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Asking for Nintendo DS game recommendations, for a young boy
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17 August 2011

Hello everyone,

I’m going to offer a Nintendo DS to a 7 years old kid, and I’d be very happy if you could throw game recommendations, please :)

My profile : I bought the DS Lite already, with Super Mario Inside Bowser (and despite being written to be OK starting at the age of 3, it’s a freaking actual RPG that I wouldn’t recommend to a kid younger than 15 yo, grrr, can’t game boxes tell the right age). And then, disgusted to have wasted money on that game unfitting a young kid, I bought a R4 one week later, and I plan to stuff the R4 with games.
I want to only place proper games inside the R4, none too violent or gore, I want to keep it cute and nice. No 3D games (it’s a DS Lite, not a 3DS), the boy’s too young for that.

The boy’s profile :
- 7 years old, not very mature (no, it’s not my son)
- the boy’s a French, but he can take an English game allright as long as English fluency isn’t required (for instance, at home he’s been playing Super Mario Nes and Snes games on an emulator without problem)
- reads a bit, not much, so if it requires a game playable without reading skills or kept to minimum, or in which once you remember how it works you don’t need to read more
- the boy’s a Super Mario universe fan, but he also adores Sonic The Hedgehog, Lego bricks, Flash Mac Queen and Toy Story characters.

Suggestions are welcome, thank you very much if you can help :)
(Oh, and don’t bother with download or online purchase links, that stuff, I’ll manage by myself)



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53 Responses to ' Asking for Nintendo DS game recommendations, for a young boy '

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  1. Pelé said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 4:43 am

    Maestro Jump in Music
    Jump Ultimate Stars
    Kirby series XD

  2. dsplaya said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 4:44 am

    pokemon

  3. ecchiman said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 4:54 am

    Professor Layton (any of them) it's a good childrens puzzle game and I believe it's playable in a few languages.

  4. @Ganonmaster said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 4:59 am

    Got a couple games which arent too text heavy:
    Mario vs Donkey kong: March of the minis
    Wario ware
    Elite Beat Agents
    New Super Mario Bros.

  5. @Ganonmaster said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:00 am

    Oh, forgot to mention Mario Kart.

  6. Anon said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:04 am

    Sonic Rush
    Sonic Rush Adventure
    Sonic Colours
    New Super Mario Bros.

  7. lowe23 said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:07 am

    Ace Attorney (all of them)
    Trauma Centre 1 and 2
    Hotel Dusk
    Last Window
    The World Ends With You
    Inazuma Eleven
    Professor Layton (all of them)

  8. DrtyBird said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:09 am

    Sonic Colors, also there is one that has the original 1-3.

    Any of the Lego *insert movie license*

    Plants vs. Zombies

  9. ilexuki said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:12 am

    i’d say pokemon, but i can’t recall the intelligence level of 7 year olds… ok…if he has intelligence get pokemon, if not so much, there is plenty of cheap shovelware on the DS just grab anything…he won’t know the difference

  10. kuro said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:25 am

    chrono triger, un rpg sympa =)

  11. zephyrus said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:43 am

    New Super Mario Bros., Elite Beat Agents, and the Sonic Rush series are all good. Pokemon is good as well; it's also an RPG, but it's designed so that you don't really have to master the deeper elements of it to progress. (Also, if the video game situation in France is anything like in the US, half of the kids at his school will be playing Pokemon, and the game is built to heavily reward social gameplay.) Also, try to find Kirby Super Star Ultra if you can, that's a terrific one for younger kids, if he's secure enough in his masculinity to be comfortable playing as a pink marshmallow :)

  12. orcoferoz said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 5:59 am

    Megaman ZX,Metroid Hunters,Zelda Phantom Hourglass, Castelvania Dawn of Sorrows, all are a little bit old but very funny and cheap :)

  13. UisZtupid said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:06 am

    Maro Kart
    Phoenix Wright
    Tetris DS

  14. Den said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:13 am

    wow, they name too many reading kind of games, Professor Layton, Hotel Dusk and Ace Attorney are good games but might be too complex of puzzles for them to understand at age 7
    they not thinking for a 7 years old level, some of them, might make a 7 year old quit the game than enjoying it, hmm…
    i would say, New Super Mario bros, Kirby Super Star Ultra, and Mario Kart always simple and always a classic

  15. henjokun said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:16 am

    mario, kirby, tetris, mario kart, maybe pokemon.. (not the pokemon ranger, that was terrible)

  16. Gio said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:21 am

    Contra 4

  17. nmaxtka said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:33 am

    google "vs recommended games" and look in the ds page. It has nintendo ds games that /v/ recommends arranged by genre with a description of why they are recommendable that could help you decide the best for your son.

