DS Previews

Starting on September 28, anyone with a Nintendo 3DS or DSi and an Internet connection will be able to download The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition for free. The original was as fun to play as it was difficult to manage – requiring each player to have not only a Game Boy Advance and a copy of the game, but a link cable to hook the Game Boys together. Technology has caught up with Four Swords, and not only will this version allow for more convenient play wirelessly between the 3DS and DSi, but it will feature a number of new levels based on classic Zelda areas...

More than 25 years ago, Ridley Scott’s Alien hugely inspired the original NES Metroid. The parasitic monsters and claustrophobic alien world of the film translated perfectly into Nintendo’s moody sci-fi adventure, and years later, in Super Metroid, the tonal and atmospheric parallels between the two became even clearer. Today, the inspiration has come full circle, as developer WayForward is using Metroid’s explorative gameplay as the template for Aliens: Infestation...

Our earlier hands-on of Kirby Mass Attack explained the basic details of its unique approach to platforming – in short, you use the stylus to guide a horde of Kirby clones through cheerfully colored levels – and today we have a fresh look at the game, along with a batch of new images...

Earlier today we got our first chance since the chaos of E3 to actually sit down and play Kirby Mass Attack in a quiet room at Nintendo's offices. If you haven't yet made the plunge and invested in a 3DS, you'll be pleased to hear that Mass Attack comes out for plain ol' DS this September and looks great from what we've seen so far. The gameplay is quite a departure from the classic Kirby we know and love though...

Farming may be dying as an industry, but as a video game career it’s thriving. Farming games must strike some evolutionary nerve regarding the need to grow food. And Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns promises yet another million tons of fake crops...

If you’ve owned a DS for any period of time, you’re familiar with the concept of two separate things happening on the upper and lower screens. In a lot of games, this translates to having an inventory or a map on the lower screen, and too few games really try to use both screens to their full benefit, presentation-wise. If you played Henry Hatsworth’s Puzzling adventure, however, you know that some developers have a better handle on it than others. Luckily, one of the key leads behind Henry Hatsworth, Peter Ong, is taking another swat at the market, and it looks promising...

Last week, we finally had our first real look at the English-language localization of Pokemon Black and White. We've been playing imported copies for months, so while the US version didn't contain any surprises, it's nice to confirm at last that no major changes have been made in the localization process. Details inside...

A decade ago, the prospect of an unholy union between Final Fantasy and the House of Mouse would have been unbelievable – much less the prospect of such a thing bearing several beautiful multi-platinum offspring. But here we are on the cusp of 2011 with another new Kingdom Hearts title looming just around the corner – and it’s looking mighty swell...

With Golden Sun: Dark Dawn's release just over a month away, we got a chance to play through part of it at Nintendo's offices last week. From what we've seen so far, Dark Dawn seems like a nicely upgraded version of the first two games, which is exactly what we've been hoping for in the sequel...

Never got around to playing Okami on PS2 or Wii? You disgust me – close this window immediately and repent on your failure as a supporter of beautiful and original games.

Er… wait. You can stay if you promise to give Okamiden a chance this time. And if you're an Okami fan who's worried about the art style suffering on the small DS screen, rest assured that Okamiden definitely pushes the DS hardware impressively, and it still looks and sounds absolutely stunning. The paintbrushy sumi-e art style seems well-suited to the DS too, and the colors are pleasingly vibrant. Of course, Chibiterasu is adorable too...