One of the top games to get if you own a DS. Period.
THE GAME: For a pretty old game, Super Mario 64 DS pulls off some impressive graphics and you'll be playing it straight to the end. Along with some other classics, if you recently got or have a DS, it's a great game for your new Nintendo friend.
STORY: The game starts out with an invitation to Peach's castle for cake. Mario, Luigi, and Wario all apparently love cake, and race into the castle, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Yoshi is rudely awakened by camera cloud guy Latiki. Yoshi discovers the castle is abandoned by everyone except Toad. The mission - collect all 120 stars and find Mario, Luigi, and Wario along the way. If your having doubts about collecting 120 stars, that's okay. It's really impossible to see yourself getting every star. In reality, you only need a few to face Bowser and rescue Peach. There are plenty of walkthroughs to get every star. And your reward? Plenty of satisfaction.
GAMEPLAY: I'm going to guess there are well over 10 levels in the game. Getting through them is gonna take Yoshi swallowing, some Wario brute strength, Luigi scuttling, Mario wall jumping, and some luck. Your objective isn't always clear, either. Some missions involve boss battles, others collecting eight elusive coins. Finding the stars in each level isn't too hard, but you're going to need to know a little about what your doing, so don't forget your instruction booklet.
CONTROLS: The DS doesn't host a cute analog stick, so Nintendo made do with what's there. Standard control is just that, move with the D-Pad, buttons and R control moves, and center the camera with L. The game gives the option of using the touch screen like an analog stick, so you can tip-toe or shimmy across ledges smoothly. But where the D-Pad lacks in precision, it makes up for in speed. Once you get used to it, you'll just prefer the D-Pad. Bowser's minions are always around, and punching is the way to go. Save the stomping for 2-D. Taking out enemies along the way doesn't require much timing, or skill for that matter. Yoshi can't punch like the Bros, but he can swallow Goombas and take out enemies from afar with eggs.
THE END: If you whop Bowser at the end and breathe sweet relief as you watch the cutscene, save it. The Toad's will still demand you get all the power stars, and there are minigame rabbits (catch a rabbit, get a game). So if you speed through Super Mario, there's still more. Sadly, after the stars are found, and minigames beaten, it's just over.
MULTIPLAYER AND WRAP-UP: You won't need four copies of the same game to play with three DS-owning buddies. However, collecting five stars in four small courses is only a taste of some real multiplayer. Thumbs down here.
There are lots of "ups" in this game, and not many "downs." Again, Super Mario 64 DS is an instant classic you have to have if you own a DS. And if you can collect 120 stars without cheating, you can call the game "short."
THANKS 4 READING!