There is no denying that upon the announcement of the DS way back in 2003, people thought that Nintendo had actually lost the plot.

The Nintendo DS was a drastic departure, a new handset that was meant to compliment rather than replace their hugely successful GameBoy brand, a stylus and sound driven machine with two screens evoking the design of the original Game and Watch…

Nintendo had definitely lost it…or had they?

The history speaks for itself, and with 97.5 million DSes sold worldwide by the end of 2008, it showed introducing a device with innovative yet familiar input methods for non-gamers would have a far greater appeal, a tactic they have repeated with great success in the Nintendo Wii.

So, with over 3 million sold last month in the US alone, it means lots of new owners finding Nintendo’s handheld in their stocking this Christmas. Which games should they be playing into 2009?

So we at Invisible Hand have gone through many titles to pick out some of the latest, and greatest games to hit the little handheld that could….

1. Cooking Mama - £12.96 from Amazon.co.uk

As the name suggests, it is indeed a cooking simulator. The touch screen allows you to cut, chop, sautee and mash like a animated Jamie Oliver in this unique title. Cook over 70 dishes, and be ranked on your culinary expertise by the legendary Cooking Mama!

Winner of the “Most Innovative DS Design of E3″ award in 2006, Cooking Mama is both easy to get into but challenging enough to create a new generation of budding Blumenthals!

2. Nintendogs - £14.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Forget Tamagotchi (oh, you have?), the greatest virtual pet simulation of all time is for the DS! Nintendogs allows you to care for man’s best friend in every way possible! Pet them, bathe them, purchase toys and supplies to keep them looking their best, even teach them tricks and commands by speaking into the DS microphone. They seem a bit stubborn at first, but persevere and you can even win medals at local dog shows!

Choose from a variety of breeds from Labrador to Schnauzer, even set your DS to ‘bark’ mode to let your pet socialise with other Nintendogs (and their owners) if you bump into them in the real world!

3. New Super Mario Brothers - £24.96 from Amazon.co.uk

A…re-imagining rather than a sequel to the classic platforming adventures, New Super Mario Bros. brings back all of the classic enemies, levels and power-ups with a next-generation twist! New mushrooms allow Mario to balloon to the size of entire screen, whilst previously familiar foes may have a few new tricks up their sleeve! Great fun to play whilst a huge challenge to master, New Super Mario Bros. shows that sometimes they do make them like they used to…

4. Dr. Kawashina’s Brain Training : How Old Is Your Brain? - £16.99 from Play.com

The ‘game’ that started it all… This unassuming combination of mental puzzles, challenges and a strange self help guide catapulted the Nintendo DS into the public eye. Holding the DS vertically as though it were a book, you play through a set of brain teasers and at the end of each session the “age” of your brain is calculated. It’s all terribly scientific, and you can improve with frequent practice every day.

With the endorsement of famed neuro-scientist Dr. Kawashima and using a combination of the stylus for writing and the microphone for speech recognition tests, this title took the world by storm! Finally a game that could be enjoyed by the young and old alike and made you feel better, and smarter, for playing it!

5. 42 All-Time Classic Games - £14.96 on Amazon.com

Simple premise, really. 42 all-time classic games, 1 package, fun for all the family!

All of the ones you want are here including Chess, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Solitaire, Bowling and Dominoes! Makes those family trips abroad a ton more fun when you have some board games…now they are all inside the tiny package of the Nintendo DS!

The Nintendo DS is so popular because it has attracted non-gamers to the take up gaming. You can’t exactly imagine your mum or dad enjoying Halo or Resident Evil but you could probably find a game on the DS that they might play. The success of Brain Training, Nintendogs and Cooking Mama shows that console gaming doesn’t have to follow the formula of shooting, fighting or racing. By creating innovative games and treating the DS more of a teaching aid than a console games publishers have created a whole new market for their games.

Avanquest’s Pass Your Driving Theory fits in the educational category of Nintendo DS games. It is a must for all those about to sit their theory tests. A theory test costs £30 and must be taken before a learner can even sit their practical exam. The game gives players invaluable practise before the exam and gives them the edge on passing the test. Not only could the game help a player pass their theory it would save them money and speed up the process of taking a driver test. If you fail your theory you have to reschedule, pay for another test and delay the whole process of qualifying to drive.

Pass Your Driving Theory is an essential interactive guide, it includes all 1265 official DSA questions for both cars and motorcycles along with explanations. It helps track a player’s improvement as past test scores are saved.

The game has been developed in partnership with LDC, one of the UK’s largest driving schools. LDC are offering a free driving test worth £26 to everyone who buys a copy of Pass Your Driving Theory.

Gaming Excellence

Everyone loves the DS, just ask Invisible Hand users. The Nintendo DS stock list is really popular. The reason for the DS’ popularity? Well for one it’s great fun what with its dual screen and stylus. Plus it’s got some great games and they’re keeping up the tradition with the release of Moto Racer DS in April 2009. Here’s an exclusive trailer from Gametrailers.com.

Moto Racer is the definitive motocycle racing game made famous on the PC, Gameboy, Playstation and finally the Nintendo DS. Single or multiplayer, you race in a variety of environments utilising the Nintendo DS stylus to control your rider. Experience four separate disciplines: Grand Prix (hairpin ends), Traffic (urban city scapes), Supercross (indoor circuits) and Freestyle (stunts).

Moto Racer DS utilises the DS’ internet capability, allowing you to challlnge your friends in multi-player contests and compare your score with the Online Worldwide Ranking system on the Moto Racer DS website.

Don’t worry guys it’s not a scam this time. Gaming site Buyitplayit.com are offering 50 Nintendo DS as part of their Freaky Friday offer. The first 50 customers to purchse the DS after it hits 12 will get the DS at this remarkable price. Register now if you want to be in the running. Good luck!

It’s not just kids that are fixated on the Nintendo DS this Christmas, so are criminals.  HM Revenue and customs have warned about fake Nintendo DS consoles being imported into the UK. These fake consoles are also potentially dangerous, as their power adaptors have not been properly tested. People are tricked into buying these DS from Asian websites that offer huge discounts. When the fake DS arrives, customers will not only be disappointed but also likely to receive an electric shock.

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