Doing the DS.

• Position: VIDEO GAMES - Buyers guide

One of the things we love about the Nintendo DS system is that many of the games designed exclusively for this platform are intended to exercise your brain, thereby sharpening your mind, memory, computational skills, and, now, your vision.

Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day features a combination of easy-to-play exercises intended to sharpen your focus power through fast, fun activities and quick-play sports challenges. Games include Symbol Order, where three symbols appear for a split second in any of 12 boxes, with the challenge being to remember each symbol and the order in which it was first viewed; Box Tap, where series of moving red boxes must be tapped before they disappear; and Number Flash, in which players must recall digits that briefly flash on the screen as the sequences get progressively longer. Sports action includes taking a swing at a speeding pitch and sending a soccer ball into a goal. Rated E for Everyone.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Brain Age 2: MoreTraining in Minutes a Day invites you to challenge your mind and lower your brain age score with 15 new invigorating activities. Fresh music-, memory-, math-, and picture-based exercises are designed to give your brain a workout. The title includes word scrambles, serial subtraction challenges, symbol matching, 100 Sudoku puzzles, and a twist on the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors game. Rated E.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

When Donkey Kong and his friends are vacationing on a tropical island, you know there has to be something to stir up trouble. In DK Jungle Climber, we're drawn into King K. Rool's sinister plot to steal the Crystal Bananas from a visiting alien and use them to take over the universe. Team up with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as they fight off King K. Root and the Kremlin Krew. Rate E with comic mischief.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For more information about these games, visit www.nintendo.com.

The number-one hockey video game series for kids brings Backyard Hockey ($29.99) to the [)S. Featuring 3-on-3 act on with realistic plays and strategies, the game stars NHL pros--including Nicklas Lidstrom, Ryan Miller, and Eric Stahl--as kids. The stylus gives players the option of moving intuitively through touch, while learning the intricacies of the game and having fun. Multiple levels make it easy enough for rookies and challenging for die-hard hockey fans. Meanwhile, Backyard Basketball ($29.99) brings its own A nonstop action to the DS. Featuring realistic arenas and...