These days, the best games seem like the ones with an M for maturity; gamers want guts and drugs and rampant violence. Remember when video games had children as their focus? Some of the most enduring game franchises are the cute and cuddly ones that didn’t rely on sensationalism like Legend of Zelda or Mario. The DS (and Nintendo in general) is a good option for those that want more children-friendly gaming and here are three great series’ to look into.
Littlest Pet Shop
The Littlest Pet Shop is a toy franchise owned by Hasbro. Hasbro has released Littlest Pet Shop games and Electronic Arts has been commissioned to release these games. Players get to explore unique worlds and do quests or pamper their pets. There are different versions: Jungle, Garden and Winter, which have their own unique pets. Littlest Pet Shop friends is a follow-up which also comes with three different versions of the game with new pets.
Cooking Mama
The Cooking Mama games are cooking simulation games that utilize the DS’ touch screen. There are different modes which involved unlocking recipes, combining already known recipes to create new food and a mode that tests a specific skill such as chopping or grating. The latest sequel is cooking mama 3: Shop and Chop which is very similar except you can hear cooking mama talk now.
Professor Layton
The Professor Layton games are puzzle games inspired by the Ace Attorney series and follow Archaeologist Hershel Layton as he attempts to solve mysteries around the world. Professor Layton and the Lost Future, or Unwound Future, is one of the best examples of the series and was received very well by critics.
