Mission Impossible - Back after 25 years on the DS (Impossible Mission (DS))

Member Name: julwhite

Product:	Impossible Mission (DS)
Date:	08/07/09 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great for reliving memories

Disadvantages: Not enough depth

This review is for the Nintendo DS game, Impossible Mission, developed by System 3 and published by Warner Bros. This platform game is a modernisation of the Commodore 64 release of nearly 25 years.

Remaking an old game is always a dangerous thing to do, some remember the original as it is and rather it wasn't modernised, but without modernisation the game can be just too old fashioned despite the happy memories that players might have of it. Many do have fond memories of this game, partly remembered for being the first game to have speech as one of the effects.

For those that haven't played, the game plot is quite simple. You have to go round numerous rooms avoiding enemies who can electrify you, including a ball which hovers near you and can cause damage unless you can "snooze" it. You have to explore the rooms to find 36 different puzzle pieces, the locations of which change every time that you start a new game.

In terms of controlling the game, there has been modernisation, with the stylus being used to be able to drag items about. The controls generally are easy to use and logical, and it is a reminder at least of how far things have moved on in gaming that this facility is now available on touch screen technology!

The difficulty level is set about right, it can be quite challenging and it takes some practice to get through without dying or suffering from time penalties. However the game isn't so difficult that you become bored of playing before progressing through the game. You are also now able to save the game wherever you want, which does make the game rather easier.

The graphics have been made much smoother since the original, although they do maintain the familiar feel. The original game may have been known for its impressive speech effects, but there are limited music in that version. This however has changed and the background soundtracks in this game do add somewhat to the atmosphere, and some thought has been put into these.

The game's full recommended price is 19.99 pounds, but is available currently for 7.99 pounds on Amazon. If you're happy with a second hand copy, these are available for around five pounds at the time of writing on sites such as eBay and Amazon. The game is rated 3+, so is suitable for children of nearly all ages.

In summary, it's great to be able to relive a childhood and see an old game updated in this way. The implementation isn't too bad, but the underlying game is a bit repetitive, and the additions don't really add much to the game. You are, for example, able to choose between man, woman and robots characters at the beginning of the game, but since the game plays the same way regardless, this seems a little redundant. However, this is fun for a while, and if you remember and enjoyed the first game, it's not a bad way to spend a few pounds!

Summary: Not bad, worthwhile for gamers wanting to relive memories