Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Review

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

Publisher: Activision Developer: Toys For Bob Platform: Wii Players: 1-2 Release: 2011 Genre: Action / RPG Rating: 8.6 \ 10.0: Fantastic


Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a spin of the Spyro series with a neat twist. In order to play, you must place an action figure-like toy on a device dubbed the Portal of Power, and it'll appear as a fully playable character in the game. The story has the evil Portal Master Kaos plotting to conquer the Skylands, and banishes the Skylanders to Earth, where they appear tiny and immobile. You'll have to hack, slash, shoot, and bash your way through a series of action-packed stages before you can battle Kaos. Before you can enter Kaos's lair, you must restore the Core of Light, the magical source of the Syland's existence. There are even small platforming sequences: platforming comes in when you have to cross gauntlets of Boost Pads and retracting spikes and rush to hurl a bomb at an underwise indestructible object, as well as other challenges. Your enjoyment of Skylanders primarily depends on what Skylanders you have and how good they are, mainly because of the special Element Gates. These are entrances to secret areas that can only be unlocked by a Skylander of the element emblazoned on the gate. This can lead to bonds with Skylanders you once didn't like before. For example, when I encountered a Life Element Gate, I realized that the only Life Skylander I had was Stealth Elf, and I've been playing as her ever since. Hardcore Skylanders fanatics may find themselves spending lots of money on certain elements of figures just so they won't miss a single secret area. Throughout a stage, you may encounter a treasure chest or a gift box. Chests contain loot, while gift boxes contain stat-boosting hats. Each Skylander can be upgraded with in-game gold. After purchasing the first several upgrades, you'll have to pick between two skill trees to buy upgrades from. Adding to the fun is the Arena mode, where you and a friend can duke it out. The negativity comes in when you realize how difficult the game is at certain parts without certain Skylanders, as many are overpowered in comparison, and some of the occasional lock-opening puzzles are almost unsolvable. But these flaws are fairly minor, and they shouldn't keep you from enjoying Sklanders: Spyro's Adventure, although I'm sure younger children will regardless. I may kind of be among that audience, this is a great game in its own right.

Ups
Solid action
Large variety of Skylanders
Varied gameplay
Skill trees

Downs
Difficult without certain Skylanders

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Violence Price: $39.99 (Retail)

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Review

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Publisher: Activision Developer: Griptonite Platform: DS Players: 1 Release: 2008 Genre: Adventure / Brawler Rating: 8.6 \ 10.0: Fantastic 

Loosely based upon the 2007 blockbuster movie Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows delivers an exceptionally solid brawling experience. The story tells of a gooey black alien substance that's consuming people and animals, turning them into zombielike drones. You will encounter different varieties of theses foes throughout the game. As you progress in the game, you’ll be able to swap between your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to black Spider-Man, who is stronger, but antiheroic. Both of them have a large set of skills to unlock and purchase. It’s also rather fun to mindlessly use button-mashing combos against the infected innocents— I rarely use specific moves when in the heat of battle— all for the effort of obtaining orbs. Red orbs restore your health and purple orbs serve as currency. I also enjoy beating the crud out of the practice dummy from a save point, even though I know I won't even deter it. Speaking of save points, that’s where the negativity comes in. I normally only find save points after tons of time spent beating up brainwashed baddies and exploring it seems that I'll never find another one. In other words, save points are downright scarce. This certainly isn’t a major issue, though. Although I could nitpick just a bit more. My other complaint is that once you get KO’d, it’s difficult to recover. Before getting back on your feet, you must play through a sequence in which you must drag health-replenishing orbs to Spider-Man to strengthen him under a time limit. For those who have a screen protector, I recommend using the eraser of a brand-new pencil, and if you’re lucky enough, you’ll have replenished all your health in no time flat! While theses aren’t major annoyances, they can sometimes limit the experience, but Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is very enjoyable.

