It can be dangerous to buy DS or Game Boy Advance games online, because you might end up with something like the above. And while it might be worth a few dollars' worth of lulz, generally when you pay for a game, you want the actual game. And, ideally, the actual box.

via dsfanboy.com

Few games appeal to adults and kids, but The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon could please both audiences. The younger group gets its beloved purple dragon and familiar platforming. The older crowd will like the depth in gameplay; among other changes, Spyro can now fly at any time.

After recently seeing a demo of the game, I was most impressed by its style and art; adults will find a lot of nuance here, too. Spyro mixes a lot of brightness and darkness in its style, reminding me of Fantasia or other old-guard Disney animations. Grasses leaned back as the wind raked over them, in a saccharine outdoor scene. But in another moment, sharp, muted stones matched the danger from an attacking monster.

via joystiq.com

According to a press release issued by Gonzo today, the Line Rider game being developed by inXile entertainment for the Nintendo DS is officially known as Line Rider 2: Unbound.

Line Rider 2: Unbound is the handheld version of the popular flash game Line Rider. Players are tasked with drawing lines with the stylus to create a course for a sledder, Bosh, to complete.

via ds.ign.com

Well, we would think so, since the current price point of $129.99 seems to be far too small a hurdle to leap for those thinking of purchasing the handheld system. Nintendo is rolling in the dough, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

"Our earnings projection for the year is not based on hardware price cuts, and I don't think we are going to need them," said Iwata. And we can't blame them, as demand for the Wii and DS looks like it could only be curbed by the announcement of a new handheld and console.

via dsfanboy.com

While speaking with Eurogamer about their game on the Wii, the subject of RPGs still managed to come up. And we can totally understand why, as the company's Golden Sun and Shining Force series of games are widely regarded as excellent. Camelot even hinted at Golden Sun for the DS, the teases!

"We want to play that game too, just as much as you," comments the Takahashi brothers. " We love Golden Sun! We are working on a lot of different things - a lot of different design documents and so on, including some different RPG ideas.

via dsfanboy.com

Fantasy All-Stars' handful of goofball power-ups mark it as not-quite-a-simulation: You'll find a ball that clucks like a chicken and hurries away from fielders, players frozen in a block of ice after making contact, and a wall that shoots out of the ground to knock down a sure home run. Better yet, all of the power-ups -- usable before you throw a pitch, swing at one, or while the ball's in play -- come with harebrained sound effects that'll get a giggle out of slapstick-lovers.

The power-ups are matched by an outrageous art style that features stick-thin slap hitters and meaty-topped sluggers with chopsticks for legs. The player models work great, but the zany fields -- set everywhere but a baseball stadium -- don't work nearly as well. Some, including Area 51 and Moonbase, are downright dark, making it tough to see the pitched ball.

via 1up.com

This summer, Oxygen Games will release Pirates: Duels on the High Seas for the Nintendo DS. Buried in a press release announcing the portable game was the news that a prequel called Pirates: The Key of Dreams is also coming to WiiWare.

Duels on the High Seas sends players in search of Blackbeard's treasure, the Seven Keys of the Seven Seas. The Royal Navy, the Kraken, the Witch Queen, and Blackbeard himself will all try to stop your journey.

via wii.ign.com

It looks like Myst isn't the only oldschool PC adventure game to be ported to the DS. According to Mindscape, Syberia is on its way, too. Since it's only a port, it won't contain any new content. Yet, we're glad to know that the game will feature touch-screen functionality, since that's always a plus in adventure titles. You can also expect an improved interface and menu system, to make inventories easier to navigate.

via dsfanboy.com

Many of you fancy yourselves swashbuckling fiends, which means you grab onto any pirate-related news as if it were treasure. At least, Oxygen is banking on this, which is why they're bringing Pirates: Duels on the High Seas to the DS.

Originally, the game was supposed to end up in Europe on April 18th. Oxygen revealed today, though, that the game's release was pushed back to June. The title seems to have a lot of gameplay content (multiple single player modes, single-cart multiplayer, varying tasks, etc.), but we suppose we'll have to wait until June now to see if it's actually any good.

via dsfanboy.com

Here's a rumor straight out of left field for you: gun-totin', cigar-chewin', misogynistic idiot Duke Nukem could be about to get his own DS (and PSP) game, with a release allegedly scheduled for later this year.

