Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: The Genie And The Amp (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

I first encountered the J-Pop band Puffy Amiyumi sometime last year when a GBA title landed on my desk. Now while I'm certain I wasn't the only male who was completely oblivious to their existence, the game itself was surprisingly good and it was only a matter of time before a DS version was released. The origins of the cartoon series stem from their successful Teen Titans theme, which impressed Cartoon Network so much they gave them their own show, or so the story goes. Back to the game though and while developers should have fully got to grips with the DS now, you're probably aware that it's the GBA versions that are still coming out on top. Let's see if this is the game to reverse the current trend.

Gameplay

The Gene and the Amp is loosely based on one of the cartoon episodes and without giving too much away, the story revolves around the girls once again locked away in the studio attempting to lay down another album. After hours of getting nowhere Yumi kicks over a pile of junk only to unleash a friendly Genie who offers to help the girls out. Strangely this involves turning the tour bus into a time machine so they can travel through musical history and so write a hit single. Clearly genie's aren't what they used to be but what this means is that the game is a kind of left to right brawler set in a variety of times and locations throughout history.

You can play as both girls using the shoulder button to transfer you between them although there's little to separate their abilities. Most of your journey simply involves destroying objects and picking up collectables along the way but you'll also run into more organized enemies who must be defeated before moving on. This is generally because you are hemmed in by your fans who have mysteriously also followed you through time and appear to enjoy watching you in moments of peril. You'll always succeed though and after beating the end of level boss it's off to make some sushi, which, after consumption, makes the girls stronger. This is one of the many mini-games you'll encounter during your passage though time and while they are incredibly simple in design they are also very entertaining. Multiplayer fans are also supported but given that you'll both require a copy of the game to play in duet mode, it's not nearly as much fun as it could have been.

Controls

Pretty standard stuff really and given that the first few levels are tutorial based (with text pop-ups) it's pretty hard to get lost.

Graphics

Visually the game is incredibly stylized. If you've seen the GBA version or even the cartoon series you'll know what I mean. The animation of the main characters is disappointing though as not only are there not enough frames to allow them to move and fight fluidly but there are whole sections missing. This is most apparent when you are walking into a door in the background, where rather than seeing the back of a character you'll instead be treated to them 'shuffling' in sideways.

Sound

On a technical level the audio elements are pretty impressive. I say 'technical' because this is wall-to-wall J-Pop and unless you enjoy this type of music (if you are a fan of the series the answer should be yes) you're going to get bored very quickly.

Dual screen

Your main touch-screen use is for the combat system, which is certainly different but doesn't quite work. This takes place on a guitar with the strings activating a number of combos, providing they are hit in the right sequence. The problem is that it does not always work leaving you vulnerable to attack and it also forces you to take your eyes of the main screen. Fortunately you can use the standard controls too, otherwise this would be a complete non-starter. Outside of this the touch-screen is used for the mini-games and we have to say preparing and eating sushi has never been so easy. Your stylus also makes the 'crane' games, where you attempt to grab a teddy or something equally useless, very simple indeed, which we all know is impossible.

Final comments

This latest DS outing for the girls certainly has some interesting touch-screen additions but unfortunately the final product is nowhere near as entertaining as the GBA version released six months or so ago. This is mainly due to the bulk of the gameplay, which is both uninspired and incredibly repetitive. Yes, you may be in a completely different time zone but you're still simply collecting things and fighting enemies with your guitar. That said there are some highlights, most of which revolve around the well-designed mini-games (who knew that making sushi could be so entertaining). Fans of the series are likely to have already purchased the game but if you are new to the DS this is a definite try before you buy.

Pro: Music, Mini-Games.
Con: Sloppy Controls, No Single Cart Multiplayer.
Final score: 5.1

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