Ups
Solid brawling action
Various purchasable skills

Downs
Scarce save points
Difficult knockout recovery system

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $19.99 (Retail)

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Review

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Publisher: LucasArts Developer: Traveler's Tales Platform: Wii Players: 1-2 Release: 2007 Genre: Action / Adventure Rating: 9.7 \ 10.0: Masterful 

Wow. I was already a big Star Wars fan when I first played this game (I was five years olds, but also new to gaming), and for that simple matter, I thought I couldn't underestimate it. I was wrong. Over time, I've grown to like The Complete Saga far more than I thought I would. It doesn't offer much  to those who've already played through its predecessors, 2005's Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and 2006's Lego Star Wars: The Original Trilogy. The Video Game is based on the prequel trilogy of the Star Wars film franchise (Episodes I-III) while The Original Trilogy is based on the first three films-- the Original Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI). The Complete Saga recycles all of its predecessor's stages and playable characters while also throwing in some new ones, but for newbies of Lego Star Wars (like I was at the time), it's really quite fun. The addictive nature of smashing Lego structures to obtain Lego studs (the game's currency) is surprisingly addictive, and can lead you to collect every stud in sight. This is the first of many Lego games to use this concept. You need studs to purchase new characters and vehicles. (You can even buy and play as Indiana Jones!) Not only does your stud-collecting pay off, but so does your character-buying. Many stages contain doors that can only be opened by specific characters, such as bounty hunters and Astromech droids. Behind these doors may be one of the stage's 10 Mini Kits. Mini Kits are cylindrical Lego objects that you must collect in order to assemble small Lego vehicles themed after their corresponding locations. You can view these from outside your hub, the Mos Eisley cantina. Other secrets are humorous, such as a movie theater that streams Lego Star Wars movie footage and rooms with disco balls and dance floors. You can also freely customize two Lego avatars from the cantina. Although your avatar can't unlock secret rooms, there's nothing I enjoy more than running around as a caped commando strangling baddies with the Dark Force and slicing up adversaries with a red-bladed Lightsaber in Free Play mode. Free Play allows you to play stages you've beat with any character (or vehicle on vehicle stages), and a group of randomly selected others that can unlock secret areas. But you don't unlock Free Play in a stage until you beat the Story Mode of it, in which you must play the stage with its corresponding characters. Story Mode is also the only way you can watch a stage's humorous cut-scenes, which add laughs and Legos to new versions of iconic film scenes. There are also bounty hunter missions, which you can't play until you purchase all the bounty hunters in the game (with the exclusion of Jango Fett, Zam Wessel, and any other bounty hunter not from the Original Trilogy). In them, you must track down the character hidden within the stage under a time limit. Finally, there are bonus stages, which you unlock from acquiring Gold Bricks. Gold Bricks are earned by collecting enough studs in a stage to earn a True Jedi ranking. Most of the bonus stages are based on normal stages, but some aren't-- like Lego Town and Lego City, which both challenge you to obtain one million studs in a non-Star Wars-themed city. All this fun can be enjoyed with a pal, including the two-player only Arcade mode. In this mode, you and the other player must duke it out in a small area under a time limit. (Tip: If you have purchased a ghost character, use it. They're invincible, and your friend will get really ticked as he / she tries hopelessly to defeat you. Pick the character before your friend does or you'll get really angry you! It's happened to me and it's not fun!) All these bonuses make it so the game doesn't always feel genuinely Star Wars, although it remains true to the formula for a good deal of time. The soundtrack is even composed entirely of John William's incredible tunes, so it's pretty much the best game soundtrack ever. You'll here all your favorite themes, my favorites being the "Star Wars Main Theme", "Mos Eisley Cantina Theme", "Imperial March" (Darth Vader's theme), "Duel of the Fates" (Darth Maul vs. Qui-Gon Jin), and "Battle of the Heroes" (Anakin Skywalker vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi, not Darth Vader vs. Ben Kenobi)  (of course)  The visuals aren't great, but that can be excused because this is essentially a port of two previous-gen games. If I have any complaint about this outstanding game, it's that some stretches of the stages are infuriatingly challenging. One part of a stage took me over an hour to beat-- you must assemble a massive puzzle while endless waves of Stormtroopers rush out of two doors. Getting struck by even a single laser while constructing the puzzle will cause it to break. You can temporarily close the doors, but it leaves you ill-prepared for the next assault. One other small issue, a control bug,  is that, occasionally, you'll start veering off course, but all you have to do is unplug and plug back in the Nunchuck. Despite its minor flaws, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga stands out above nearly every game I've played, and it holds many great memories for me.

