Dr. Dan and Dr. Don shoot their way on to the DS with a bunch of mini-games and a unique "brain massage" mode. But, does
Point, Shoot, Repeat
If you played Point Blank in the arcade, you already have a good pretty idea what the DS version is all about. You play through a multitude of short mini-games that test your accuracy and speed using a light gun. But, in the DS version, the light gun is gone and in its place is your DS stylus. Tapping the stylus on the touch-screen is now the equivalent of a light-gun shot, which on its own is a pretty intuitive idea and one that is implemented in the game fairly well.
There are quite a few different mini-games to play through that span four different difficulty settings. The higher the difficulty, the more elaborate the mini-games become. For example, one mini-game has you shooting criminals, while avoiding civilians. But, on the harder settings, you can only shoot criminals that are carrying weapons, forcing you to not only shoot fast, but to think even faster. In all the mini-games, however, are never too complicated as to make them hard to play through, which helps give the game a bit more appeal towards younger gamers.
The main mode in the game is Arcade, which has you playing through two four-level bouts of shooting action. Between those rounds are a couple bonus mini-games where you can score some extra lives. There are four different difficulty levels in Arcade to give you a bit more replay value, although the lower two end up being a bit too easy. If you grow tired of Arcade (which I wager you will fairly quickly), there are a few other game modes to keep you busy. Freeplay lets you play through any mini-game of your choice, which is nice for honing your skills or practicing a game that has been giving you trouble. Games Museum is a nostalgic trip down memory lane and features four re-creations of old arcade shooting games. There are only four games, however, so Games Museum ends up being little more than a very short trip down memory lane.
Brain Massage?
The last mode, Brain Massage, is probably the most unique in that it combines shooting with some light brain analysis. In Brain Massage you play through mini-games and once you're done the game analyzes your actions and charts the results in areas such as Accuracy, Judgment, Attention, and Reaction. There's even a snooty scientist character that gives you the results, which is a nice touch. For multiplayer fans, there is also a single-card download option where you and another player can compete head-to-head in some mini-games, which is pretty addictive.
When it comes to visuals and sound, Point Blank DS isn't anything to get excited about. True, the game features its trademark characters Mr. Dan and Mr. Don, as well as some colorful sprite-based graphics. But the real fun lies in the mini-games. It's just a tad unfortunate, though, that the game really doesn't have much depth besides that. Granted, it's fun to play with another person and it's cool to play through the unique Brain Massage mode. But, if you're looking for a DS game that's going to provide hours of entertainment, you'll have better luck elsewhere.