Hours of Fun Found In Midnight Play! Pack

Block Breaker Deluxe is MPP’s most refined title; offering a game similar to Arkanoid; but with a few enhancements. Play no longer coexists over the DS’s dual screens; gamers use the bottom screen with stylus control. Control feels remarkably quicker and more responsive in the Play! Pack. Additionally, we found the title to sport superior graphics- the game is filled with subtleties, such as when the wall gently glows after reflecting the ball. MPP contains all the power-ups found in the Taito title, as well as some interesting additions- ‘yoyo’ allows the player to recall the ball to the paddle with a touch of the shoulder buttons.

Neither the pool nor bowling games reach Block Breaker’s level of quality, but are still some of the best recreations of these sports to be found on the DS. Midnight Pool‘s main flaw is its ease- the player is shown the exact trajectory of the cue and target ball. Although this feature may be turned off, the DS doesn’t have the graphical fidelity to display the necessary visual data required for skillful shots. Players accustomed to pool simulations on consoles and PCs, may be turned off by the general sluggishness of the rendering, although we grew accustomed to the speed after a few games.

Solitaire and poker round out Midnight Play! Pack and offer compelling card based games. CPU AI in poker is substandard, so players moderately familiar with Texas Hold ‘Em strategies should excel here. Although this title wanted to bring sexy women to the poker tables, limited polygon rendering makes these females look more like square-jawed men. Platinum Solitaire has six main variations, as well as casino-style options, to offer players a thorough amount of variety.

Each of Midnight Play! Pack‘s games are comparable to existing budget priced DS software; while each title has its individual quirks, taken as a twenty dollar package, the game offers players more than enough variety to justify the cost.