"If you're in a line long enough to require sitting, this knowledge is a must!"

If you’re anything like me, you like to engage in certain activities that involve waiting in line. Whether it be for a concert, an event at a convention, or opening night at the latest summer blockbuster, lines can seem like a never ending train of boredom without the right tools to help pass the time.

For the group of friends (or sometimes even strangers) who never leave the house without their trusty iteration of the Nintendo DS, I have put together a modestly sized list of some of my personal favorite multiplayer titles. They are in no particular order and include both old and new releases.

Bomberman

Bomberman is quite possibly my all time favorite multiplayer DS game for 3-8 people. The great thing about Bomberman is that you only need 1 cartridge to play 8 player with all customizable features included. In addition to that, almost anybody can grasp the simple gameplay mechanics, even if they have never played a Bomberman game before. There are enough maps and options to keep things interesting for a good length of time. I had a (dare I say it?) “blast” playing against random strangers for hours on end as I waited in line to preorder the Nintendo Wii in ’06. Its only downfall is that, with the exception of co-op against the computer, 2 player can be a bit dull.

Mario Kart DS

Mario Kart has always been a series that is very easy to pick up and appeals to both the casual and the hardcore audience alike. The DS installment is my favorite. The track selection is really what makes it shine over the other entries in the series. Great tracks like “Tick-Tock Clock” from Mario 64 and “Airship Fortress” from Super Mario Bros. 3 stand out in both their fun design and their excellent use of nostalgic worlds. If somebody doesn’t have a copy, they are forced to use the Shy Guy and only half the tracks will be available. You can still have a lot of fun this way, but doubling the available tracks makes it well worth it to pick up your own copy.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

This game is more ideal when you have a large amount of time to kill. There is no download play, but due to the fact that it is a turn-based strategy game, it does allow for “hot seat” play on a single console. Enjoyment is enhanced, however, when everybody has their own copy. This is an extremely fun strategy title with endless replay value. There are a ridiculous amount of maps available from the start and if that wasn’t enough, there is a very robust map editor. Add in the wealth of customization options for the matches themselves and you (with up to 3 friends) have a very time-consuming chunk of fun in store.

Tetris DS

Though it in no way lives up to the single player standards we strongly believe in here, Tetris DS is another great multiplayer choice. Its strongest feature is that, with only a single cartridge, you can play with up to 10 people in Standard Mode. Things can get pretty out of hand with that many people, but at least there won’t be a dull moment!

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

This one is still a bit new to me, but my experience with it as a multiplayer title have been stellar thus far. Everybody will need their own copy, but if you enjoy playing action RPGs with friends, this should not disappoint. Unlike other ARPGs on the system, Echoes of Time allows you to progress the actual story with up to 3 friends rather than only providing a separate mission-based adventure. After creating a character, you can hop on to multiplayer immediately from any save point you run across. Have friends at different levels? No problem! Once you get to the first town, you can create up to 16 different characters, all of which can join into the multiplayer action.

Metroid Prime: Hunters

Though I found the single player experience to be quite lacking, Metroid Prime: Hunters does well as a multiplayer game. Shrinking the FPS genre into the palm of your hand, Hunters’ controls are surprisingly well implemented. Aiming is all controlled via touch screen and, though it is no rival to a mouse and keyboard, it works with more precision than you might expect. Download play is included, though options become limited as a result.

These are just a fraction of the many games available on the platform. What multiplayer DS games do YOU like to play? Comment below and let us know!

Tags: advance wars, bomberman, Crystal Chronicles, Echoes of Time, Final Fantasy, Mario Kart, metroid, multiplayer, nintendo ds, Tetris

This entry was posted on Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 5:00 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.