Ups
Tons of content
Remains true to formula
Sense of humor
Two-player co-op or versus
All the music is from the movie

Downs
Infuriating at times
Mild control problems

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Violence Price: $49.99 (Retail)

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Wii Players: 1-4 Release: 2009 Genre: 2D Platformer Rating: 9.5 \ 10.0: Masterful

Many people enjoyed New Super Mario Bros. (me being among them),which became a millions-selling DS hit. But in some ways, this top-notch pseudo-sequel is just as good. The new story is better than its predecessor. It's Peach's birthday, and when her massive cake arrives, the Koopalings jump out of it (how they got in there, nobody knows) and carry her away. That's right-- the Koopalings, Bowser's magic wand-wielding children from Super Mario Bros. 3 and  Super Mario World (and not to mention Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga). NSMBW also brings back another element just from SMB3: Bowser's Doom Ship. But of course, since it has "new" in its title, you'd expect the game to introduce new things. It does. There are new enemies, a new world, and more. There are also new power-ups. There's the Propeller Mushroom, which allows you to burst through the sky with a shake of your Wii Remote and slow down your descent the same way; and the Penguin Suit, which appears as a waddling penguin and gives Mario a penguin transformation and allows him to spit snowballs, slide on ice and water, and more. The Ice Flower isn't new, but it has a far different effect than it did in Super Mario Galaxy, the only other game which it has appeared. Rather than temporarily turning you to ice and allowing you to create frozen paths on water and lava, it simply allows you to hurl enemy-freezing snowballs. Unfortunately, the game completely lacks the fun minigames of its predecessor, but instead features two additional modes: Coin Battle, in which opposing players must race to collect the most coins scattered throughout a stage, and Free Play, in which you compete in stages in attempt to clear the majority of them first. The game also introduces four-player cooperative play in the main mode. In some parts of the game, you're going to really need some assistance, or else it can be infuriatingly difficult. This is why the game includes a Super Guide feature. If you die eight times in the same stage, a  green block will appear where you restart from. Hitting the block will enable you to make Luigi clear the stage for you, but he doesn't uncover secrets Among other improvements are the vastly upgraded music and the new varieties of Toad houses-- like ones that only contain only Super Stars to add to your power-up inventory-- a feature of Super Mario Bros 3. Also adding to the fun is the inclusion of Yoshis! Mario's prehistoric pal is now found in some stages, and in his first appearance in a Mario side-scroller since Super Mario World. (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, SMW's 1995 Super NES pseudo-sequel, doesn't count) The game is at its best when you and three friends are all riding Yoshis simultaneously. But NSMBW scraps the homage to Toadsworth, the mustachioed and elderly Toad and Peach's butler, that was present in the original NSMB. But any of the flaws I mentioned are incredibly minor, and I can't recommend this game enough to platforming fans.  This is by far the greatest 2D platformer I've ever played.

Ups
New power-ups
New modes
Upgraded graphics and sound
Inclusion of Yoshi
Inclusion of the Koopalings
Chaotically fun multiplayer

Downs
Lack of minigames
Scrapped homage

ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief Price: $49.99 (Retail)

Kid Icarus: Uprising Review

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Sora Platform: 3DS Players: 1 (Adventure), 2-8 (Together) Release: 2012 Genre:  Third-Person-Shooter /  Adventure Rating: 9.4 \ 10.0: Excellent

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” says Pit as he bursts into action at the start of the game. The angelic protagonist, Pit, last appeared in 2008 in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which was directed by the same person) but this statement is most likely related to the fact that he hasn’t starred in a solo game since 1991’s Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the Game Boy, which I never played. It’s not a sequel to that game, but it serves as a follow-up to the original Kid Icarus, which was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

