Nintendo DSiWare

DSiware started with the DSi, continued with the DSiXL, and now lives on with the 3DS. These are (often small file-sized) games to be played and stored digitally. Some are meant for quick-fire play, but others have more depth. Longevity varies per title, obviously.
Note: If you're having trouble getting your music creations off of certain apps below, check this handy guide.
DSiWare is downloadable and transferable with the 3DS. However, you won't be able to keep any of your save data.
* The 3DS can only play DSiWare in the internal memory (which there is a lot of). Transferring DSiWare to the SD card prevents play but keeps save data (this is the same case for both systems).
* The save erasing only happens when transferring between systems, and only from DSi to 3DS. This issue is natural and unlikely to be rectified.
That said, all you have to do is download a free application off of the DSiWare Shop (the 3DS already has the means to do so without said app). I hope you can find this app on the internet because the DSiWare Shop is closed.
*Have both plugged in (or you'll get a fuckton of warning messages ("Don't let your battery die! Please plug in!" or something)), set up a full or custom transfer (the full is much more convenient), and a bunch of Pikmin will transfer all your data, some faster than others.
*If you get an error message, whatever was in the middle of being transferred will have to re-transfer, but everything else should already be sent over (in rare cases it won't be), and you won't need to start all the way over.
*You will see a fun surprise better than OnePlus Switch and Google Pixel Transfer.... and that is PIKMIN!!!
Now then, let's enjoy some bite-sized games with full-size fun!
=Buying Guide=
New to DSiWare? Only have 10 or 20 bucks? Just plain not sure what to check out? Don't worry. We got this.The first recommendations are usually the more expensive titles, such as Shantae, the Mighty games (Flip Champs and Milky Way), and other $8+ titles. These are great games, and very much worth checking out. If you don't mind only getting one or two games, stick with those for a while.If you want to stretch your buck with a bigger variety, consider some options that are cheaper and/or have more longevity to them.The cheapest and most reliable option is the G.G./Go Series of games. They are not "full featured" games. They're more like modern day "Game and Watch" titles. That said, they're nearly all pretty entertaining and great for quick burst vidya sessions and high score seekers (a few suck, but only a very small few like 2 or 3). Generally, each goes for 200 points, making them low on price, high on fun!
DSiware games can't be bought anymore, since Nintendo closed DSi Shop in March 31, 2017, but almost all games are available on the 3ds Eshop.
You can, HOWEVER, play DSiware games on your 3DS or DSi through HiyaCFW! Check this site for DSi users (not phat or lite models, unless you have a compatible flashcard in this case) and this site for 3DS users. Read everything beforehand so you don't brick your system. 
Want something a little more Retro? Try some of the ACTUAL Game and Watch games. Although they aren't colorful and lack music, you've still got some old-school cool. Again, not every one of them is a winner, but a vast majority are.
Perhaps you prefer a bit of creativity? Creative Applications might be your thing. Inchworm Animation and the Rytmik music-making series provide really good options for your expression. Inchworm is all about making animations/cartoons and even drawings, while Rytmik is about making music loops and even full songs.
All pricing here should be done in Nintendo/DSiWare Points values to avoid any potential currency pricing confusion. 
Prices left in the table just for historical reasons. You can still get all those games if you're a filthy pirate.
=Games with Endings=
These games tend to have better length to them. However, they have an eventual goal and an ending. Technically, you might not play them more than once, but you could if you felt like it. Some actually have more replay value than others due to extra endings, alternate "paths", time-trials, play-style possibilities, etc.
Title 	Price	Genre 	Description 	Screenshot
A Kappa's Trail 	500 	Puzzle 	A touching tale of a Kappa who seeks to enter the human world. First, it must brave 16 stages trials, all of which are pretty tough. It's up to you to guide the critter with trails drawn by your stylus. Beware! There's all sorts of enemies who seek to impede its progress. Luckily, you can dig up "mini-kappas", helpful sprites who fulfill various roles, like bridge-making, foe-fighting, snack-finding, and so on. The paintings and journal entries you obtain really make the game, which is already amusing enough. There's also a few mini-games. 500 points masks just how "deep" this game is. 	
AlphaBounce 	500 	Arcade / Puzzle / Action-RPG 	A Breakout RPG. Still with me? Good. You explore a grid map. Each grid tile is a generated breakout stage, with GLORIOUS POWER-UPS. But they can also have enemies firing at you, too, so stay sharp and smack 'em with your ball(s). Beating tiles marked with items nets you extra gear to keep and equip, often replicating powerups. There's a lot of stages and fun to be had here, and its only 500 Points. Not bad at all! 	
