Ok, the only reason I bought a DS was for Mario DS. Personally I'd rate the game much better than the original. The added characters and requirements made it more of a challenge. I didn't like how some parts were made easier, such as the Mario Balloon boxes.. but I got over it. I still wish there was a joystick that could screw into the dpad but oh well. I got used to it and have to say it's worth getting a DS just for this game.