched and Animal Crossing, and I still play both of them.
(Btw, you have to buy Wario Ware Twisted, that game is so great!)

drewisgenki @ Jun 14th 2008 3:51PM

animal crossing hands down.. although my neighbors probably hate me by now because i haven't put down pokemon pearl in a while.

Jason @ Jun 14th 2008 3:52PM

for me it was Elite Beat Agents, it looked like an awesome game and it was. I had never considered a DS before seeing EBA, but once I gave in, I was hooked.

Hoshikawa @ Jun 14th 2008 4:04PM

DS Web Browser.

Don @ Jun 14th 2008 4:55PM

Brain Age 2. Bought the Futureshop BA2 crimson/black DS Lite package w./the nice-looking-but-rather-lame case.

I've been enjoying PSP games for awhile, but BA2 looked very different than anything I could get on PSP.

vgxtremist @ Jun 14th 2008 6:15PM

AWDS was the first game I bought with my Blue DS, but it was more of the same I had played on the GBA...it wasn't until after 3 or 4 games (can't remember the order I bought them) but Elite Beat Agents was the most fun I had with a game in a long time and I knew the DS was special...games like Trauma Center, TWEWY, Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk solidified my unique and wonderful experiences with it...can't wait for more!!

Enema @ Jun 15th 2008 5:38AM

It was definitely Trauma Center for me. Though it's been quite some time since I got my DS and I still dont have Trauma Center. :'(

Atleast I have Animal Crossing to keep me busy.

Dio @ Jun 14th 2008 7:13PM

It was Super Mario 64 for me. I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas just after launch.

aj @ Jun 14th 2008 7:22PM

Actually, it was all the SNES games on the GBA that made me notice that there was still some form of Game Boy around, I was on my way to get a GBA SP when a friend of mine told me that they were releasing ports of N64 games for the DS now (and I loved my N64). So I picked up a DS Lite, a copy of New Super Mario and Pokemon Diamond, and fell in love. The prospect of Dragon Quest just makes me love it more.

Peter S @ Jun 14th 2008 7:59PM

Hard to really answer this as it's not just one game that did it for me. Prof Layton, the Square/Enix titles (Kingdom Hearts), the huge amount of Adventure games, the ability to semi-easily run homebrew games (with the right add-ons, etc). All of these made it pretty hard to hold out much longer. Add in the fact that my younger kid can play games on it as well and it really works well as a gaming system.

Probably the biggest factor was the adventure and SqEnix games. Those just aren't being developed for PC/Wii as much as other games. They're also my favorite types of games. Of course, now I have to really look at what I'll buy for the system and what I won't - the games are cheaper, but still need to figure out what's worthwhile and what's not. :)

NetOperator Wibby @ Jun 14th 2008 9:01PM

Super Mario 64 ... and a girl i had a crush on in HS got me on Animal Crossing. lol

Ru @ Jun 14th 2008 9:26PM

Well I was pretty hyped about the DS since just before it was released in the UK. I had it pre-ordered with Super Mario 64 DS but a week before it came out, I played Wario Ware Touched in Toys 'R' Us and that convinced me that the DS was something special (and made me change my pre-order =P)

Jacksons @ Jun 14th 2008 9:33PM

The DS Lite and New Super Mario Bros. I didn't like the old style DS.

CheeseCake @ Jun 14th 2008 10:16PM

it was the design of the DS and that touch screen that made me buy it. :) but the first game that really got me into playing it was super mario 64 DS.

anonymous @ Jun 18th 2008 12:22AM

haha actually mine was also Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney

Teng @ Jun 14th 2008 10:58PM

when i had about the R4 it sold me right away

MidnightScott @ Jun 14th 2008 11:05PM

The system itself lured me in. The 2 screens and a touch screen made me get excited :D - and to think the first game I got for it was Asphalt Urban GT back on Christmas 2004. Now I own an original Silver DS, and a Dialga & Palkia Edition DS Lite, and 48 DS games =D

I love DS! ^_^ Touching is good =D