The Nintendo DS is unique in that it has 2 separate screens (one of which is touch sensitive), wireless technology for multiplayer games, and a built-in microphone. As is often the case with any new hardware launch, Nintendo will attempt to showcase all of the system’s capabilities with a launch title. Super Mario 64 DS makes use of everything except the microphone. The main game takes place on the top screen and a 2D map is displayed on the bottom screen. The camera can be moved left or right by touching the arrows on the bottom screen or by pressing the “L” trigger to center it directly behind your character. Since the DS lacks an analog stick, most gamers will be using the digital control pad to navigate Mario and the other characters around the levels. I was very worried before playing the game that the digital pad would ruin the experience. To my surprise, and the surprise of at least 10 people I’ve had play the game since I’ve owned it, the D-Pad works extremely well for the game. Pressing it allows your character to walk, and holding down the “Y” button will allow him to run. Only a few times, more often in the later sections of the game, did I yearn for an analog stick, and even then I made it past difficult obstacles in the level by using the touch screen as a substitute. That’s right, you can touch the screen to move your character. Simply move your finger or stylus across the screen and the character moves in that direction. Move it further from the center to run, and make a circle to run around obstacles or enemies. It’s a bit cumbersome to use the touch screen at first since it doesn’t provide any resistance, but with practice it works quite well. In my game playing experience I’d say I used the D-Pad 95% of the time to control the action. I used the touch screen more to view the area map and to adjust the camera when needed.

Super Mario 64 DS starts out a bit differently than the original game. Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario are invited to Princess Peach’s castle to enjoy some cake. Yoshi falls asleep on top of the castle while waiting for the other three characters to show up. When they do finally arrive they end up disappearing inside the castle walls. It’s up to Yoshi to rescue the other three characters and together they will need to free the imprisoned princess from Bowser’s evil clutches. Each character has his different set of moves and special powers. Yoshi has his extended jump and can eat enemies and throw homing eggs to take out bad guys. If you find a fire flower he will be able to shoot out flames from his mouth. Mario has his standard set of moves, but new to this version is his ability to find mushrooms to become super-sized and walk over enemies and other obstacles with ease. If he comes across a fire flower he inflates into a gigantic balloon and can hover across bottomless pits and reach new areas in the levels. Luigi can jump far and can turn invisible with the proper power-up. Wario can break certain blocks and turn to metal so he can sink to the bottom of water areas. Each character has limitations too. For example, Yoshi can’t pick enemies up, which creates new challenges to solve. The first boss is a giant Bob-Omb. In the original game Mario would pick him up and throw him. In this version when you play as Yoshi you have to eat the small bombs and spit them back out at the big bomb to blow him up. Scattered across the different levels are hats for the other characters. If you nab the hat, your character will transform into that specific character, complete with his move set and power-up abilities. So, if you go to Bowser’s level and try to beat him with Yoshi, you will need to nab Mario’s cap so you can grab Bowser’s tail and throw him.

Also new to Super Mario 64 DS are the 30 plus mini-games. Finding and catching rabbits hiding throughout the castle unlock these. These mini-games make full use of the touch screen and many of them are completely addicting. One of my personal favorites is Bob-Omb Squad. In this game you have a giant slingshot on the bottom screen and bob-ombs will drop from the top screen toward the bottom screen where a flower garden is in danger of being destroyed. You must protect the flowers by hitting the bob-ombs out of the sky with your slingshot. Occasionally Lakitu will fly across the top screen and if you can hit him all of the bob-ombs currently on the screens will blow up. You use the touch screen to pull back the slingshot and to aim. The further you pull back the sling the higher your shot will go. As the game progresses the bob-ombs start falling faster and faster and the game becomes intense real quick.

Besides the mini-games and the adventure mode, Nintendo has thrown in a 4-player wireless multiplayer game to enjoy as well. This mode only requires one DS to have the game to play. It takes roughly 30 seconds to download the game to the other DS systems and then you play one of four levels where the objective is to finish with the most stars at the end of the time limit. Only 1 star at a time is usually on the level and after one person nabs it another one will appear. Stars can be stolen by punching the other characters and it can get nasty real quick. The levels are designed to be fairly small in size so the action is usually fast and furious. I would have liked to see more modes of play instead of capture the star, but it’s a nice diversion. Also, it would have been great to be able to play some of the mini-games in multiplayer mode. It’s nice to have the wireless support, but I can’t see too many people enjoying the battle mode for very long periods of time.

Graphically the game holds up extremely well when compared directly with the N64 version. The frame rate is especially smooth and the character models are actually more detailed. Some texture warping and pixelization is present throughout the levels, but it’s not at all ugly. More than a few of my friends were extremely impressed with the graphic quality of the game, and I must say it’s awesome to finally see 3D graphics on-the-go look as good as this game does. The graphics aren’t as sophisticated as those seen with today’s consoles, but for a portable systems it’s definitely a leap ahead. I was equally impressed with the music in the game. All of the great tracks are intact in the DS version and a few of them sound even better. Thanks in part to the DS’s ability to simulate surround sound, the stereo effects and sound separation are fantastic, with or without headphones. There’s a little bit more voice and sound effects added to the game thanks to the expanded cast of characters and even some of the music has been ported from games like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario Sunshine.

Super Mario 64 DS is the full package. With 30 extra stars to collect, a few new levels thrown in, unique power-ups and characters, addictive mini-games, and even a multiplayer battle mode, the game truly delivers a great experience for Nintendo’s new handheld. I didn’t have any major problems with the controls and the game is as wonderful to play now as it was back in 1996. Out of all the launch games, and I’ve played them all, Super Mario 64 DS is the best one out there. If you’re buying a DS, don’t forget to pick this game up with it.