Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is something for everyone in this compilation of 23 short games to play on the Nintendo DS. Kids as young as 6 and as old as 99 will find something to like. Some of the directions are unclear, but most players can puzzle them out by playing a few rounds. Most of the games are timed, so parents should judge whether this pressure is too much for their kids.
Families can talk about which game they liked best. Why do you like it? Which games were the most challenging? Do you like playing these games by yourself or with a friend? How are they easier or harder playing with someone else?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
If traveling with kids is in your plans for the summer, you might want to pack TOUCHMASTER and a Nintendo DS in your suitcase. A compilation of 23 mini-games, TouchMaster features something for everyone, with the games divided into the categories of card, puzzle, and skill.
Kids as young as 6 will enjoy checkers set in a pond with frogs leaping from one lily pad to another. They can play against an artificial opponent or a family member by taking turns on the DS. Young kids will also enjoy the word-search game and a basketball game. Another kid-friendly option is the trivia game set on a kid's mode. TouchMaster also offers two matching games: one using Mah Jongg tiles, and the other, numbered pool balls.
For older kids, teens, and adults, TouchMaster has a healthy selection of challenging games. There are nine different card games including traditional solitaire, a version of Black Jack, and others you may not have seen before. While the rules aren't always clear at first, players can usually figure out the games by playing a few rounds.
Under the skill category, you'll find two versions of Yahtzee, and a cool, turn-based game about dominating a board, which has similar game-flipping elements found in the board game Othello.
Where this compilation really shines is with its puzzle games. "Mahki" is a colored-tile game where the objective is to remove as many identical touching tiles as possible in a limited amount of time. (Having played it while waiting 30 minutes for lost luggage, I can attest to its ability to distract.) "Crystal Balls" is also quite good, with the objective of aligning the numbers (1 through 4) or colors of 60 balls in a linear direction. Another intellectually interesting game is "Gem Slide," a variation of the match-three-colored-gems casual game genre. And for fans of Wheel of Fortune, there's the game called "Wordz."
While this compilation of games has a lot to offer families, it isn't perfect. Many of the directions for the games aren't clear. Some of the card games are hard to play because the graphics are so tiny. Likewise, it's tough to tell 3-D depth when using the Mah Jongg tiles, making it difficult to discern which tiles are on top and available to match. And the games don't allow you to turn off the timer -- not every kid enjoys playing under pressure.
TouchMaster has several games where two players can play by passing around one DS. Midway Games also hosts tournament play online with a Nintendo DS wireless Internet connection. But, to play two-person games using two DS systems, the second player must also own TouchMaster. It would have been better to offer this option as a free download using only one game cartridge.
For other good games on the DS, check out: Big Brain Academy, Elite Beat Agents, and New Super Mario Bros.
Reviewed: 07/22/2007
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