Nervous Brickdown

Nervous Brickdown - (DS)
Developer: Arkedo Studios
Format: DS
Genre: Retro

Get your kicks from smashing bricks!

Retro games can work surprisingly well on handhelds, in comparison to the reaction they would receive if they were popped in the shiny disc tray of a next-gen machine. Developers can almost revel in the antiquated charm of a retro title on a portable platform where it just wouldn't be tolerated on an Xbox 360 or say, a PS3.

Take Nervous Brickdown as a case in point. This new Nintendo DS excusive title from Eidos (home to groundbreaking games such as Tomb Raider) claims to be the very first - yes very first - bat and ball game on the duel screen handheld.

As keen gamers do we really care? No, not that much - primarily because BioShock landed a few weeks ago, Heavenly Sword has just arrived on the PS3, Halo 3 is around the corner and then after that there's Mass Effect and Wii Fit. Big, jaw- dropping games are currently begging to be played. In the world of gaming, the fact that the very first bat and ball game has finally decided to grace the DS is about as awe inspiring as a cloudy day in Swindon.

But, truth be told, when we think handheld games we tend to put our expectations on hold and embrace the old - contrary to embracing the new when it's next-gen time. So it's with little surprise that we found ourselves enjoying this game - largely because we knew what to expect.

Nervous Brickdown looks largely like every other bat and ball game you've ever played - except it's much bigger and it boasts some tricks unique to the DS. There's over 130 levels to play through, spread across 9 worlds that adequately take up both of the DS screens. There's a cute gimmick that makes great use of the microphone (saying 'boo!' to ghosts in order to clear through a haunted house) but that's hardly going to endear you to a bus full of commuters or keep you entertained for longer than 10 minutes.