Play Fossil Fighters - Champions Online

Fossil Fighters: Champions came out for the Nintendo DS in 2010, developed and published by Nintendo. It was part of that era on the DS where you saw a lot of creative, hands-on games that really used the touch screen for something other than just menus. This one stood out if you were into the idea of digging up dinosaurs and making them fight.

You play as a kid who becomes a Fossil Fighter, traveling to an island to compete in a tournament. Your main goal is to find, clean, and revive dinosaur fossils called Vivosaurs, then use them in 3-on-3 turn-based battles. The cleaning process involves carefully using tools on the touch screen to chip away rock without damaging the fossil inside; a poorly cleaned fossil results in a weaker creature. Battles use a positioning system where moving your Vivosaurs forward or backward affects their attack power and defense. The pacing is fairly relaxed when you're exploring dig sites, but the battles can get tricky, especially when you're trying to assemble a team with good type matchups. It feels satisfying to finally clean a difficult fossil perfectly and see your newly revived Vivosaur dominate in a fight.