Metroid Pinball - Nintendo DS Review

With all the Xbox 360 excitement in the past couple of weeks I haven't stopped to check out some other titles... until now (since my Xbox 360 is in for repair).

This is an awesome little title for the Nintendo DS that shows very clearly why Nintendo is kicking Sony's ass in the handheld market. High quality for the platform - Fun gameplay - Innovation -Reasonable price. That's the recipe for gaming success.

First of all, what a great collection of characters, environments and sounds from the Gamecube Metroid games. This pinball game really brings you the feel and atmosphere of Metroid Prime. Top notch. The pinball physics are right on target with clever table design and fun (mostly) mini-game tables. They also include a nice rumble pack that goes in the GBA cartridge port. This is the most fun I've had since Alien and Devil's Crush on TG16. The big N nailed it!

There are a few weird things like using the touch-pad to nudge, but the game makes up for that with multiple flipper options. You can pick this up and play instantly. They omitted using a plunger which at first I thought sucked - but ultimately is just fine. There are not as many tables as I'd like, but there are no stinkers either. I look forward to a sequel.

Another fine Nintendo DS title for $30 bucks that I can play for much longer than 1 1/2 hours even with a rumble pack!

4 impossible to navigate tunnels out of 5!