    Regardless of what you choose pick Ouendan and its sequel. They're in Japanese but the language barrier is close to nonexistant. Besides, you can't have a DS (or an r4) and not have those two games. Or Rhythm Heaven, you can't miss that one either. Get the European version that has French in it and set your DS's language to French

    also, lol @ Contra4

  18. anon said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:42 am

    i recommend advanced wars: days of ruin since you don't read that much unless you wanna understand the story but you don't acually need to know it and it's a great war game since kids are into that sora stuff

  19. Daniel said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 6:53 am

    i recommend mario hoops 3 on 3

  20. Mido said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 7:09 am

    "I bought the DS Lite already, with Super Mario Inside Bowser (and despite being written to be OK starting at the age of 3, it’s a freaking actual RPG that I wouldn’t recommend to a kid younger than 15 yo, grrr, can’t game boxes tell the right age)"

    I don't get it. Do you think the content in the game isn't suitable for children? The only age-limiting factor in Inside Story is reading comprehension. Otherwise, the game is superb for children and very light on its RPG mechanics. If you'd play it, I think you'd find there are just as many action/reflex elements.

    The ratings evaluate content appropriateness, and nothing more. There is nothing in Inside Story you wouldn't see in a Saturday morning cartoon. If the ratings measured intelligence or competency, you'd see games like Layton getting M and CoD getting E. XP

    "And then, disgusted to have wasted money on that game unfitting a young kid, I bought a R4 one week later, and I plan to stuff the R4 with games."

    Piracy. That's sad. :(

    I realize the irony considering the website, but I guess this particular instance hits closer to home considering my involvement in the game industry.

    Anyway, recommendations:

    If you want to try games involving reading (he should be practicing that at 7 anyway IMO), then try Pokemon Black or White. If you can't get one of those, Platinum or HeartGold/SoulSilver would be fine too. Ace Attorney and the Layton games are good too, but I think the thinking skills in those games might be beyond age 7. (Ghost Trick is another excellent title that would fit in this category…) The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass or The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks might be good to try for him, though.

    If you want reading-lite action-esque games, from my collection I would recommend any of the following:
    Bangai-O Spirits
    Contra 4
    Kirby: Canvas Curse
    Kirby Super Star Ultra
    Mario Kart DS
    Mega Man Zero Collection
    Meteos
    Metroid Prime Hunters
    New Super Mario Bros.
    Nintendogs
    Super Scribblenauts
    Sonic Rush
    Soul Bubbles
    Star Fox Command
    Super Mario 64 DS
    Tetris DS
    WarioWare: Touched
    Yoshi's Island DS

    Pick whatever catches your interest.

  21. johann said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 7:22 am

    Mario kart
    new super mario brothers
    brain age if he's stupid (lol jk, brain age anyways)

  22. Jimmy said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 7:45 am

    Fire Emblem, the Gameboy ones. I know you said DS games, but fuck it; GBA Fire Emblems were great.

  23. xexes said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 8:23 am

    hum j'ajouterais peut être les deux zelda qui sont faciles d'accès :Phantom hourglass et spirits tracks

  24. dasg70 said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 8:24 am

    - Mario Kart
    - Mario Party DS, quite good, and it has multiplayer mode that only requires one card to play up to 4 persons
    - any platform games, super mario bros, kirby series.

    LoZ ST, i think it was quite simple to play

  25. EvilScotsman said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 8:34 am

    Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is a good Mario game, only problem, its heavy on the English but language can be switched to french

  26. Netherlander666 said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 8:36 am

    i come from a family with lots of kids, and each of them has a DS. my advice: wait a few years before buying this kid a DS. all the kids in my family are practically addicted to it. they screw up their studies if we don't force them to do the right, they barely ever go out, barely ever do sports or anything, also, they've become rude and insolent. the worst part is that they think life is like a video game: if you lose once, you'll get as many chances as you want. that's why my little bro screwed up his whole school year and thought it wasn't a big deal.
    please consider those facts.

