Achievement Unlocked! Episode 3

This episode is especially dedicated to the best and worst in DS in 2007. Enjoy!

BEST DS GAME OF 2007

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass^ A new and refreshing way to play Zelda.

We knew Phantom Hourglass would be a hit, didn’t we? It turned out that the game isn’t only a hit, but also one that exceeded all expectations – one that is truly the BEST DS game of 2007. Without a vestige of doubt, Phantom Hourglass is second to none and that can be seen in its design and its music. I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that the game was treading on a knife-edge when you first started playing the game because for sure, the all touch-screen controls would need some getting used to. But it will take you just under a minute to discover that the control scheme is nothing but an act of genius for everything’s so intuitive and responsive – which comes the question: Wouldn’t it be awesome if touch-screen controls for all DS games could be this good?

Phantom Hourglass is one of those puzzle-heavy action games that you rarely find in the market. There’s a simple reason to it, though: Fusing puzzles into the action with fluidity isn’t an easy job and few developers have done it right, but it just happens that Phantom Hourglass is one of those games that nailed that down perfectly. An applaud it deserves.

To top it all off, the game has a wide variety of cool weapons and it has got a great musical score that is both catchy and memorable. The game is also brimming with content. What better way to invest your money in a DS game than purchase Phantom Hourglass? Find out more by heading over to the full review here.

MOST GRAPHICALLY IMPRESSIVE DS GAME OF 2007

Need for Speed Pro Street^ Smoke never looked so beautiful.

By now, you should know that the DS isn’t built for intensive 3D graphics. But that doesn’t preclude developers from pushing the DS to its limit – from showing us what the DS is really capable of. Certainly, it is more than just plain reverie as there is an almost imperceptible presence of pixellation when you’re playing the game. The environments are nothing short of spectacular and so are the cars. The developers even attempted to produce some kind of basic reflection on the cars’ windows and windscreens. It is amazing, really. A console level production is what this is known as. On a sidenote, this game’s pretty difficult and I have serious trouble completing it.

MOST HOTLY ANTICIPATED DS GAME THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT INTO 2007

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword^ Eye-pleasing, totally.

As 2007 nears its end, I found myself wondering a few weeks ago: Where is Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword? Isn’t it arriving this year? Duh! It has been delayed to 2008, so don’t bother looking for it on the store shelves this holiday. But at least, there’s something really big to look forward to for DS next year. Dragon Sword utilizes beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds for graphics and full touch-screen controls.

MOST DISAPPOINTING DS GAME OF 2007

WWE SmackDown! Vs. Raw 2008^ Looks are deceiving.

WWE SmackDown! Vs. Raw 2008 just got smacked down by the one of the most retarded gameplay ever to appear in a DS game. If you are true WWE gaming fan, STAY AWAY from this game. Run very far away. This isn’t WWE in any way – rather, this is a TURN-BASED wrestling game – well, in a way. You see, for WWE DS, THQ decided to opt for a full touch-screen control scheme and I can tell you it sucks. Really, like TOTALLY. And forget about moving around the ring, because the game doesn’t allow you to do so. At anytime during your turn (note the word turn, because it’s turned-based!), you will be presented with 3 icons for 3 specific moves. Tap on any of the icons and you will be required to perform some swipes and turns on the touch-screen. Well, easier said than done. Smaller moves like a punch or kick are simple to execute and with a pace that is quick too. The problem is … … you can’t win matches by using smaller moves all the time and that’s why the bigger moves are there. These moves require more complex actions that take a longer time to perform and it just isn’t fair that the A.I. always outpace you into executing the moves (that is, a counter-attack). Call it cheap, dirty, whatever. The end result will mostly be a defeat for you. Well, there are some nice touches in the game like authentic entrance music for each superstar, but then again, would you like a WWE game with no in-match commentary, that has a lesser selection of wrestlers than its console counterparts, and a shallow season mode? Perhaps the most important question is: Would you like to play a TURN-BASED WWE game that is fatally broken in EVERY WAY POSSIBLE save for the entrance music? For this, WWE for the DS receives the most disappointing DS game of 2007 award (well, sort of) and the first red score from me this year (but I have not written the full review yet).