We rustle up some wildlife and go for a spin in this hands-on with Monster Racers for the Nintendo DS.

Pokemon is a hell of a drug. This may sound silly, but if you boil anything down to its simplest form so that it amounts to little more than advanced rock-scissors-paper, a thinly veiled plot, and the collection and training of mythical creatures, you’d have the very addictive Pokemon, which has carved a very profitable niche for itself. It’s no surprise, then, that while the formula has been tweaked and perfected over the years, other would-be contenders want to cash in on the success and get a share of the dollars. Enter Monster Racers.

I choose you winged lion!

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Illegal street racers make for good cops in this DS action game from Ubisoft.

In Ubisoft’s upcoming third-person action game, C.O.P The Recruit, you play as a Dan Miles, a former street racer turned crime fighter in the Criminal Overturn Program, or C.O.P. for short. That might be the worst code-name for a fictional law enforcement division in the history of the world, but C.O.P. The Recruit has plenty to be excited about, including a big city to explore, some interesting controls, and some of the best 3D graphics we’ve seen on the handheld to date. We recently had a chance to play a limited demo of the game, which is due for release late this year.

Shoot first, ask questions later in Ubisoft’s upcoming third-person action game, C.O.P. The Recruit for DS.

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Tween girls are going to have a lot of games to choose from by the end of the year.

Every press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo so far has demonstrated at least one game aimed at the female teenage audience. Nintendo’s contribution to this growing genre of tween games is Style Savvy, a Nintendo DS game that will let you run your very own fashion boutique.

The trailer showed the DS on its side, with a girl displayed on one screen and options displayed on the touch screen. It seems like you’ll be playing with a virtual dress-up doll but with access to more than 10,000 items of the craziest and latest fashions. You can compete in runway contents with up to three friends to show off your trendiest outwear and even shop in other players’ boutiques. Customization also seems to play a large role, so the possibilities are endless.

Style Savvy is aimed at the tween to 20-something audience and will be released at the end of the year.

Check out the source at GameSpot

After many rounds of lengthy tutorials, we explore this unique and fascinating role-playing game.

The role-playing games on the Nintendo DS just keep on coming, and next on the horizon is Knights in the Nightmare, from Sting, the maker of Yggdra Union. This game is in a class of its own, and if you thought Yggdra was confusing and a bit of a mess onscreen, you should be warned that Knights in the Nightmare looks like a disaster–at least until you’ve spent enough time poring over the never-ending tutorials so that you have a clue about how to proceed.

In between all the madness, there’s a captivating story.

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We set sail in search of new land in Ubisoft’s upcoming strategy game.

Strategic city-building games have always had a home on the PC, but the Nintendo DS and Wii and their touch screen and pointer capabilities make managing a budding civilization just as easy. Ubisoft is bringing Dawn of Discovery–originally called Anno 1404–to both systems. It’s an easy-to-play strategy game that guides you through the process of exploring and cultivating new lands. We played through the first few chapters of the game to get a feel for the controls, and we liked what we saw. It’s virtually stress-free, which might be considered less challenging to some players, but there’s always a more efficient way of building an empire than just slapping down some huts and dairy farms and hoping that everything takes off.

Discover new lands and build your own bustling metropolis.

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