"Pointless Pals: Mediocre? That's complementing it."

Way Forward's first and most likely last game for the DS, Ping Pals, finally makes its debut. I won't go on a Nintendo DS bashing spree here, as it is a very fine system. So is the PSP, but that's not what I'm here to review.

Graphics - 0/10

The avatars in Ping Pals are a pathetic attempt at the Japanese style of cartoons, anime. They have the typical big eyes, small mouths, etc. The female avatars look like a failed type of dolls that tried to appeal to youngsters, while the items you can decorate the avatars with are mediocre at best, ranging from an Eskimo outfit to a Marilyn Monroe type haircuts.

Many people hail Ping Pals as being to personalize your avatar and "be yourself." Well yes, you can do that. But it's like parading a Barbie doll around your shoulder dressed in G.I. fatigues, skiing goggles and maybe a gold chain when you talk to your friends.

Music/Sounds - 1/10

Whee, repetitive music and sounds! And what's more, you have to buy them.

Gameplay - 0/10

Compared to Pictochat, this game is the worst chat system. The keyboard is smaller, making it more tedious to type out actual letter, there aren't different sets of letters such as Hiragana and Katakana in Pictochat, just English letters. The drawing area is smaller than that of Pictochat's, and has fewer abilities. A single pencil width, and no full screen clear makes it a chore to draw/write things.

The single player games are boring. High-low card, Top Ten and the single chatting feature. High-low card is a simple mathematical probability equation, so there goes the fun in it. Top ten is a guessing game, which isn't fun at all. Bland topics and un-original items make it painful at times. Last but certainly least is the single chat mode where you talk one-on-one with a computer. The AI is as smart as a three year old, and you basically just answer some questions and get rewarded with money.

How many multiplayer games are there, then? Well, It's under three and above one. Two. Two lousy multiplayer games. Doodle and hot potato. They are basically self-explanatory, in Doodle you must play a dumbed down version of Pictionary and hot potato you have an imaginary "bomb" that drains your currency more the longer you old it.

<b Replayability - 1/10

Well, seeing as there are a whipping five games to play, this game got old so quick it turned to dust before my eyes. I apologize for the pun.

Overall - 1/10

If I could give it a zero, I most assuredly would. This game is not for everyone. It is not for anyone. It is a sad attempt to make Pictochat a collectible game. Don't buy it, and don't go near it if you want to have children.

Reviewer's Score: 1/10, Originally Posted: 12/20/04