DS Cupboards Bare This Xmas

Nintendo pushes back DS games, leaving little on the roster to go into Christmas stockings.

Dr Kawashima's Brain Training has until now done a fantastic job of keeping the DS in the limelight. Supported by a relentless, long-term advertising campaign, the game has toughed it out in the top 10 since the beginning of the summer and kept the DS on people's minds. But what else does Nintendo have in store for the portable this year?

Unfortunately, not much, by the looks of the latest release list Nintendo sent out on Wednesday. Several big DS games have fallen victim to the slow localisation process and now find themselves taking residence in the first quarter of next year.

There are just four DS games coming from Nintendo over the rest of this year. The biggest of these is Yoshi's Island DS, the follow-up to the uniquely styled Super NES hit. Outside of this, DS fans are going to need to keep an eye on import stores if they want to keep up with the new stuff this year.

The Christmas season is the time for gifts, though, and Nintendo is cashing in on this with a new, pink edition of the DS Lite. Scoff if you must, but the similarly hued version of the original DS sold well in the UK.

Below is the full list of DS games and hardware updates coming from Nintendo between now and the end of March.

• Nintendo DS Browser - 6 October
• Sudoku Master - 27 October
• Nintendo DS Lite Pink Edition - 27 October
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team - 10 November
• Tenchu Dark Secret - 2 November
• Yoshi's Island DS - 1 December
• Star Fox Command - 26 January
• Actionloop - 26 January
• Harvest Moon DS - Quarter 1 2007
• Mario Slam Basketball - Q1 2007
• Magical Starsign (tentative title) - Q1 2007
• Diddy Kong Racing DS - Q1 2007
• Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March Of The Minis - Q1 2007
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All - Q1 2007
• Pokémon Ranger - Q1 2007
• Children Of Mana - Q1 2007

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo