LEGO Battles: Ninjago on the DS is basically what happens when you mix a light RTS with ninjas and LEGO charm. You start off picking between the four elemental ninja factions—I went with fire first because, well, flaming swords—and then it’s all about building dojos, training little LEGO warriors, and sending them into chaotic skirmishes. The controls are simple (it’s the DS, after all), but there’s some sneaky depth in how you balance resources and unit types.

What’s cool is how it leans into the Ninjago theme—you’ve got spinjitzu moves, serpentine enemies, and those weirdly satisfying LEGO sound effects when stuff breaks apart. The campaign’s got that classic LEGO humor too, with silent cutscenes where characters mime dramatically. It’s not gonna replace StarCraft, but for a portable strategy fix with ninjas? Solid pick.