ds

Puzzle Quest is one of the scariest games I've seen in years. I'm no stranger to game addictions. I've been on and off World of Warcraft three times now (permanently off now; I'm not getting the expansion and don't like raiding), and have been hooked on everything from Oblivion to Zelda. Puzzle Quest offers the kind of nightmarish addictive powers I haven't seen since Tetris DS and Lumines. I have no idea why, but there's just something compelling about shuffling around blocks to get points.

Bejeweled is one of the archetypical puzzle games. … Read more

A small group of spy shots have surfaced on Chinese forum tgfcer.com, depicting what looks to be a large group of black Xbox 360s on the tail end of a production line. Also in the photos is a shot of the detachable hard drive, which pretty clearly looks to be 120GB, confirming several rumors that a new premium SKU for Microsoft's gaming console is forthcoming. The only thing missing from the shots is the back of the console, which would validate the claims an HDMI port was on the way.

For early adopters of the system (myself included), … Read more

Have you ever wanted to see how your game system works? Do you scoff at warranties? Do you not mind risking your $80-to-$600 gadget just so you can screw with it? Then this toolkit is for you.

Modding peripheral companies like Divineo and Mod-chip.com are selling the Zoozen Access Pro Tool Kit v2, a toolkit with virtually everything you need to crack into virtually every game system you have. It includes a socketed handle with standard driver bits for slotted, Phillips, and Torx screws, and specialized driver bits for the "tamperproof" screws many systems use (Ever … Read more

The rumors were true: Nokia's N-Gage is returning, but it will be a gaming platform available on several new phones rather than on a single gaming handset. Gaming blog Kotaku was among the first to report on the news, which Nokia will expand upon at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. Top mobile publishers such as EA, Glu Mobile and THQ Wireless are said to be on board, and Nokia is showcasing at least six N-Gage games, including versions of such well-known franchises as Brothers in Arms and FIFA 2008.

Nokia's press release specifically mentions that … Read more

When public relations companies send games to reviewers, they seldom send just the game. Usually it's the game, plus some colorful tissue paper, a snow globe, a mouse pad, or something like that. That's known as "swag," which is used by marketing departments and public relations firms to help build up hype about products.

Sometimes said marketers/PR reps make strange choices.

We recently got sent Wario: Master of Disguise for the Nintendo DS. It's the usual story of Wario stealing treasures and whatnot, this time using a magic wand (read: DS stylus) that can … Read more

This item falls squarely under the category of major geekdom, but we're here to serve, not to judge. So we herewith offer the "Card Saber DS"--a sleeve that holds three DS games and a cartridge, according to Ubergizmo. Yes, it's not the most practical thing, but it costs only about $7. Besides, there's no price on the ability to unsheathe your games like a samurai. And it would go splendidly with your MP3 Lightsaber.

If you happen to be visiting Japan this spring, you may see some unusually long lines outside stores on April 26. That's when Nintendo is planning to debut a DS Lite special edition to coincide with the release of the anticipated Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, according to Plastic Bamboo. The special DS will initially be sold as a limited-edition bundle with the role-playing game, but it's unclear whether the laser-etched device will be available on its own later on. Either way, you can expect to see the usual sequence of events: the rush of fanboys, Flickr photos … Read more

Nokia has confirmed that a successor to the N-Gage is due by early 2008. The company's FutureWatch blog indicates that developers EA and Gameloft are on board to develop for the updated N-Gage, and that other "leading publishers" will be making games as well.

Perhaps the bigger news is that the next N-Gage won't be a single device, but rather a gaming platform available on certain of its advanced Series 60 models. (Whether a future Series 60 phone will look like the Nokia concept pictured here, however, is anybody's guess.) Instead of buying games on … Read more

Nintendo has announced that it's sold more than 10 million Nintendo DS and DS Lite systems in America, an average of 9 every minute since the system's United States launch in November 2004. According to Nintendo of America frontman Reggie Fils-Aime, Americans can't get enough of the DS.

"More than 5 million people joined the ranks as Nintendo DS owners in America last year alone," Fils-Aime said. "And right now, they're all saying the same thing--Give me more!'"

While I'm loathe to take any marketer at his word (No offense, Reggie), … Read more