If you believe that Super Mario 64 DS has nothing new to offer aside from a Map , then you have proven one thing to me. You have never actually played the DS game. Although there is indeed a surprisingly useful map in Super Mario 64 DS, there are also many new aspects to this classic 3-D platformer. I will spend the majority of this review talking about the new aspects that were put in Super Mario 64 DS because ,by now, most of us have already played the original on the N64 and we know all about that great title.

The new mini games make use of the capabilities of the DS more than the traditional N64 single player mode of the game. One of my favourite mini games is a trampoline level, where multiple Mario’s fall from the top screen and the player must use the stylus to actually hand draw in trampolines on the bottom screen for Mario to land on and bounce safely to the top again. The trampolines that the player creates disappear after Mario jumps on them. Sometimes Mario will jump through moving hoops or onto open ledges of buildings, giving the player points. Of course where you draw your line with the stylus, at what angle and how big or small you draw the trampoline completely affects Mario’s rebound speed, direction and trajectory back into the top screen. It gets challenging when 4 Mario’s join the fun, bouncing off one another and the sides of the screen. In another game, players use touch control to manipulate the bottom screen with the stylus, using a giant slingshot to fend off wave after wave of bomb guys parachuting down from the top screen. Aiming with the stylus is touch sensitive, thus pulling back further will make the sling shot more powerful. Other fun games include a “where is Waldo” kind of game, pinball and many  card games that test your memory and coordination.

As fun as these mini games are, I can’t help but feel more than a little teased with them. They offer only a small taste of the DS true capabilities, and do not push the systems graphics, dual screens or touch capabilities as far as they could have. Still, they are fun and offer new forms of game play I had never before experienced until I bought the Nintendo DS. I have never been able to draw on a screen and create images on the fly until the DS came out and it was great fun to discover this new type of gameplay. I also never used touch as a method of game control, or played a game using two screens at the same time before, and it was great fun to discover back in the day. I wish  the mini games were more complex, and took better advantage of the DS, but at the same time I have to remember that tis was the first Nintendo DS game, a launch title, and thus it was just a taste of things to come.

Another aspect of Super Mario 64 DS that sets it apart from its N64 daddy is its cordless multiplayer mode. Heck , any multiplayer mode to be exact.  Unlike the N64 version, multiple players can now play together and battle it out on all new levels, made specifically for the DS.  The maps range from a tropical beach level inspired by Super Mario Sunshine, right down to the music from the Gamecube game, to a hectic platform level with many ladders, ledges, obstacles and enemies to challenge even the most veteran of Mario players. The object in theses multiplayer levels is a simple one, collect the most stars before time runs out. Players use the map on the bottom screen to see where the next star is located as well as the location of their rivals.  Who you choose to play as in multiplayer will decide on what advantages you will have against your opponents. For example Yoshi has his tongue to grab things from a distance. If your opponent has stars and you hit them they may loose some of those stars, so Warrio will be stronger if it comes to a fight. Mario has the best jumping and agility. Luigi can hover.   Another really cool thing about the multiplayer mode is the fact that you can actually download the levels off of someone else’s DS without actually having the game in your own system. That’s right, you don’t need to actually own a copy of Mario64 DS in order to play multiplayer. All that’s required is that just one of the 4 players has a copy and your good to go.  Gamers would have to wait a while for online multiplayer on the Nintendo DS, with  Mario Kart DS still in development at the time, but the multiplayer that was available was good for its time, even if those times have now changed.

Now on to the single player adventure mode, after all, this is the main course of the game. First off the graphics are actually slightly superior to the N64 version. Screen shots do not do DS games any justice, so believe me this game not only looksa little better than Super Mario 64 but it also runs more smoothly. The sound and music is top notch. The two stereo speakers on the DS work great and this game takes advantage of that. For example, in one of the new levels in adventure mode you have to pay close attention to the sound of the Boss’s laughter in order to navigate a maze to the correct door and find his location. Using the “surround” setting in this game really lets you pinpoint exactly where things are, it works very well for such a little device. Sounds like birds chirping, enemies moving, water flowing, all change in intensity on both speakers as you move around, a really good job on the sound and music for the little DS.

Unlike the original platform classic, instead of just playing as Mario in the adventure mode, the DS version now allows you to play as one of 4 characters, all with different abilities and weaknesses. You actually start off as Yoshi and unlock everyone else as the game progresses. Yoshi is by far the best new character, even though he can not do many jump moves. Using Yoshi s tongue to collect items and eat enemies is great fun, also shooting at enemies from far away with his eggs offers a slight change in game play from the original N64 version.  Before you can play as any character other than Yoshi, you must first find the hidden, and new, painting with their face on it, play your way through that level and fight a new boss who has captured whoever it is your trying to save. It is also worth mentioning that there are now over 25 more stars hidden in the game from the original N64 version. These new additions in single player mode are great, but Nintendo really should have added more of them in my opinion.

After only a short time of re-playing, I found myself realizing just how fun Super Mario64 DS is, its superior to the Gamecube Mario Sunshine in almost every single way. The level designs are great and the variety in game play is still as fun as it was all those years ago when i first played it. The addition of the map on the bottom is helpful in locating red coins, objectives, hats and the all new silver stars. The map, however, made things easier in a game that I already knew most of the secrets to. I can’t really complain about that too much, after all, the game IS called Super Mario 64 DS, so I knew what I was buying. If you loved the gameplay of the original N64 version, chances are you will love it again with its new content and portability.

The only negative thing in this game comes in its controls. And at first, it is a substantial issue that could have effected the over all enjoyment of this title had there been no alternative means of control. Using the stylus on the bottom screen to move around will get you absolutely nowhere, except totally frustrated that is. So, just stop using it right away when controlling Mario and his pals. Its not worth the frustration. Save the stylus only for the mini-games or you will be completely annoyed. While the stylus may work very well for a game like Metroid DS, it doesn’t work in Mario 64 DS. So, don’t even bother trying it. Believe it or not, the best solution is to go back to the old school D-pad and play it that way. It takes some time to get used to it, but now I can do all of Mario’s fancy moves using the D-pad. Even the biggest Nintendo loving fan boy would have to admit, it is a disappointment to go from Super Mario 64, which controlled perfectly on the N64, to the not so perfect controls of the DS, even with the switch to the D-pad.

PatmMan Plays, and scores , Super Mario 64 DS-     9.0/10