PixlBit

While the DS has allowed for countless genres to appear in handheld form, there's still one genre of games that doesn't really fit the overarching style of portable games: party games. These types of titles are meant to be enjoyed with many people in a casual environment, and with the exception of long road trips, it’s not often that a grouping of players have no better option than a DS to play such a game. As you might imagine, with Squeeballs Party for the DS, the one element that saved its Wii brother is basically pointless in a portable environment. Outside of its party elements, the game is incredibly dull providing for a subpar experience.

Squeeballs Party for the DS is a mini-game collection that comes equipped with only three modes: Challenge Ladder, 10 Pin Bowling, and Party Game. The Challenge Ladder is a primarily single player affair and is split up into several overarching categories, each containing numerous subgames within. Owners of the Wii version will notice that both games are identical in this mode, with the exception of how you control the game.

The second mode, 10 pin bowling, is exactly what it sounds like: bowling. It’s not interesting in any way, and though it works, it’s just lousy overall.

The Party Game mode had potential to be the one good element of this game, if it had been done right, that is. The mode supports up-to-four players, allowing them to choose from a pre-arranged selection of games. Every game will allow players to take turns, after which they must hand off the DS to another player. I find it hard to believe that this system could provide any form of entertainment, especially for children who barely have an attention span. A much better way of doing multiplayer for Squeeballs Party DS would have been to allow simultaneous competitive play on multiple DS' with only one cartridge.

Like Squeeballs Party for the Wii, this game is monotonous - even more so than its Wii brother. The Wii’s saving grace was its multiplayer mode, but with the portable platform the proper environment for a multiplayer game is just not there.

Unfortunately, there is little that Squeeballs Party for the DS has to offer. The single-player Challenge Ladder has about one hour of entertainment to offer after which players will undoubtedly be so sick of replaying the same games in a different manner that they will have permanently had their fill of the game. Without a proper multiplayer mode, Squeeballs Party for the DS is simply a watered-down version of its Wii brethren that has little, if anything, to offer.