On top of the mini-games, you'll also find some great puzzle games to waste time with. There are five at first, but you can unlock more over the course of the game. Each one offers up something interesting, such as twisting around a circular conveyor belt to catch multi-colored balls or playing a variation of Puzzle de Pon. You can also unlock special board pieces for your collection, which in turn give you a customizable boost against the unbalanced AI.

In addition, Mario Party DS has a cool Game Sharing option. You and up to three friends can play several rounds with just one cartridge. It takes a little while to load up, but the wait is worth it. However, we can't help but ponder why Nintendo didn't include support for the Wi-Fi Connection. Most other DS games support it, and Mario Party would've been an excellent addition.

Don't expect anything amazing out of the presentation -- it's typical Mario Party. Mario and his friends scamper around the game boards the same way they do in previous games. You can access a diagram of the current board to see where you're at, but that's really the only major improvement. Finally, the audio is routine Nintendo, with voice samples ("Whoo-hoo!"), upbeat (albeit unoriginal) music and familiar sound effects.

Despite its issues, Mario Party DS earns a thumbs-up. The Game Sharing option is wonderful, especially if you can get four people together. The variety of mini-games and unlockable puzzle games will put a smile on your face, too. Yet this party could've been a real blowout with more imagination put into its design and the ability to go online. It's a hoot, but hardly worth an all-nighter.