I am a Pokemon Master.  Good, we got that out of the way.  I went out and bought Diamond Version day 1 and instantly jumped back into the swing.  Well now Platinum Version is out and it’s time to let y’all know what’s up with it.  So let’s catch ‘em all again, shall we?

I hold my Pokemon games up to a very high standard, but I also realize the entire point of games, so I overlook a lot of things that other reviewers are going to slam on.  The graphics during Pokemon battles, (the meat of the game), are not improved nearly as much as they should have been 10 years after the first game, and the sound effects are still just computerized screeches, but like I said, I don’t care.  The new Pokemon games are just as good, if not better, than the originals.

Platinum Version is like the greatest hits version of Diamond and Pearl.  You’ll get slightly more story than before with a big emphasis on catching Girantina, the cover star of the game.  No, the story isn’t compelling or original, even by Pokemon standards, but if you’re playing for the story then you’re missing the point of a Pokemon game, which is to, (say it with me), “Catch ‘em All.”

You’ll be busy for hundreds of hours if you want them all.  There are 492 total Pokemon now, at least a dozen of which you can’t get unless you attend a special event, go to the Pokemon Center in New York City, or trade with a friend who cheated to get it.  If you really want all 492, you’ve got your work cut out for you, but it does definitely gives you something to do for the extent of the game.  You’ll never be bored, assuming you enjoy Pokemon.

Platinum is only a mild upgrade from Diamond and Pearl.  If you have either of those, it’ll be a tough sell to buy Platinum.  If you’ve been holding out, just go buy Platinum, or wait until the remakes of Pokemon Gold and Silver come out next year.

Mario Kart DS:

The first game I bought for my DS.

It took a powerful title to get me off my tail to pick up a game built specifically for the system, but Mario Kart DS caused brain pieces to spray from my ears and my eyes to splurt all over the screen. In other words, my mind was blown. Maybe…maybe less visual to just say it blew my mind. No matter.

Mario Kart has always been a great series, but the DS version added wireless multiplayer against anyone in the world. I made the mistake of playing only at night, so the typical opponents were Japanese gamers that chewed me up and spit me out due to their masterful snaking techniques (dang you snaking!), but just being able to play multiplayer Mario Kart was amazing.

Still, as a single player game there was tons to do and plenty of excellent tracks to play on. I’d go so far as to say this is the best Mario Kart game of the series. Every character gets a few special carts of their own and they really do look cool and play differently. I had already justified my DS ownership, but I had hardly begun.

Animal Crossing DS:

You'll be surprised with how much there is to do.

It might be a strange concept to grasp, but Animal Crossing is a game that is impossible to finish in a day. It’s also impossible to finish in a month. There is a very strong chance that you won’t be finished with the game after a year or two. Reason being is that the premise of the game revolves around your character moving to a small town and having to repay your debt to the raccoon that lent you your home. Sound weird? There’s some more.

To repay said raccoon, you must do tasks for the other villagers who are of course all animals. As you play, you will have a rhino ask you to retrieve a couch from a sheep, a cat will ask you for a new catchphrase, and a mouse will send you a letter or two, just to get you to send one back. You’ll also fish, hunt for bugs, dig fossils, and decorate your house as you go. It sounds insane, and it is, but as a whole the game turns out to be rather pleasing and extremely addicting. All of this takes place in current time, so if it’s 8 o’ clock in the real world, it’ll be 8 o’ clock in the game, too. Same goes for major holidays. Once a year and that’s it.

The best thing about the game is that the time you put into the game really shows. You’ll have characters that remember you and wonder where you’ve been, you’ll make designs for shirts that the animals are wearing, and you’ll decorate the town as you see fit, more or less. It is a great game for those of us addicted to something like, oh, Farmville? Yeah, you’d go nuts for Animal Crossing.

Elite Beat Agents:

Dancing solves everything.

You will not understand Elite Beat Agents if you try. I do not understand Elite Beat Agents, yet I fully recommend the game to every owner of a DS. The Elite Beat Agents are a group of government-style officials that get dispatched every time a problem occurs. They are the very best at what they do and they always solve every problem, be it related to babysitting or alien invasion, all with the power of dance.

Yes, dancing. They do the dancing. And it solves EVERYTHING.

The game revolves around tapping the touch screen in rhythm and it can get extremely difficult. However, it also becomes extremely addicting, and when you’re doing things right it just feels great. Elite Beat Agents is a game that didn’t get the proper response when it first came out, but you can change that by purchasing it for yourself and everyone you know. If everyone pitches in, I may just get my Elite Beat sequel.

Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum:

Don't miss out just because they seem geeky.

It doesn’t matter which version you get, it is just highly recommended that you get at least one Pokemon game for your DS. At this stage in history there is virtually no need to elaborate on what Pokemon is, but I will go ahead and say that it will provide over a hundred hours of gameplay should you choose to enjoy it.

The current generation of Pokemon games demonstrates a great time to be into Pokemon as there is just so much to do and so many choices for a Pokemon team. Each gamer will find at least one Pokemon that they favor over all others either for reasons relating to battle stats, functionality, or just personal preference, (though Jolteon is the best, yo). Pokemon will survive the Apocalypse, so you might as well pay your dues while you can.

New Super Mario Bros:

Oh Mario, how I love thee.

You cannot own a DS without owning New Super Mario Bros. I simply will not allow it. It’s okay if you brush off my other suggestions like I’m a raving lunatic (because you may be onto something), but I will turn around and point back to claim that in fact you are the lunatic should you abandon New Super Mario Bros as a game you need not own.

Mario games are always good. I’ve been over this so many times that it’s getting redundant to hear (I’d know, I hear it all the time from myself). But I can’t stress it enough when there are still people in the world that don’t play Mario games. All problems are cured with enough Mario, I firmly believe this. Every world leader just needs to get a DS and play New Super Mario Bros and all problems will be solved within a year’s time.

If you haven’t played the DS Mario game, you still already know the plot. Princess kidnapped, Mario goes to saves her, turtles and mushrooms abound. A few new power-ups appear, but the real star is the level design, which returns to enlighten everyone how platforming games are supposed to be made. You’ll enjoy this game, even if you hate everything else in the world.

Basically, there is at least one game on this list that you do not own but will fully thank me once you play. All of these games can be found just about anywhere video games are sold, and all for affordable prices.