I've played games from the Might and Magic universe for many years, and have loved some titles, and hated others. The franchise spans from turn based strategy to FPS and beyond, but it wasn't until this most recent game from a developer I'd never heard of that I really wanted to play a Might and Magic game every free moment that I had in the day.

It might seem strange for me to be posting about a game for a system I don't even own, but I hope that goes a long way to describe how great of a game I really think this is, and how much of an impact it had on me. After playing it at a friend's house, I started doing so pretty much every time they had their DS with them and were not using it. So what makes it so special exactly? Well it's hard to say without looking at everything overall.

- Press Release -

SEGA Europe Ltd and SEGA of America, Inc. have announced that, for the first time ever, the original games from legendary gaming icon, Sonic The Hedgehog™ will be coming to the Nintendo DS™ system early 2010. Sonic Classic Collection™ gathers together the first four Sonic The Hedgehog adventures - Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles - introducing some of the most influential Sonic titles to a whole new generation of gamers exclusively for the DS.

Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles has been confirmed by Nintendo for release some time next year in Japan. Still, yet to be announced for North American release are the third and fourth Professor Layton games, Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel and Professor Layton and the Specter's Flute. While time will tell on whether we will see the games here in North America, it is probably the sales of the second game, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box here that will tell the story.

Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles is said to see some major changes to the core gameplay mechanics that the Professor Layton games have found success with. None of the changes have been explained in detail as of yet.

Leaving a lot of people screaming, "ALREADY?!", Nintendo confirmed rumors they had dismissed earlier this week as speculative this morning, when they confirmed what is being dubbed as the DSi XL.

The DSI XL will boast two 4.2 inch in diameter screens, much larger than the DSi's 3.25 inch in diameter screens or the 3 inch screens sported by the DS Lite. The charging time for the unit will be three hours, while battery life is 4-5 hours on the highest brightness setting and 13-17 hours on the lowest brightness setting.

More info after the jump!

Ubisoft has finally confirmed that Assassin's Creed II: Discovery is coming to the Nintendo DS. It is being developed by Griptonite Games and will come out on the same day as the iPhone version, November 20. DSi owners will be able to utilize the camera on their system by placing their face on wanted posters throughout the game.

From October 23th the Nintendo DSi is available in 3 more colors.

Besides black and white, you can then buy your NDSi in metallic blue, lightblue and red as well.

Scribblenauts is an odd title for me. I love the concept and the execution of the concept but from the (admittedly very) little I've played of the game so far, I'm coming away just a tad bit underwhelmed. This is a game that I ran out and bought right away expecting to use thousands of words to solve the myriad of puzzles the developers threw against me. While I liked the idea of messing around typing in a variety of words and seeing what happened, I knew that it wouldn't be enough to entertain me. The ability to use my word knowledge to solve puzzles was the biggest reason I bought the game. Scribblenauts, so far, has failed to do that for me.

After being revealed months ago at E3, Link's latest adventure on the Nintendo DS has finally been dated and confirmed for shipping on December 7th. In his latest outing, Link will go about his travels on a magic island via a magical locomotive. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear that numerous puzzles and dungeons are back and ready to be solved and conquered.

Personally, being someone that absolutely loved the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass I cannot wait for this to ship. It is almost a guaranteed staple in any Nintendo DS gamer's library, if even only mildly interested in puzzle/adventure games.

The Viking inspired board game, "King's Table", historically also known as "Hnefatafl" & "Tablut" must rank as one of history's greatest board games! Even with rather simple rules, it requires tactical sense and ability to understand the opponents thinking. It became a popular game in Northern Europe during the Viking era (end of 8th century to about 1000AD), a turbulent time full of conflict. Based on archaeological research, the game is reconstructed and appears now as it may have been played in the past.

King's Table was, and is, a game about attack and defense! It is a highly addictive game aimed at the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi - featuring a single-player option against an artificial opponent, and a multi-player option against another human opponent. The rules of King's Table are easy to learn, but mastering the game takes practice, perseverance, patience, strategic skills and a little luck! It is a game which, because of its simplistic nature, yet still being highly addicting, is attractive to all audiences: hardcore, as well as the casual player seeking a quick thrill on-the-go!

Admit it. There are games out there that only had one outing and disappeared forever yet you wish someone would make a sequel out of it. Psychonauts, Vagrant Story, and Eternal Darkness spring to mind for many. So for this feature, I want to create what would be my ideal sequel for the game in question. I'll detail the story and gameplay for the sequel as long as which platform it deserves to be on. For the first entry of this new feature, I'll be taking a look at the long-rumored Metroid sequel, Metroid Dread.