While a huge war is being waged between the Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3, the Nintendo DS has quietly been taking the world by storm. Younger gamers and people who like to take their games on the go have helped the handheld market grow immensely since the days of the Game Boy. Between the Nintendo DS and the newly redesigned Sony PSP, there are plenty of options for gamers to choose from when it comes to full-fledged gaming experiences that fit in the comfy confines of your pocket. Our Handheld Fall Preview is a look at the portable games you should be keeping an eye on in the coming months.

Since this is a selection of what we consider to be the system's biggest titles of the upcoming holiday season, you'll find that it's not an all-encompassing list. To find out when your most anticipated game is coming out, take a look at our full PSP and DS release date lists. Now, without further ado, here's GameSpy's 2008 Handheld Fall Preview!



Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

The combination of Sonic the Hedgehog and BioWare seems like an odd one at first. The team behind such legendary RPGs as Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect is bringing its magic touch to the blue n' spiny one. In The Dark Brotherhood, Knuckles has been kidnapped, and the Chaos Emeralds are rapidly disappearing.


It's up to Sonic and friends to get down to the bottom of it all, which will be even more than they bargain for. Dark Brotherhood's gameplay features turn-based combat that utilizes both the characters' signature moves and time-based attacks that depend on touch-screen taps. If you're looking for a fun role-playing experience on the go, The Dark Brotherhood might be your best bet this fall.

Populous DS

Based on the classic PC "god game" from 1989, Populous DS offers omnipotence on a handheld gaming system. Using the DS's touch screen, you can guide your zealous followers and shape their environment as they attempt to found a civilization.


After almost 20 years, Populous DS will introduce a few changes to the original game, including the choice of four elemental deities, any of which can serve as your Earthly avatar. Multiplayer will also be possible through the DS's wifi connection, enabling up to four players to harass each other's citizens with "natural" disasters like volcanoes, earthquakes and tidal waves.

Neverland Card Battles

The road paved by paper-based card games like Magic: The Gathering has led to quite a few successful electronic card games, like Eye of Judgment and Culdcept Saga. Neverland Card Battles is being published by Yuke's Media Creations, the company behind the popular SmackDown! series of wrestling games, but don't be fooled: This is a card game well-steeped in the fantasy milieu.


On a surface level, Neverland Card Battles bears many resemblances to Culdcept, as the game makes use of a tile-shaped grid and avatars in unison with card-based combat mechanics. The territory-collection battle system feels more like a strategic board game like "Risk," as opposed to Culdcept's "Monopoly" analogue. Customizable decks, head-to-head battles and over 200 cards to collect should make any card gamer excited about keeping a PSP near at hand.