American Popstar: Road to Celebrity 	800 	Sim / RPG / Rhythm 	Yeah, I recommended it. Plays like a "raising" game (Princess Maker, Sims, etc.) minus the sexual content plus a rhythm game. Uses DS features well, such as the mic to record a song, and, for gameplay, uses D-Pad+buttons and the touchscreen. The story isn't too shabby either. The only negatives are the lack of songs and you can't take any action back (auto-saving takes place after every one). Other than that, it's worth a shot (if you're man enough). The spiritual sequel, Miami Nights, sucks. Ignore it. 	
Animal Puzzle Adventure 	500 	Puzzle 	Lead animals to barns (?) with the D-pad. Each animal moves in unison, so you have to make them in the proper formation, using stage elements, to clear the stage. This game does not fuck around, as it's much harder than it lets on. It's like the Duke Nukem of girly animu animal puzzle games (makes much more sense in context). Fuck year. If you can't get enough Chilia (the mascot girl), check out The Lost Town - The Dust below. 	
Art Style: PiCTOBiTS 	500 	Puzzle 	Touch based puzzler involving falling rows, squares, and columns of different colors and using respective pictobits to clear them out. This eventually forms pictures on the top screen, thus beating the stage. Has remixes of old NES game songs from a cool retro band, YMCK, while you play. You can also use coins you get in-game to buy the songs to jam out to or buy "dark" stages, which are damn tough extra puzzles to take on. Highly recommended for old-schoolers, puzzle buffs, and retro fans alike. 	
Art Style: Zengage 	500 	Puzzle 	Sliding puzzles that involve matching colors. Think along the lines of a Rubik's cube, but with more variety in final solutions. 	
Aura-Aura Climber 	200 	Puzzle / Arcade 	Guide Aura-Aura, a lost little star, back to the sky by slingshot-ing him upwards off of asteroids. Similar to those Mario Galaxy puzzles and DK: King of Swing, except you use the D-pad and A (or B) to stretch and slingshot. Surprisingly good, and gets tough quickly. However, its great arcade fun and has two different modes of play. One of the best 200 point games. 	
Castle Conqueror 	500 	RTS 	Arguably a beginner's RTS. The cute graphics and easy control are rather inviting to a somewhat hard-to-approach genre. Doesn't do anything really new, nor is it as hard as some of the PC classics, but if you're a beginner or just want to take it easy from the harder norms, this will serve you pretty well. The small 500 point price tag doesn't hurt either. Has an abundance of sequels which improve or alter mechanics. All of which are pretty good. 	
Castle of Magic 	500 	Platformer 	This game takes aspects from several successful platformers and utilizes them quite well. A neat optional feature lets you snap pics using the DSi camera at booths in stages and get power-ups based on the prominent color of the pic. It's a bit on the short and easy side, which makes it great for beginners to platforming and a nice nostalgic breeze through for veteran retro-buffs. 	
Cave Story 	1000 	Action / Platformer 	It's the independent-made classic by Pixel, Cave Story, ported to DSiWare! For those not in the know, this game was created a lone artist, and is famous for it's inspired gameplay and incredible setting. Perfect PC port with some small dual screen extras for 800 points. Also on WiiWare. Keep in mind this is not the only portable Cave Story solution, Homebrew versions of Cave Story also exist on PSP and GP2X. An arguably better remake is available for the 3DS, so only get this if you're a cheapo or own only a DSi. 	
Chronos Twins 	500 	Platformer 	Controls akin to Megaman X, only you control two versions of yourself on two screens simultaneously. Plenty of puzzles that require one screen doing something that effects the other; be it enemies or obstacles to deal with. Very cool and 500 points less than the WiiWare version, which is just larger and has some minor 3DCG. 	
Dark Void Zero 	500 	Platformer 	Control Rusty, a Rocketman-esque hero guided by Nikola Tesla, as you attempt to save Earth from an extra-terrestrial threat. Has classic arcade style platforming and the dual-setting jetpack controls very nicely. Large stages are filled with weapons, power-ups, and enemies to use them on. If you're looking for something to spend your spare 500 points on, consider this port of an NES port of an arcade game that never existed. There's also a Steam port that has 2 extra endings. 	
Dragon's Lair 	800 	Arcade / FMV 	Dirk the Daring is back and ready to take on Dragon's Lair once more! This revolves around picking actions to do and responding to various elements in game. This has punishing difficulty, but also hilarious death sequences. The resolution quality took a slight hit in the port, but it's still as close as can be. Best of all, unlike say, the iPhone version, there's ZERO load times. If you like this, check out Dragon's Lair II and Space Ace, similar classics by the same team, but be warned, they're much tougher. All 3 are collected on one Wii disc in Dragon's Lair Trilogy, so there's also that route if you prefer. 	
Earthworm Jim 	500 	Platformer 	Jim is back (Again!)! This time on a portable with BUTTONS and a D-pad. A port of the iPhone remix, which also has a newer Easy Mode (Don't be a worm, now.) with a weird DSi-exclusive extra where mimicing Jim's facial expressions for the camera earns you some small bonuses. This lacks all the HD Console-variant extras though, but hey, it is portable Jim that doesn't suck (which is more than could be said for some of the past GB/GBC/GBA efforts...)! 	