Enough with history talk— now comes the plot. The game is set 25 years after the original, which is the time between the releases of the two games. Pit is once again tasked with defeating Medusa and her Underworld army. Throughout the ques which is influenced by Greek mythology,  you must take down Medusa’s commanders. You'll also have to deal with Dark Pit, Pit’s evil doppelganger who’s created when Pit smashes the Mirror of Truth, which creates copies of whatever looks at it. Before beginning a stage (referred to as a chapter) you must select an “intensity” at the Fiend's Cauldron. The intensity ranges from 0.0 (virtually impossible to die) to 9.0 (virtually impossible to survive) Only 2.0 can be played for free. You’ll have to pay hearts (the game’s currency) to play at anything lower and wager hearts to play at a harder level. Each of the game’s stages are split into three segments: a five-minute flying sequence, a segment in which you must traverse the land, and a battle with one of Medusa’s commanders. The Goddess of Light, Palutena, chats with Pit throughout the game, and the games dialogue is very humorous, and occasionally contains Nintendo references (I faintly remember hearing a Nintendogs joke when I was battling a flaming three-headed dog). Strangely enough, the characters are aware they're in a video game. There are many other characters who Pit bickers with, including Dark Pit and Medusa. You even have a humorous dialogue with Medusa's commanders as you approach the end of the stage, and as you battle. The plot of Kid Icarus has a complex storyline. After slaying Medusa, you will encounter her creator, Hades, God of the Underworld. He creates a myth about a Wish Seed that can grant any wish, and informs the humans of its existence so that they'll fight each other to extinction over it.  And then, there's Viridi, Goddess of Nature, who thinks humans are ungrateful barbaric creatures that ruin the Earth, and tries to wipe them out with nuclear bombs (made from natural materials). Instead of wielding a simple bow throughout the game, you can amass an expansive arsenal ranging from nine weapon categories: blades, staffs, arms, claws, palms, orbitars, cannons, clubs, and bows. There are countless weapons, each one with a certain use. Weapons can be found randomly in treasure chests, earned by slaying bosses, and by other means. In addition to weapons, you can also assign several magic powers to your arsenal, including massive jump boosts, poisonous attacks, the ability to transform into a missile, the ability to summon a fiery explosion, and more. These powers are assigned to a grid, with each one assuming a different Tertromino-like shape based on value. You can have as many powers as you can manage to fit into the grid, and it feels like a fun jigsaw puzzle. In your Adventure mode menu, you can visit the arms altar. Here, you can convert weapons into hearts, purchase new ones, or fuse them together to make stronger ones. The game gives you weapons a value rating, so you'll know which weapon to turn into hearts if you end up with two of the same one. Your arsenal can be tested at the Practice Range. In addition to the epic single-player quest, there are two multiplayer modes: Free-For-All, in which you can battle numerous fellow KI: U owners in a large arena, and Light vs. Dark, in which you must team up to defeat your opponents. In Light vs. Dark, each team has a health gauge that depletes as your teammates die. When your teams gauge empties completely, the next team member who dies is reborn as either Pit (if you’re on the Light side) or Dark Pit (if you’re on the Dark side), and the opposing team must defeat him to win. There’s a twist: the more powerful your weapon, the more of your team’s health is eaten away when you die. The best performing player in a multiplayer match receives a mystery bonus: Either a weapon or power. You are also able to play these modes with CPU opponents with controllable difficulty, or have a private match with your buddies. As with the Super Smash Bros. series, you are able to collect countless trophies and listen to a musical pictures that can be viewed at any time. Which reminds me, whatever you're doing in the game, you'll be treated to a beautiful orchestrated musical score that combines amazing original pieces (most notably Dark Pit's theme) with improved rearrangements of classic tunes that were already great as chiptunes. The soundtrack trails not far behind the Super Mario Galaxy games on my list of favorite video game music, a very difficult feat for a game to accomplish. Even so, the game isn't perfect . Sometimes, even the default and low difficulty for the main game’s stages can be frustrating, and the touchscreen camera controls are mediocre. Additionally, this game makes it clear that the 3DS was not built for shooters. The clamshell design of the handheld doesn't allow for triggers, but thankfully, you're not forced to use either of the shoulder buttons. While it may sound awkward, I use the Y button to shoot. The system also doesn't have a right circle pad, meaning that you must either purchase the circle pad pro attachment to have tradtional aiming or use the touchscreen, which I found to be easier than most people did.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is very well worth playing. It's one of the best titles available for the 3DS, and an absolute must-have for any Nintendo fanatic. But either way, you should really give it a shot.

