Summary
- Nintendo DS revolutionized gaming with its unique features and flooded the market with mind-bending puzzle games.
- Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis On The Move is a hit among fans for its creative gameplay and custom level feature.
- Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords combines RPG elements with tile-matching puzzles, gaining immense popularity.
It would be an understatement to say that when the Nintendo DS was released in the 2000s, it drastically transformed the gaming industry. On top of being a perfect handheld console, it was also the ideal contender to Sony's wildly popular PSP thanks to its phenomenal features. These included (but weren't limited to) multiple gameplay modes, a touch screen, a dual-screen, and a divinely lasting battery to top it all off.
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In the blink of an eye, the market was flooded with mind-bending puzzle games that both baffled and delighted die-hard puzzle fans. Whether it's major fan-popular titles or obscurely hidden gems, the DS offers an unparalleled platform for players who seek to challenge themselves with puzzles that are as timeless as they are engaging.
10 Mario And Donkey Kong: Minis On The Move
A Tile-Based Puzzle Adventure Of The Minis
- Metascore: 78
One of the best handheld puzzle games ever made is Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis On The Move. It opens with Donkey Kong witnessing Mario getting wooed over by Pauline, breaking his heart. Enraged, Donkey Kong plans to abduct Pauline, leaving Mario to save the day as usual. Interestingly, in contrast to typical Mario games, players actually take control of tiny toys known as Mini Mario instead of Mario as the primary playable character.
Each stage's objective is to direct the tiny Marios toward an M-designated doorway. Apart from that, it also features a mechanic that allows users to create custom levels and publish them on StreetPass, giving them a creative outlet as they continue to experiment. It’s no wonder that this game was an instant hit with the Mario fans!
9 BoxBoy!
Help Qbby Overcome The Obstacles With Boxes.
- Metascore: 80
BoxBoy! Started as a fun little experiment by HAL Laboratory developers who were actually working on Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse at the time. Because of the game's success, the main character Qbby became a modern-day icon, with many sequels and an Amiibo figurine. Playing as Qbby, the game is a deceptively straightforward puzzle platformer in which the players control the “BoxBoy” aka Qbby, who can travel minor stages by creating groups of boxes.
While most of the problems appear quite easy at first, they incrementally become tougher until players hit some really difficult ones. Unfortunately, BoxBoy! Is no longer accessible because it was exclusive to the 3DS eShop. Luckily, BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! Is still available on the Nintendo Switch, providing another excellent choice for puzzle enthusiasts.
8 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Super Mario's Bestseller Action Puzzle Spin-Off
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Released
- December 5, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Platform(s)
- Switch, Nintendo Wii U, 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Platformer
- Metascore: 81
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is another fantastic game spin-off of the Super Mario series. When Super Mario 3D Land debuted on the 3DS, the game's clever utilization of the 3D slider aided Nintendo's then-struggling handheld. Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U introduced gamers to Captain Toad's fascinating puzzle-platforming gameplay. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker thus finished the cycle by first launching on the Wii U and then with the 3DS for players who wanted to play on the move.
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The game is a contemporary puzzle classic, where players navigate Captain Toad via toybox-style stages in pursuit of riches and treasures all the while avoiding foes. Suffice it to say, it's adorable, engaging, and as expected, a lot of fun.
7 Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords
An Exciting RPG Combined With Tile-Matching Puzzles
- Released
- March 20, 2007
- ESRB
- e
- Engine
- unity, vicious engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, PC, PS2, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
- Developer
- Infinite Interactive, 1st Playable Productions
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, RPG
- Metascore: 82
Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords gained immense popularity after its 2007 release because of its distinct puzzle gameplay and role-playing elements. The combat mechanism is unique to the game; instead of standard strategic RPG action, the game uses tile-matching gameplay, akin to classic games like Bejeweled. Each duel aims to outperform foes by matching tiles in as little time as possible.
Aside from the fundamental puzzle aspects, the game offers more complexity, including a full-fledged leveling system, the option to purchase new armor and equipment, and the distinctive feature of extending the community with extra buildings that will assist players in learning new powers and spells.