Escapee GO! 	200 	Stealth/Puzzle 	A game concentrating entirely on stealth. You aren't a fighter, so running away is your only option. However, you can find power-ups for to buff yourself (such as speed-up) or mess with enemies (such as slow-motion). Also has a multiplayer mode where one player hunts down the others playing. Pretty good for 200 points. 	
Flametail 	500 	Arcade / Puzzle 	You remember the square game from Maboshi Arcade on Wiiware? No? Well, don't worry. This is basically that, improved and expanded. Now you have powerups and a score counter to make up for the lack of people fucking with you like in Maboshi (or vice versa). For 500 points, it's a good deal, and still worth it even if you bought Maboshi on the Wii. tl;dr: DON'T LET THOSE BLOCKS HIT THE LINE. Has two different modes, the latter being more arcade-styled for short-burst play and the former has longer levels. 	
Gaia's Moon 	200 	Helicopter Game clone? 	Developed by EnjoyUp, the guys behind Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ and Chronos Twins, Gaia's Moon plays like that old Flash-based Helicopter game we all played back in like 2001. You press one button to ascend and release it to fall. The strategy comes in dodging the obstacles that come in your way. This may sound super boring, but it's NOT! Especially because Gaia's Moon features some fantastic level design. Different enemies with different movement patterns make it feel like a shoot em' up without any bullets. It also has some really nice graphics and music. You can play one-player or 2 on the same DSi! For 200 points, you can't go wrong with this game. 	
Glory Days: Tactical Defense 	200 	RTS/Tower Defense 	Made by the Pop Island team. Guard your base from enemy attack by placing artillery units around the map. Getting money comes from your successful enemy kills, so place carefully. Curiously, unlike most RTS games which use a pointer to place units, this one uses a rotating cube, which speeds up/slows down based on terrain. Curious, but it works, and encourages fast thinking. Not the best RTS/Defense game in the world, but it is a damn good one. For 200 points, it's not too shabby to start off with either! 	
Go Series: 10 Second run 	200 	Arcade / Platformer / Puzzle 	Features 50 short burst mini-stages to be completed in 10 seconds or less. Sounds easy, but after the 5th or so, they start to be get tougher and trickier, meaning you have to make some good guesses to land gaps and avoid hazards. The two main modes are beating a stage in 10 seconds or trying to marathon through all 50 as fast as possible through an ever-ticking timer. Can you conquer both as fast and flawless as possible? If you're ready, slap down 200 points and get running! 	
Go Series: Captain Sub 	200 	Puzzle/Adventure 	You play as a little gold-munching sub, collecting treasures for your ship in a number of stages. A number of obstacles and enemies stand in your way, but thankfully you have missiles and torpedoes to deal with most of them. Not all aspects can be beaten with brute force though, since some foes are invincible and some obstacles require a bit of thinking, due to some red herrings (no, not the fish) later on thanks to limited key to door ratios and other such puzzles. Worth checking out if you're a fan of stuff like Starfy and/or the old Game and Watch game Octopus. It's only 2 bucks either way. 	image?
Go Series: Defense Wars 	200 	Arcade / Defense 	This takes Tower Defense and mixes it up a bit. You must fend off invaders from destroying your "Base Cannon". Sounds standard? Here's the twist, you control your units' fire with the strokes of your stylus. You must wisely use cannons to aim and take out foes as they have limited ammo, unlike the infinite "base". However, when you select one unit type, you control them all, which makes defending easier. Beware though, as your units are cannot be moved or replaced once the stage starts! You use what you've got! It's only 20 stages, but there's pretty good fun to have for 200 points. 	
Go Series: Earth Saver 	500 	Puzzle 	Aww shit, yo. There's meteors about to crash into earth! Thankfully, you, the brave space-hero, have plenty of bombs to destroy them before they impact. Run around along the rock's cracks and plant bombs to blast apart pieces from it. That said, if chunks blasted off exceed a certain weight, they can't burn up in the atmosphere and damage the earth anyway! Also, you're being timed. Also, you can be killed by alien lifeforms before you blow up the meteor. Oddly enough, this game's as fun as it is rage-inducing, especially on higher difficulties. And don't even get me started on that Endless Mode! 500 points is a fair deal for a game with a lot of replayability. 	
Go Series: PicDun 	500 	First Person Action-RPG/Puzzle	Originally being a full DS game, this is a fresh twist on "ye olde first person dungeonan". Each and every dungeon you traverse forms a picture, and as such is arranged in a certain way. The action's all first person and all real-time. Slash monsters with the stylus and block with the D-Pad (or the shield icon). That said, monsters mix up their tactics to keep you alert. Not too hard, but there's a lot of exploration to do (60+ floors?!). Starts off easy, but gets way more fun soon after thanks to puzzles, hazards, and obstacles that require some thinking on your part. There's also cryptic messages which give tips, tell stories, and even give clues and hints that aren't totally obvious. It's only 5 bucks, so you're getting a lot of bang for each of them. Great if you liked Dragon Quest Swords or Double Dungeons (all 5 of you). 	image?
