With all the talk of the 3DS and its rapid price drop, it’s
easy to forget that Nintendo’s previous handheld, the DS, is still a viable
option for portable gaming. Though not as sexy as your iPhone or as powerful as
its new little brother, the DS line offers many genuinely engaging gaming
experiences. Moreover, its own June price drop put the DS Lite at $99.99, making
it an attractive option for additional on-the-go entertainment.
Along with this price drop Nintendo also elected to
rerelease six first-party titles featuring ever-popular company mascot Mario. Super Mario 64 DS, a launch title
that shrunk down the Nintendo 64 classic, still holds up well some seven years
after its portable makeover.
More recent fare like 2009’s Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s
Inside Story — the third entry in the Mario &
Luigi RPG series — and last year’s Lemmings-esque
Mario vs. Donkey Kong:
Mini-Land Mayhem!, also a sequel, are odd but welcome additions to the
lineup. Multiplayer board game-minigame collection Mario Party DS serves as a nice
introduction to its own franchise, but all four pale in comparison to true
standouts, Mario Kart DS and
New Super Mario
Bros.
Offering
exquisite single player experiences accessible across multiple skill levels,
these are fine examples of Nintendo’s mastery of portable game design. And
thanks to the multiple DS and 3DS systems in our household, my family has
rediscovered the joys of both games’ frantic multiplayer modes.
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