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.



Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades

Activision doesn't seem to stop for a breather. On the heels of the sales record-shattering Guitar Hero: On Tour, the publisher announced another handheld shredfest just two months ago. In Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, you'll be able to work your way through songs spanning 30-plus years, as well as modern staples.


Besides the tunes themselves, the biggest feature of this new portable Guitar Hero are the local Wi-Fi capabilities. If you're with a friend who's playing On Tour, you can share your Decades songs and go head-to-head. Likewise, your friend can share songs from On Tour with you. If guitar picks and DS grips are your forte, this should do nicely.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Following the adventures of young Shanoa, a member of an ancient sect of demon hunters, Order of Ecclesia introduces a new magic system based on tattoos. As you progress through the game, you'll encounter special glyphs that etch themselves into Shanoa's flesh and grant her new abilities.


Essentially, it seems like a gussied-up inventory system, but a couple of new abilities promise just enough divergence from past Castlevania games to keep Order of Ecclesia interesting. One glyph generates a magnetic aura that can latch onto special grapple points so that Shanoa can reach distant locations. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is due out this October.

Call of Duty: World at War

First-person shooters can be tough to pull off on handheld system, but it looks like this may be one of the better ones to hit the battlefield in quite some time. The Call of Duty franchise will be moving back to World War II this time out, and the game will take place in the Pacific Theater, Russia, and Germany itself.


The controls for the DS version seem pretty solid, as you'll be able to use the stylus to aim your weapon while firing away with either of the shoulder buttons. Hopefully the flamethrower will make it onto the DS too, as toasting enemies alive is one of the game's big draws.