Go Series: Undead Storm 	200 	Twin-Stick Shooter 	Undead Storm is a little game about shooting zombies. You pick one of 4 characters, pick one of 3 stages, pick one of 3 difficulties, and shoot all the dudes. There are lots of weapon types and many different kinds of enemies with a boss at the end of each stage. You've even got Achievements called "Records" in this game! Did I mention that it features some awesomely-bad lowpoly graphics and a fantastic Engrish translation? The game is decent when played by yourself, but way more fun when played with a bro or 3. The biggest turn-off though are the controls. You walk around with the D-Pad, but you turn using the "R" and "L" buttons. It feels awkward at first, but you get used to it. For all this content though, the game is CERTAINLY worth $2. 	
Ivy the Kiwi: Mini 	500 	Puzzle 	Ivy is a little kiwi you sets off to find her missing mother. Unfortunately, as a young hatchling, she needs you to guide and protect her. Very easy and simple, and the learning curve and difficulty level somehow makes the game fun for kids and adults alike. Very sweet, and beautiful. Note: Don't worry about missing out on story, for this has the entire 50 level story mode on it! Sadly, it doesn't have the 50 bonus levels and multiplayer of the full releases. Considering it's only 500 points, that's still a pretty good deal. Buy this game to help save IRL Kiwi birds! 	
Legends of Exidia 	800 	Action RPG 	A port of the "Might and Magic II mobile phone game" spinoff. Not too shabby for a "lite" Action RPG. Has a few exploits to find that make the game ridiculously easy; but, it also has a few legitimately difficult segments as well. A bit stiff on the control, but it has pretty good action and it is a game nowadays that isn't afraid to kick your ass. Consider it if you have 800 spare points. 	
The Lost Town - The Dust 	500 	Action-RPG/Run n' Gun/Survival	Remember Chilia from Animal Puzzle Adventure? She's back and she's pissed. Nothing like zombies to ruin your day, right? Well, she and a town of survivors have chose to fight back. This top-down shooter has you protecting the town from the undead, along with leveling up and recruiting allies to fight by your side. You can also customize your stats from leveling up, giving you control of your specialties. The game is pretty good, but kinda short. Despite being a bit cliche, it's definitely different, to say the least. There's certainly nothing else quite like it on DSiWare right now. Give it a try if you've got 5 bucks burning in your pocket. 	image?
Magical Whip: Wizards of the Phantasmal Forest	200 	Arcade/Puzzle/Platformer 	A homage/ripoff/reinvention of Bubble Bobble, Snow Bros, and other such games, yet much more than that. The fun comes from the challenging level design and enemy placement past the 10th level. The best part is that most levels are NOT static, often challenging you further. The freshest factor is the combo system. Toss enemies into each other, and you can grab the KO'd enemies, and use THEM one to strike other enemies. The damage is multiplied, so with enough strategy and skill, even a boss can be taken out in one hit. MUCH easier said than done. It's sweet and easy at first, then gets wall-punchingly hard; but fair, since you can only blame yourself for jumping into that fucking fire. Then the lightning bolts come. Then the floor is lava. Then the goddamn grim reaper pops up, just like that fucking whale. God help you if you play as the Girl. Is this worth 2 bucks? You'll wish you had paid 20 after you play it. Just don't give it to your little sister unless you really want to piss her off.	image?
Mighty Flip Champs! 	800 	Dual Screen Puzzle 	Made by the company who made Shantae and LIT. This is about flipping between different screens in order to reach an exit. You can't jump, which might appeal to fans of Solomon's Key and Fire n' Ice. It's hard to grasp without visuals, so here's a video. 	
Mighty Milky Way 	800 	Gravity Puzzler 	WayForward's third and presumably final DSiWare game. This spiritual sequel to MFC pits French-speaking, green alien cutie Luna on an unknown mission throughout the Cosmos. To accomplish this feat, however, she needs the help of her trusty scepter, which allows her to "pulse" and create planets, and use their gravitational pull to reach the Goal Portal at the end of each level. Difficulty curve is a higher than MFC's (excluding Time Bomb Mode). Arguably sports the best OST out of all 3 WF DSiWare games. BONUS: The OST for this and Flip Champs is available on Virt's official site for free (or with kindly donations). 	
The Oregon Trail 	800 	Sim / Minigame 	AW YEAH. YOU KNOW YOU REMEMBER THIS. WELL IT'S BACK. GO HUNTING, DIE FROM DYSENTERY, GET TO OREGON. Amusingly less serious, and more sarcastic, cartoony, and humourous than ever. Considering how much this used to go for, 800 points is hardly nothing. And you can FORD THAT RIVER whenever, wherever! Except on 3DS, which doesn't have this on their shop for some reason. 	
