I think Genki did a great job with this game. Despite the name, it's not a port. Visually and gameplay wise it's a cross between Populous 1 and 2. You don't get to level up your god, but there are five to choose from with different abilities. The game doesn't use the Greek cartoon style of Populous 2. Instead it's visually more like Populous 1. You get lots of tile settings including, my favorite, the Bit Plain from Populous 1.

My only major gripe is you have to play with the buttons and stylus at the same time. I'm used to this from titles like Viewtiful Joe, but it's still a pain. You technically can use just the stylus, but it's too slow and imprecise for leveling terrain.

Overall, if you have a DS and love Populous 1 or 2, pick this up if you see it. It may not be quite as fun as Populous 2, but it's portable and a worthy sequel. The only one we've had since 1991.

edit: I guess Genki made it, not XSeed.

I actually didn't know that Populous came out on the DS, but now I will take a look at it!

The only place I remember seeing it recently is Wal-Mart. I picked it up there for $12. It looks like you can get it for $8 minus shipping on ebay. Again it's not perfect, but seeing as it's not just a port of Populous 1 for DS like I assume most people thought, it's worth it if you're a fan of the series.

It's a hell of a lot better then Populous 3. That's for sure.

I actually liked Populous 3 O.o
I will check wal-mart and ebay once I get enough cash to get a DS and a few games.

lol, for a second I almost believed you

I liked Populous DS, though I never finished it. I support the OP.

Glad to see someone here played this hidden gem. I'm a bit late on the reply though.

Don't sweat it. BTW, this was the first game I picked up and was the reason I bought the DS in the first place.

It's an old topic, but here is my little nostalgic post. Played it. Completed it. Love it a lot. And I mean A LOT. From Populous DS I learned how to play a proper Populous game. This is basically the reason why I am on GoG.