Well it was my birthday, so I really wanted to get something that I could play on my beloved DS. When I was younger my first ever computer based present was an Nintendo 64. The graphics weren't bad and the sound was ok but it was nothing like we have now. My poor Nintendo 64 broke around 5 years ago and I sold all my beloved games including Super Mario 64 which was one of my favourite games (apart from Goldeneye.) While browsing through the new Argos catalogue, I found the game now avalible in the DS format. It would be great to have it again.

What Is It?

Super Mario 64 (NDS Format) is a take off, of the original N64 game. The game has 4 playable characters of Mario, Lugie, Wario and Yoshi. This has bits added and taken away so if you have played the original N64 game then don't expect it to be exactly the same. Also added are a big selection of mini-games which was not included in the older game.

Where To Buy/Price

The game was released in 2004/5 which really surprised me as I had just not seen it before, I think I had just thought there was one overall Mario DS game maybe. The game is very common, and will be found anywhere that sells DS games. I got mine out of Argos for £29.99 which is around the average price for a DS game. There are many other places you can get them, WoolWorths, Tesco's, Game and HMV to list a few. If you are more inclined to buy online I would recommend Amazon, HMV Online, Game and Play.com.
The prices may vary slightly but you should not have to pay more than £30 (exc Postage & Packaging) as you will be ripped off. If you are going to buy off Ebay then just be careful not to get fake ones. Note: If buying from abroad it's not like DVD's which have different regions. All DS games will work on any DS Console, no matter where it is made. Just be careful to buy in English as you will not be able to change the language!

Starting Up Game

When you first start the game you are asked to pick a catergory.

• VS- You are able to connect with other DS's and play the same game at the same time. I haven't tried this with this game yet, but have with other games and have found the feature very fun to use. If the other player has the game then you are able to both fully play the game together.
• Adventure- This is the main part of the game, were you can earn stars and play the biggest part of the game. You can play all four characters and defeat bosses of increasing difficulty. This is the one most often used.
• Rec- This is where you can play all the mini-games you want and have won. Throughout the game, you have to catch rabbits which give you keys to unlock lots of different games. These vary from memory games, to unusal more difficult games. As you progress through the game you will earn more.
• Mario Drawing- If you click on Mario or Yoshi then they will turn into a pencil drawing. You can edit it and play with it. But then you can draw your own pictures, which did amuse me for a while. Just a little extra nintendo have added to make this game, a little bit more special.

Main Game Objectives/Storyline

When you start out on the main game you find out the the lovely Princess Peach has invited you over for tea, and she has baked you a cake (awww!) But when you get to the castle you find out Bowser (the evil boss in the game) has kidnapped Princess Peach and the castle. The only way you can save her is if you collect stars, that give you power to fight against the evil Bowser. Pretty simple objective really, however it will take you a while to get them.
To gain stars, you must earn them through many ways. First is you go through doors and paintings into completely different worlds. They range from Snow to volcanoes to quarries. As you progress in the amount of stars you get, the levels will start to get increasingly difficult. To get stars in each level you may have to gain coins, get to the the end of a course, defeat a boss or even just find it. There are stars hidden everywhere and in odd places. So you need to find and earn as many as possible.

Characters

You can play Mario, Luigi, Wario and Yoshi, who you can use their different skills to retrieve different stars. You start off as Yoshi who can swallow things, so used to catch rabbits for the mini-games. Also very fast and powerful.
Mario has a red cap and is the next character you get, but you have to unlock him by getting a certain amount of stars. He can jump really high and can punch things fairly powerfully. He is personally my favourite character in the game.
Wario is fairly small, yellow capped and red nosed character. He is quite slow but can very powerfully punch things such as big rocks which could contain hidden stars. He can also throw really far. But as I said he is quite slow and can't jump very high.
Luigi is able to run on water for a while and is really good a jumping. I think he is maybe the least useful in the game but is still fun to play.

Graphics

One reason I love this game so much is the graphics. The makers have designed excellent 3D characters and scenery which looks amazing. Every color in the rainbow has honestly been used brilliantly, making it bright and really making it better overall. I can't see why all DS games have graphics like these! Each character even has shadows making it that bit more realistic. From what I can see there are not even any glitches. Excellent overall, gets 5+ Stars for graphics.

Sound

I really like the sounds and music effects on the DS. When you start up you have nice (familiar N64) music which is the mario theme tune. In each level the music is exactly the same from the N64. It is all very polyphonic, and after playing the game a couple of times becomes familiar. The sound effects are very good and fit in well with the game. Eveytime you jump you can here a little yelp which is quite funny but you get used to it. It is very crisp and clear and impressive for a DS. A lot of games I own, when you have to sound up full, sounds horrible but this game really takes advantage of the speakers, and it genuinely sounds great.

Fun Factor

I got this game a week ago, and found it so much fun when I started. A week and a bit on, I am still playing it until 11pm at night. I have currently 29 stars and working on my 30th. There are 150 to get so i'm just about the 5th there. I love the fact I am still discovering more course and keys, and will possibly take a while to complete. It really is a game that can keep you attention for a very long time and is really good fun. However it can get a bit frustrating when you can't get a particular star and can take you ages to get it. If you want a game that is fun then this is for you. No matter what age you are.

Overall Conclusion

It is quite amazing that a DS game can go on for that long. You can tell a lot of time has been put into the making of the game unlike some horrible other games I have had to play. This is a great fun game which has the best graphics and effects I have ever seen in a DS. It is a good price and will keep you amused for a very long time. The controls are easy to learn and use. The game also takes full advantage of both screen brilliantly which is a rarety in a lot of games.
If you have a DS then this is really a game for your collection. You won't regret buying it at all. Janie x

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