Six Must-Play DS Visual Novels

Though they’re barely games, these titles offer a veritable Reading Rainbow of enjoyment.

By: Bob Mackey
December 12, 2011

In Jeremy’s post on the 3DS’s recent sales surge, one of his points really stood out to me; namely, that the original DS popularized previously unknown (or recently nonexistent) types of games for an audience still trying to wrap their brains around the system’s two screens and novel means of input. And while the genre in question hasn’t yet reached the popularity of brain training, dog raising, or gentleman simulation (a la Professor Layton), without the DS, visual novels would still be one of those weird Japanese things we only hear about in whispers, riddles, and animes. Granted, most of the ones that don’t make it to our shores feature doe-eyed, underage gals in various states of undress and helplessness, but that doesn’t mean the genre’s a total wash. Though a few stinkers wormed their way into an American release, the handful of quality visual novels for the DS certainly merits discussion — which is why you’re reading this very feature! Or having it read to you — I’m not one to criticize Internet browsing habits of the criminally lazy.

The Phoenix Wright Series