Ups
Epic single-player quest
Fun additional modes
Tons of extra content
Spectacular musical score
Hilarious script

Downs
Default difficulty can be frustrating
Mediocre touchscreen camera controls
System not built for shooters

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes Price: $39.99 (Retail / Download)

Super Mario 64 Review

Super Mario 64

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo 64 Players: 1 Release: 1996 Genre: 3D Platformer / Adventure Rating: 8.3 \ 10.0: Great

Sure, Super Mario 64 is old, but it’s widely regarded as one of the greatest videogames of all time. I don’t think it’s perfect, but it’s still pretty darn good. The plot has an unusual twist— Bowser doesn’t imprison Princess Peach in his lair— instead he traps her behind the stained glass window on the front of her own castle. At the start of the game, an invitation to the Mushroom Castle is read aloud by Peach, the camera rotates around Peach's courtyard, then focuses on the ground. A green Warp Pipe emerges, and out pops a full 3D model of Mario. Back in the mid-'90s, this was mind-blowing, and I can imagine why. This game revolutionized gaming with its full-3D environments and exploration. After crossing a bridge and walking through the door of the castle, you’ll see several doors marked with stars inside, and one that’s unmarked.  The numbered doors are locked at the start of the game, but the locked rooms can be accessed once you acquire the matching number of Power Stars, yellow stars that you must collect to complete a level, equal to the number on the door. Every room has one or more large paintings inside. When touched some paintings will teleport you to the course they’re represented by. Each course has 7 missions for you to complete, such as taking down a boss, racing a foe, collecting the 8 red coins hidden throughout the course, and more. Most courses are fairly small— they’re just large landmasses. Though the courses may be contain other small islands, they’re just as hard to explore. It takes a while to discover every secret and search every nook and cranny of the course, and it feels great to explore so freely. Crash Bandicoot may have been 3D, but it was linear. One minor annoyance is that because of the mission’s brevities, dying just once will send you hurtling back into the castle. Another quibble is that the difficultly continuously rises with each mission, up to the point where you want to give up. Also, the controls can be a bit loose and overly responsive at times— for example, if you accidently run in a circle when you intended to curve in a single direction, you’re likely to have to run in a few more loops before getting back on track. But platforming pros can use this to their advantage, such as using Mario’s overly responsive jumping to scale small mountainsides and the like. A new twist in the controls is Mario’s newfound ability to punch and kick. If you rapidly tap the B button three times in a row, Mario will perform punches on the fist two taps, and a kick on the third. Kicks sometimes destroy objects and enemies that you would otherwise pick up, like  crates and Bob-ombs. In addition to combos, Mario can perform other attacks, such as lunging forward by pressing B while moving forwards. Also, minor visual glitches sometimes occur, but it's a small issue that you likely will not care about. Despite these minor problems, there’s an excellent adventure to be played through. It can be immensely satisfying to discover the games many secrets. Throughout the game, you’ll meet friendly Bob-ombs, a fleet-footed Koopa, a mother penguin who’s lost her baby, an owl who flies you over courses, and other characters. Super Mario 64 is a highly entertaining classic, and it’s not to be missed by any Mario diehard.

Ups3D-ness!!!
Non-linear
New moves
Satisfying-to-discover secrets
Unique characters

Downs
1 death means restarting the stage
Frustrating difficulty rise
Loose and overly responsive controls
Minor visual glitches (but who cares?)

ESRB: E Content: ??? Price: $10.00 (Download)

Super Mario 64 DS Review

Super Mario 64 DS

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo DS Players: 1 (Adventure, Minigames), 2-4 (Vs.) Release: 2004 Genre: 3D Platformer / Adventure Rating: 9.0 \ 10.0: Masterful

