As a fan of the original Overlord game and now the recent Overlord II, the thought of Codemasters releasing a handheld game based on the same universe was exciting news indeed. Overlord Minions for the Nintendo DS, interestingly enough, doesn’t put you in the boots of the evil Overlord but rather it puts you in the role of four very destructive and enthusiastic Minions. 

It’s quite an interesting concept seeing as the game would have suffered if it was a DS port of the console Overlord games and the fun twist of playing as the Minions does have its charming appeal seeing as you will be doing the dirty work yourself. The story begins with the Minion Master named Gnarl calling upon the Elite Minions named Blaze, Stench, Giblet and Zap to go forth in the name of the Overlord to complete a list of deeds and hunt down a faction known as the Kindred.

These Elite Minions each have their own sets of skills and abilities that come into play during each of the mission levels that will take you through six lands. Giblet, for example, is a melee fighter and can stun enemies by head butting them. Blaze, well, he can use a fireball attack and can ignite gas or barrels. Stench can burp toxic material or release explosive gas. Then there’s Zap who has the power of healing and is water resistant. You have the ability to call up different Elite Minions when you get near a spawn pit that’s used to revive a fallen Minion as well.

The best part about Overlord Minions is that the six lands are big and thus the levels are actually quite lengthy with more than enough to do. You begin by raiding a local farm the Overlord wants you to trash and move on to other lands where you will continue your quest to destroy and slaughter. Of course, there are a number of obstacles that get in your way such as enemies that aren’t afraid of taking you out or environmental puzzles you must solve to move to the next area within a level.

The puzzles in the game are actually challenging and will have you thinking which one of the Minions is good for clearing a path or entering that area that is closed off by other environmental items. Seeing as your different Minions have their own abilities you will have to discover how and when to use them to solve puzzles. There are moments where you will have to move objects out of a way to reach a certain spot or set them ablaze. While you begin the game with only two Minions, the other levels have you controlling all four at the same time so all you really need to do is tap their portrait to control them.

Now, here’s the bad news. The touch-screen controls are a complete mess to the point that you will be yanking out hair out of your head out of the sheer frustration you will feel in doing something as simple as moving a Minion. You are required to drag the Stylus on screen to make them move but they often don’t move but instead unleash their attacks thinking you meant for them to attack. Worst yet, you will find yourself wondering how to put an object down once you - by some miracle - pick up the object in question. Yes, if it wasn’t for the atrocious touch screen controls, this game could have been amazing and fun.

It’s also visually pleasing, making the environments and characters really look good on both screens. While the majority of the cut scenes are still images and portraits. There’s the occasional animation but it’s not impressive. At least the destructible objects shatter nicely and there are wonderful magic effects.

There’s also a great soundtrack to be found in the game that plays throughout the game in a continuous loop. While this would have been annoying, the music is actually quite good so you won’t mind it at all. It’s just too bad there aren’t any voice acting in the game but at least the sound effects are nicely detailed and plentiful.

In the end, Overlord Minions was a game that was meant to be a truly remarkable and addictively enjoyable DS title but just suffers thanks to the weak controls. It certainly has no shortage of lengthy missions and smart puzzles but none of this makes a bit of difference if the touch-screen controls weren’t so uncooperative to the point of being frustrating. This is too bad since there’s some fun to be had in this game if you’re willing to put up with the annoying control issues.

Gameplay: 6.0
It’s fun playing as the mean Overlord of the Netherworld but its even more fun being a mischievous Minion doing all the dirty work. Sadly, the touch screen controls will make you want to break your Stylus in half. The puzzles are great, though.

Graphics: 7.0
This is one of the most visually pleasing DS games to come along and the environments look really good as your Minions destroy and slaughter their way through each locale. While the cut-scenes animations aren’t great, they’re not awful either.

Sound: 7.0
The music is actually quite stellar and delightfully epic despite the fact that it repeats itself throughout the game. There aren’t any voices but you’ll hear grunts, objects breaking and people dying.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Thinking strategically and knowing what Minion to use in certain places in the map will lead to mission completion. The puzzles are actually surprisingly challenging although there’s nothing here that will stump gamers.

Concept: 6.0
You get to control four very different Minions with their own set of skills and abilities and you’ll be using them all to solve the map’s various little puzzles scattered throughout the game. The mission objectives lead to some destructive fun.

Overall: 6.0
Overlord Minions for the DS has all the right ingredients that make up an instant puzzle/strategy game classic but its problems hold it back considerably. Had the touch-screen controls actually worked better, this would have been a real Must Have DS game worth the money.