The video gaming market has entered a new generation once more and with that shift there’s been a realignment in the expectations of games and the general influx of gaming into the mainstream. The last generation was the first true mainstreaming of the video gaming sphere as more than 2000 games saw release for the major consoles in the 5 years they were on the market. With the 2005 release of the Xbox 360 and the 2006 release of the Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 an entirely different approach to the art of gaming has come as well.

Not only are games bigger and more impressive than ever before, they’re more innovative, opening up entire new genres (the Wii has more than a few all by itself) and making online gaming more than a novelty, but an integral part of all games the world over. We’ve yet to see what will really come out of this generation, but we do get to speculate. There are hundreds of top tier titles waiting on the horizon for all the major consoles, games that none of us can wait for.

Nintendo proved that they can win an entire market through innovation and top notch games. The DS’s software library has grown exponentially in the last year and a half while Sony’s sleek black machine is still waiting for more than Metal Gear and racing ports. Nintendo’s got them covered and as the machine continues to be the best selling handheld around and even the best selling console in general in Japan, even some of the major franchises are shrinking down for a portable outing. Keep an eye on this one.

Final Fantasy XII Sequel– Probably 2008 – The DS sequel to Final Fantasy XII marks the second time Square has sequeled one of it’s main sequence games (I’m still not going to count the FFVII compilation titles…none of them are real sequels). It takes place in the past with Vaan and friends in Ivalice as youngsters, a fitting downgrade in graphics for the DS, but it still looks pretty damn good. I’ll tell you what. Nintendo must have done something to those tiny flash card games, because if Square Enix is going full tilt into the DS, you know the games are going to be pretty.

Pokemon Pearl/Diamond – April 22 – Out in Japan since September, it’s time once again for another installment in everyone’s favorite cash cow, Pokemon. Of course, the main sequence games are always damn good, so what can you do? The new game hopes to deliver a whole slew of new options, online play and monster transfers from GBA cartridges not excluded.

Dragon Quest IX – December in Japan, Probably 2008 – Yup, the next full entry in the Dragon Quest series will be a DS exclusive. It’s a perfect fit, considering the graphic nature of the series (never extraordinary…though VIII was impressive) and the all ages marketability. Add in the fact that nearly every person in Japan owns a DS and none of them are buying a PS3 make this a perfect fit. It’s probably going to be a while before we see it stateside though.

Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – Summer this year – Everyone thought this was coming last year, but as with any good Zelda title it was delayed. A direct sequel to Wind Waker, Phantom returns to the cartoony features of the Gamecube entry and back to the high seas. But a DS setup and interactive mapping will make it infinitely more suited for the smaller format than on a console. A fully 3D handheld Zelda? I’m in.