The Video Game Critic's
Nintendo DS Reviews F-L

With so many derivative games out there, it's refreshing to play something as quirky and inventive as Feel The Magic. This game does a beautiful job of demonstrating the system's capabilities, taking full advantage of dual screens and using the touch screen interface in a number of imaginative ways. The odd premise has you playing a guy attempting to win over the heart of an attractive female (hence the bikini-clad chick on the cover). Feel The Magic's graphics have a very stylish appearance that uses cell shading and renders people in black silhouettes. Combined with some playful electronic music, the distinctive visuals set the stage nicely for the many bizarre predicaments you'll participate in. You'll brush scorpions off a woman's back, pop open the parachutes of skydivers, brush away landmines for kids riding down a street in shopping carts, and rub a guy's stomach to make him regurgitate goldfish. One stage even makes use of the system's microphone to let you literally blow out candles. You never know what Feel the Magic will throw at you next, but it's never boring. Unfortunately, some of these mini-games are more weird than fun. I love "bowling" at people on the bus stop or turning away charging bulls, but nudging people out of sandpit or scrubbing dirt off a person is just tedious. In the end, Feel The Magic may be more of a novelty than anything else, but its unconventional gameplay and interesting controls are tailor-made for the DS. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

A spin-off of Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go! is an animated Nickelodeon show aimed at preschoolers. This game takes our young Spanish hero on an Africa Safari. Like its "sister" game (Dora Saves the Mermaids), Go Diego Go offers a series of mini-games that make fine use of the DS voice and touch capabilities. While reviewing the game late one night and not trying to disturb the wife, I was surprised when it prompted me to say "Jamba!" into the microphone. I spoke it gently, only to have the game respond with "Louder!" All I could do at that point was laugh. Go Diego Go is whimsical fun that lets you bang on drums, blow balloons in the air, snap pictures of animals, and drag sticks out of an elephant's path. There are some easy side-scrolling stages where you move around rocks and jump over logs by tapping the screen. The scenery looks fairly plain, but the exotic drum music is appealing. One thing I really like about this game is how there's no text to read - all the instructions are conveyed by a clear voice. My nephew Jordan (age 5) found the game to be fairly easy, although I noticed he got stuck on the same spot I did! Sometimes you're asked to drag branches to the pile, but it doesn't always register, instead responding with "Try again!" Otherwise it's pretty smooth sailing, and kids will learn some Spanish words and animal facts over the course of the game (Did you know that elephants can swim?). The game isn't very long (under an hour), but with its auto-save, it's ideal for small gamers with short attention spans. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

I've always been a fan of the Guilty Gear 2D fighting franchise, but this oddball DS edition simply doesn't work. Guilty Gear Dust Strikers (GGDS) tries to leverage the dual-screen of the DS by incorporating platforms to extend the playfield vertically. It's possible to face up to three opponents at a time, which can be controlled by the CPU or friends connected via wi-fi. The problem is, much of Guilty Gears' allure lies in its artistic backgrounds and imaginative fighting animations. On the small screen the backgrounds look dull and flat, and the moves are hard to discern. The controls had to be tweaked to allow for easy movement between the platforms, but this comes is at the expense of attack options. Cheap power-ups (like food that fully restores health) appear constantly, making luck the single biggest factor for victory. I couldn't believe how easily I plowed through the single player mode, despite not really knowing what I was doing half the time. In several matches I seemed to get my ass handed to me, only to be declared the victor. High scores aren't retained, which hurts the replay value. In what could be construed as an apology for the main game, Dust Strikers also includes a collection of light-hearted mini-games starring Guilty Gear characters. There's a wack-a-mole game starring Faust, a food-catching game, and a bizarre one where you clean a yo-yo! These stylus-controlled games are cute, but they drag on for so long that your amusement gradually turns to hate. I was curious to see how Guilty Gear would translate to the DS, and now that I know, I can only hope and pray it never happens again! © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Looking for a good Christmas game for your DS? Good luck with that! On television, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a timeless classic that will delight kids and adults for generations to come. On the DS, you'll be bored in ten minutes. Assuming the role of the Grinch, you sneak around expansive houses while avoiding clueless people wandering in predictable patterns. The top screen keeps a tab on your progress as you snatch up gifts, Christmas trees, wreathes, and other decorations. Once you gather the minimum number of items, you can climb up the chimney and move onto the next house. Unlike most stealth games where you need to remain out of eyesight, the Grinch can walk right in front of people without anybody noticing. Only by touching someone will you find yourself in trouble. Some of these encounters trigger mini-games you can play to "escape" detection. These easy, stylus-driven games usually involve tapping on wandering people (to send them back to their rooms) or avoiding a crowd of sleepwalkers. The Grinch would be okay if it had some variety, but every house looks exactly the same except for a new layout. By the fourth one, you'll practically be begging for some generic platform jumping! The colorful graphics aren't bad, and I like how the Grinch slinks around in a sneaky manner. The jazzy background music is catchy, but doesn't have much of a holiday ring to it. Treats are promised to those who conquer the advanced levels, but getting there will be a chore. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

