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It's time to refresh your DS games collection

The new games you'll want, the old to pass on

It's time to refresh your DS games collection
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DS

Last week, in the PSP section, we pointed out that it's spring, a time to get rid of clutter. All those old videos you'll never watch, the pets you've dutifully kept past Christmas (Erm... – Ed) and those games in your collection that have had their day.

Sure, it can be hard to let DS games go without knowing what will fill the void. If you've a new purchase in mind, it makes the eBay shuffle all the easier to take, so read on for some suggestions.

Theme Park DSIn Theme Park DS
Out Age Of Empires : The Age Of Kings

There's nothing wrong with a bit of brain stretching at any time of the year. Age of Empires did the job in the snow and the rain, with the young 'uns crowded round as you told tales of your crusades in the East.

But with the sun shining and the kids on holiday, it's time to think of ways of making money – and if you want a way to flex the grey matter, now's the time to think of ice creams and rollercoasters rather than pikemen and trebuchets. Leave the chainmail under the stairs for the year and put on your hard hat – planning the best theme park out there is going to take creativity and cunning, not to mention all those fries to be salted!

Final Fantasy IIIIn Final Fantasy III
Out Children Of Mana

For some gamers, Japanese RPGs seem the same whatever the season. But the connoisseur will tell you that the months of sword-swinging action are over, and we're settling into the lazy spring afternoons of turn-based battling and really long plot exposition.

It's time to put down the flail, take up your reading glasses, and settle down with one of the lesser-played, and perhaps less heavy, Final Fantasies. It might be a strange trip to the past, but it's also a neat part of RPG history for any fan of dungeons and denouement.

In Hotel Dusk : Room 215
Out Phoenix Wright : Ace Attorney

We all like a bit of darkness here and there. A juicy story, twisting plots, engrossing characters.

Hot DuskIf you're hoarse from shouting "Objection!" for the last six months, and aren't quite ready to handle another dose of enthusiastic lawyer Phoenix Wright, you might be interested in the sultry but sexy detective simulator coming soon to the DS in Europe, Hotel Dusk.

It looks set to give you a far grittier feel to the usual birds and blue sky. Whereas Phoenix Wright had you slicking up your hair and slamming your fist on tables, Hotel Dusk will have you scribbling in notepads and hooking out that trenchcoat again. They're in style whatever the season.

Bomberman Land TouchIn Bomberman Land Touch
Out 42 All-Time Classics

Five-card draw isn't a summer game. You can't sit on a beach with poker hats on and cigars, trying to work out if your opponents are making poker faces or just have the sun in their eyes.

So to kick the habit in time for the suntan months, it's time to get rid of the casual gaming fest that is 42 All-Time Classics and replace it with a more explosive alternative. Bomberman Land is still chock-full of short-burst gaming, but there's a brighter and more vibrant feel to it, with plenty of mini-games based less around tricks and suits and more around… well, bombs.

It's almost a metaphor for Spring growth. Well, if you look carefully.

Mike Cook
Mike Cook
Studying Computing in London means that Michael looks for any excuse to get away from error messages and blank screens. Puzzling and platforming on the DS are his ultimate escape.