3DS stocking stuffers- Fun Video Games

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So you all know how much we love the 3DS this year for the holidays.Now we take a look at a few more great 3DS games and even a DS game which is often overlooked.

First we start with a stellar DS game, Professor Layton and the Last Specter. The story of professor Layton is an easy one to jump into, think Sherlock Holmes with more puzzles and a younger assistant. This particular game is a prequel to the trilogy which began with Professor Layton and the Curious Village. In this game we meet his assistant and start up a new trilogy of games. Originally scheduled to be one trilogy, this new/prequel trilogy was began when the developer learned of people love of the characters and game design. Professor Layton is a puzzle based detective story which is heavy on the puzzle solving and thinking.
This particular game also includes a large role playing game starring the Professor called “Professor Layton’s London Life”. This game is a bit plain graphically, but is a very nice addition to an already incredibly fun game.

Next up is a game for the more casual gamers and kids among us, Nintendogs and Cats. This game lets you raise a puppy and for all intents and purposes, lets you “adopt” a new pet. It is quite fun as most digital pets are. This is a fun game for little ones. The kind of game a little kid can fool around with for quite some time, then come back to later. This is more of an interactive toy then an actual game to me. Take your dog for walks, to the store, the park, give them baths, teach them new tricks, everything you do with a real dog. The only problem we had with Nintendogs was when we had to say the dogs name, the 3DS couldn’t hear us when we said the same name twice as it asked.

When designing this portion of the game I really wish there was a way to skip it. It took us a good half hour of Little Man trying, then me trying, then use shutting it off because it was stuck. We had to start the whole process again. Quite a bit aggravating, but these things can be expected with any game which requires user input, its going to go wonky sometimes. Other then this one issue, it was definitely a favorite of Little Man. Just a word of warning, the 3D elements are not meant for children below the age of 7. Little Man still had a blast and the game is just as playable in 2D as it is in 3D. We did turn the 3D off for him, and we suggest you turn it off for your kids as well.

Up next is a launch title. Meaning this was released at the same time as the 3DS, Pilotwings Resort. In this game you take your Mii avatar, which is created and paired with your 3DS, and fly around the island of Wuhu. The air crafts available are a biplane, jet pack, and hang glider. All three control in different manners, and ‘feel’ differently. The jet jack, can only move in one direction at a time, IE you can fire your jets and accelerate in one direction at a time, up, down, straight, back. The hang glider floats on wind currents, decelerating as you climb and accelerating as you dive. The plane has very exact controls where you can bank the plane from side to side, boost forward, or brake as need be. In order to master all three vehicles there are various missions which teach you how to expertly maneuver your new ‘toys’. Also hidden about the island are lots of secrets, as you would expect from Nintendo. This game is lots of fun to play around with when you want to relax and zone out. Pretty much the opposite of Professor Layton, lol.

And now for something for the Poke-fan in your life- Pokemon Rumble Blast. In this Pokemon game, you do not play as the regular Pokemon, but rather the toy Pokemon, so it plays a bit differently then what you might be used to. Instead of a role playing game with the pocket monsters in it, we have more of an action/adventure game. In Rumble Blast you go around quickly fighting other Pokemon, befriending and collecting them to add to your entourage. This game is good for someone looking to pick up and play a Pokemon game without having to get super deep into the mythos of the series. Its also nice to play because it is as deep as you want it to be. Meaning, you can power up your Pokemon by battling and such, OR simply collecting more of them. There is still the strategy element of which power is strong against which other power (fire is strong against grass while water is weak against grass). However, there is also Team Battle and Charge Battle modes available which are a very nice touch.

Last but not least we have Steel Diver. This is another launch title which came out with the 3DS, so it looks very nice and uses a few of the 3DS’s attributes in different ways. You control a submarine throughout a few different missions, by moving various dials and switches, the submarine navigates the various settings including swamps, open ocean and sea ports. All the while you are battling other subs, as well as air attacks and battleships. This game is fun, but not for little ones. It is not violent, but in terms of control it is a bit difficult to master for kids.

The game includes two other modes of play- periscope strike, and steel commander. Periscope strike allows you to move the 3DS around as you would a periscope, and steel commander is more like a board game- it is a good mix of “Battleship” and chess.