If you enjoyed Yoshi's Touch And Go but found it too short or simplistic, Kirby's Canvas Curse is for you. Kirby is a pink ghost who has appeared in many Nintendo games over the years, and for this outing he assumes the form of a pink circle with a face. Controlled entirely with the stylus, you guide Kirby through a series of maze-like stages, collecting items while attempting to locate the magic exit door. Kirby is in constant motion, but you can direct him around dangers by drawing rainbow-colored "bridges". You can also subdue his enemies by tapping on them. Tapping on Kirby himself causes him to dash, and drawing a wall in front of him makes him reverse direction. Of course it wouldn't be a real Kirby game if he couldn't assume the powers of other creatures he encounters. Canvas Curse's modest 2D graphics and whimsical music might not win you over, but its imaginative stages just might. The game seems awfully simple at first, but each subsequent stages introduces a new wrinkle to keep the action fresh and challenging. The boss stages are totally unique, and the "jump for distance" bonus stages are a blast. So what's not to like? Well, unlike Yoshi's Touch and Go, Kirby's Canvas has a real puzzle vibe that taxes the cranium a bit more than I would prefer. More advanced stages take place underwater or in total blackness, and these border on tedious. Still, for DS fans looking for something substantial, Canvas Curse delivers the quality gameplay we've come to expect from Nintendo. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Zelda's maiden voyage on the Nintendo DS makes fine use of the system's capabilities while staying true to the spirit of the franchise. Phantom Hourglass combines the overhead gameplay of Link to the Past (SNES, 1992) with the cel-shaded visual style of Wind Waker (GameCube, 2003). Much of the action takes place in the open ocean, as our hero Link motors from one island to the next in his quest to locate a mysterious ghostship where Zelda is held prisoner. While on land you lead Link around with the stylus, and it works surprisingly well. Tapping on items makes Link pick them up, and tapping on enemies makes Link lash out at them with his sword. Although generally intuitive, there are occasional frustrations, like when you accidentally attack a bomb instead of picking it up (ouch). Phantom Hourglass also gives you the ability to scribble notes directly on your map screen, which comes in handy when you need to triangulate a treasure location. The stylus makes the boomerang a joy to use. Since you draw its flight path, it's easy to nail several targets on one round-trip! Unfortunately, the game sometimes prompted me to yell or blow into the microphone, prompting my wife to yell "What?!" from the next room. "I'm playing a game!" "You're what?!" "NOTHING!!" Anyway, to travel to a new island you first plot your course on the map screen, and then sit back and enjoy the ride. This is a treat, because you can slide the stylus to look around your boat, and tap on the screen to fire cannons at pirates and sea monsters. It's amazing how your destination gradually looms into view as you approach. The islands are small enough that you can easily explore every inch, but the caves all start looking the same after a while, and the enemies repeat a lot. Some dungeons incorporate some Metal Gear-style stealth action (complete with vision cones) - for better or worse. Phantom's dialogue manages to be genuinely funny, and despite the small screen, characters like Captain Linebeck convey some hilarious expressions and mannerisms. One side effect of using the stylus is your hand tends to cramp up after a while, so I could only enjoy Phantom Hourglass in small doses (you can save at any time). Even so, this is an engaging little adventure that fits the DS like a glove. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.