Yoshi Touch & Go (Nintendo DS)

YOSHI TOUCH & GO for Nintendo DS offers an exciting way to play handheld video games. Instead of using a multi-directional control pad, kids use a stylus on the system's touch-sensitive screen and they blow into its microphone. There are two basic games: In the first, a stork accidentally drops Baby Mario midflight and kids draw cloud puffs to redirect his descent. In the second, Yoshi, the dinosaur, catches Baby Mario and they careen over the landscape to meet the stork.

In the first, a vertical descent game, kids direct Mario toward point-awarding coins and away from airborne enemies -- they can draw circles around enemies to trap them in balloons. If kids get carried away and draw too many clouds, they can clear the screen by blowing on the system's microphone. In the second game, kids use the stylus to draw cloud paths to protect Yoshi and Baby Mario. Tapping with the stylus can make Yoshi jump and throw eggs at the enemies.

Initially, kid-testers loved the novelty of the two games. They also prized the frenetic fun of playing the wireless two-person mode (which requires two Nintendo DS systems but only one copy of the game). While there are five modes in which to earn points, there are only two basic games. The novelty wears off relatively quickly because neither game has a compelling story nor progressive levels.

The Bottom Line: Yoshi Touch & Go is rich in originality but light on content. If you own two Nintendo DS systems, the two-player game is perfect for carpools or car trips -- at least for a while.