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DS Ports - Part II

Posted May 12th 2004 by Dan Biersdorf.

We continue our two-day feature on video ports for the Nintendo DS. A few more quirky titles have popped up from the N64 era, some good, some not so good. Nevertheless we feel that these games would be fantastic conversions to Nintendo's unique handheld, and great titles to add to your library (if they come out, of course). So read on fellow gamers, and if you're interested in what yesterday had to offer, you can view our first part of the feature by clicking the link.

Mario Party (Nintendo 64) - Dan Biersdorf

Remember when the Mario Party series was actually original and not an "every-year" rehash? Despite major conflict, the first in the series is still considered the best of the bunch by many. Truth is party games don't usually pan out very well, so with titles like Nickelodean Party Blast and Pac-Man Fever stinking up the genre, Nintendo be applauded for continually dishing out good... ok well, decent party games. But forget about the mishaps we all experienced in Mario Party 2 and 3, Nintendo struck gold with the roots of the series, with intense four-player action and a new style of gaming. Yet who can forget the dreadful joystick rotating that the majority of the mini-games revolved around? Those painstaking games that caused huge blisters on the palm of your hand only brought down the games appeal.

Fortunately with the DS there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With the touch screen capabilities, imagine playing the original (the actual good mini-games) without the hellish joystick to hold you down, with the use of the stylus to form circles as a substitute. How would 4-player wireless sound? Even integrate a variety of new mini-games that are based around the premise of the DS's new features. A virtual keyboard to see who could type in words or phrases the fastest - things like these could bring a whole new world to the Mario Party franchise. With the new Game Boy Advance version making its rounds in the next few months, I think some GBA to DS unlockables could be in line as well, don't you think?

What are the chances?

I really don't doubt that Nintendo will someday down the line re-release the original three Mario Parties, but for the DS? I wouldn't count on it. Odds are if we do in fact see any of the originals again, it will most likely be on a compilation disc of some sort for the GameCube or Revolution. The Mario Party franchise isn't going anywhere any time soon, and a DS version will surely make its way in the coming years, but don't count on a port.

Chameleon Twist (Nintendo 64) - Kenny Lee

I'm probably completely alone on this one, but I enjoyed the quirky N64 platformer. If you've never heard of this one, it involves you controlling a chameleon and his tongue, with his licker playing the starring role. As it stretches out of his mouth, you can manipulate the tongue to grab enemies, pull them in and spit them out. It is also used to solve puzzles, such as licking poles and swinging across to new areas. I actually spent most of my time twirling the tongue behind me, and licking my own butt.

A port of Chameleon Twist (or its sequel) is perhaps not the best thing for the DS. Many folks found the game too simple and too short, so a brand new adventure would probably be in order if the series is looking for a revitalization on the DS. Why it fits so well with this handheld though, is the versatility of the mechanics. Using the N64's analog stick to move the tongue was good but not as fluid as I would have liked, and certainly not as intuitive as the stylus. The clunky controls prevented any real problem solving, because it was too difficult to find a good balance in terms of the movement sensitivity. Of course that's no problem for the DS.

What are the chances?

Zip, zero, zilch. No chance. The Japanese company responsible for this game has all but disappeared, and so has the publisher. Barring those obstacles though, there's still the matter of interest in the franchise, and just plain old good development. I doubt a better control system will suddenly make Chameleon Twist a must-buy title, and the games were never popular to begin with. Those problems leave you with the questions of "who" and "why", and unfortunately the answers to that are "no one" and "no reason".

Mischief Makers (Nintendo 64) - Steven DeSiena

I don't know why, but I really feel that the new generation of handheld games will need a very, very large selection of hack and slash/beat-em-ups to keep me entertained. Since the popular subject when discussing DS ports seems to be Nintendo 64 games, I'd have to include one of my most Treasure'd (ha-ha, a pun!), Mischief Makers. Though most direct ports would be silly, what with the capabilities of the handheld, I personally feel Mischief Makers is a solid enough game where even the smallest of upgrades would merit a great translation to the handheld realm.

It would be pretty cool to rub the stylus across the bottom screen to make Marina do her unbeatable action, the shake, in which she sort-of sings the phrase "shake shake" while shaking whatever is in her hands. An impressive element, indeed! Treasure could introduce new elements that also take use of the DS's many features, and since the game would hopefully still be in beautiful 2 1/2D, it really makes use of a touch screen on a 2D plane (because, by God, it's not really innovation until that touch screen enters the third dimension, however that would work).

What are the chances?

I'm guessing we have about as much a chance of seeing a Mischief Makers remake as we do a Stretch Panic remake (actually, a Stretch Panic game for the DS would be much less likely but far more accessible of the system's capabilities, now that I think about it), and seeing how Treasure is normally none too keen on sequels, especially of games that did not sell well at all, I'm going to have to let this one fade into memory. It's a cult classic, like many Treasure games, and unfortunately Treasure cults don't make up enough of the gaming population to be heard by a publisher. Well maybe Sega. In Japan.

Glover (Nintendo 64) - James Freeman

From Super Mario 64 to the stylistically fun Rayman 2: The Great Escape (both of which have been ported to the Nintendo DS), one platformer that never received the credit it deserved has to be the quirky yet enjoyable Glover.

Glover's gameplay focuses on the player (a glove) manipulating and rolling around a ball that can transform into various types of objects (bowling ball, marble, crystal...) to accomplish different tasks. Sure, rolling around was okay with the Nintendo 64's analog stick, but effortlessly gliding Glover and his rotund instrument through the stages using the Nintendo DS touch screen would provide immense control improvements. That alone would make Glover a worthy port for those who appreciate the classic as well as those new to it. The technique works flawlessly with the Morph Ball in Metroid Prime: Echoes, so it is only natural ports of rolling-central games like Glover find a place in the Nintendo DS library. The game could take a page from the Pac-Man demo shown at E3 where a stationary Pac-Man figure is rolled using the stylus on the bottom screen while the action takes place on the top... the possibilities are endless for Glover on the Nintendo DS.

What are the Chances?

Considering how Hasbro Interactive has a penchant for re-releasing franchises for updated versions, collector's editions, and compilations, one could say the chances are high Hasbro would seriously consider publishing Glover for Nintendo DS if enough interest was generated by the public. The original developer, Interactive Studios (now known as Blitz Games), hasn't touched the franchise since its conception in late 1998/early 1999, but who knows what a little grassroots campaigning, petitioning, and persuading might lead to.