6 Picross DS
Find The 3D Image Hidden Inside The Rectangular Block
Picross S
- Released
- September 28, 2017
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Developer
- Jupiter
- Genre(s)
- Point-and-click, Puzzle
- Metascore: 83
To say that Picross has grown to be one of the most beloved puzzle games ever would be an understatement. It combines photos with crosswords in an intriguing and riveting puzzle game that has garnered a lot of fan love. The game has its origins in Mario and comes with a tutorial to help players, featuring grids ranging in size from 5x5 to 20x20.
The goal of the game is to rationally fill in blocks by using numerical hints at the grid's boundaries, resulting in an image. The game's complexity increases, testing players with larger grids as well as increasingly complicated puzzles, while a timer lends a sense of mounting rivalry.
5 Tetris DS
The Timeless Puzzle Of Complex Block Stacking
- Metascore: 84
Without a doubt, Tetris is among the greatest games ever made. It’s an eternal favorite that practically transcends all sorts of genres and demographics because of its simple design yet compelling gameplay. A flawless reimagining of the renowned classic, Tetris, the gameplay is essentially the same as in the original, using a similar formula. Its uniquely creative approach is that each mode is based on a beloved classic Nintendo game, such as Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, and more.
The game continues to experiment with a few additional modes, such as puzzle mode, mission mode, and also touch mode. So, for anyone who's looking for something incredibly fun with a healthy dose of nostalgia, Tetris DS is inarguably a superb choice.
4 Professor Layton And The Curious Village
A Mystery Adventure Game Set In St. Mystere Featuring Multiple Puzzles
- Metascore: 85
The ingenious attempt by Level 5 to present a point-and-click adventure game to a casual Nintendo audience was an overwhelming success when Professor Layton And The Curious Village was released back in 2007. Puzzles, visual novels, and point-and-click adventures are all featured in the game. Players assume control of Professor Layton who along with his apprentice, Luke, explores the settlement of St. Mystere. To move the plot forward, players are required to solve puzzles and mysteries as they meet specific characters.
The problems can be in many different shapes and forms, such as riddles, mazes, sliding blocks, and logic puzzles. All things considered, puzzle fans or even beginners shouldn’t miss the Professor Layton trilogies as they’re geared more toward all audiences.
3 Planet Puzzle League
An Incredibly Intricate Series Of Visual Matching Puzzle Games
- Metascore: 86
Another puzzle game that makes the most of the incredible Nintendo DS capabilities is Planet Puzzle League. As the first standalone Panel De Pon game, Planet Puzzle League is one of those rare games where users have to hold the DS horizontally like a book. Players have to use the stylus to move several square-shaped gems around until they’re able to stack them alongside other gems of a matching color. There are several different game types available, ranging from straightforward 1vs1 to infinite scoring attacks.
Although its peculiarly paradoxical combo system prevents it from matching the legendary brilliance of Tetris or Lumines, it’s still a wonderful option for anyone seeking clever combination mechanics and brain-melting riddles.
2 Meteos
Protect 30 Planets, Each With A Unique Alien Race And Block Design
- Metascore: 88
Among the first video games for the original DS was Meteos. Tetsuya Mizuguchi's creation breathed life into the puzzle genre by setting itself apart from Tetris with unique gameplay and controls tailored for the Nintendo DS. Mizuguchi was the mastermind behind puzzle classics like Rez Infinite and Lumines, so it's no wonder Meteos also achieved the same level of success, if not more.
Meteos is comparable to other puzzle games with falling blocks. In the story mode, there are three layouts, a linear eight-stage course, mission-based stages, and 29 branching worlds. The goal is to fire the blocks at other opponents' planets to defeat them at each level. All in all, Meteos is a singular experience that deviates greatly from the cliched genre that is so popular.
1 Pushmo
Free The Trapped Characters Inside The Giant Structures
- Metascore: 90
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Pushmo, developed by Intelligent Systems, came at a time when the 3DS was in an admittedly dismal condition. Back in the early 2010s, the console’s exorbitant cost, combined with a lackluster selection of launch games, led to a sense of imminent disaster. However, things changed drastically with the debut of the 3D puzzler Pushmo.
The goal of the game is basically to rescue characters who are stuck inside the block constructions, and players must push and pull block patterns to create stairs and platforms in this puzzle game. Thanks to its adorable aesthetic and incredibly difficult puzzles, Pushmo was a massive hit, inspiring several sequels and an entry in WarioWare, the pinnacle of Nintendo royalty.
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