Nintentunes handheld edition: all the great tunes now available in your pocket!

Gameboy – X
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTzPj_RcIy4[/youtube]
One of the great things about Nintendo handhelds circa 2008 was their ability to play games from other regions without having to worry about the game being region locked. Although X was never released outside of Japan, this early attempt at three-dimensional gameplay for the original gameboy spiked many gamers interest outside of the land of the rising sun. Going back and playing the title almost 20 years after its original release date, X definitely shows its age gameplay-wise. The music, however, is still as sweet as the day it was released. 

Gameboy Color – Megaman Xtreme 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TknRORk-pc&list=PLF8CBB91E7D1A691D&index=8[/youtube]
Capcom and Megaman may not be on speaking terms at the moment, but one thing fans of the franchise can not say is that Capcom never gave the franchise a chance. As of December 31, 2010 there were 128 games released under the Megaman umbrella, with Megaman Xtreme 2 being a spin-off of a spin-off. I won’t even try and go into detail of the story of the Xtreme series, just know that it takes place withing the same timeline as the X games that originated on the Super Nintendo. In Xtreme 2 the player has the option of playing as either X or Zero, adding a rather strategic element to the gameplay because only the the player used to destroy the boss will receive the special weapon.

Gameboy Advance – Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E1fGVIULKw&playnext=1&list=PLB2A1534AF32C26C6[/youtube]
When the original Boktai was released for the GBA, there really wasn’t any other titles like it on the market. Heck, eight years later the Boktai trio of games have yet to be matched on the innovation front. The titles gameplay largely consists of stealth and puzzle oriented dungeons in the RPG vain. Using the game cartridges sun sensor, sunlight can be collected and used as the in-game currency and energy for Django’s solar gun.  Boktai may be a title to pick up for all you RPG haters out there, and at the very least it will help you to get out of your house before the summer is over.

Nintendo DS – Giana Sisters DS
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fL9TDCdYX4&feature=related[/youtube]
The Giana Sisters have a long history dating back almost as far as Mario himself. I say almost because when The Great Giana Sisters first released in 1987, no one was fooled by the way the game blatantly ripped off the Mario formula, least of all Nintendo’s legal team. Flash forward to 2009 when developer Spellbound Interactive released an updated port of the Commodore 64 version of the title for the Nintendo DS. There is no denying the titles close resemblance to Super Mario Bros, but the game is highly regarded in the chiptune community due to composer  Chris Hülsbeck’s wonderful soundtrack.

Nintendo 3DS – Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGmirFanPU&feature=related[/youtube]
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle is one title that was released in Japan that I wish was already available in the States. I love the Professor Layton series, and dread the fact that here in America we are a couple of games behind. While I am not sure how I feel about the change from 2D sprites to 3D character models, I am certain that once the first puzzle has been solved all of my doubt will be swept away.

Eugene lives in New Mexico and has been a life long gamer since getting his hands on an NES. Always partial to Nintendo, Eugene has made it a point to keep informed on all things Mario.