Kirby Super Star Ultra

Put simply: Kirby is a fat pink puffball. He rose to fame in the early 1990s on the original Nintendo Entertainment System with the hugely popular Kirby Super Star and is now enjoying a comeback on the Nintendo DS.

Did we mention how adorable he is? No? Well, he's cute enough to kidnap.

Divided into separate games with their own plot lines, this Kirby collection is a blast, even if it is really easy.

The aim of the game is to float, run and fight your way through various mini adventures, whilst overcoming obstacles and defeating ominous baddies like King Dedede along the way. Kirby is a really fun character to play, even if he does have a disgusting habit of swallowing enemies to adopt their abilities, and then spitting them out when he's done.

You can also create a helper to take down the baddies, which is part of the reason the game is so easy. Things get harder as you progress, but the degree of challenge makes it well suited to children.

The charmingly tinny-sounding arcade music gives it a retro feel packed with nostalgia. The graphics are actually quite detailed given the screen size limitations of Nintendo DS platform. Attention to detail is very thorough, with little touches like stained glass windows really setting the mood. Beautifully rendered animation scenes are also a welcome treat when you stumble across them scattered throughout the game.

DS touchscreen functionality has been included in three of the mini-games. These include a shooting gallery and a racing game (with the aim being to eat more food than King Dedede) that had me in stitches.

It's a pity this touch functionality isn't incorporated on a larger scale throughout all Kirby's adventures, as it works very well. Kirby Super Star Ultra is the kind of light game that players can easily pick up and enjoy without too much concentration. It's good to see the loveable Kirby making a comeback in the new millennium.