Retrobot's favorite: Score Attack games

Yoshi's Touch & Go (DS, 2005)
Overlooked by many as a DS tech demo, Yoshi's Touch & Go is the very definition of a score attack game. Its score attack beauty lies in its incredibly short length. There are just two sections in the standard game - one with baby Mario falling through the sky and the other with him on Yoshi's back - and then it ends. It's what you do in those sections that counts.

Above: A Japanese trailer for the game, with some gameplay. It's harder than she makes it out to be

Using the stylus to circle all the coins, throw them accurately toward Baby Mario and direct eggs along lines of enemies is both challenging and rewarding, not to mention fun. And learning that you can make shallow slopes of cloud over the treetops to give you time to get everything up there is a moment of revelation. What a shame you can't actually type your name in the high score table - only symbols can be chosen as your stamp. But never mind - it's still great.