Nintendo has attempted to address this by including an analog option that will let you control your character by moving your thumb along the analog screen. The setup works fairly well once you get accustomed to the lack of analog control, although it didn't feel quite as responsive as we would've liked. The camera will be recentered by the left trigger and it can be manipulated by using the lower touch screen as well. You'll use the D pad to walk, hold down the Y button to run, while A and B will retain their original jump and punch duties. Once you've put on the jaunty headgear you'll morph into whoever's hat you've found and remain in that form until you're hit.Īlong with the changes to gameplay, the control for Super Mario 64 DS has undergone some changes to compensate for the DS' button layout and lack of analog stick. As you'd expect, the hats are color coded according to who's who, so Mario is a red cap, Luigi's green, and Wario's yellow. As you're playing through the game you'll also discover different colored hats that you can use to temporarily turn into the other three playable characters. During a demo of the game, we saw a new level that was filled with undulating platforms and poisonous gas, and it had a woodsy feel to it, thanks to the use of trees as platforms and slides. The mode will now have 150 stars to find, which helps complement the inclusion of several new levels to the game. For example, Mario will turn into a balloon and be able to float around, while Yoshi will be able to breathe fire.īesides featuring the three other playable characters, adventure mode will include several new elements. A power flower power-up will now yield specific effects for the cast when they collect it. For example, Yoshi will have his float jump and will be able to snag enemies with his tongue and make eggs out of them. The characters have now been given unique moves to ensure they all handle differently. The gameplay in Super Mario 64 DS is similar but not an exact carbon copy of Super Mario 64's. You'll also have the option to erase it and draw a new picture or write your own message on the screen. Once the head is tapped it will be redone as a simple black-and-white line drawing that you can manipulate any which way-dragging parts of it or pulling it across the screen for example-that will cause it to deform in real time. You'll see a random floating head for one of the characters in the game above your choices, which you can tap to call up a doodle option. When you start the game you'll see the three modes laid out across the bottom of the touch screen. In addition to the proper game modes, Super Mario 64 DS features a doodling option that incorporates some of the tech demo technology we saw at E3. The version we played offered 36 touch-screen-focused minigames-nine for each character. Over the course of your platforming adventure you'll eventually find the other members of the gang who will then become playable characters.įinally, the rec room mode is a collection of minigames specific to each character. However, hope is not lost, as Yoshi, who was napping on the castle roof like any good slacker, becomes aware of the situation and heads out to save the day. Unfortunately, when Mario, Luigi, and Wario stop by for some chow, they're trapped in the castle. We find Princess Peach inviting Mario and the gang over to her spacious castle for some cake (apparently when she's not being the poster child for kidnapped royalty, Peach can actually throw down in the kitchen). The story has been tweaked to accommodate the new gameplay flow. In this new incarnation of it, you'll eventually control four characters: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario-although you'll start out as Yoshi. For example, one of the maps we saw will require players to fight for possession of a set number of silver stars.Īdventure is the single-player portion of the game, based on Super Mario 64. Versus will let you play with up to three friends in wireless multiplayer competitions that are similar in format to what we saw at E3, although the game will feature several new game types and maps to play on. You'll find three game modes when you fire up the game: versus, adventure, and rec room. The work-in-progress version on display at Nintendo's Gamer's Summit boasted a number of significant changes to the N64 game, and it appears that Nintendo has worked hard toward establishing Super Mario 64 DS as a unique title. While the game looked like a pretty straightforward conversion of Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, with a few extra bells and whistles, it has now apparently come a long way since we first saw it at E3. SEATTLE-We recently had a chance to get our hands on Super Mario 64 DS, the Nintendo DS incarnation of Nintendo's classic Super Mario 64.