Snood... on vacation?
GAMEPLAY ~
Just like Snood before it, the game is laid out simple enough. There are a variety of different colored faces that are matched up in multiples of three which than disappear eventually progressing till nothing is left. If the Snood you shot bouncy beneath the launcher, your game is over, you have 4 continues. Actually, just restart whilst your Snoods turn to skulls and you won't have to worry about continues.
Also lets not forget the multitude of mini-games available like Snood-Ball, and Snood-Grab! With Snood-Ball you bouncy the Snoods onto an island of lets say 10 Snoods, and Snood-Grab is like that crane game where you launch a claw onto the ceiling of Snoods, capture one, and release it back towards the top.
There is a difficulty setting, from Child (which gives you the targeting system) to Evil (which i'm too scared to try out!), and a world tour game to keep you occupied. If you are a returning player, like myself, the save load option is available during the world-tour section of the game.
STORY ~
Snood... on vacation! ok, it's a puzzle game, no story, but why is it Snood goes to all these places and the only thing that changes are the backgrounds and music? Everything else is exactly the same...
At least add in a cool new board or Snood set-up that reflects the visited countries! Sheesh! No souvenirs!
GRAPHICS ~
Here is where the game falters. Another game for the DS with NO USE OF BOTH SCREENS!?!?! Come now, this is ridiculous! Since they had to squish all the action above (or below depending on how you set it) you need to lose your vision by squinting at the minuscule faces that you release. Thankfully they are each a different color! Given, the backgrounds are nice, but if you have 2 screens, utilize 'em Snood! Just cause you are on vacation doesn’t mean you have the right to half-ass the job!
SOUND ~
Ah, the sound! I actually LOVE the music in this game! The good ol' U.S. of A had the best music, and worth listening to many times. It strings together many of the classic American tunes we all know and love! It's just cool to listen to. But why wasn't more devotion given to the other countries?
This gets quite frustrating when you are not playing the world-tour selection and only want to play the regular game. You get... Peru... yippee... the most hum-drum music on there... Lets all chant now, U! S! A! and hope next time they make a Snood where all the music is create equal!
REPLAYABILITY ~
This game has a high replayability due to simplistic charm and portability. Thought each stage on world tour is the same as the last one. The DS was basically made for puzzle games and compilation games, so Snood is a good game to waste time to. Nothing more. Nothing less.
OVERALL ~
This is a DS game, and with a complete lack of both screen usage and lack of any stylus use, it can't garner anything close to a perfect 10 from me.. Thought I did hear there is a Snood game for the GBA, which I may pick up. Because the concept is there, and it is strong as noted by the original PC game, but those damn lazy Snoods haven't once thought of the DS consumer since taking a long vacation towards obscurity... or was it Peru? Who knows...
Either way, if you have a computer DL the PC original, if you have a DS and you are near-sighted, try the Snood 2 game! It will give you a break from reality, and may even feel like you are on vacation of your own!