Paper Plane

As with Pyoro, Nintendo has taken the quickest route to ensure that right from the first day there are some fun little games for DSi owners to tinker with in order to prevent boredom setting in after the photo and music features of the hardware have been exhausted. Therefore, what is on offer in Paper Plane is nothing more than the core mini-game, which lasts anywhere from a few seconds up to a couple of minutes at a time, depending on skill levels. There are no fancy intros, nor is there any story involved at all, and the game is most certainly a case of 'no frills' in the visuals and sound department (as is the case in WarioWare games anyway, from which this stems). What makes Paper Plan an enticing purchase, though, is that oh-so-crucial addictive gameplay factor. The title may involve nothing more than making players tap a few times left or right on the directional pad in order to change the direction of the continuously falling paper plane, but the execution is flawless and the courses served up that players must navigate through will draw people back time and time again due to their dastardly design preventing easy completion.

 

There are three modes, all available right from the start - 'Endless', 'Time Trial' and 'Race'. The first is what people will have come across in WarioWare previously, where a simple paper plane must be guided downwards through a tall structure that has a plentiful supply of ledges protruding out of walls. The slightest of glances on any part of the structure results in a fail, so the aim is to navigate your way as far down as possible, tapping repeatedly left and right to change the angle, thus consequently changing the speed (with pointing straight down removing any drag from the air, drastically boosting the speed, whilst being completely horizontal makes the plane travel as slowly as possible). There are eight 'Time Trial' courses, each designed in varying styles to add variety to the proceedings (complete darkness, thick walls, and so on). These bring the same idea to the table, yet additionally offer more of a short-burst challenge affair, with a set goal that needs to be reached in the quickest achievable time.

Finally, there is the pleasing addition of a two-player option that uses only one DSi system and has players racing to see who can reach the finish line fastest. The first player uses the top screen and d-pad, while the other uses the lower screen and A-B-X-Y keys. It may be a little uncomfortable to have two people poring over the DSi as tempers fray and tension levels begin rising, but the mode's inclusion is certainly one that is warmly welcomed and further justifies why this is one heck of a bargain and one of the must-buy DSiWare launch titles.