The DS is spoilt for almost every type of game, it’s the one system where you can walk into the game shop and spend hours trying to choose what to buy such is the quality of its catalogue. Well thanks to Southpeak Games you can now add another game to the excellent category because with Big Bang Mini they have released a little gem. 

 

Armed with just your stylus Big Bang Mini is a 2d shooter which grabs your attention with it’s unique and colourful design and just doesn’t let go until you have worked your way through each of it’s nine stages. The main objective of the game is to use your stylus to guide your ship around the oncoming enemy bullets, then in between the dodging you must let off some quick bursts of fire by leaving your ship and swiping the stylus on the screen in the direction of the enemies, of course doing this does leave your ship in a stationary position, so your timing must be impeccable.

 

Other than your ship being stationary there are a few other drawback to firing at the enemy, for instance your weapons are actually fireworks, therefore should you miss you will find the shrapnel falling back towards you and unfortunately in this game, if you are hit once then the retry button will not take long to appear and that is something you will need to get used to. There is not doubt that firing at the enemy while also trying to dodge the oncoming bullets is very tricky, however it is also great fun once you learn how to do it properly.

 

Another twist to the game is that you will acquire new abilities depending on the level you are playing in, for example in one level you are able to draw a spiral in order to absorb bullets, this is limited though in that it will need to recharge before you can use it again. The whole purpose of the game is to travel through each of the nine levels within each stage by collecting stars, once you reach your quota of stars in one level you will move onto the next and so on, before finally meeting the end of level boss in the tenth level, so all in there are around 90 levels to complete in the game, meaning that there is certainly plenty of value here for your cash.

 

Each of the nine stages you will travel through is set in different locations, therefore you will find your ship travelling in places such as Savannah, Aurora and Hong Kong. Each area has its own unique style, for example Aurora is a wintery and windy location, while Hong Kong is a glowing bustling city.

 

The presentation in each location and in general is really colourful and a pleasure to the eye, this is also back up by the soundtrack which is quite quirky and relaxing at the same time.

 

Once you complete the Arcade Mode you will unlock the Mission Mode, this allows you to play through the levels again but with set conditions, such as having to finish a level within 60 seconds. Out-with the Arcade Mode, Big Bang Mini also includes a Challenge Mode which allows you to upload your score to the online leaderboards and also a Versus Mode, which enables you to play against a friend using two Nintendo DS machines and one copy of the game. Finally the game also includes an Alarm Clock, simply select the music of your choice from the soundtrack, set the time and be woken up with the sounds of the game, unique indeed.

 

Big Bang Mini is a great addition to the DS. With over 90 levels, great visuals and some excellent gameplay, this title will keep you hooked for a long time, and at the end of the day what more can you ask for than that?