  27. juvil01 said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 9:32 am

    mario kart!
    donkey kong
    super smash bros!
    kirby
    and SPONGEBOB! (everybody loves spongebob!)

  28. bluebomber said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 10:23 am

    New Super Mario Bros.
    Super Mario 64 DS
    Mario Kart DS
    n+
    Plants vs Zombies
    Rhythm Heaven
    Elite Beat Agents
    Master of Illusion
    Sonic Colors
    Worms Open Warfare 2
    Castlevania games (there are 3)
    Megaman ZX games (get both)
    Spider-Man (Web of Shadows, Shattered Dimensions and Ultimate)
    Iron Man 2
    Green Lantern – Rise of the Manhunters
    Super Scribblenauts
    Batman – The Brave and the Bold
    X-Men Origins Wolverine
    Super Monkey Ball – Touch and Roll

    I'm against Ace Attorney series, Hotel Dusk and Last Window as these are graphic novels/adventures. Text heavy and not for 7 y/o. Trauma Center requires skill and may wreck the touch screen if not careful.

    you can also include emulators for NES SNES and GBC

  29. bluebomber said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 10:28 am

    forgot to include Solatorobo: Red the Hunter.

  30. Moonbiscuit said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 11:05 am

    Rune Factory – A Fantasy Harvest Moon
    Harvest Moon DS (actually, all the Harvest Moon games for DS)
    All the Pokemon games for DS
    Drawn to Life
    Cooking Mama 1 + 2
    Touch Detective
    Diner Dash
    Cake Mania
    Bomberman

    These games shouldn't be too complicated or filled with endless storylines and puzzles. But a few of them can be challenging and make you never want to leave your room. Especially Pokemon. And Harvest Moon. I remember when I got my first portable console, the Gameboy Color. Spent my entire weekend playing Pokemon Yellow and even ditched school on Monday to defeat the Elite Four…you sure you wanna give this DS to him? :D

  31. Reideen said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 11:53 am

    lol sorry but I don't think thats exactly fitting for a 7yo boy. If he grows older maybe…

  32. tallbot said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    ask the kid! or “take him to the store & let him choose” what if you pick up something, and the kid wanted something else!? (mario/sonic, sport/adventure) make it easy on you and just ask him properly!

  33. valkyrei said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    KINGDOM HEARTS

  34. Sukiyaki said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Final Fantasy III
    Final Fantasy IV
    Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
    Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
    Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
    Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
    Dragon Quest IX
    Pokemon Heartgold
    Pokemon Soulsilver
    Pokemon Diamond
    Pokemon Pearl
    Pokemon Platinum
    Pokemon Black
    Pokemon White

  35. ElKovit said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    Prof. Layton is too conplex for that age.

    Pokemon ( Black, White, Soul silver or Heratgold) 8 ( a lot of tex but simple)
    Super Mario Bros
    Some of Naruto Games ( 3 or 4 of them on NDS or 3DS)
    Elite Beat Agents its a bery good game for that age.
    Kyrby Superestar Ultra
    Mario Kart
    Ghost Trick (

  36. Someone said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    you could put in the harvest moon games there. makes anyone glued for quite a while

  37. Rjx said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 8:03 pm

    I would go with either pokemon or any final fantasy.
    Even if he's young he can start to use his brain cells a little (it will help in the long run) and a bit of text might encourage him to read more (which i find that's a dying hobby in younger generations).
    And if he happens to like any games with long text you might inroduce him to VN's when he gets a bit older.

  38. Sapo said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 9:29 pm

    okami-den and all the lego games are pretty good for a boy his age

  39. Abar4 said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    Achète lui la R4 si tu la trouve il peux ensuite telecharger sur la ds tout les jeux disponbles. Sinon je conseille wario ware et fire emblem bien que fire emblem ait pas mal de dialogues ils ne sont pas necessaire a la comprehension du jeux (tactic rpg)

  40. xuanra said,

    on August 17th, 2011 at 11:25 pm

    R4DS you can get any game you want to test :D

  41. raveduchess said,

    on August 18th, 2011 at 1:59 am

    Just get a Super Card for the Ds it will run like $40 then you can download all of them and they work great i have two one for each of my Ds and like 50 games on each… and they play perfect

  42. Jankull said,

    on August 18th, 2011 at 2:00 am

    Bon choix que le R4 (même si l'original ne se vend plus depuis longtemps)! :)

    Je te conseillerais Pokémon noir ou blanc, c'est un must pour tout gosse et certains adultes.
    Mario Kart est aussi un incontournable, de même que New super mario bros.
    Et peut être un des Zelda, si jamais il est plus doué que son age.

