At a recent CDV press event in San Francisco, I was able to preview three out of the spotlight games for the DS and one for the Wii.

I Heart Geeks! is a cool little puzzle game that will appeal to those who played Mousetrap as a kid. There’s a thin storyline involving a geek seeking payback on some bullies, but the basic premise is that you build machines to solve a puzzle with some given items. For example, an early puzzle involves putting a ball in a box using a spring. As you complete each level, you gain access to more complex items such as magnets, weights and pulleys, springs, steam and liquids, and even lasers. The laws of physics become your playground as your machines eventually reach Rube Goldberg proportions.

The game boasts 100 puzzles, often with multiple methods of solving them. There’s also a multiplayer function that allows you to compete with friends on building a better mousetrap…er, machine. Apparently, the game is already out in other countries, but under different titles: Clever and Mr. Physics. What makes this game different is that its colorful graphics are designed by Marc Ecko to appeal to the North American audience.

City Life DS is essentially the same PC game but boiled down to fit in the palm of your hand. If you’ve never played it, the original :City Life games are similar to the Sim City series, except that the former focuses more on delicately balancing the needs and wants of the six socioeconomic classes in your metropolis. For example, if you build a movie theater it’ll offer Blue Collars some employment, but it may drive out a few nearby Elites.

I was impressed with City Life DS. It was nice to see that many features from the PC versions remained virtually untouched on the DS. Although you have fewer choices in terrain and maps, there are more than 150 available buildings. You can also build famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building, a feature introduced in City Life: World Edition. You can even zoom in down at street level to mingle with the teeming masses. Creating your city with the stylus is easier than using a mouse, though the DS’s small screen makes it hard to see smaller icons. At one point I accidentally put my house backwards on a street because I couldn’t see the doorway.

Although it was touted as appealing to everyone, the candy-color pastels that adorn the My Little Baby menu screen betray its true intended audience of young females who probably play The Sims 2 and Nintendogs. My Little Baby is a simulation game in which you (surprise!) care for a baby. You start by choosing the parents’ genes (race, hair and eye color and oddly, hair texture) and are randomly assigned a boy or girl. Twins aren’t available. With a nanny as your guide, you learn to care for your baby, keeping a close eye on its wellbeing (represented as levels of Nourishment, Love, Happiness, Health, etc.)

You need to buy your baby food, toys, and furniture. Unfortunately, you can’t trade cute baby clothes and toys with your friends via Wi-Fi. These items take money by the way, which can be earned primarily by doing chores around the house. I found this kind of weird. Isn’t there a better way to earn money than doing chores around your own house? Who pays you – your spouse? Regardless, it’s still a cute little game. You can actively interact with your baby. Use the stylus to tickle it, teach it words by speaking into the mic, and even play Peek-a-boo by quickly opening and closing the DS.