Written by Matt Swider  on December 05, 2008

Holiday Buyer's Guide 2008: DS is still the dominate handheld system, so we point out the dominate games for the Nintendo's dual-screen device. Castlevania, of course, tops the list.

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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS Exclusive)
2D Castlevania games are always a holiday staple on handheld systems, and while Nintendo DS received the critically acclaimed Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin in 2005 and 2006, last year's portable release went to Sony's PSP in the form of The Dracula X Chronicles. So, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia mark's the series' return to Nintendo's side of the handheld war and touch-screen fans couldn't be happier. The signature platform jumping action combined with the dash of RPG gameplay make everyone's favorite Dracula-hunting Belmont Clan of the 1800s the family to hang with this holiday season.



Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (DS Exclusive)
Ninja Gaiden on Xbox and its sword-slashing sequel on Xbox 360 were ultra-violent single-player action games, so it was a surprise that Tecmo brought the series to Nintendo DS. Then, we got our hands on the stylus and saw that the touch-screen game intuitively mimics the slicing-and-dicing action of a ninja. We aren't as addicted to this game as we once were; it released in March and the adventure is pretty short at about 7 hours. However, we did more fun-filled and fast-paced stylus scratching with this game than any in that short amount of time, so it'd well worth your consideration.



Space Invaders Extreme
Space Invaders is 30 years old this year and there's no better way to celebrate than getting the extreme version of the game. Yes, everything these days is extreme; so is classic Space Invaders, but really in name only. The concept hasn't change compared to the steady stream of handheld updates we've seen over the years (Space Invaders on GBA is the definitive update, if you have time). What is does introduce is local and online competition between two players and utilizes the extra screen to let you watch your opponent. The PSP version doesn't allow online play, so the DS is the version to get.



The World Ends With You (DS Exclusive)
You wake up in the scramble crossing of Shibuya. Millions of people are around, but no one sees you...wtf? This begins the story of one of the most interesting and original Square Enix RPGs in recent memory. The World Ends With You boasts a brilliant fighting system, which makes the player use both screens at the same time; a "trend" system, where attack bonuses are determined by what "threads"you wear into battle; and a superb soundtrack, mixing the best of J-Pop with the best of Western hip-hop, all of which make this a must-buy for the DS. It might even be the Game of 2008 for Nintendo's handheld despite the fact that back in January no one had even heard of it. You owe it to yourself to play through this excellent game, even if you want something different from an RPG.

Guitar Hero: On Tour / Decades (DS Exclusive)
Guitar Hero: On Tour and its follow up On Tour Decades are mixed bags. It's Guitar Hero, so we love that and it has lots of the great licensed music that everyone adores, but the fret setup is a bit awkward and it doesn't provide that party atmosphere gameplay. Plus, Nintendo DS's next incarnation, DSi, might not be able to support the Guitar Hero add-on without a workaround. Still, if you can find the game for a decent price and want to practice the chords to your favorite songs on the go, there's no better guitar-strumming series for music fans.