
WOW! Hours of gameplay and minimal frustration
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
A note first. I am a casual gamer. I have been gaming for about 14 years, but I never really gotten too hardcore. I enjoy titles that I can pick up, get comfortable with pretty quickly, and play. Now that we have that out of the way, on with my review.
Super Mario 64 DS is one of the best titles I have played in a number of years. I played a little of the original Super Mario 64 on the N64, but have found this version to improve upon an already excellent title. The controls are excellent, and there were only a few times that left me upset with how my character reacted to my input. The levels were varied and pretty. It is truly amazing that in ten years, Nintendo has developed a system that has the power of the N64 and fits in the palm of your hand.
The graphics are truly fantastic. Don't expect PS3 quality graphics, obviously, but the graphics are still improved over the N64 version. They are crisper and feel less like early 3D graphics. The colors also seem a little more vibrant.
The controls are easy, and Nintendo even gives you an option of three different control styles. I won't go into them here, but these different control schemes make it easy for anyone to pick up and play this title.
The most enjoyable aspect of the title was the inclusion of four playable characters. That's right, 4! You start out with Yoshi in the game, which is a definite break from the original title on the N64. You can unlock Mario, then Luigi, and finally Wario. The best part is that certain levels require you to use a certain character, and, trust me, this is easier than it sounds. The characters are nicely balanced, and you will probably pick a favorite fairly early on.
Finally, you have to collect 150 stars. However, you don't have to collect them all to "beat" the game. That is, to get to the final battle with Bowser, you don't need all of the stars. This gives the title quite a bit of replayability as you trying to get all the stars. I have spent probably over 30 hours so far, and I still don't have all the stars.
With a long amount of playtime, unique characters, gorgeous graphics, and easy controls, this title is definitely one of the best for the DS. Nintendo hit this one out of the park!
Review ID: 10000000004853145

Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our
guidelines, it will be posted within 24 hours.
You cannot vote on the helpfulness of a review you wrote.
Your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again later.