Even the most accessible games console of my childhood (the Nintendo DS) wasn’t fully accessible, despite it having a touch screen which can help whoever’s playing it to play the games, because I was never able to play games that required holding down the shoulder buttons, or any games that required holding a button down to jump or to accelerate.
This eventually led to me trading all my Nintendo technology and games in, hoping it would lead to a day when Nintendo would start making their consoles more accessible, though that is something that has sadly not happened.
But a couple of years ago, I convinced someone to customise a DSi for me, so I could plug switches into a switch port that has been hard wired into it, which acts as the L/R Buttons, and throughout this year, I’ve documented the most accessible and inaccessible games I’ve tested on it.
So in this blog, I’m going to give my thoughts on 5 more games that I recently tested out on it, while also answering how accessible the games are.
Meet the Robinsons
An Adventure game published by Buena Vista and developed by Avalanche, Meet The Robinsons is a DS game rated 7+ and that allows for 1-2 players.
Based on the 2007 Disney film of the same name, the Meet The Robinsons video game is more of a spin off, but it is still equally enjoyable.
You play as Wilbur Robinson, who has to stop the Bowler Hat Guy and his robotic hat, Doris, from changing the past and messing with the future. Beyond this, you also get the chance to jump into different worlds, including Ancient Egypt and the Protectosphere, as well as using all of Wilbur’s gadgets to solve puzzles.
The game can be played with the buttons around the DS, but what I really like is that you can still play it with the touch screen. This makes it highly accessible, because it gives the user the choice over how they want to play, so you won’t be limited in how you play, whether you choose to use buttons or not.
Jack The Ripper
Real Crimes: Jack the Ripper is an Adventure Crime game developed and published by Virtual Playground, rated 7+ and which allows for 1 player.
It puts you at the scene of the most notorious murder cases in history, as you go back to London 1889, to help Scotland Yard investigate the crime of the century. Throughout the game, you’ll get the chance to visit the famous London landmarks associated with the case, including Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace and Whitechapel Lane.
The entire game is played with the touchscreen, as you search hidden-object crime scenes to gather evidence, while solving other puzzles as well. This makes the game accessible, and it doesn’t matter if you have a customised DSi or not, because you’ll be able to play them anyway. But as someone who has a big, guilty obsession with murder documentaries and podcasts, I have enjoyed playing it and look forward to getting back to playing it.
However, although the game is rated 7+, I think it’s possibly a game that only adults or late teens would be able to follow and really grasp onto the context of it without getting bored, so I wouldn’t advise parents to let their kids play this.
Jewel Quest Exhibition
Jewel Quest Exhibition is a Puzzle game developed by iWin and published by Avanquest, which is rated 3+ and allows for 1-8 players.
You play as adventurer, Robert Pack, as he travels through Africa on a quest to unlock the mysteries of 180 unique jewel boards.
You can play the entire game with either a stylus or the control pad, as you turn the blocks around the board to gold, so it’s accessible even if you don’t have a customised DS.
But what I really like about the DS game is its closeness to other more addictive mobile games, which is something I know a lot about due to having an unhealthy addiction to Candy Crush in the past. Since the goal of the game is really similar to clearing the jelly on the other cursed game, it’s been a good game to help me cope during the times when I delete Candy Crush off my phone. I genuinely like the casual theme it has.
Jewel Quest Mysteries: curse of the emerald tear
Another game in the Jewel Quest game family, Jewel Quest Mysteries: Curse of the Emerald Tear is a puzzle game that was yet again developed by iWin, but unlike Jewel Quest Exhibition, it was published by GSP. It is rated 3+ and allows for 1 player.
Combing hidden object game antiques with match-three mystery solving games, the game itself has you helping characters called Rupert and Emma, after they are plunged into the land of ancient intrigue, Egypt. Throughout the game, you seek out treasures and jewels, which are hidden within stunning gardens and relic-laden palaces, making it similar to other games in the series, while also giving it features that make it similar to the crime investigation competition.
The entire game is played with the touch screen, so it’s accessible even if you don’t play it on a customised DS.
Sega superstar Tennis
Sega Superstar Tennis is a sport game developed by Sumo Digital and published by SEGA, rated 7+ and which allows for 1-4 players.
The game lets you play as and against characters from across the SEGA universe, as you play off in rounds of Tennis.
The game can be played with the face buttons for the most part, though you’ll need access to the L/R buttons for some moves, and this is something that makes it inaccessible if you can’t move around the DS quickly. For me, however, I do think it is accessible now that I’ve tested it on the customised DSi, though the game can become more difficult to play when it quickens up.
Conclusion
Although there’s a lot of games included in this list that aren’t as dependent on the customised DSi as other games, I still think it can be useful for others. While the switch port isn’t needed as much for games like the two Jewel Quest games or Jack the Ripper, it does become extremely important when playing others, like Meet The Robinsons or SEGA, and I can’t wait to get back to testing it more.
Phoebs Lyle Tech Reviews 