Tomb Raider : Legend

Tomb Raider: Legend for Nintendo DS follows Lara Croft as a South American discovery leads her into a globe-spanning search for the pieces of Excalibur. Her investigation also brings her back into conflict with Amanda Evert, a figure from Lara’s past.

This version retells the same central adventure as the larger console releases, but its levels have been rebuilt for the handheld. Lara explores recognizable locations through a fixed, side-on viewpoint, moving left and right while also stepping into and out of the depth of the 3D scenery.

Traversal remains the heart of the journey. Lara jumps between platforms, climbs ladders and poles, hangs from ledges, swings across gaps, works through hazards, and searches each route for a way forward.

Environmental puzzles break up the action, asking Lara to use switches, movable objects, and the tools at her disposal to open paths. The more compact presentation gives the game a different rhythm from the free-camera PlayStation 2 and PSP versions, while the Game Boy Advance edition is a fully 2D side-scroller.

Combat uses Lara’s familiar dual pistols against hostile opponents. After a target is selected on the upper screen, the touch screen can show a close aiming view for tapping individual shots, while its menus provide quick access to equipment.

The DS hardware also becomes part of the adventure during certain discoveries. Lara can clean dust from delicate artifacts by blowing into the microphone, adding a small hands-on puzzle to this portable interpretation of her quest.