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This holiday season Nintendo DS games bring big fun to the compact, yet powerful console.

Nintendo DS 2009 Gift Guide

This holiday season Nintendo DS games bring big fun to the compact, yet powerful console with several new games incorporating the new NDSi camera functions as well as other unique capabilities. NOTE: All release dates subject to change.

Popular console series hit it big on the small screen with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Dec. 7), Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery (Nov. 17) and Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars (available now). Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized (Nov. 10) has squad based gameplay and touch screen controls.

All ages action includes Mario & Luigi – Bowser’s Inside Story, the Wi-Fi incorporated explorer Treasure World and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, which has dungeon crawling action expanding from the previous Explorers of Time/Darkness.

Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010 shapes personalized fitness programs while The Biggest Loser features four, eight or 12 week challenges as teams up Jillian with her colleague Bob Harper for exercise plans, good eating habits and healthy advice.

Sport games include FIFA 10, Imagine Soccer Captain featuring Mia Hamm, WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 and Mario & Sonic Olympic Winter Games have famous characters including Donkey Kong plus single-card download play for as many as four players.

TouchMaster 3 (Oct. 27) has two player levels in mixed genres while Sponge Bob Truth or Square incorporates player drawings added to the content. Drawing challenges continue with Scribblenauts and Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (this series also has a Sponge Bob version).

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, a Final Fantasy/Disney collaboration, features a new multiplayer mode allows up to four players while the role playing game Nostalgia features19th century exploration in London, Tokyo, Cairo and New York. Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (Oct. 27) features extensive interactions important for game advancement while Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, set in Tokyo, Japan, centers on mysterious technology.

Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road features easy touch and go controls using the stylus. Other adventures include Dragon Quest Wars, Overlord Minions, which adds some puzzle elements and Phantasy Star 0 (Nov. 10) featuring hundreds of weapons and a dozen character types.

Need for Speed: Nitro (Nov. 2) has stage races and cool customization. DiRT 2 has racing fun with a 3-D editor and single card download play for up to four players. Sideswiped has races and demolition derbies. Other racers include Cars Race O Rama, MX vs. ATV Reflex, Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 (Nov. 17) and Dodge Racing: Charger vs. Challenger.

Simulation games include Style Savvy (Nov. 2) simulates a fashionable clothing boutique while Ant Nation has approximately 100 colony management missions.

Littlest Pet Shop expands in three versions City Friends, Beach Friends and Country Friends while Charm Girls Club debuts with three installments: My Fashion Mall, My Perfect Prom and My Fashion Show.

The new Style Lab series Jewelry Design and Makeover debut on November 10 while the Imagine game series continues with Artist (Nov. 17), Babyz Fashion (Nov. 3), Salon Stylist, Teacher: Class Trip and Zookeeper.

The house building simulator Our House also features 100 different mini-games. The new My Hero games series launches Astronaut on December 30 plus Firefighter and Doctor on November 17.

Harvest Moon Frantic Farming has various modes and multiplayer options in same setting of Island of Happiness. Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands (Nov. 10) has a wide range of crops and settings for mining, farming, fishing and animal tending.

Other simulation adventures include My Sims Agents, Animal Planet: Vet Life, and SimAnimals Africa, which features a special parrot guide when you use the microphone.

The My Virtual Tutor series features reading adventures ranging from pre kindergarten to second grade with a sideways, touch screen format. Other brain stimulators include Smart Kids: Mega Game Mix, Learn Geography (Dec. 10) plus Junior Brain Trainer and Junior Classic Games, both on November 3.

Naruto Sippuden Ninja Council 4 is set two and a half years after the classic NARUTO series while the complimentary NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 has expanded 3-D fighting among 34 playable characters.

Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans has turn-based role playing and exclusive content while Bleach: The 3rd Phantom lets players create and command their own team of eight Soul Reapers.

Action packed character battles include Pokemon Platinum Version, Fossil Fighters, Spore Hero Arena, Marvel Super Hero Squad, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Battle of Giants: Dragons (also in bronze edition) and Bakugan Battle Brawlers Collector's Edition with NAGA Collector Bakugan Ball.

Hidden Mysteries: Titanic – Secrets of the Fateful Voyage (Nov 3), Professor Layton and Diabolical Box, Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders (Oct. 28) and Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral (Nov. 9) all feature challenging gameplay and mysterious story lines.

Space Invaders Extreme 2 continues classic gameplay with split screen bonus modes while Squeeballs Party has a single player challenge ladder and multiplayer modes.

The match three puzzle game Jewel Master Egypt (Nov. 3) builds on player pyramid empires while Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey features a hint system and 12 levels. Game show fans get 2010 editions of Family Feud, Press Your Luck and Price is Right as well as Hasbro Family Game Night 2.

Legendary Starfy takes the adventure underwater while Rabbids Go Home (Nov. 1) adds some comedy. C.O.P. The Recruit (Nov. 3) features comic book style visuals while WireWay (Nov. 3) utilizes unique touch and flicking actions.

Rhythm Heaven offers unique music fun while Band Hero (Nov. 3) incorporates bass guitar, drums, guitar and vocals. LEGO Rock Band includes special rock power challenges let players fight monsters and accomplish other fun feats. Jam Sessions 2 helps you improve guitar skills and feature musicians like R.E.M., The Clash, The Ramones and Heart.

Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop has 80 new recipes and over 200 mini games while players can test their Japanese culinary skills with Sushi Academy and Sushi Go Round (Nov. 10). Diner Dash: Flo on the Go (Oct. 27) has vacation themed restaurants and story and endless shift game modes.

Movie adaptation games include Where the Wild Things Are, Astro Boy: The Video Game, Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (Oct. 27), Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes and Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (Nov. 3)

Planet 51, The Princess and the Frog and LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues all release on November 17. Disney Princess: Magical Jewels features the popular female movie characters.

Television show adaptations include Cartoon Network’s SECRET SATURDAYS: Beasts of the 5th Sun, BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration, Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy, iCarly and CSI: Deadly Intent – The Hidden Cases (Oct. 27).

Lower priced Nintendo DS games (under $20) include DreamWorks’ Madagascar Kartz, Chronotrigger, Need for Speed Undercover, Space Camp, Cake Mania 3, My Boyfriend, Drawn to Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition, The Clique: Diss and Make Up, Johnny Bravo Date-O-Rama and Dawn of Heroes (Dec. 1) and the above mentioned Space Invaders Extreme 2.

Other deals include Just in Time Translations, Moon, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, Lovely Lisa, Learn Math (Dec. 22) and the Discovery Kids series on dolphins, kittens, parrots, ponies, puppies and even an upcoming Spiderquest.

Want to change colors? Grab a white or pink Nintendo DSi system this holiday season. Recent DSi Ware applications include many entertaining and practical titles like the free Flipnote Studio, which helps players create hand drawn animations and picture alterations. My Sims Camera and Picture Perfect Hair Salon (Nov 10) offer more photography fun with the camera option.

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