I may have already played the original Super Mario 64 via Wii Virtual Console and liked it a lot, but in some ways, this portable remake, also a DS launch title (as was Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64), is better. After you receive a letter form Princess Peach inviting Mario to come to the castle for cake, a Lakitu Bro. begins circling around Peach Castle with a video camera, and you see Yoshi sleeping on the roof. Let me get this straight, Lakitu Bros. are helpful Lakitus, unlike the spiky bug-tossing enemies you’ll encounter. Mario then pops out of a pipe near the castle, followed by Luigi and Wario. Then Luigi jumps on Wario’s head, and get the pleasure of viewing a short animated fight sequence. As the three mustachioed heroes (one being a troublesome brute) enter the Mushroom Castle, Yoshi awakens and asks the Lakitu Bro. where Mario is, thus beginning your adventure. As it turns out, Mario, Luigi and Wario, and Peach have been trapped inside the castle. Yes, it may seem like a hindrance that you can’t play as Mario at the start of the game, but after defeating Goomboss the Goomba king on a hidden course, you obtain the key to unlocking Mario from behind a door. Walking through this door changes you from your current character to Mario and vice versa (if you're playing as Yoshi, that is). Beside that door are the doors which Luigi and Wario are trapped behind. The only other way to play as another character is to dispatch the enemy wearing that character’s hat and touch it. Unfortunately, you’ll lose the cap if you take  a single enemy hit. But playing as Yoshi has its advantages. You can swallow enemies and turn them into eggs, and his famous flutter kick, makes reaching high places easy. There are four power-ups to use. There’s the Koopa shell, returning from the original SM64, which you can ride around on and plow through enemies; the Mushroom, which makes temporarily gigantic and invincible; the Wing Cap, a Mario-only power-up that allows you to soar over the landscape and reach high places; and the Power Flower, a plant that grants you a special ability depending on the character you’re playing as. Mario’s ability is to swell up and float. Yoshi’s ability is to breathe fire. Luigi’s ability is to become invisible, allowing him to pass through certain enemies and objects. And Wario’s ability is to turn to metal, making him immune and allowing him to walk on the seabed in underwater areas. If you're a player of the original SM64 and think Luigi and Wario's superpowers sound similar to the effects of the Vanishing and Metal Caps, you're not wrong. In fact, they're literally replaced by those powers-- there's now only one Question Mark Switch and  one color of item-holding blocks (the red Question Mark Block). Unfortunately, this remake brings back of the issues of the original SM64. Minor (and sometimes major) visual glitches sometimes occur, and just one death will earn you a hurl back into the castle if you're not already there. Also, the playable characters walk sluggishly, and the only way to pick up the pace without holding X or Y to dash is to walk without stopping for several seconds. Even then, you'll be wishing you would move faster. All the playable characters but Mario have different strengths and weak points. Mario is rounded, Yoshi and Luigi jump very high, but Luigi’s low on power, and Yoshi can’t even attack-- he can only swallow enemies and objects to turn them into eggs or single bursts of fire to breath. Wario lacks speed and agility (not to mention intelligence), but he's able to smash large objects and can punch enemies all the way across the screen! And I got this all from the instruction manual. One of the biggest differences between SM64DS and the original is the fact that there are 150 Power Stars to collects-- 30 more than in the original. There’s also a new room in then castle-- the Rec Room, a place where Peach used to play as a child. It not only contains old toys, but you can find a hidden star by jumping into the painting of a beach. There’s also a door that can be entered only after you’ve obtained eight stars. Behind is a room with a window with a balcony behind it and a painting of Mario. Ironically enough, passing through the painting brings you to the course in which you must battle Goomboss for the key to rescuing Mario. Also, selecting the Rec Room icon from the home menu allows you to play minigames which you can unlock by catching rabbits in the castle. As you choose a minigame, the World 1 world map music from Super Mario Bros. 3, reminding me of the good and bad times I had with that classic.  I’d already played some of these minigames in New Super Mario Bros., so they felt a bit dull, having been played by me so many times in the past but they're still mildly enjoyable, although there's also a large chunk of minigames that weren't featured in New Super Mario Bros., all of which are enjoyable. To be fair, this game was released before NSMB, but the former was the first Mario game I ever played. There's also a Vs. mode, where you and up to three DS owners can battle each other to obtain stars in a wireless free-for-all via Download Play. Although it brings back some of the flaws of the original, Super Mario 64 DS is superior to the original in pretty much every way. The gameplay, the music, although recycled from the original, hasn't aged a bit and is still amazing. The graphics have been most significantly improved. The character design, and object detail have all been vastly enhanced, although the vibrant, impressive, and smooth texture works now look blocky and ridged from some angles. This is a launch title of a decade-old system, and the visuals still rank among some of the best ever seen on the DS. This is a little sad, given that DS titles were already visually inferior to console games at the launch of the system. Another improvement that's very helpful is stage map displayed on the touchscreen. You can even move by sliding the stylus across the touchscreen. Many may argue that the original is better, but I wasn't raised in the olden days of gaming, and I'm not as used to the classics. Despite these very minor faults, SM64DS is a top-notch remake of a fondly remembered classic, a platforming masterpiece, and one of the best portable titles I've ever played.

Ups
Fun minigames
Vs. Mode
Improved visuals and sound
One of the best-looking games on DS
Touchscreen map

Downs
Not many issues fixed
Blocky, ridged textures

ESRB: E Content: Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $19.99 (Retail)