That's according to one Dutch retailer, which claims that "Duke Nukem DS" is coming out at some point during Q3. Naturally, you'll all know about the great, big internet joke that is Duke Nukem Forever (a game that almost makes the existence of Sadness look plausible), so you can probably appreciate where we stand on this. In short: "do not believe." And "do not want" also, now that we think about it.

via dsfanboy.com

Sega and BioWare reps were on hand at Nintendo's recent press event to show off Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, the upcoming DS role-playing game starring Sonic the Hedgehog. The unlikely pairing of publisher and developer, not to mention subject matter, initially left many scratching their heads. While it's no mean feat to properly show off a meaty BioWare RPG, our look at the game offered a good idea of how the promising title is shaping up.

The game's story is being kept fairly under wraps at the moment. The only thing we got from Sega reps is the basic setup which, unsurprisingly, isn't exactly reaching too far beyond your typical Sonic storyline. Basically, Sonic is vacationing (in some of his rare downtime), but one panicked message from Tails and one kidnapping later, an adventure ensues. As with any RPG worth its dropped items, Sonic Chronicles won't be sending the hedgehog into danger by himself. You can plan on having three other familiar faces along for the ride, each with unique attributes you'll need over the course of your quest. One thing we can say after trying the brief demo is that you can plan on doing a lot of talking, but that's par for the course in any RPG.

via gamespot.com

Final Fantasy faithful have been waiting on an oft-rumored remake of the landmark seventh installment in the series for years. While Square Enix hasn't seen fit to even announce such a project, it has kept up a steady stream of Final Fantasy spin-offs and remakes to keep fans busy in the meantime.

Today the publisher confirmed the North American release of the latest such remake, Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS. Set to arrive on retailers' shelves July 22, the game will feature 3D graphics, CG cutscenes with voice-overs, a remixed score by series composer Nobuo Uematsu, touchscreen support, and a multiplayer head-to-head battle mode.

A Super Nintendo version of Final Fantasy IV was originally released in North America in 1991. However, because only one of the first three titles had been localized, it was dubbed Final Fantasy II upon arrival.

via gamespot.com

Misdirection isn't just for magicians anymore ... apparently Nintendo Power practices it too. While everyone was focused on the hints of a U.S. localized Final Fantasy IV DS in the magazine's ten-page cover feature on the game, no one seemed to notice that the game was listed with a "July" release date in that same issue's "Game Watch Forecast."

Well, no one except RPGFan.com, which then in turn got noticed by our own DSFanboy, which in turn got noticed by us so you fine readers can notice it for yourselves. This could just be a typo on Nintendo's part, but more likely it's a slip-up that reveals a release window a little earlier than Square-Enix would have liked. Either way, just another pebble on the growing mound of evidence that a localized version is coming.

via joystiq.com

At this point, the Backyard series is becoming an expected yearly addition to the interactive sports scene. Like a miniaturized version of Madden or MLB, each year Atari makes use of official licenses, shrinks the packages down to kid-friendly form, and offers a simplistic cross-section of the sport. If you aren't familiar with he series, the Backyard franchises often make use of generic (but useable) control mechanics that are already tried and true, and then sprinkle in a small amount of over-the-top gameplay around some power-ups, create-a-player, and the mix of official MLB players and fantasy characters as well, all in kid form.

Usually we'd take one look a game like Backyard Baseball '09 for DS, play it for a few minutes, and the expected result would take place: We'd grow bored almost instantly, and add it to the "pass" pile. This isn't the case this year. With Backyard making its way to DS after finding a home on GBA, GameCube, and PS2, the design actually works pretty well with the touch integration, lower graphical expectations all around (compared to PS2 and GCN, DS is obviously simpler), and some intuitive controls. It isn't a must-play game by any means, but it certainly has the core sport of baseball down, and it's the first Backyard offering out there that's sure to satisfy; at least for the younger crowd.

via ds.ign.com

Ubisoft has recently announced that it is to be handling distribution for Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, releasing it just in time for the summer sun on June 28.

An extension of Team Ninja's visceral series on home consoles, it pleasingly makes the most of the DS's quirks, being played vertically on the system and using the stylus and touch-screen to control the eternally aggrieved protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. Or US team eloquently concluded that, "Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword kicks a whole lot of butt on the Nintendo DS" upon the game's review, before slapping an 8.6 on its hind. Which, taken as a whole, means it'll be well worth taking down the park for a little hack and slash come June.

via ds.ign.com