The Wi-Fi Connection could be the greatest blessing that Nintendo has seen for the 2006 business year. It's a superior business model for the Nintendo DS, and will probably be modified so that Wii players can take advantage of it as well. For now, though, let's take a look back at the games that have helped the service get so much popularity. Mario Kart DS? Wonderful. StarFox Command? Eh, not too shabby. The touch-screen controls aren't the best, but it still holds together.

Now comes another addition to the Wi-Fi family, and this could very well be the best one yet. Clubhouse Games is a gathering of many old-school games in one little collection- forty-two in all. There are card games, sports games, games of skill and wits, and many, many more. There are seven categories in all here, and you can free play most of the games at any time. You can unlock extras by going through Stamp Mode, which requires you to compete against computer opposition and win in order to proceed.

Not all of the games are up to speed. The billiards game, for example, is rather weak, due to the fact that the pool table isn't regulation size. It's like one of those kiddie pool tables that you can buy at Toys R' Us- sufficient, but far from a real game of pool. Also, there are some missing titles that I think would've done wonders here. Where's Go and Shanghai? Those are both worth revisiting, no matter what age the player.

The presentation isn't entirely up to snuff either. The graphics get the job done but seem to reek of a first-generation DS title. In bowling, the pins animate rather poorly after you roll the ball down the lane. And there's no hint of Nintendo essence. It's a Nintendo-distributed game, so you would think that Clubhouse Games would be an ideal piece to inject some Mario love. It would've made the music better at least. All that's here are some repetitive jazz and pop samples that do little more than loop in the background

So why four stars out of five? Because even the simplest of things can be thoroughly enjoyable. Despite the game's presentational shortcomings, this game has hours upon hours of playability to spare. A lot of the games have a pick-up-and-play mentality that everyone can get into, and the list of games available guarantees that you'll lock down a few favorites right away. While I wasn't too keen on Connect Five (I kept getting my ass kicked), I did find some pleasure in Pig, a quick-playing card game where you have to keep things in succession. And that's just the first hour in. I soon developed a love for Darts, Texas Hold 'Em, Word Balloon, and most particularly Balance, a fun little game where you have to throw blocks on a scale without tipping it over- kind of like Jenga, but with a different layout.

On top of this, the door is swung wide open with competition. Single players will have a good time playing against the computer and upping their skills, earning Stamps and unlocking new games. There's also offline multiplayer, where one DS can be shared amongst many players. You can also do a single-cartridge download to neighboring systems for some games, which is a most welcome feature. But the real smorgasbord here is the access to Wi-Fi Connection and playing against numerous folks online. Sometimes you have to do a little hunting to get your favorite game started, but it's worth the effort- especially if you keep up a winning streak.

There's other options to consider in Clubhouse Games. There's a chat feature available if you feel like talking trash to your opponent or chatting it up with friends, and you can also turn to a helpful tutorial set-up. This system's in place just in case you don't understand the rules of a certain game. However, I didn't really run into too many games that required an explanation. The general idea of each game is so easy to follow that even confused old people and 5-year old kids can grasp concepts rather easily. That's what makes Clubhouse so wonderful- it's approachable. In fact, it's probably more approachable than most Nintendo properties.

Sure, Clubhouse Games could have used more game additions and some of the Nintendo touch to make it feel homelier to DS owners. Those flaws aside, the game is filled with simplistic joys up to your eyebrows, and will keep you playing well after you've earned every Stamp. Going online via Wi-Fi Connection is probably the greatest thing to happen to the service since...well, Mario Kart. Now all we need is a Wii sequel with more downloadable games and we can truly make this Clubhouse our own. What say you, Nintendo?