Rabi Laby 	500 	Puzzle/Platformer 	A curious puzzle platformer where you switch between controlling a girl, Alice, and a rabbit, Raby. The stages revolve around using the abilities of each character and helping Alice exit the stage. Raby is magic, so he can be left behind, and sometimes puzzles even have you killing him (with a cute magical "pop!") in order to exit the stage. The stages start easy but get quite tough at the third set of levels. 500 points is quite the fair deal for this whimsical puzzler. 	
Rayman 	800 	Platformer 	It's Rayman, and it's out on the DSiWare store RIGHT NOW for 800 points. Do you not have it already after reading this sentence? THEN GET IT NOW, IT'S FUCKING RAYMAN. Updates include a touchscreen map, time challenge bonuses, and a checkpoint surprise (Smile!). Updated port of the GBA version with far better music and better res for more onscreen. 	
Shantae: Risky's Revenge 	1200 	Platform 	Hailed by many as "THE BEST ORIGINAL DSiWARE GAME YOU CAN BUY". Sequel to the criminally under-appreciated GBC game. A platformer where you play a sexy belly-dancing Genie Girl opposing her rival, a sexy pirate lady. The sprites are gorgeously animated, the sweet music is fresh from Jake Kaufman/"Virt", and the action is incredible considering the medium and block size. Not mandatory, but Mighty Flip Champs and Mighty Milky Way above both give you multiple gem bonuses, which is good for speedrun assistance. BONUS: Like the music? You can pay any or no price for the soundtrack, officially at Virt's official site. 	
Snapdots 	500 	Puzzle 	Similar to Guru Logic Champ on GBA. For all not in the know, it's a little like picross. The puzzle lies in shooting blocks up from the bottom row and to getting them to form the picture. This requires L or R shoulder buttons to spin the puzzle in 90 degree increments to get to the spots you can't reach. Starts off easy, but can get tough quickly. Not as hard as Guru Logic Champ, but some puzzles are real head-scratchers. Over 100 stages for 500 points is a sugar sweet deal. R.I.P. Badass Manly Ducks. 	
Soul of Darkness 	500 	Action-Adventure 	A Castlevania rip-off that's unexpectedly good! Find hidden power-ups for your HP and MP behind clever tricks and traps and upgrade your weapons (a fire sword and an ice spear, which both cast magic) with the lives of your enemies. Has some neat gameplay twists, such as a small few of well-done (!) auto-scroll and horizontal shoot 'em up segments, along with some puzzle-like segments where you take on forms of monsters. Can be hard, but fair, but is fairly easy for the most part. A short, but sweet Classic/Metroid-Vania hybrid steal at 500 pts. 	
Spotto! 	200 	Puzzle 	Nintendo and IS made a new badass manly duck puzzle game. Spotto kills ghosts by lobbing bombs in their mouths, exploding them to bits. You aim by spinning a touch-screen wheel, with surprisingly precise results. The setting is a haunted mansion full of floating stuff to fuck up your aim, so get your math on. 50 puzzles, a hard mode, and a challenge mode, all for 200 points. 	
X-Scape 	800 	3D Shoot em' Up / Rail Shooter	X-Scape is one of those games that only happens once in a million years. It is the sequel to an obscure, Japan-only Game Boy game called "X" which was actually the predecessor to the original SNES Star Fox. So, this game shares many simularities with the original Star Fox. You pilot your ship, the VIXIV, shooting dudes, and collecting crystals to open the gate to the next stage. You can drive on the ground, or hit a ramp at full speed to launch your ship into flying mode. Most stages boil down to "collect the crystals, then gtfo", but they also throw in different enemies and bosses to mix things up. As you're traveling to the next stage, the game turns into an on-rails shooter for a minute or so. The art-style and music make the experience though. 	
Zenonia 	800 	Action-RPG 	The presentation and aesthetics are sometimes a bit questionable, but the action and gameplay itself is solid and this is the best version around. You start off with one of three classes, each has different armor+weapons, movement+strike speeds, active+passive skills, etc. The story is the same regardless. However, you can change which "alignment path" you follow and which side of good or evil you support with crucial story decisions, some tipping the scale far more than others. In addition to all that, there's numerous side-quests with helpful bonuses, options to improve and/or customize your gear with certain items, and much much more. Offers a lot of replay value. 	image?
="Infinite" Games=
These games have that "Tetris appeal" in that there is no real "ending" to shoot for, and you can replay them constantly. Most of these are puzzle games (a small few aren't), but with a variety in gameplay. Most of these have some sort of single-player goal-centric mode to accompany endless modes, however, the main meat of the purchase comes from the latter.
