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| Super Mario 64 DS; 9 out of 10 | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 24 2007, 03:09 PM (741 Views) | |
| Evil Hamster | Mar 24 2007, 03:09 PM Post #1 |
Osu!
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Super Mario 64 DS is a great remake of an old N64 classic. This is a game that you need to pick up if you never played it first time around, and even if you have owned the N64 version, there is just about enough new stuff here to warrant purchasing the DS version. The game's story is pretty much the same as every other Mario game under the sun. Princess Peach has been captured by the Evil Bowser, and you have to rescue her. Whilst Mario games have always had weak, overly similar and generic storylines, it would be nice to get a Mario game with a story every once in a while. The main gameplay in Super Mario 64 DS comes from collecting the 150 Stars littered throughout Princess Peach's castle. The majority of these are split throughout fifteen seperate worlds, which can be entered by jumping through paintings in the castle. There are also 30 'secret' stars, which are hidden around the castle itself. Whilst some of these stars are reasonably easy to find, others are very difficult. Collecting all 150 stars is incredibly difficult, and will greatly increase the playing length of the game. The dual screens are used well in this game. The upper screen is used to display the action, and the lower screen is used to display a map of the area. Whilst occasionally useful, the map isn't really worthwhile once you know your way round the level, and you can't help but feel that they could have made better use of the touch screen. Mario is kitted out with plenty of moves in his latest adventure. He can not only run and jump, but he can punch, kick, slidekick, or a sit-drop on his opponents. He can also, when he collects the appropriate powerups, ride on a Koopa shell, glide through the air with wings on his cap, and more. All in all, the controls are very simple and easy to get used to. Posted Image It is also possible to use the touch screen to move Mario around. However, unfortunately, this doesn't work. At all. Is is performed by holding the stylus on the touch screen in the direction that you want to travel. Whilst this is OK sometimes, when Mario nears the edge of the map, you cannot put the stylus far away enough from Mario's location to make him move any faster than a slow walk. Overall, it's better just to use the default button control scheme. Unlike the original game, in this version you are able to play as a grand total of four different characters. These are- Mario, Luigi, Wario and Yoshi. These all have their own moves and advantages over the other players. Yoshi can perform a flutter kick to perform a long jump, and also eat enemies, turn them into eggs, and throw them at other baddies. He can also breathe fire when he collects a power flower. Luigi can jump higher than Mario, is slightly faster and, when he collects a power flower, can turn invisible and run through some walls. Wario provides the power, with the ability to smash some blocks other characters can't, and can turn to steel when he collects a power flower. Posted Image Any of these characters can temporarily turn to another by collecting the cap for that character. (You can't change to a Yoshi) When you get hurt, you lose your cap and are changed back to your original character. This is a nice idea, and is very well implemented. Many of the stars are impossible to get without caps. Caps also play another minor part in gameplay. Some baddies are able to steal your character's actual cap, meaning that your character will be cursed with bad luck until you reclaim your cap. For example, power-up boxes will always give you a bob-omb, instead of a power-up. If you struggle to reclaim your cap, Toad will give it back to you, so you won't have to worry. When you collect enough stars, after completing a reasonably easy level, you get to fight Bowser. You have to beat him by grabbing his tail, and swinging him round with the touch screen, to throw him at explosive spikeballs littered around the arena. Whilst only the last of the three Bowser fights presents any kind of challenge, they are still brilliant fun. Posted Image One of the most obvious and most fun bonuses to come with this game that didn't come with the original are the 36 touch screen minigames that you can play. These vary enormously, from drawing trampolines on the touch screen to bounce Mario to safety, or to activate a giant catapult to destroy parachuting bob-ombs trying to destroy your flowers. Whilst some of them are very similar, most of them are great These minigames are unlocked by running around in the game world and catching rabbits, each of which will give you a key to unlock a minigame. Each character has 7 bunnies to catch, and they each start off with 2 games unlocked. Posted Image A single cart multiplayer mode is also a brilliant addition to this game. Up to four players can play, and the objective is to battle it out and to see who can collect the most of the five available stars as possible (if it's a draw, the person with the most coins wins) Everyone starts off as a Yoshi, and you can collect caps to gain a more powerful character (Yoshi is much weaker than the other characters) The multiplayer mode is a fun diversion from the main game, although it is a shame that there was no multiplayer function for the touch-screen minigames. Posted Image The graphics in Super Mario 64 DS are basically fantastic. Some of the best visuals on the DS can be found on this game- the 3D graphics are simply incredible for the DS . Whilst not quite as impressive as a couple more recently released games, the graphics in Super Mario 64 DS stil provide some of the best eye candy there is available on the handheld. Posted Image The sound is fairly nice, the music isn't too obtrusive, and there are a few memorable tunes. The voices of the various characters aren't too shabby, and overall, the sound in the game is pretty decent. Overall, this is a must buy if you missed the original game. If you already own the N64 copy, you still may want to buy it for the minigames, the multiplayer and just the overall experience of playing this classic game on a handheld. Presentation 8 Graphics: 8.5 Sound: 8 Gameplay: 9 Lasting Appeal: 9.5 Overall Rating: 9 |
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