Age of Empires: The Age of Kings on DS is basically a pocket-sized version of the classic RTS, but with a turn-based twist. You start off picking a civilization—I went with the Brits first because longbowmen sounded cool—and then it’s all about managing your little empire, one hex at a time.

You’ll scout with knights, build farms to keep your people fed, and slowly push into enemy territory. Battles play out like a simplified Fire Emblem, with terrain bonuses and unit counters (spearmen wreck cavalry, archers pick off infantry, etc.). The AI isn’t brutal, but it’ll punish you if you just spam units mindlessly.

What surprised me was how much they crammed into the DS version—hero units, tech trees, even naval battles. The controls take some getting used to (stylus-heavy), but once it clicks, it’s weirdly addictive for a handheld strategy game. Just don’t expect the depth of the PC originals.