Help me pick some DS games for my bed-bound dad!

[Valerie]

My dad was in a motorcycle accident and now is stuck in bed for about 1-2 more months. He is horribly bored and isn't one for reading.

I've given him my old DS and a racing game (Trackmania), but he's not interested in playing any of my other games with the "cutesy kiddy animals" as he says. (I like pokemon and animal crossing, what can I say?) And I fear he'll soon get bored with the racing game. As is he plays it for maybe 15 minutes at a shot. I'd love to give him one or two more games to choose from.

Anyways, he doesn't have the best vision and is NOT a gamer so anything too difficult, any game that requires using the touch pad, or that requires paying attention to a detailed storyline, or reading from the screen (like a RPG) are not for him

Any suggestions?

 

[whetu]

hmm you're tying our hands there a bit. Does he like newspaper style puzzles? I never thought it would happen, but I'll confess: I'm addicted to Sudoku on my DSi. So maybe some kind of brain training, crosswords, sudoku type game would be more his style?

But adventure games that mix in puzzles, like Zelda, are equally addicting. My old DS-Lite is doing the rounds with my family at the moment, and I'm getting sick of being called up (usually at the WORST times) every month by a different family member asking how to solve a puzzle in Zelda. Random family member picks it up, plays Zelda for 5 minutes and you never see them again until they're in real trouble...

 

[happyslappysoong]

He needs the essentials and the oldest...

Super Mario Bros
Mario Kart DS
Wario Ware touched

Also give Brain Training a shot...he might like it! Not as childish as some others.

 

[gobes]

I was recently in bed for a few weeks with a broken leg. Here are some of the games that I played...

lego indiana jones
brain age 2
new super mario bros
mario kart
james patterson... something or other
phoenix... something (lawyer/crime game)
room 254???

Obviously I can't remember the exact names of some of them. I like playing the mystery / crime solving games. They kept me entertained while I was awake all night.

 

[khrome]

Hmm, that's tough. How about something oldskool like tetris, or those cartridges where they put several arcade games on them? Or a side-scrolling platform game?

I'm sorry to hear about your dad!! I hope he mends quickly.

 

[Fititodamian123]

Hi there,

I know I am answer a bit litte...just wanted to say that without Mario Kart is something like not having a DS...just BASIC, long life to Mario Kart

Hope your dad is better

 

[Ukulele JJ]

How about something oldskool like tetris

Seriously. Everybody likes Tetris. (And if they don't, well, there's just no helping them then...)

Do they make Dr. Mario for the DS? That's Tetris-esque.

And if he's not one for reading, well, there's nothing like being stuck in bed for a couple of months to change that. He might just need the right book. Maybe some page-turners where you don't have to think too much, like Robert Parker, Lee Child, John Grisham, etc.? On the other hand, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a bit heavier, but it's a classic that he might still like assuming he hasn't sworn off motorcycles.

Magazines are good for short attention-spans. So are books that are collections of short stories. Check out something like Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, or Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King. It's quick, easy reading that you can do in "chunks" without too much of a commitment to it.

And I love me some Sudoku too. I'd go with a book of those over the DS cart. (I'm really into Ken Ken, but I wouldn't start him with those.)

JJ

 

[Luke Plays Uke]

Wario Ware, Mario Kart, and Tetris are classics.
But I’d also tell him to give Animal Crossing a shot. I know TONS of people that said they could never enjoy such a boring premise and cutesy stuff only to get sucked in and start planning their lives around when barred knifejaws are able to get caught. ;-)

 

[mikelz777]

Just a FYI, this thread is over 11 years old. I was writing out a response when I noticed the date of the original post.