# recommend some games for the Nintendo DSi **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 18, 2010, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544 "2010-10-18T10:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/1 "2010-10-18T10:20:31Z")
Hi all, my 8 year-old nephew will be getting a Nintendo DSi for Christmas and I want to get him some games. Does anyone have some recommendations? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/2 "2010-10-18T15:48:09Z")
Peggle is a fun time waster. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/3 "2010-10-18T18:13:09Z")
I continue to claim that **Elite Beat Agents** is the best game on the DS. Other than that, you can’t really go wrong with the usual suspects, as in: New Super Mario Bros. Mario Kart Zelda: Spirit Tracks Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Rhythm Heaven There are lots of other good titles, though I’m not sure of the age range for some of them. For example, the Professor Layton series is great, but I don’t know how an eight year old would handle the puzzles and logic. Similarly for some RPGs, like **Mario & Luigi** and various **Final Fantasy** s. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/4 "2010-10-18T19:06:12Z")
In addition to the games recommended above, take a look at _Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime_. It’s silly action-adventure with breaks for battles between ridiculous giant tanks with punny names. Also, the protagonist is literally slime–a bouncy little DQ-type slime that looks like blue Jello. The art is very Dragonball (unsurprising, given that the same guy is behind it), which might resonate as well. **borschevsky** , I’d argue that _The World Ends With You_ is the best DS game to date, but it’s definitely not something I’d recommend for an 8-year old. ---
**Author:** ![mil0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mil0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mil0)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/5 "2010-10-18T21:10:23Z")
No mention of anything Pokemon Heartgold/Soulsilver? I can’t imagine a better game for an eight-year-old boy. > **[Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_HeartGold_and_SoulSilver)** > > Pokémon HeartGold Version\[b\] and Pokémon SoulSilver Version\[c\] are 2009 remakes of the 1999 Game Boy Color role-playing video games Pokémon Gold and Silver, also including features from Pokémon Crystal. The games are part of the fourth generation of the Pokémon video game series and were developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Gold and Silver, the games were released in Japan on September 12, 2009, ... ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/6 "2010-10-18T21:16:41Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > I continue to claim that **Elite Beat Agents** is the best game on the DS. It is. EBA is a must have. It’s really great. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/7 "2010-10-18T22:15:52Z")
I was around that age when I played the original Final Fantasy IV on the Super Nintendo, and I found it, to this day, to be one of the best games i’ve ever played. That in mind, i’d highly recommend the DS remake of it. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/8 "2010-10-18T23:38:03Z")
Tetris and Bomberman are classics that can’t go wrong ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/9 "2010-10-19T03:05:26Z")
Thanks for the suggestions all! BTW I always thought Scribblenauts looked like a load of fun - will that work on the DSi? Cheers ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/10 "2010-10-19T14:11:26Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Thanks for the suggestions all! > > BTW I always thought Scribblenauts looked like a load of fun - will that work on the DSi? > > Cheers Scribblenauts is fun and will work on the DSi. You may want to get the newer Super Scribblenauts though. The newer game includes adjectives and the controls are apparently greatly improved over the original game. I took the original Scribblenauts to my family gathering last Thanksgiving. I could hardly get it away from my 30-year-0ld nephew. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/11 "2010-10-19T16:40:23Z")
> [@mil0](#): > > No mention of anything Pokemon Heartgold/Soulsilver? I can’t imagine a better game for an eight-year-old boy. > > [Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_HeartGold_and_SoulSilver) Plus, if he’s interested, Bricker Jr is willing to trade/battle over WiFi with another Pokemon fan. Let me know and they can exchange friend codes. ---
**Author:** ![Chocobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Chocobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chocobo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-games-for-the-nintendo-dsi/557544/12 "2010-10-20T15:45:46Z")
If your nephew enjoys puzzles and riddles, I would highly recommend the Professor Layton series, starting with The Curious Village. The characters and story are well done and the gameplay is straightforward. > **[Professor Layton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Layton_%28series%29)** > > Professor Layton\[a\] is a puzzle adventure video game series and transmedia franchise developed by Level-5. The property consists primarily of seven main video games, a mobile spin-off, an animated theatrical film, and an anime television series, while additionally incorporating an array of secondary titles and media, including a crossover game with Capcom's Ace Attorney series. > The first three games follow the adventures of Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice Luke Triton, while the subse...