[Xia]

I bought one of these (it arrived today - yay!).

I bought it so I could play the Brain Age games to try to slow down the, um, withering...

However, I have never used one of these before, nor any Nintendo or any other <insert gizmo manufacturer here> product ever. I think the last 'video' type game I played was one of those quarter-fed table type DonkeyKong games in Berkeley, Ca in 1982!! And OMG that was a loooooong time ago! (Oh, wait, I think there was a Galactica or Galaxia, or something like that in Santa Cruz during the summer of '89, or something like that. *sigh* But I digress.) My point is the video/techno age passed me by a very, very long time ago. So I'm pretty lost when it comes to this sort of thing.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to what games, or even internet boards such as this one, that they could recommend to a totally loooow-tech Nintendo DS newbie like me.

I did order both the brain age games (v. #1 & 2). And I do like mental type puzzles; I've never met a Sudoku (in DT format) I couldn't beat, but I'm awful at crosswords.

Any advice/recommendations would be very much welcome!

Thanx a bunch,
Xia

 

[Vegas_Asian]

I don't have a DS, but I have all the gameboys before that. I opted for a nintendo wii rather than a ds. Still i use my aunts to play brainage. its easy to use. My mom wants a ds to use brain age too! I hinted it to family now we are pitching in for her birthday gift

 

[Xia]

I don't have a DS, but I have all the gameboys before that. I opted for a nintendo wii rather than a ds. Still i use my aunts to play brainage. its easy to use. My mom wants a ds to use brain age too! I hinted it to family now we are pitching in for her birthday gift

Hi, V_A,
So was I correct in concluding that the only hand held device the brain age could only be played is the DS?

 

[Mom2AshEmBella]

I must confess.... I have been known to "borrow" a DS every now and them from one of my DDs to play brain age (We just have brain age 1). It is a lot of fun, but there is a bit of a learning curve to get the hang of it. It remember your mental age each time and customizes the activities. Be aware of playing while in the waiting room of say, the doctors office because you will get funny glances as you scream "Blue", "red", or "yellow" at the screen  . If you search Amazon there are HUNDREDS of games for the DS, including several brain teaser type (however many are geared toward younger children).

Have fun!

 

[Xia]

I must confess.... I have been known to "borrow" a DS every now and them from one of my DDs to play brain age (We just have brain age 1). It is a lot of fun, but there is a bit of a learning curve to get the hang of it. It remember your mental age each time and customizes the activities. Be aware of playing while in the waiting room of say, the doctors office because you will get funny glances as you scream "Blue", "red", or "yellow" at the screen . If you search Amazon there are HUNDREDS of games for the DS, including several brain teaser type (however many are geared toward younger children).

Have fun!

Oh, my, Mom2AEB! You gave me such a hilarious snort of unexpected laughter with the part of your post I bolded above!! My unanticipated outburst of laughter severely startled my poor unsuspecting snoozing husband - and he is in bed upstairs asleep, one full story above me!

Okay, so aside from that hysterical mental image you just gave me (thank you! I don't laugh that often, but I sure do appreciate it when it does happen! )... why would you scream at the device? Just b'cuz you yourself just happen to get that into it? Or am I (oh, no!) supposed to talk to this thing?!

BTW, I haven't even opened it yet. It's sitting over there all plastic-wrapped in its original box. Mocking me. Yeah, sure, it's probably more scared of me than I am of it ... but ... I could be wrong about that .....

Warm Regards,
Xia

 

[mom133d (aka Liz)]

Or am I (oh, no!) supposed to talk to this thing?!

There is a section where you are supposed to talk to it. IIRC, say the color displayed, not the word. I also seem to recall that you could skip that section if you were in a public place. At least with BA 1. I haven't tried the other DS versions. DH and I rented the Wii version, that was kinda fun. Especially when we had to work together.

 

[marianneg]

I'm coveting the crimson/black DS Lite.  DH is saying no, because then he'd never see me.  Guess I'll have to start spending less time on kindleboards.  Yeah, right

 

[chynared21]

I've had my DS shortly after they came out. The first handheld I bought as an adult was the GBA and have moved up from there. There are many great games for adults in pretty much all genres...some have objectives, mindless play for a stressful day, brain honing, etc. If you like puzzles, this is one fantastic game...

Also for Sudoku, this is the best one that I've found...

I have the NYT and USA Today Crossword games but don't really play with them much...I prefer the newspaper versions

There are also plenty of puzzle type games that also get the brain working, not mental puzzles but fun with an objective like Puzzle Quest...

And finally, there are plenty of "card" type games as well...the list goes on

 

[Angela]

I'm coveting the crimson/black DS Lite. DH is saying no, because then he'd never see me. Guess I'll have to start spending less time on kindleboards. Yeah, right

Grandson #2 has the crimson/black and I tried to figure out a way it could *accidently* end up in my suitcase last week!!

I have been thinking about getting one for my mom who really needs something to do that will make her think. She likes playing games on the computer, but only games that require no thinking! I would love to have one myself, but between reading and KB and life... well, I don't think I need anything else to do right now!!

 

[wavsite]

I have had my DS for a couple of years now, and my favorites are the puzzle / brain games and the "time wasters". I have purchased several action or "in depth" games, but I've discovered that if I want that, I prefer the larger screen and options of a PC or game console. So, recommendations...

Puzzle games:
Professor Layton - excellent game, HIGHLY recommended, lots of puzzles and brain benders, nifty art work and a fun story line
Picross - AWESOME game, tons of puzzles and it has totally spoiled me with how easy it is to mark the squares - I don't want to play my paper versions anymore! haha.
Neves - tanagrams you can do any time, any place, what's not to like?
Prism - use mirrors and prisms to get the right colored light beams to the little colored critters, puzzles get progressively harder as you go
Big Brain Academy - I ended up liking this better than either Brain Age game, because the mini games were more fun. Not that I don't LIKE math and colors and such, but it just had more variety than Brain Age.

"Time Waster" games:
Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir - a hidden object game in the best series ever, wrote my first ever Amazon review for this one!
- I also just got Ancient Ruins and Mystery P.I., two more hidden object games - fun but not as good as MCF: MillionHeir, which I have played through 3 times already!
Puzzle Quest - uses a "bejeweled" like matching game as the basis for fighting monsters and casting spells, a great combo of a matching game and leveling up / gaining loot / saving the world
Jewel Quest / Cradle of Rome / 7 Wonders - three of the many "matching" games out there, these are pretty much exact copies of the PC versions
Meteos: Disney Magic - I had the regular version of Meteos, and this one is MUCH more fun - you can slide the colored blocks in all directions instead of just up and down, and there are lots of unlockable items here, plus you get to play Disney-themed screens!
Cooking Mama - a light-hearted little game where you are using the DS touch screen to perform various "cooking" actions to make your recipes (cut, stir, roll, sift...), with lots of unlockable recipes as you go

Not recommended:
Sudoku Gridmaster - I had this one, sold it back to GameStop though - I love Sudoku, but really prefer pencil and paper, there were too many "clicks" involved in the harder puzzles where you need notes to continue. I have not tried the other Sudoku DS games out there, because of this, maybe some are better?

Hope these suggestions help, and enjoy your new DS!

 

[Vegas_Asian]

BrainAge comes with a sudoku game. As much as I love the DS, i have to admit that brainage has issues recognizing my handwriting. (my handwriting includes a lot of swirls and curves.) Has anyone else had this issue?

 

[pidgeon92]

I have a DS Lite.... It was my constant companion until I got my iPhone... Now it is lonely and neglected.

I also recommend Professor Layton, it is a fabulous puzzle game. Two more I love are:

 

[Mom2AshEmBella]

Or am I (oh, no!) supposed to talk to this thing?!

Yes, there is a built in microphone on the DS and you are supposed to "talk" to it, but I um ... kinda get a little excitied
After you play the color recognition game, it will totally make sense! (It will display Yellow and you have to read the word that is written, not the color of the letters. Kinda tricky at first, and it goes faster each time you play.

Keep us updated!

PS, glad you got a good laugh

 

[Vegas_Asian]

lol. the color game...have embarrassing moments with that.

 

[marianneg]

Ooh, thanks for all the good game recs, everybody!  Guess I'm going to have to start separate Kindle and DS funds...

 

[Geekgirl]

I love my DS Lite...as every good geek girl should

Games I would recomment:

Hotel Dusk:  Room 215....remember choose your own adventure books?  This is essentially that, a cool interactive mystery novel where your actions and choice of words impact the story

Anything in the My Coach series.  I've used the vocab one, and I'm currently using the Spanish one to help me brush up on my Spanish skills for work.

Brain Age and Brain Age 2....Simply put, these rock.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and FF A2....if you're a fan of the Final Fantasy series like I am, or even war tactics games, these are a fun way to pass the time.

Cooking Mama...yes this game is silly but it is sort of fun, and very interactive.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village...already recommended, and justly so.

And I'm a big nerd and I just like playing video games anyway...so classic nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. make me smile.

Enjoy your DS!!!

 

[Jaderose]

I have one and we bought my son one for Christmas.  He turns 5 next week and is a WIZ at pretty much anything computer/electronic.  He's a gamer at heart like his Mom and Dad.  LoL  Thank goodness he also shares our love for books.

I'm glad I popped onto your thread.  The games the PP listed look like fun.  I'm gonna add them to my wish list now. 

Enjoy!!

 

[luvmy4brats]

I've been debating getting one. All of my kids have them and really enjoy them.

My son has vision problems and his opthamologist actually recommended that he use it. So he plays for at least an hour each day. He has to wear a patch over one eye (his good eye). He has Flash Focus that he really enjoys and it has helped with his eyesight.

I have Sudoku on my ipod and my cell phone. If I could figure a way to put it on Edgar, I probably would

 

[Chad Winters]

What is the difference between a "Lite" and a regular DS?

 

[Vegas_Asian]

DS Lite is a bit smaller than the original DS and available in more colors.

Here's a photo comparison: (lite is in front. original Ds in back)

Photo from joystiq