Geometry Wars is, on paper, an unlikely candidate for a full retail release. Its gameplay mechanics basically consist of a tarted up version of arcade relic Asteroids and its graphics - while giving you an idea of retro cool - are hardly showcasing the real next generation of visuals. Yet there is definitely something to be said about the timeless nature of simple gameplay, and Geometry Wars has, in every incarnation thus far, had the 'one more go' drug injected into it that some many games developers would sell their kidneys for. Fans of gaming will be delighted to hear then that this addictiveness has been transferred to the DS with aplomb, barring a couple of minor caveats.

Before I go into what has changed in Geometry Wars: Galaxies and what has remained resolutely the same, I ought to outline what Geometry Wars actually involves for the uninitiated. Basically (and that may turn out to be a word I use a lot, given the nature of the game) you man a spaceship in a top down view of an area of the galaxy. You can move the ship around this area, while enemies spawn around near you with different speeds, attacks and movement styles. You can shoot at them (and generally get one shot kills), while improving your score multiplier for long runs. You aim to stay alive as long as you can and get the highest score possible - this is a high score arcade game to all intents and purposes, and as such it works rather well on Xbox Live Arcade with borderline obsessive comparison of the competitive high score tables and achievements justifying the social experience. I had some doubts over how well this would translate to the less social DS, but I needn't have worried, because Galaxies has packed in some quite nice additional features to the retro flavoured package.

The main one of these is referred to in the "Galaxies" subheading, as the game provides different maps with different targets to achieve. The sixty four missions are shaped differently and can have different strategies applied to them. For each one you can achieve three medals for beating pre-determined high scores, so there's plenty to keep you coming back again and again. The more you play, the more geoms you earn too, which most enemies drop - these are the game's currency, allowing you to unlock new galaxies and different play styles. For example, the defence style gives you more shielding at the expense of less lives. It's compulsive and adds an extra level to the addictiveness as you try to collect all the unlockables and medals, yet it manages not to change the gameplay style dramatically. True, the open area present in Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved plays differently to a level with filtered 'lanes', but it's still the traditional sport of shooting at constantly respawning enemies in the Asteroids mould.

But here's the rub (and sadly not for my swollen DS stylus wrist): what of the controls that the DS offers? On the 360, the spaceship was moved with the left analogue stick and you directed your shots with the right stick (allowing you to shoot anywhere within 360 degrees.) The DS has no analogue sticks, so it puts movement onto the D-Pad (as you might expect), with the 360 degree shooting replicated by using the touch screen and stylus as a sort of makeshift 'Blue Peter Try-This-At-Home-Kids' analogue stick. Fortunately it actually works rather well, allowing you to get yourself out of tight binds with accurate stylus shots. It also gives you a rather nice way of moderating the time you've spent on the thing - if your wrist is in a world of agony then it's probably time to put the DS down and return to work.

People who have seen Geometry Wars in any of its carnations will know that it's not the most graphically intensive shooter in the world. The whole flavour is deliberately retro, so for that reason it is actually pretty tricky to say whether the graphics are good or not - but I'm going to go with "yes" - not an answer everyone will agree with, but one I'm reasonably satisfied with. You see, it's not all about the fact that the enemies are linear outlines of geometric shapes - they have far more personality than basic shapes should; after all, I don't remember ever screaming obscenities as shape-sorters! The green diamonds are distinctly cowardly, floating away at the first sign of shots from your stylus, while you'd better be careful if you're planning on blowing up those gittish pink diamond enemies (not the most masculine of villains, but there we are), because they will explode into four tiny ships that each need to be dealt with.

In this respect, the limited visuals have a distinct charm, allowing you to invent your own story and personalities for the opposition. The only quibble I have about the graphics isn't really a graphic issue at all, but down to the limitations of the DS; in a game that's supposed to gradually build up into a hectic twitch-reactions based obsessathon, the game sometimes suffers from slowdown, which makes moments that should be incredibly hard actually easier than some of the slower paced 'easy' sections. This creates a slightly annoying paradox on one hand, but has allowed me to get a far higher score on the various levels than I legitimately should have done! In fact, the game as a whole already plays a lot slower than the adrenalin fuelled 360 version, as evidenced by the included original high score beater (Retro Evolved), giving me a much higher top score on my first go than I ever achieved with my eyes glued to the big screen. In truth, this isn't a deal clincher, but it does make you appreciate the much harder 360 version (and the almost as tricky Wii version) for the real hardcore gamer, and appreciate that skills finely honed on the bus, on work breaks and before you go to bed will most likely be non-transferable to your Xbox 360 achievement-obtaining efforts.

Of course, there's one magnificent element the DS version has that the 360 doesn't - and that is multiplayer. The fascinating, addictive and (most importantly) single cartridge multiplayer that should keep you coming back time and time again (provided you can find another addict nearby, of course). Firstly, there's co-operative play, where you both team up to try and get a monster high score. It's as simple as it sounds but also leads to you devising unique strategies of dealing with the various enemy types and shouting at each other when your meticulously planned defence inevitably falls apart! Then there are two competitive modes. The first is simple enough and sees you playing two independent games while fighting for the best score, but the second is where the multiplayer really comes into its own; with one of you playing the game normally, the other plays a kind of space-alien General (costume not compulsory), placing their minions onto the map in the way best designed to ruin the other player's day. It's compulsive, fun and allows plenty of opportunities for being a git - like the best multiplayer games (I'm still waiting for a DS Chu Chu Rocket to emerge).

The sound is a little disappointing. While it's quite cool to hear the same sound effects as on the 360 appearing out of the device sat in your hands (yes, yes - "simple things"), the effect is limited by the DS's tinny speakers. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with the music and sound, and the developers have done as well as could be imagined, but massive explosions just don't sound great on the DS.

If you didn't like any of the past versions of Geometry Wars then you're not going to find anything here to change your mind. Likewise, if you have the top score on Xbox Live for the shooter, then you're going to find this a little too easy to give it the 'one more go' appeal I found. Others who appreciate a little retro themed gaming on the go should definitely have a play though, especially as it's at a budget price. Geometry Wars: Galaxies is that rare breed of game that stands up both to quick bursts and extended playing sessions, making it ideal for a handheld, while the development team are to be congratulated both for making a port that uses the full potential of the DS's abilities and for adding worthwhile extras to make Asteroids addicts without a copy of this game pretty jealous.

Reviewed by Alan Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).