The Nintendo DS is a great handheld for not only fans of puzzle games but also platform games as well and it has proven this with a number of amazing titles that have haunted our DS for a long while now. Steal Princess is a DS game that wishes to combine the addictive nature of a puzzle game with a healthy dose of platform gaming but - ultimately - fails to combine the two successfully. What we have instead is a somewhat disappointing game that could have been a true fan favorite. 

“Next, on Fox, ‘Who Wants to Date Razorback Gorillas?’”  

The game revolves around Anise, a cute master thief with an eye patch who sneaks into the Demon Palace looking for a fortune in gems when she triggers a trap that sends her plunging into a dangerous river. Instead of finding death, Anise is saved by a fairy name Kukri who brings her before a royal family with claims that Anise is the prophesied “Great Hero.” Somehow, the King isn’t able to connect the dots that Anise is the great thief wanted by the law and tasks her with saving his son … a young Prince taken captive in the Demon Palace by the Demon Lord. Going along with her new heroic title, Anise sets off to save the Prince as well as get her hands on some loot. 

Surprisingly enough, the story is actually quite enchanting and, oftentimes, funny enough to produce a chuckle or two. Anise doesn’t know if the King is playing her or if the people of that kingdom are really that dumb. Either way, Anise plans to make off with as much jewels she can grab during her quest. Told through cut scenes with text dialogue, the game advances the plot well enough and you are graded at the end of each level so that means multiple endings as well. 

The levels themselves are familiar territory for old-school gamers that have played games with an isometric plane and with very little room to explore. You see, the level maps are actually bite-sized maps with quick puzzles you must solve in order to open the gate to the next map. The puzzles themselves range from the ridiculously simple to the somewhat complex but come to expect more simple puzzles than really hard ones in this game. I think I was stumped by a puzzle only once while playing through the more than 150 levels. 

“I think I’ll go through the desert that doesn’t have homicidal, axe-wielding kittens.” 

You see, the puzzles consist of color-coded enemies on the playing field that can only be defeated using the right weapon you obtain during the level. Anise can jump and she has a whip you can use to stun or move enemies as well as swing from orb to orb in the platformer portion of the game. You’ll find that red swords can eliminate red enemies while blue swords will eliminate blue foes. That sounds easy enough, although sometimes these color-coded weapons only appear when you perform a certain task such as pushing a box to reach said weapon or to climb up to a neutral colored enemy to get the red sword to defeat the red enemy. 

The terrain changes the more you clear each map and, of course, you are timed so your overall grade is determined by how quickly you meet each objective, find the key that opens the gate that lets you move on to the next level. Since Anise is a thief, you will also be tempted by wasting precious seconds finding gems in each level. There are even boss battles to be fought in this game, which add some diversity and challenge. 

Unfortunately, Steal Princess falls flat when it comes to the puzzles and even more so when it comes to the platform jumping. Some puzzles, as I mentioned, won’t provide much of a challenge at all while some others are intelligent enough to make you stop and think. The platform jumping is hindered greatly by the camera that doesn’t allow you to judge how far or tall the next platform is and the controls will not fail to frustrate. I gave up using the Stylus and opted for the D-pad but even then Anise moves too awkwardly. Even getting Anise to face the enemy is a chore with or without the Stylus.  

“Um, I don’t remember the travel brochure saying anything about spiked traps on the beach.” 

Interestingly enough, the game also includes a Map Editor that allows gamers to create their own levels complete with different terrains, objects, enemies and items you can select and use. The game doesn’t start with every option from the beginning but once you unlock more extras you’ll be able to create some really elaborate maps you can play and share. Oh yeah, you can share your created map with other Steal Princess owners and you can download maps created by your friends as well. Oh yeah, the replay value is definitely high. 

As far as the game’s graphics are concerned, Steal Princess doesn’t look half-bad but then again it’s not the prettiest DS game either. The levels look very retro but in the best way possible and the cut scenes (and opening animation) looks like a good anime. The music is actually quite delightful, although adding more sound effects could have helped. 

In the end, Steal Princess for the Nintendo DS has all the makings of an addictive puzzle/platform game but its numerous flaws will end up frustrating those who have been looking for a brilliant puzzle game. Still, this doesn’t mean you won’t have fun playing this charismatic game in short bursts … if you can look past the problems, that is. I highly recommend this one as a rental.

Gameplay: 6.9
Some levels will begin feeling too similar to each other but then again there are levels that offer plenty of challenges and intelligent puzzles. Unfortunately, the platform bits are awkwardly done and the controls aren’t Stylus-friendly. At least the story is somewhat cute.

Graphics: 7.0
The game’s graphics are actually handled well enough with some pretty cut scene character art and charming retro-styled visuals for each level.

Sound: 6.5
The sound effects are hardly noticeable over the good original score and you just have to love the anime-styled opening theme song.

Difficulty: Medium
Some levels will actually have you rethinking each move and there are even levels that will have you scratching your head. If the levels aren’t challenging enough, you can always create your own challenges. Some boss battles are rather tough.

Concept: 7.0
There are a little over 150 levels with boss battles and a fun little story for those willing to put up with some weak levels and awkward controls. The Map Maker feature is surprisingly heavy on the options and you can even share your creations with other friends.

Multiplayer: 6.5
You won’t be able to play against a friend but you can share your created maps with your friends via Multi-card Wi-Fi connectivity. With plenty of options, sharing created levels is a good way to keep playing.

Overall: 6.9
Steal Princess is the type of Nintendo DS game that could have really been amazing but, thanks to a number of annoying issues, it begins to wear out its welcome a bit too soon. Still, a handful of fun levels and a great level editor are enough to make this a game you should not dismiss.