Winging It

Okay, you may not be into handheld gaming; heck, you may despise all Gameboys, NeoGeo Pockets, Gamegears, etc. But the truth of it is, if you haven't given the Nintendo DS a try, you are seriously missing out. I know some of you are die-hard PC gamers, and the mere thought of purchasing a console, let alone a handheld system, makes your spine shake like a suspension bridge in a 7.5 quake, but you are mistaken, my friends!

Since jumping on the DS bandwagon (right at launch, of course), I have had nothing but pleasant, enjoyable and often addictive gaming experiences with it. I am pleased to say that the latest outing, Starfox Command, is no exception!

I picked up the latest installment in the canine-goes-dogfighting (get it?) series last week, and I have had little time or mind for anything since! The controls take a moment of getting used to, as you can only use the stylus for your flight control, but after a brief adjustment period, I found myself very much hooked. The game is all air combat, which remedies the flaws of the last two Starfox titles on Gamecube, and there is a new turn-based strategy element that breathes new life into the game. This, combined with great visuals, excellent control, a plethora of pinatas (characters) to unlock and play as and both local and online wifi multiplayer make this a MUST HAVE! If you have a DS, go get it (and I'll look forward to shooting you down on WiFi Connection), and if you don't, you should be shot.

Well, at least bludgeoned.