Title 	Price	Genre 	Description 	Screenshot
AiRace Tunnel 	200 	Arcade / Flight 	AiRace Tunnel is an arcade-styled game where you navigate your jet through tunnels full of narrow passages and obstacles. The concept is not unlike OutRun, where you aren't "racing", but you are trying to maneuver to get a low time and high score. Pretty decent for 200 points. Protip: The stylus controls suck ass. Switch to D-pad+Buttons ASAP. The true version, AiRace, pretty much makes this a tutorial for that, and costs 800 points, but is much more expansive. 	
AiRace 	800 	Racing / Flight 	"Tunnel" was training for this, the TRUE Airace. You control different flying machines, race on different tracks, and use power-ups and items to take the lead. Rather small, but looks and plays great, and the tracks have hidden shortcuts and mirrored version, which work pretty well. The stylus controls still suck ass, so stay with D-pad+Buttons. If you know others with a DSi, get them on this and multiplayer together, since people are always more fun than AI. 	
Army Defender 	200 	Arcade / Defense / Shoot 'em Up 	Like a mix between Space Invaders, a typical tower defense, and a dash of Ikaruga. Ration your shots, because you might hit your supply planes (which give dual-color hitting weapons) and your score multipliers are highly important. Points fill a gauge that lets you literally unleash the fucking fury on every enemy onscreen. It also nabs post-round rewards such as cannon upgrades, extra fury usages, and continues. 	
Art Style: Aquia 	500 	Puzzle 	A curious underwater themed puzzler that involves sliding and matching tiles from different sides. There's a few different modes to play and different cursors to use as well. Each different cursor changes how you'll be sliding tiles around. There's quite a bit of variety to be found here. 	
Art Style: Base 10 	500 	Puzzle 	A curious math game. Involves you connecting numbers in order to form 10. The neat thing is that there's eventually obstacles to stop you from doing so. There's different modes here as well. The classic mode is easy/fun enough, although the challenge mode is more interesting. 	
Art Style: Boxlife 	500 	Puzzle 	Cut and paste tiles together in order to make cube patterns. Once the pattern is folded into a box, You move on to the next. The challenge in one mode is to make as many boxes out of preset patterns as possible. The other mode involves an endurance against infinite box patterns. This mode lets you get some items to customize your box world. 	
Art Style: Precipice 	500 	Adventure / Puzzle 	Takes some elements from Intelligence Qube (overcoming cubes and bombs, along with your decreasing playfield) and tower climbing games. It also has a decreasing energy meter to add challenge (akin to Adventure Island). Much harder than it lets on at first. The only way to unlock the much more challenging "Tower" mode is to make it through the introductory "10 Floors" mode, which is tougher than it sounds! 	
Bird & Beans/Pyoro 	200 	Puzzle / Action 	That critter minigame from the first Warioware. Eat (shoot in 2) falling seeds to prevent them from breaking your bridge and bonking you. Has an alternate version with different point rules that really change things up, so it's like you're getting two games in one and just for two bucks. 	
Bomberman Blitz 	500 	Puzzle / Bomberman(?) 	Multiplayer Bomberman action that lets you take on wireless competitors locally or go wi-fi and take on the world. Features that same frantic gameplay tied to the Bomberman name. For 500 points, it's pretty much a steal. 	
Dragon Quest Wars 	500 	Strategy 	Select a group of 4 monsters from 6 (duplicates optional). Each one has different abilities and properties. The interaction of physical and magical skills, along with reactions, really puts a lot of strategy in this seemingly simple title. Has a short tutorial mode, but the real meat is the Wi-Fi, which lets you battle people from all over the place, and wireless, which lets you take on people locally. Both run extremely smooth. Bears slight resemblances to Advance Wars, but plays a bit differently. 	
Elemental Masters 	800 	Strategy / Card 	Similar to Final Fantasy 8's Triple Triad. Both players pick 5 cards and try to dominate the field with them to win. Each card has 4 power #s for each side and an element. Higher #'s over your enemy's card will let you "possess" it, and let it count for your domination. Like Eye of Judgment, there are fields to (de)buff your cards' powers. There are also spells to let you further mix things up. Has a decent story mode, a lot of cards, and multiplayer. No wi-fi (?), so have a pal to duel before buying. 	
G.G. Series: Dark Spirits 	200 	Shoot 'em up 	A curious shmup. You start out with 4 options, which due the firing for you. That said, you can actually change them individually! Grab the power ups with an option and change its shot type. Grabbing another of the same type powers it up further. Like most G.G. games, there's an arcade-like nature to this. You have a life meter, and while you can heal with an occasional found power-up, hitting zero means game over! You can also change shot patterns to shoot in different ways. Even though the handful of stages repeat, enemy formations change with each repeat, and each boss will have an all new attack pattern! Drop down 200 points and get ready for some ghastly fun. 	
