Tomb Raider: Legend for Nintendo DS presents a unique adaptation of the franchise, featuring a side-scrolling gameplay style with 3D elements. The storyline and cutscenes align with other versions, but the controls utilize the touch screen for inventory management and combat. Players navigate through diverse environments, solve puzzles, and collect artifacts, with a mechanic that requires blowing on the microphone to reveal treasures.
The DS version of Tomb Raider: Legend is a rather different game than its console brethren. It retains the plot and cutscenes, but the platforming action and environmental puzzles have been reworked into a side-scrolling format, though with some 3D elements. There are also occasional motorcycle levels. For the most part, the upper screen shows the action and the lower screen has inventory, which is manipulated with the stylus. However, when you approach enemies, the lower screen switches to a first-person view and you must quickly shoot your foes by tapping them with the stylus. As in the other versions, gameplay revolves around finding a number of artifacts in exotic locales. In this case, you must blow on the DS microphone to dust them off. While Lara moves in two dimensions for the most parts, the graphics are 3D, and the environments are often viewed from angles other than the straight-on that is standard for the genre.