I purposely search for niche games that it seems like no one is going to touch. I'm not sure why. Having been intrigued by the adorable cover of the DS title Mister Slime, I decided to take the plunge and give it a try.
Mister Slime is one of those value-priced games that you don't pay much attention to. However, I feel that is a sort of cop-out, to ignore a game just because it may be cheap. True, it hasn't got much press, and it's a completely unknown character, but I like to take chances. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised. Mister Slime is a quirky little platformer that utilizes the DS stylus to the fullest, making use of every feature available.
More than a platformer, this game is a coming-of-age tale. The young Mr. Slime is setting out on a harrowing journey to protect his beloved Slime Village from the evil Axons. It's a fairly simple tale, a surprisingly emotional one for the type of game that it is. For years the Slimes and the Axons have been fighting over land, and every 40 years a war is waged for the very same reason--to define each group's territory. Seems like a terribly troublesome reason to start a war, but I'll buy it. At the beginning of this game the protagonist, Mr. Slime, has grown curious of how the wars even began in the first place. While the rest of his tribe is preparing to go war with the Axons, Slime is preparing for his journey to discover the truth. For a cutesy platformer, this game has a very odd foreboding sense to it, almost in a creepy way. I admit that the story was enough to keep me going, due to how engaging it was. It's leagues beyond most DS titles on the market (like Kirby and his stolen slice of cake), and is definitely going to keep your interest beyond the first few stages, even to just find out what started the whole mess.
Art-wise, this game has a lot in common with predecessors Loco Roco and Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber. It's cute beyond all reason, camouflaging the fact that underneath its adorable exterior lies a surprisingly deep story that will involve you more than you'd expect. There are fantastic, lush environments that seem to come to life, making it look and feel like you really are swinging from post to post in an enormous jungle area. Slime himself is an adorable little bugger who wouldn't be out of place on a children’s television show. The DS's capabilities are not being pushed to their limits, of course, but as far as platformer graphics go, this is a very fun and detailed look, comparable to Spyro: The Eternal Night.
As far as the music goes, well, it isn't very noticeable. Not many of the tracks stood out for me, and while that isn't necessarily the worst thing, I do love my music. I would have liked for there to have been a memorable motif at least, here and there, for me to keep humming long after my playing session was over.
Mr. Slime is controlled with the stylus. The only way he can move is by extending one of his little slime arms to a post somewhere on the screen. This is achieved by sliding your stylus from his arm to the next post. It actually looks a little odd, this little green blob with four arms extending out of his person. When he isn't hanging onto anything, he looks just like a Loco Roco, right down to the little smile on his face. Every level finds you dragging arms to get to the end, with the occasional call for the microphone to send Mr. Slime sailing along on a nice breeze. Of course, there are enemies to avoid, like any good platformer. The game is actually pretty difficult for its saccharine exterior. Some of the level designs, however, are a bit lacking, which is one reason I had to shave a few points off the final score. What it all boils down to is that you are dragging Mr. Slime's arms over and over, which can get tedious and repetitive. However, I am easily amused, so affect me it did not. I can imagine a lot of gamers, especially younger ones, getting bored or frustrated with doing some of the same actions over and over.
There won't be much of a reason to go back and play this once you're done, save for the few mini-games that become available. Unless you're aching to witness the story again, once you've finished it that's really all you'll get out of it. Of course, it's a $20 value title, and how often do we play those over and over anyway?
Bottom Line:
While Mister Slime's heart is in the right place, some parts are definitely lacking. Dragging the little slime's limbs from point to point will either delight you to no end or push you to stop playing. However, it's a refreshing change to see the DS' capabilities actually being put to work instead of completely ignored or misused. I can only hope more polished games will follow in this one's footsteps.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
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| 6.5 |
Posted: 2008-09-08 17:43:15 PST