Play Spectrobes - Beyond The Portals (Vortex) (E) Online

Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals came out for the Nintendo DS in 2008, developed by Jupiter and published by Disney Interactive. It was part of that era where the DS was full of games that really tried to use both screens and the microphone in ways that felt fresh, even if they weren't always perfect.

You play as a planetary patrol officer, and your main goal is to explore different worlds, excavate fossils, and awaken creatures called Spectrobes to fight an invasive force known as the Krawl. A lot of the game involves using the touch screen to carefully brush away dirt and reveal fossils, then shouting or blowing into the microphone to hatch them. Combat happens in real time; you control your character directly, dodging enemy attacks while your Spectrobes fight automatically based on commands you set. The pacing can be a bit slow due to the amount of grinding needed to level up your team, but there's a tangible satisfaction in building a collection of powerful creatures from scratch. It feels like a mix of paleontology and monster training, wrapped in a very hands-on package.