Exit DS

"I'm over here!!" Thanks for pointing that out...for the tenth time. I am, in fact, maneuvering in your direction, so if you'd kindly shut up I'll feel a little less like hurling my DS out the window. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so annoyed by a sound effect. I know you all want to get rescued ("Is anybody there?") but Mr. Esc. should really have you all put a sock in it ("Help me!!") before offering to lead you to safety.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Instead of running for the nearest Exit, head to your PSP.

Exit DS
Exit DS

Exit, the puzzle game pitting a search and rescue/escape artist against a clock, has already appeared on PSP and XBLA, so what would lure you into purchasing Exit DS? Well, I'll tell you one thing, it won't be the stylus controls. I will admit that if the system weren't so clunky to begin with, it would be incredibly useful to just tap the character you want to use instead of hitting X to bring up the cursor mode and selecting them with the D-pad and A, but running against the clock is all the more nerve wracking while you're just poking around trying to get the game to register that you want to keep on pushing the crate. I guess the thing to keep in mind is that no matter which control scheme you go with, Exit may look like a platformer puzzle game, but it's really just a puzzle game.

Exit DS

I do sort of like the puzzles, though. At first I thought keeping track of whether the Dog can hit a switch or if the Large Adult can jump yay high would be annoying, but managing the strengths and weakness of the survivors you rescue is actually pretty fun. Of course it was fun on PSP and XBLA, as well, and you could have extra fun because there were downloadable levels beyond the original one hundred. All the DS has to offer in the Wi-Fi department is leaderboards.

Exit DS

The DS does have one pretty big advantage: a second screen. There lies your map. You can see which door a switch opens by just flicking your eyes across the top screen. You can see where all the items are, where your survivors are, where you are in relation to it all. Not a bad deal, but it doesn't quite make up for the rest of this version's shortcomings.

Yep, I'm gonna say it, "Lackluster port." The aesthetic has been retained, and I enjoy our vaguely noir hero's escapades (pun definitely intended), but I'm just yearning for the PSP version.

PROS: Nifty puzzles, variety of environments
CONS: Obnoxious voice clips, clunky control scheme, no downloadable levels

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