Full Review for Super Mario 64 DS by Cross Stinger

Introduction

Princess Toadstool � the nom de plume of Peach � has written a letter to Mario asking to come to the castle for cake. In the original Nintendo 64 game, you start with Mario, whose hunger, evident by his physique, forces him to respond. However, Peach is nowhere in sight � she and the personnel of the castle had been taken captive by Bowser and forced inside the walls. In the Nintendo DS revision of Super Mario 64, the three brothers Mario, Luigi, and Wario have been taken captive by some cronies of Bowser, and instead you start with Yoshi (whom you received by collecting 120 stars in Super Mario 64). The objective and the difficulty of the game remain the same, although the individual strengths of each character have dramatically changed the method of play from a simple roleplaying game to a multi-role adventure � la Dark Cloud, Banjo-Tooie, and Donkey Kong 64. Not only does this boost the diversion afforded the player, but it shows that the Nintendo DS has more power than sceptics have once thought.

Aside from the story mode, there are minigames that can be unlocked by snaring certain rabbits in the castle (at which point you will be given an option to quit the game and play the minigames). There are about 60 in all, most of which require the use of the touch pad.

Graphics

The graphics, like the game itself, are merely carried over from the original Nintendo 64 version in their original 64-bit format. The new additions, however, are optimised for the Nintendo DS console. The original Nintendo 64 graphics were, nonetheless, excellent in theme � a classic RPG with the usual inclusion of evil forces � and a display of the N64's processing power, with everything except the dialogue portrayed in three dimensions.

Sound

Neither has the sound faded away from the original version. Although the theme for Hazy Maze Cave, Wet-Dry World, and others with the same tune have been modified slightly in the beginning, the general score is themed correctly and orchestrated flawlessly. The only thing that prevents the sound from earning a 10 is the fact that Peach is the only one doing extensive dialogue, and that's in the cutscene before the start of the story mode and after Bowser is defeated; communication with foes is nothing less than sound effects, and the DS is certainly capable of more if the GBA E-Reader and the N64's Jet Force Gemini feature a voice rendition of commands.

Gameplay

The Nintendo 64 controller consists of ten buttons, a control pad, and a joystick. Amazingly, the controls afforded by these buttons have managed to wind themselves down to six applicable buttons (the Y button serves no purpose). Why? The touch pad and the L and X buttons handle the camera, with L centring the camera behind your character, X controlling the altitude, and the arrow buttons on the touch pad controlling each direction. Other than that, the original controls are preserved: The R button replaces Z, B and A switch roles in gameplay (except in cases of making options), and...that's basically it. The touch pad serves no other purpose than to control the camera angle and act in minigames. As a result, the console itself is depreciated.

Lastability

The lastability of Super Mario 64 is improved with the use of different characters for certain areas (Yoshi to swallow and manipulate enemies and the use of ! Boxes to breathe fire, Mario for his world-famous wall kick and gift of flight from the ! Boxes, Luigi for farther jumping distances and invisibility, and Wario for black bricks and invulnerability) and the addition of minigames. If the story mode won't keep you going, the fun of the minigame library almost certainly will.

Overall

It proved an excellent move for Nintendo to produce a reconstruction of Super Mario 64. Even better is that the original game seems to be making a comeback in its wake. Who knows, maybe there will be a tenth anniversary bash for Super Mario 64 next year as a result of the DS reincarnation's success? Although it's terra firma that the DS version has helped Nintendo's core character gain more fame, only time will tell if it will have an effect strong enough to catapult it and its predecessor into the ranks among the greatest games ever for any console of any generation.

Final Score: 86%