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New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
by cath_del
What first attracted me to it was the fact that the case to Super Mario Bros, had bright and cute looking characters on the front cover of the game itself. After going home and looking at some of the gameplay and reviews, I knew I would enjoy it, as sidescroller games are usually my prefered method of playing video games. I bought it for ... around £30 2 years ago, and it is still about that price now, which is fair considering all the things it has included and how well known and loved the game itself is.
The game is rated for Everyone, and this is very true, as childrens will be able to play the levels with ease once they have gotten the hang of it and the minigames that are available. Whereas, there is always some challenge for the adults, as there is all the different elements of Mario instead of just playing it through, like catching all the Stars and finding all the bonus levels.
The graphics are great in this game, and you can tell they have been well developed and thought out. Every world is different to the next, varying in detail and colour, but always eyecatching and bright. The cute characters throughout Marios world are sure to keep your attention. Although it doesn't really rely on the touchscreen much in the Story Mode which is a bit of a flaw for a DS game, you still get to use it for powerups which is a bonus.
Playing through the Story Mode that is included is main plot of the game and focuses around the similar plot of rescuing Princess Peach from the evil Bowser. There are three saves within the game, which is great if you have a family who are just constantly borrowing games like mine, as you can each play the game at your own pace without worrying about someone spending all your stars or ruining the Mario lives you have worked so hard to keep up.
Within this mode there are 8 realms, and each differ in their look. There is the normal Mario cute world, the desert, a tropical island and much more worlds. The environments are always colourful and detailed and guaranteed to immerse you within the Mario World. Two realms throughout the game are unlockable and you have to find the entrances to them throughout the game itself.
In each of these realms, there is about 9 - 10 levels, and extra levels you can unlock if you want to spend your stars. Although they start off easy, they get far more challenging as they go along, and can take several trys before you eventually complete it. At the end of each level there is also a Boss level where you must fight Bowser, and these are particularly good as they are different each time as Bowser always uses a new power.
Collecting the stars throughout the games can be addictive, however also difficult at the same time. Many of my friends have found getting some of them so difficult they use an Internet cheatsheet, but I want to make this game last as long as I can because its so great, I'm willing to invest hours in just getting that final star!
Aside from Story Mode, there is also the ability to play many of the minigames that are included which focus around the Super Mario characters. These games mainly rely on the touchscreen to.You are able to play singleplayer but if you have a friend with a DS you can choose for them to play with you to! Having this was great fun, as if I am on long car journeys, I am able to play against my sister to keep her entertained.
Within the minigames section, there really is something for everyone. Ranging from the Action section, Puzzle section, Table section or Variety section - you can pick and choose whatever game you are in the mood for. These games can keep me entertained for hours, as I am constantly trying to beat my high score and as the levels increase, they get so challenging its almost impossible.
Super Mario Bros have also included a multiplayer option, although not similar to the Story Mode. You are able to compete against someone else with a DS or for more options the gamecard itself (however I have never tried this). I played this against my sister and it took us about 1 hour to finish it, as you play as Mario and Luigi fighting to get the most stars, but it proved to be more difficult than I thought it would be to beat her.
Overall, I would say Super Mario Bros is a great game for the price it is offered at. It contains so much to do and would keep you busy for months as there is always something to do on it. Being able to play multiplayer just adds to the great quality of this game, as many DS games do have this feature, but have never developed it as much as Super Mario Bros.
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NAMCO Museum DS (DS)
by lorrainek858
I seen this game sitting on the self in GAME for £15 and couldn't resist. I love retro games and bought this game mostly because I enjoy playing PacMan and love arcade games.
NAMCO Museum for the DS is a fantastic collection of NAMCO games from the 80's/90's. NAMCO Museum was released in early 2008 and contains a seven ... popular games, they are:
Pacman
Pacman is the most popular game from this list of arcade games, it is a game where you play as Pacman and direct him right, left, up and down through a maze eating a number of fruits and balls and avoiding ghosts. It is a great fun game though it can get a bit repetitive so I am glad that for the money there were more games on this arcade cartridge.
Dig Dug 2
Dig Dug 2 is a game where you go through levels and kill all the enemies in each level. The levels are set up in a maze kind of way on an island and the levels get harder the more you progress in the game. You can use different weapons to kill enemies, a pump to blow up and explode enemies or a jackhammer to break the ground. You score more points if you can kill enemies at the same time. This is a typical arcade game and I didn't really enjoy playing it much, it gets repetitive and boring after a while.
Xevious
Xevious is a shooting arcade game where you are a spaceship and go through different levels destroying other spaceships. I never really came across this game as a child, as I think it was before my time, however it is quite an amusing game, it reminded me slightly of GRADIUS for the NES which was one of my favourite NES games (apart from the Mario's of course).
