D3 Publisher's Break 'Em All isn't exactly the most original of games. In fact, it's really nothing more than a Break Out clone with some fancy dressings, the most notable being a decent soundtrack, interesting power ups, and touch screen control. It's definitely not going to make a top five "best of DS" list anytime soon, yet it's appealing enough to warrant a purchase, particularly because it's $19.99.

Much like its many predecessors, the game tasks you to destroy bricks by bouncing a ball about the screen with a paddle, and if said ball manages to get past said paddle, you lose. It's a simple and addictive concept, one that the developers have managed to enhance by tossing some new features into the mix such as a host of power ups (bigger paddle, fire ball that tears through multiple bricks, 5-part multi ball), boss fights, and wireless multiplayer for up to eight people. There's also a quality soundtrack, a couple different single player modes, and some bizarre evolutionary thing where you evolve into more advanced species the longer you play.

To further mix things up, the developers have thrown some curve balls, such as blocks that cannot be destroyed as well as puzzles in which you must thread the needle in order to hit the one block that'll help you move onto the next stage. It keeps things fresh and challenging, yet at the same time it's sometimes difficult to aim the ball (as it's always been in these types of games), so repeatedly failing to get the one solitary block quickly becomes an exercise in frustration.

Unlike most of its competitors, which are hampered by inaccurate d-pad controls, Break 'Em All is controlled using the touch screen, so all you have to do is slide the stylus across the screen, and what's really cool about this is you don't have to place the stylus directly over top of the paddle. The entire screen's hot, so it really doesn't matter where you place it.

Aside from it getting a bit monotonous, there's really very little to complain about, although some of the power ups make things a lot easier than they should be. But that's a small gripe since the gameplay is fairly enjoyable. Obviously, if you've never played Breakout and its many clones then Break Em' All is going to be this grand revelation, but I still managed to have fun with it in lieu of the fact that I've been smashing blocks for ten plus years. Besides, it's price makes it difficult to resist.