Super Mario 64 DS

"One of the finest games ever goes portable"

Story – 10/10

Well it's certainly quite an original storyline really. Princess Toadstool, or Peach, invites Mario over to her castle after she bakes a cake for him. In a little twist to the N64 version, Luigi and Wario gatecrash and join Mario for some cake. Not so long later, Lakitu wakes up a sleeping Yoshi and tells him Mario and the others haven't returned from the castle yet. He thinks something is wrong and off you go on a new adventure starting out as Yoshi. You've got to find out what's happened to everyone in the castle! No doubt, Bowser's up to his old tricks again…

Gameplay – 10/10

As we all know, Super Mario 64 for the N64 was a gaming revolution. It was the first proper 3D platform game, it used an analog control stick, and it was an awesome piece of work. And what better game to launch the Nintendo Dual Screen with? You'll have already noted the slight change of story in that Mario, Luigi and Wario have all been kidnapped and you start out the game playing as Yoshi. But there are other changes too.

There were 120 Power Stars in total in the original game but now there are a whopping 150! And it isn't an easy job getting them all either. So as you know, you start out as Yoshi. After entering the castle you find out that the king of the koopas, Bowser, has stolen all of the castle's power stars and trapped Mario, Luigi, Wario and Peach inside the walls of the castle. With Yoshi, you must jump into the paintings on the walls of the castle to enter huge levels. It is in these levels that you must complete the objective given to you and return the power star. There are a total of 15 levels in all, each with tons of stars hidden away inside them. Plus, there are secret stars hidden throughout the castle which provide a tough challenge to find.

After a while, you will save Mario and you'll then be able to play as him for the duration of the game. Switching between characters is vital as each one has various moves at their disposal that have to be used in specific areas. For example, Yoshi is able to breathe fire and Wario can smash through tough blocks. All of the moves from the original return though, like the famous triple jump and side somersault. Mario is the only guy capable of performing the wall kick though so you have to think carefully which character will be able to get certain power stars. The only way to get all 150 is to switch between Mario, Yoshi, Luigi and Wario all the time.

All those people who beat Super Mario 64 on their N64 though, may be thinking they don't really see the point in buying this game for DS. Well here's enough reason alone to own this game: the Rec Room. This can be accessed via the title screen menu and it's a blast. There are tons and tons of mini-games here which all make good use of the DS's touch screen beautifully. You will spend as much time here as you will playing through the adventure itself getting all 150 power stars. And there are loads of mini-games to unlock after you save the other characters as well by catching the rabbits dotted about Peach's castle. Games such as Bob-Omb Blast, where you have to slingshot falling bob-ombs from the sky, and Tox Box Shuffle, where you have to keep a close eye on the box with Yoshi in after it quickly switches place with other boxes, are just two of the games that will keep you hooked in the Rec Room.

The difficulty is exactly as you'd expect from a 3D platformer. The first couple of levels start you out as a beginner to the game and they gradually get tougher. Some of the final levels will have you screaming at your machine as you fall off the stage once again as you get so close to that star. But that's what these games are all about. You need a good challenge in a game and once you have all 150 power stars, you'll know you're a master.

And as something extra special, Nintendo have included a multiplayer mode. Everyone takes control of Yoshi and you can change into the other characters at any time by putting on the respective cap. For example, if you put on a Mario cap, you will transform into Mario and taking damage will make you lose the cap and change back to Yoshi. You get a selection of four arenas to play at and the goal is to be the first to catch the 5 power stars or have the most by the time is up. It's a great piece of fun and a really nice extra to play with your buddies.

Controls – 9/10

This has been the biggest criticism of the game. With no analog stick on the DS, it was a worry as to how you could play Super Mario 64 as smoothly as the original on the handheld. What Nintendo have done is added in a run button. Holding the d-pad in any given direction will make your character walk, and holding Y will make them run. It takes a little getting to grips with using a run button for SM64 but it will soon be no problem whatsoever after a bit of playing. The main action commands are all assigned to the face buttons. A makes you punch, B makes you jump and X makes you change the camera view. The R shoulder button makes you crouch and L centers the camera or moves it around.

But for those who still can't use the d-pad properly to move, Nintendo have included two other means of controlling your character. The first is using the wrist/thumb strap. You move your thumb around on the touch screen to move Mario in that direction, and jumping and punching is done the same by using A and B.

The other option is using the stylus on the touch screen. You hold the stylus in your preferred hand and move it around the screen to make Mario run in the direction you drag. A little circle appears on the touch screen and by dragging in the middle of this circle, Mario will walk. Pressing on the outer rim of the circle makes him run. Actions such as jumping and punching are assigned to the d-pad or face buttons depending on the hand you hold the stylus with.

So you have different options to use for how you want to control the characters and it's the closest you will get to the analog control of the home console games. Admittedly, all three control methods work well and you will adapt to your favorite after messing around with them. I personally use the d-pad and run button because I can play 3D games fine with a d-pad but I'm sure there will be some people out there who just won't like it as much without the control stick. If you can overcome this small problem (if you consider it a problem) then you'll enjoy the game as you should. And if you do find it a problem, try not to let this ruin a brilliant video game experience.

Graphics – 10/10

Brilliant graphics. Better than the Nintendo 64 version too. It's not a huge improvement but they are certainly better. I'm sure the Nintendo DS can only improve in terms of graphics power but these SM64DS graphics are definitely top notch.

Sound – 10/10

Beautiful surround sound on your little DS. It's fantastic. Super Mario 64 had some classic tunes that you wouldn't be able to stop singing too and thankfully, they all return in this version. Even a couple of remixed ones too.

All the characters have their own voices and it's great to hear them again. And with Yoshi, Luigi and Wario now playable, you'll be hearing a lot more phrases from the group. Princess Peach is about the only person who speaks fully in the whole game which is a bit of a shame really because I wanted to hear Bowser's voice, but still, it was the same for the original so it's nothing major. Everything is crystal clear anyway, just as it should be, and deserves a big 10/10.

Overall – 10/10

One of the greatest video games ever gets the portable treatment and comes to the Nintendo DS. It's still as amazing today as it was when it first came out, and with all the extras of the DS version, you can't help but think this one is better than the Nintendo 64 game. Nintendo have made sure that there is enough reason for players of the N64 version to purchase the DS game too, with the 30 extra power stars, added playable characters and tons of awesome touch screen mini-games.

Of course, if you've played the original game then you will probably find yourself beating this one pretty quickly but that's what the Rec Room's there for. And of course, the multiplayer. Anyone new to the game will spend ages tackling Super Mario 64 DS, especially with the extra power stars added.

It's a perfect purchase for any gamer, young or old, and an incredible amount of fun. And at time of writing, it is the best game available for the DS. If you can only afford one game, this is it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/23/05, Updated 06/19/05