It's a whole new ball game as Mario rocks the rim on the Nintendo DS.

• Get that magic touch. There are plenty of basketball games out there, but none with the hands-on control of Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Players use the touch screen to get their game on as they execute tricky dribbles, special passes and sweet shots – all with strokes and taps of the stylus.
• Players choose their teams of three characters from the Mario universe and hit the parquet. Power-ups like Red Shells and Bob-ombs can turn the tide as they chase down coins – they will affect

The students of Will O' Wisp magical academy have a little problem: Their teacher has mysteriously disappeared. After commandeering a handful of rockets to rescue her, they've wound up on a strange (and sometimes scary) adventure through outer space. Now players must rescue both their classmates AND their teacher – and just maybe the whole solar system while they're at it.

• Explore strange planets. Players see the sights of this strange, sci-fi fantasy setting as they uncover the secret behind their teacher's disappearance in this epic roleplaying game.
• The stylus controls everything, from combat to conversations to outfitting allies. Simple

Genre: Action RPG
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Arkane Studios
Release Date: September 2006

It says a lot about the reputation of the Heroes of Might and Magic series that Ubisoft had a sequel to the recently released Heroes of Might and Magic V already mostly finished and ready to show off in time for E3. Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is the work of a different development studio, but picks up directly where the last game left off and takes place in the world of Ashan. It tries to shake up the gameplay a little for the

Kirby's back and ready for a bellyful of adventure.

• When someone steals some strawberry shortcake, the pink powerhouse sets out after them, learning new skills.
• Players can expect all the floating, jumping and battling of a classic Kirby game, but this time, Kirby's copy abilities have been massively boosted. Not only can players mix and match copy abilities by using the stylus to drag them together inside Kirby's copy center (located on the touch screen), but the powers themselves now have the ability to affect the environment, as well as foes. Burn trees and grasses with the Fire ability or

Get back into the swing of things as Donkey Kong goes vertical.

• King K. Rool is up to no good again, and it’s up to Donkey Kong to swing into action. Using the same simple control scheme that made the DK: King of Swing Game Boy Advance SP game so accessible and fun to play, players of all skill levels can swing and climb to new heights made possible by the dual screens of Nintendo DS.
• Not only does Adventure mode feature Diddy Kong as a sub-character, but players can look forward to new moves, new items and a bunch

In a jam? Well, all these guys DO is jam! Prepare to rock as these beat masters use their groovy moves to save the day.

• As the music plays, players tap the screen, trace rhythmic patterns and keep the beat as the story unfolds on the top screen. • Every scene is accompanied by rump-shaking tunes, but players have to keep the Elite Beat Agents grooving. The worse players do, the worse the story might end up.
• Rhythm games have come and gone, but no one has ever seen anything like the Elite Beat Agents. Whether they're helping a lost

Players take their elite strike fighters to the skies and hunt down a mad dictator before he takes over the world.

• As Nintendo's first realistic flight shooter on Nintendo DS, DS Air lets players customize their fighters with a state-of-the-art weapon loadout.
• Send wave after wave of enemy fighters to their doom in dogfights over land, sea and air.
• Meet a wingman for co-op play and soar to victory over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Custom Robo: The sport of tomorrow. In the not-too-distant future, competitors battle customized robot warriors in holographic battle arenas. Victory is determined not only by fighting skill but also by how well Robo Commanders design their robot gladiators, so players need both brawn and brains to survive.

• Players explore a sci-fi landscape as they fight toward the Custom Robo championship, powering up their Robos as they go. With tons of unique parts, there are literally millions of possible Custom Robo combinations, giving players complete control over how they fight their battles.
• Players can challenge their friends to one-on-one Robo battles

It's game night and everyone's invited. Play more than 20 classic board, card and party games alone or with friends.

• With familiar favorites like checkers, darts and poker, Clubhouse Games will appeal to everyone from kids to adults. Video game newcomers will appreciate the easy-to-use interface, while card game novices will appreciate each game's rules section.
• Players can challenge up to seven friends with one game card via Multi-Card Play or DS Download Play. Can't play checkers without shouting "KING ME!" across the table? The