Deca Sports DS (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

DECA SPORTS DS is the third title in its series (the first two being Wii-exclusive games), and like its predecessors, it offers a collection of ten different sports activities. The sports in this collection range from the everyday to the what-the-heck-is-that?: Golf, Bobsled, Ping-Pong, Rugby, Clay Shooting, Arm Wrestling, Cheerleading, Skydiving, Wall Climbing, and Sepak Takraw. Players can create and edit their own teams to play with in individual events or league tournaments. Single-card wireless multiplayer is availalble for up to six people.

In many way, Deca Sports DS works better than either of its Wii predecessors (Deca Sports and Deca Sports 2). For the most part, the play controls are well devised for the DS's unique touchscreen abilities. Several have very complicated rules, though, so read the tutorials carefully or risk getting lost. And while, with the exception of golf, the particular sports included are well outside the mainstream, they're all fun and different enough that kids shouldn't feel like they've been handed a pile of third-rate leftover sports that nobody else wanted to make games about. In fact, the under-the-radar aspect of some of these sports is a big part of their appeal. Sepak Takraw, for instance, which most players are unlikely to have heard of, turns out to be one of the most fun games in this anthology (although, granted, arm wrestling doesn't offer all that much). Still, it's always nice to see any DS game with single-card wireless multiplayer, as it's really not too common for kids to find friends with the same exact DS game library as them to play games with.

Online interaction: Although it is not technically online, it is worth noting that up to six people can play Deca Sports DS in multiplayer tournaments through the Nintendo DS's wireless capabilities. And unlike many DS games with multiplayer modes, only one Deca Sports game card is needed.