These days, mini-game compilations for the DS are as common as RPGs were on PSone in the late '90s. Though the party game craze started with Mario Party, the genre's recent growth has nothing to do with the plumber's popularity. More than likely, developers are lured by the DS' touch screen, low-cost development, and the system's huge user base.

With The Sims branching out into areas that differ from its core simulation-based franchise (next up: a Sims racing game), it seems appropriate that the series – now redesigned as the kid and family-targeted MySims – would be turned into a party game as well. Built for Wii and DS, MySims Party combines several mini-games (40 on the DS) with simplistic storytelling and minimal world exploration. NPCs (non-playable characters) are everywhere, delivering news and other game details about the world that surrounds your Sim. While far from a stunning implementation, some kids may enjoy the silly antics that take place in between the gameplay. All kids, however, should be intrigued by the mini-game selection.

The MySims Way

Looking at The Sims' past (and possibly the Mii creation system from Wii), MySims Party allows you to create your own Sim characters. Once a character is in place, MySims Party begins to develop the lighthearted story with information regarding the festivals. Festivals are predetermined mini-game compilations that are used to unveil each mini-game. Only after winning the existing festival can you move on to the next. The process is similar to Mario Party and virtually every other party game available: points are awarded for each mini-game (even the losers get some), and the player with the most points at the end is crowned the winner. Afterwards, every mini-game in the festival can be replayed at any time via the mini-game mode. The catch, of course, is that they will remain locked until then.

The AI is occasionally cheap, so the developers included a card/stat system to help even things out. Before each festival, players are allowed to select a few cards to take with them. Then, before each mini-game within the festival, players may choose to use one of the cards to enhance or protect their character or to increase their stats (such as speed, power, technique, etc.). Cards are awarded by playing special versions of certain mini-games that usually involve the alliance of two or more players/AI characters (2 vs. 2 or 1 vs. 3, as opposed to the standard free-for-all format).

These additions are nothing new. Those who have been playing party games since the '90s won't be surprised at all. Thankfully the lineup, while nothing out of the ordinary, is pretty solid with mini-games that focus on different parts of the DS' control formats. One of the games, Sleeping Sophie, challenges players to be the first to wake Sophie by popping a balloon. Only the L and R buttons are used to fill the balloon with air. You'll press L to raise and R to lower the balloon pump. It might sound strange, maybe even a little too simplistic, but it works well. Simplicity, by the way, is the focus of MySims Party; if you want more complex mini-games, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Soccer Bounce, another mini-game, pulls a page from the PSP version FIFA. The goal is to bounce the ball and keep it in the air by striking it with your Sim's head and feet. To perform each bounce, players must press the right button (A, B, X or Y) as it appears on screen. As far as Simon Says games go, Soccer Bounce is pretty easy. But the tough AI balances things in your opponent's favor, so watch out.

Mini Variety

Knowing the world's love of prehistoric creatures (or anything that looks like them), MySims Party features a game that will cater to a broad audience: Skull Finder. By tapping the dirt around the buried bones, you'll slowly unearth an old creature. When dirt particles pile up, you'll need to physically blow into the DS' microphone to blow the particles away. Mini-games are short, so there isn't much time to complete the dig. Still, you have to be somewhat precise in your screen-tapping – if you hit a bone, the game will pause temporarily, making it harder to win.

These are just some of the ways MySims Party uses different control styles to create different gameplay experiences. You'll use the touch screen to cut clothing in the girl-targeted mini-game Clothing Cut-Out. (Drag the stylus along the edge of the fabric to cut a piece necessary for your wardrobe.) Fashion Mogul is a similar mini-game, requiring players to trace a design on a shirt.

Gone Fishing limits the controls to the D-pad and the A button. No other buttons are necessary, as your only goal is to run around the circular pond using the D-pad. Tap the A button to use the fishing rod. The bottom screen then changes to an underwater view; players can now move the hook left and right. When a fish latches on, tap the A button as quickly as possible to complete the catch.

Similarly, Hidden Treasures was developed to be as straightforward as possible. Run around the maze with the D-pad, lift boxes with the A button, and retrieve the treasure automatically.

If you like Soccer Bounce, Bus! Stop! features similar mechanics applied to the face buttons. Mallet Melee, a fighting game, is reminiscent of the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, using the Y button to attack strongly, the A button to attack weakly, and the B button to fake an attack. Blocking occurs automatically when standing still.

Little girls should be entertained by Okay Bouquet, a bouquet-making mini-game where you touch one of five different flowers and drag it to a sheet of paper. The game indicates which flowers the customer wants with an image of what the finished bouquet should look like. The order of the flowers doesn't seem to matter, but if you get one flower wrong (or fail to include enough of them), your point total is bound to suffer.

With 40 mini-games, the discoveries go on for quite a while – longer than necessary, actually, due to the repeat of mini-games in each festival (instead of a new batch of mini-games every time, which would have allowed players to unlock the full lineup much faster). The good news is that most of the mini-games are good, so fans of the genre won't be bored by the moderate repetition.

If you play the genre frequently, however, there's little chance that you'll be blown away by what MySims Party has to offer. Most of the mini-games have been seen in other forms in other party games. The lack of freshness is a bit disappointing and might hurt the experience for players who buy every party game available. But if like the genre and play it more sparingly than others, MySims Party should fulfill your party game needs.

Gameplay: 7.0
More than three-dozen mini-games of button and touch screen-utilizing fun.

Graphics: 5.0
Simplistic 3D character models that make the ancient (and awful) Quest 64 look impressive.

Sound: 7.0
The music and sound effects are repetitive, but some of the tunes are fairly catchy. You won't be humming them, but you won't need to turn down the speakers either.

Difficulty: Easy
The AI's challenge doesn't compare to that of battling a real opponent.

Concept: 6.8
The mini-games are fun but the gameplay is not at all original.

Multiplayer: 7.1
MySims Party's one unique feature is that players can launch a multiplayer (2-4 players) game at the start of any festival or mini-game – even if you're in a single-player game. Single and multi-card play are supported.

Overall: 7.0
A solid, whimsical mini-game collection targeted equally at boys and girls.