Kirby Squeak Squad For Nintendo DS $29.99 Rated E
Tasty treats, beware. Nintendo's lovable pink puff ball Kirby is back and hungrier than ever. Well, maybe not ever, but that sounds pretty nice, doesn't it?
The premise of "Squeak Squad" is perhaps the best ever to be written for a Kirby game. Basically, Kirby's about to eat some strawberry cake when someone comes by and whisks it away. Kirby gets heated and embarks on a quest to track it down. That's really pretty much it.
"Squeak Squad" continues in the tradition of Game Boy classic "Kirby's Dreamland" with great side-scrolling, platform action. Kirby has always been one of the most fun Nintendo mascots to control, essentially because he inhales bad guys and copies their powers. "Squeak Squad" lets Kirby take on all kinds of cool moves, including fire, ninja, laser, and animal. It's up to the player to decide which will best work in solving a puzzle or destroying a boss.
The game unfortunately doesn't make very great use of the DS touch pad. Players can collect up to five items from stages on the bottom screen, and then use them by tapping them on the screen. It's also possible to drag one item onto another to combine them. This is kind of cool, but since one needs both thumbs on the actual buttons, it's a bit of a hassle to tap the screen. Plus, it's impossible to hold the stylus while playing the game, so this has to be done with a bare finger - which smudges the screen.
"Squeak Squad" has a lot of game to it. The main story mode has a fair amount of levels, and all have hidden treasure boxes to go back and collect. These treasures range from picture pieces to life enhancements and customization options. There's also three mini-games included that can be played against friends, but these aren't very much fun and feel slapped onto the genre.
"Squeak Squad" has a few flaws, but Kirby fans shouldn't be discouraged-all the classic monster-eating fun is intact.
- ADAM BENDER
Elite Beat Agents For Nintendo DS $24.99 Rated E10+
"Elite Beat Agents" for the Nintendo DS accomplishes something very few games do in this day and age: It's actually horribly addicting and fun. While most titles in the current gaming generation attempt to reinvent the wheel with bigger and badder graphics using the same, tired gameplay models, "Agents" attempts a radically different method of gameplay.
The gameplay in "Agents" is deceptively simple yet complex to master. It centers around tapping, sliding and circling the DS stylus in various combinations. The player works to the rhythm of the music on screen. Think of it as "Dance Dance Revolution" for your hands.
Each stage features a different song wonderfully done by a cover band. Songs range from "Walkie Talkie Man" to David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and the Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Suffice to say, the selection is full of modern hits and classic songs that offer enough of a variety to attract any music lover.
The story in "Agents" is by far one of the most absurd aspects of the title. Each stage centers around a different character faced with an insurmountable task. The Elite Beat Agents are sent to each character to help them accomplish their task through the power of music. Strange? Yes. Corny? Absolutely. Will anyone care? Not one bit.
"Agents" also features a multiplayer mode that can be played with just one cartridge. That's great for introducing new folks to the game.
"Agents" is a game for music lovers. Anyone that doesn't enjoy music-or just doesn't like rhythm-centered games-probably won't enjoy it, but casual gamers should find something to like.
- ERIC FORD