Galaga
Galaga is another shooting game, this game reminds me a lot of Space Invaders, you play as a space ship who can move either right or left and shoot, you aim to shoot enemies that look a bit like alien that are upwards above you. I also got quite a bit of game play out of this game, mostly because it can be quite addictive, though once you have done one level, they are all basically the same, only harder.
The Tower Of Druaga
The Tower Of Druaga is a mazed based game, where you play the hero Gilgamesh who is trying to save his girlfriend Kai from the evil demon Druaga. In this game you go through levels with a sword and a shield and kill all the enemies in your path, you have to collect keys in order to get through doors and progress through the game . I really enjoyed playing this game, even though I had never heard of it before, although I did find it a bit challenging at parts.
Mappy
Mappy is a really fun Platformer game on the NAMCO Museum, in this game you play Mappy the PoliceMouse, and you go through a massive house that is full of cats, your objective is to collect as many items as possible and also dodge and avoid the cats at all costs. I really enjoyed playing this game and it reminded me a bit of the original Donkey Kong in the way it was played and laid out.
Galaxian
Galaxian is another shooting game, this game reminds me a lot of Space Invaders and it seems to be a less advanced version of Galaga, I don't really think it is necessary to have both games on the NAMCO Museum as they are very alike, you play as a space ship who can move either right or left and shoot, you aim to shoot enemies that look a bit like alien that are upwards above you
The graphics on this game are not very advanced, obviously as this is a retro arcade game, the graphics haven't been touched too much which is a good thing in my opinion as it would ruin the retro experience if they had of been.
Overall I think that this is a great collection of games, I think that this would be a good by for anyone who loves Namco games. I was glad I bought it and have got lots of hours of gameplay from it. My favourite game from this collection is Mappy, though all the games have some kind of playability out of them.
*also posted on ciao under lorrainek90
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New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
by alnilam
Funny, I owned a SNES but I never had a Super Mario game, I always wanted it but it was harder to get in ma corner of the world - since as soon as it came in the store it was snatched by somebody else. Hard times back then hehe. When one of my friends finally got their hands on the game and I borrowed it it was a love at first sight and ... as soon as I purchased Nintendo DS I knew getting Mario games is a must.
Now there are quite a few to choose from but I wanted to start with a platformer game and this one ranked the best. The price for this game in the shops is average - you can get a new one starting from £11.20 on Amazon (plus shipping) but I opted for used on from Ebay and snatched it for £8 (I advise caution though since there are lots of fakes sold on Ebay, my copy of this game seems to be legit - reading many "How to spot a fake DS game" was sure helpful) .
The game is awesome! That is a fact. And I could well finish the review right here and by this I would not "damage" the potential costumer since when he or she would have bought the game the conclusion would and will be the same.
Graphics are just amazing, I think that developers really did take the the most out what Nintendo DS can offer and on the other hand still kept the "original" feel of the Super Mario Bros game-style. How to describe the graphics - they walk a thin line between 2D and 3D.
Game is quite simple to play, it can be played worldwide no matter in which language the game comes since there is no written storyline or goals that need to be achieved by understanding the mission. There are 8 worlds (you need to go through 6 to get to the finish, two of the worlds need "special" conditions to be unlocked) and each of this worlds has a set of themed levels in which you need to get from the start to finish, jumping, running, bouncing and if lucky shooting. That is basically it. At the middle of each world there is a mid boss and at the end a boss. Levels are quite easy to finish, some of them can give you a bit of a headache (depending of your skill) but although easy they are immensely fun. It is a kind of game that entertains and relaxes more than agitates which I just love.
I finished the game in less than a week, only a few hours of game-play but the game is really re playable - I love the levels and whenever I am bored and need something easy and passive (but fun) to entertain my mind I reach for this game and play the levels again. True that in every level you can find 3 special star coins (which can be cleverly hidden) and I have not jet managed to find them all so this adds to game-play too.
There is more than just the regular Mario play (you can play as Luigi too by the way) there are also lots of mini games which you can play either yourself or with your friends. Now as the regular game does not take the full advantage of touch screen mini games certainly do. You can choose from many different kinds of games, card games, memory, puzzle, action games - each of them fun and a great way to scare the boredom away.
There is also a Mario Vs. Luigi multi player game that needs two DSs to play, I was not fortunate enough yet to try this out (it needs only one game) but since my partner is more and more interested in my Nintendo DS I feel the time will come soon (and so will the update of the review).
I am not yet a DS expert, I have only played a few games but this one certainly leaved a very good impression in me, not only because of the nostalgic feel of it but also because it really is a great game. I think this is one of those games that is a must for every DS owner.
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