G.G. Series: Horizontal Bar 	200 	Platformer/Puzzle? 	A strange platformer revolving around spinning, flipping, and jumping from bars scattered in stages to reach an exit. Momentum is KEY to your victory. Carefully timing your lift-offs from spinning positions spells the difference between success and rage-quit. The stages get harder quite quickly, and a number of them are made to be played perfectly for a perfect score (you can still do well enough without that score though). Getting coins, avoiding deadly obstacles, and dealing with time limits, who knew grid people had it so tough? Although this won't appeal to everyone, 200 points is a fair offer to try yourself or get someone else to give it a shot for you. 	
G.G. Series: Ninja Karakuri Den 	200 	Arcade / Platformer 	This is a ninja based puzzler. Collect coins, beat enemies, break gears, reach the exit, don't fall. and that's it. The action is occasionally mixed up with mini-boss fights, which are nice bonus levels. Like G&W games, there's no continues, though you get extra lives with good scores. Protip: Read the help guide to learn about some neat little tricks that aren't immediately obvious. 	
G.G. Series: Super Hero OGRE 	200 	Arcade / Beat 'em Up 	Another in the G.G./Go Series. You play a wannabe Kamen Rider beating up palette swap crooks with a variety of normal, "Hero", and "Super Hero" attacks. If you're a fan of juggling and combos, you'll get a kick out of this. The challenge here is creating as large a stream of combos as you can without messing up, carefully balancing move selections. If your life empties, it's game over, so OGRE Shield and sap life from foes! Stylish 200 Point Action!Protip: Once again, reading the Help guide helps. Also, check this video out for an idea of how groovy your combo skills can get. Has a sequel, which is a lot better, but, sadly, it hasn't RIDER KICK'd its way out of Japan yet. 	
Glow Artisan 	500 	Puzzle 	Has concepts similar to picross, but you're trying to match your lite-brite looking grid to the one shown in the top screen. You do so by filling, mixing, and deleting blocks of colors by filling in rows or columns of varying lengths. Even though it comes preloaded with several puzzles, you can actually use YOUR OWN PICS saved on the DSi (-OR- snap one at whim) as basis for puzzles, and you can even edit puzzles you make to be harder or easier. The potential is literally limitless, all for 500 points. Note: Are you color-blind? Well, don't worry, because it even has a color-blind mode! 	
Legend of Zelda, The: Four Swords - Anniversary Edition	N/A 	Action-Adventure/Being a greedy dick	
An enhanced DSiWare port of the GBA game (the one from Link to the Past). Prepare to troll/be trolled by your fellow players for Rupees. The GBA link is replaced with local wireless, and it sadly lacks wi-fi play. It does have a new single player option though, along with 2 new worlds with 3 levels each (the latter is a "world of memories" with a level from each Zelda 1, Link to the Past, and Link's Awakening). The UI is also remixed, moving most of the clutter to the bottom screen.
Only available during select periods (at which time it is free). 	
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! 	800 	Puzzle 	More streamlined than the first DS release, but it's mostly for the best. It's also more accessible to left handed people now. Plays similar to Lemmings, except you touch objects and obstacles to keep your Mini-Marios safe as they reach the exit. The base game has about 100 levels, but has a construction mode to upload, download (up to about 120), and play customized stages for free. One of the DSi's best offerings. Surprisingly fun and accessible, even to those who aren't into this sort of genre. If you bought the original release on DS, you get shop channel points back. Has a spiritual sequel in the full DS game, "Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem", which uses similar controls, plus new extra stages and contests online! 	
Mr. Driller: Drill Till You Drop! 	500 	Puzzle / Arcade 	"MISTAH DURIRAH!" If that isn't familiar, then buy this right now. Mr. Driller is a simple 3-point concept: drill downward to the goal, keep your O2 up, and chain combo color blocks to rack up points. This includes 3 different modes: Mission (standard goal-crossing), Time Attack (goal as quickly as you can), and (FINALLY!) Dristone, a cool mode that has item-like "Dristones" which have special effects. For 500 points, this is a great time-driller for Mr.Driller vets and beginners. 	
Paperplane 	200 	Puzzle / Flight 	That paper plane minigame from the first Warioware. Starts easy, but gets challenging to keep up for a while. Good for chilling out or when you want something quick to take on. Features 3 different modes: Endless (shoot for a high score) , Time Attack (shoot for a low time), and race (which lets you race using a single DSi, pretty tricky, but it works). 	
Photo Dojo 	200 	Fighting / Other 	At 200 points, you can't expect much depth out of this. However, if you're looking for plain goofy fun in this would-be spinoff to Smash Bros' simple play-control, look no further. Add yourself and/or others as fighters, use different photos as backgrounds, record your voices to call your attacks, and put in damn near whatever you want as projectiles. 	
Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon 	500 	Pinball 	This Ancient Greek-themed pinball game is about as close to real pinball as you can get. The physics are spot on, there are LED displays, and scoring events that take place. Sadly, like a real machine, there's only one table. On the bright side, this was made by the team that worked on Metroid Prime: Pinball, which assures you're getting a quality pinball title. Recently re-added and now transferable to 3DS. 	
