When you think of casual games, first-person dungeon crawls probably aren't what spring to mind. They can be slow, difficult, and--if the level designers don't play their cards right--downright boring. id Software showed that this didn't have to be the case by releasing Orcs & Elves for mobile phone platforms, and now the game has made its way to the Nintendo DS. It doesn't hide its simplistic roots very well and the story is paper-thin, but it nevertheless provides quick, accessible fun for those who would normally be intimidated by your garden-variety, rat-infested dungeon crawl.

Playing as the elf Elli, you're tasked with plumbing the bowels of Mount Zharrkarag, where orcs have overrun a tribe of dwarves. Of course, as the fantasy template requires, there is greater evil afoot. Accompanied by a talking wand named Ellon, you'll find yourself going back and forth between delving deeper into the mountain to slay beasts and returning to the top to barter for supplies with the resident dragon, Gaya. What little plot progression there is presents itself through dialogue between Ellon and the ghosts of dwarves floating throughout the dungeons. You'll also come across scattered notes to help fill out what happened before you arrived. Ultimately, you're more likely to remember some choice interactions with an eternally drunken ghost as opposed to the lackluster plot.

Full story: gamespot.com