The Observer, March 31, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 22
Nintendo's newest wi-fi games triumph
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Late last year, Nintendo finally fulfilled its promise of wireless, online multiplayer for the Nintendo DS with the releases of Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing Wild World. Both games provided relatively smooth experiences with players from all over the globe, but in order to get the games working properly, Nintendo was forced to make some sacrifices. Whether I was firing green shells on the race track or visiting a friend's town, I couldn't help but think that the limitations put in place seriously detracted from the fun. Luckily, Nintendo's recent batch of wi-fi ready games, Metroid Prime Hunters and Tetris DS, doesn't suffer from the same problems. Instead, both titles, particularly the former, have set high precedents for what gamers can expect from online handheld software.
Metroid Prime Hunters is a triumph. Years ago, when the best first-person shooter the Gameboy could handle was Doom, I never thought that the genre could ever retain its appeal on the smaller screen. Even with superior graphics, I doubted that a game like Unreal Tournament could be pulled off well. However, developer NST has managed to accomplish the unthinkable. Everything fans have come to expect from the Gamecube Prime games is reproduced on the little game card. Large levels, stunning art direction, plenty of exploration, and trademark morphball mazes are all accounted for. The single player mode, though comparatively stripped down when compared to its console cousins, takes many hours to complete and is perfect preparation for the even more satisfying online duels. Controls take some adjusting, but the stylus-based aiming is nearly as precise as a computer mouse. Some of the bosses are unfortunately repeated too often and some potentially cool suit upgrades are nowhere to be found (grappling beam, anyone?), but overall this will satiate fans of either arcade FPS or Metroid.
While the solo adventure is notably robust, the four player competitions will keep players busy long after they have saved the galaxy. So many options are available. Numerous types of matches, dozens of maps, and eight unique bounty hunters are at the players' disposal. If you happen to know your opponent, you can even set up matches so that you can talk through online voice chat using the DS microphone. Even with so much variety, getting everything working is a snap. Though Case's wireless network isn't exactly gaming friendly, the process of jumping into a match against global opponents is almost instantaneous. Compared to some of PSP's top online properties like SOCOM, which require a few minutes of menu-searching to find what you wanted to play, Metroid allows DS owners instant entertainment, a true accomplishment for Nintendo's portable.
I won't spend as much time endorsing Tetris DS because by now, entire generations are familiar with the classic puzzler. What separates this iteration from the dozens of others are the new variations of the traditional duel mode. Push mode forces two players to compete in the same well, each attempting to push the lines towards their opponent's direction. The new items introduced into the Classic mode add a Mario Kart flavor to the action; Banana peels, mushrooms, and shells can all be used strategically to even the odds against your friends. Best of all, both Push and Classic are playable online, offering a simple alternative for puzzle fans looking for challengers throughout the world.
Both Tetris DS and Metroid Prime Hunters are currently receiving plenty of traffic, as both games have formed enthusiastic communities despite Nintendo's effort to downplay communication. If this pair of games is any indication of where the Nintendo DS is headed, or even what we can expect from the wi-fi ready Revolution for that matter, the former industry leader may find itself with a service worthy of tackling Xbox Live and other competitors.