Pop Island: Paperfield 	200 	3rd Person Shooter/Capture the Flag 	Cute little block critters play capture the flag on a variety of maps. Different characters have different attributes, such as the penguin, who surfs speedily on water, but slows to a crawl on land. Use firecrackers to knock a rival far away and make it drop its flag (if it's holding one). For local multiplayer, you can send at demo version to a friend if they don't have it and take them on. A great deal for 200 points. Note: The original Pop Island costs 800 points, but unlocks extra tracks and vehicles in this game. If you had the original, get this as a nice bonus. If you didn't buy the original, just stick with Paperfield. 	
Tetris Party Live 	500 	Puzzle / Tetris 	Update: The Tetris Company assholes took this off the eShop and DSi shop due to legal bullshit. If you missed it, well, tough luck (for now?).Blocks, lines, etc. You know the drill. What's cool about this is the different modes and options to adjust matches. It's obviously downscaled from the 1200 point Wiiware release, sure, but even at 500 points, it has online multiplayer against strangers or your pals with friend codes and this DSi release and it even has Microphone chat. There's no local multiplayer, although you play the CPU, and also solo while waiting for online matches to go through. Bottom Line: It's great if you love to play Tetris and "showing them online" or just want to play Tetris without carrying extra game cards around.	
=Applications=
These are not technically games, but have neat, usually creation-driven features. These include drawing and music-making applications, along with other things that may come in handy or are just kinda fun to mess with. Recommended for the more creative of players, but most are easy and accessible enough for anyone to mess around with, regardless of imagination or artistic skill. The best part is that typically there is some way to get your creations onto your computer to share or store.
Title 	Price 	Genre 	Description 	Screenshot
Flipnote Studio 	0! 	Drawing App 	Make drawings and animations, watch animations of other people online, upload your own stuff as well (requires a computer for a few more functions), or if nothing more, write a some handy notes for yourself. A bit basic, but it's FREE and gets the job done quite well. Your mileage depends on how much effort you put into your flipnotes.Compare THIS to well... this. Restricted to DSi only. A new version is supposedly planned for 3DS. 	
Inchworm Animation 	500 	Application/Drawing/Animation	A pretty kickass drawing app, for just 5 bucks, and it works on all DSiWare supported systems. Kicks the shit out of Flipnote Studio. Has LODS OF COLOUR for one, lots of functions including multiple layers versus just 2, stop motion, time lapse, dynamic brushes, and- actually, just watch this video: and prepare to spend 5 bucks if you like drawing and animating. 	image?
Rhythm Core Alpha 	500 	Music Makin' App 	Not quite as stylish as Korg DS-10. However, it does things a bit differently than the Korg, and sometimes a little better. The interface may make things a little harder or easier to manage depending on your experience. Still pretty good considering the low price, and there's quite a bit to do with it.
You can check out more about this, along with some performances at the official site HERE. 	
Rytmik 	800 	Music Makin' App 	A bit more streamlined than Korg and Rhythm Core Alpha, but much more accessible to say the least. While the concentration here is a bit more loop and sample centric than the others, the fact that you can stack channels in loops and then custom loops on loops gives a lot of opportunity to the creative. The large variety of instruments helps too. Rytmik: Rock Edition and Hip Hop King uses different sound fonts. All 3 are great, and if you can use them, get all 3. If you just want to try it, get the one of your choice, probably this one. More info and sound demos at the official site HERE.	150px
Rytmik: Rock Edition	800 (EU)/ 200 (US)	Music Makin' App 	Compliment and "sequel" to the first Rytmik. While that one was more beats and groovy, this is more rock and jammin'. Using different instruments, along with the new Vari tool, there's good tunes to be made, so get composing! If you get the original after this, just be aware of the lack of Vari tool in that. Only 200 points in the US as an apology for the long delay of release. Sorry PAL pals, but we win some and lose some on both sides of the pond... As like before, more info and demos at the official website HERE. 	150px
Rytmik: Hip Hop King	800 	Music Makin' App 	Yet another Rytmik remix. Still kickass as expected. Sadly, this is currently only available in PAL territories (until 2012). That said, this time around it features: drums, percussions, bass, some melodic instruments and scratches; AND has a new "Twist" option, which reverses samples on any channel it is applied to, allowing some neat possibilities. Once again, more info and demos at the official website HERE. 	150px
Rytmik: Retrobits 	800 	Music Makin' App 	A Rytmik for the technophiles and retro-gamers. Emulates sounds from old computers and consoles of the 8 and 16 bit eras. Once again, more info and demos at the official website HERE. Editor's Note: I haven't gotten this yet, so I'm unsure of new features. 	150px
=One Last Note: Different Region Names=
Like other games, not all DSiWare has the same name in each region. Check some of these links for the heads up.
Nintendo Life - NL's list of all games that includes alternate names and some reviews.