    De toute manière, pour les enfants, les jeux nintendo restent le plus indiqué niveau contenu/qualité.

  43. Francis Duran said,

    on August 18th, 2011 at 2:25 am

    Mario kart
    Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns
    Mario Party
    Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
    Rhythm Heaven
    But the most fun game I still have 4 my DS is Elite Beat Agents

  44. unagi_inu_7th said,

    on August 18th, 2011 at 2:30 am

    yapp i think prof layton is a good game for children bro… :)

  45. General Hentai said,

    on August 18th, 2011 at 3:38 am

    Mario Kart
    New Super Mario Brothers
    Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

    Any Mario title is likely to be good. My kid's 9, and he's had it since he was 7. Nintendogs will be good for any kid who loves pets.

    Mario Kart is absolute fun, both for the DSi or the Wii.

  46. Lyon said,

    on August 18th, 2011 at 7:09 am

    Elite Beat Agents. Great music game, no need for reading during actual gameplay. There are some comic style text boxes, but the “story” is really just for laughs so it’s not important. It’s very colorful and fun.

  47. cam said,

    on August 19th, 2011 at 8:43 am

    deal with it, piracy will always be around and always some one will prefer free than buying something, like duke nukem fornever. If your lucky, some individual will legitimately buy the product if they enjoy it so much

  48. rez said,

    on August 19th, 2011 at 8:46 am

    blame the parents not the games

  49. Print said,

    on August 19th, 2011 at 11:15 am

    Scribblenauts.
    Not only will he learn lots of words, but he'll get the see every word he puts in. I was surprised as to just how amusing the game was.

  50. princeheir said,

    on August 20th, 2011 at 8:49 am

    Castlevania games
    Pokemon

    is a good start :)

  51. ouache said,

    on August 20th, 2011 at 9:53 am

    elite beat agent (voire mieux, Oendan 1&2 en jap mais ca se joue aussi, c'est surtout un jeu de rythme)
    les dragon quest (4, 5, 6, 9)
    inazuma eleven
    zelda phantom hourglass
    Meteos
    pokemon (platine, black ou white)
    les professeur layton
    puzzle quest
    yoshi's island…

    je me retiens de mettre plus de rpg/tacticals, mais s'il aime le genre, il y a une liste longue comme le bras sur DS :D

  52. sunder said,

    on August 23rd, 2011 at 1:54 am

    Mario kart ds. my cousin like it most

  53. Morik said,

    on August 31st, 2011 at 5:14 pm

    It's a bit late, but keep this post for future reference, eh?

    -Rune Factory 3 (I remember kids going mad about the marriage/spouse system. This one has ten to choose from. P However-very time consuming, as any Harvest Moon Player know)
    -Any Zelda Game (Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks)
    -Mario Platformer (New Super Mario Bros is a good choice, plenty of fun. Although to be honest I don't fully understand why Bowser's Inside story ISN'T for 3 and up. It's funny and kinda acceptable!
    -Mario Kart. The Classic.
    -If he's into strategy games (and if you don't mind light hearted make believe War themes) Advance Wars Dual Strike.
    -Pokemon…what kid hasn't played pokemon!?
    -Elite Beat Agents and Rhythm Heaven. I haven't played the latter, but I think both is an excellent choice as well. Fun rhythm game!
    -Sonic Stuff is great as well, but only the platformer types-they're what sonic games are mostly good for.

    Hm…looking back at the previous post, I don't recommend Ace Attorney or Professor Layton is an awesome puzzle game but text heavy .The World Ends with You is VERY awesome but I guess it fits far into the teenage zone. Trauma center can be a bit…icky. I also don't recommend (as a regular gamer) movie-based video games; good ones are far and few in between.

    Also, look at video game review sites and see whether the reviewers like it or not, that should be a good indicator of good/bad video games. Usually the reviews also detail whether its kid friendly or not, just in case you're wondering what kind of games your kid is playing (In case he went wild with the R4 card).

    ….I'm blabbering too much. I'll shut up now.

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