Gardening Guide (DS)

It seems strange reviewing Gardening Guide because I'm normally dealing with traditional computer games.

But the DS is fast crossing the divide into lifestyle software and is seeing more and more of these guide-type games appearing on the market.

The basic premise of this Royal Horticultural Society-backed programme is to help those who aren't completely green-fingered grow a number of plants.

As well as a gardening advisor to help you bring your plants into full bloom, there's also a directory to help you judge which plants might best suite your needs and the conditions you'll be growing them in.

There's also a handy calendar to keep track of your gardening schedule and a wealth of helpful hints and tips.

But as a computer gaming nerd, I still couldn't help feeling uneasy switching on the DS to give this one a whirl. The problem in the main is that there isn't really a game as such. Instead, what you have is a DS/real life crossover.

Given that Nintendo are the driving force of getting gamers off the sofa via the Wii, it's perhaps not too surprising that this sort of gaming is trying to get us off the sofa and outside the house.

Gardening Guide isn't the sort of thing you'd buy your average Joe computer fan. But with the DS gaining in popularity outside the usual gaming fraternity, it'll have more appeal than you'd probably expect.