The original CD-ROM version of
Myst will always hold a special place in my gaming heart. I spent countless hours staring at its beautiful images, wracking my brain for the solution to its devious puzzles. I look on it with the forgiving fondness that only a distance of many years can provide, choosing to overlook its faults in favor of reminiscing about its joys.
I was excited to learn that this gem from my past had been given new life on the Nintendo DS. I looked forward to seeing my old friend again, so many years after we had last parted company. I was eager to revisit my Myst experiences, and curious to see how the game had weathered the jump from CD-ROM to DS.
I regret to inform you that it barely survived the journey.
I first played Myst on my 3DO, and although its graphics were eye-meltingly gorgeous for the time, that was more than ten years ago. Despite the diminutive size of the DS screen, I still expected the scenery of Myst to come through relatively unscathed, but such is simply not the case.
The graphics are cramped and pixelated, and if I hadn't spent more time than I care to ponder burning Myst's images into my brain, I wouldn't have known what I was looking at in many instances. I have no idea what mystical mojo was done to the official press screenshots you see in this review, but trust me, the game simply does not look that good.
A zoom function remedies the situation somewhat, allowing you to take a closer look at objects and locations. Tap the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of your screen, and you'll get a close-up view on the top screen. The journals or signs you'll find as you wander around Myst's Ages are impossible to read without it, so it's a welcome addition to your abilities.
The sound fared slightly better, but only just. What sounded majestic and grand in the original is now tinny and shrill, but the speakers on the DS can't really compare to those in your living room. Still, I missed the big "fwaaaawummm wum wummm" noise whenever I traveled through a book.
The controls, as simple as they are, are extremely frustrating. Unlike most adventure games, you don't solve puzzles in Myst by toting items around with you, amassing an inventory of flotsam and jetsam, you simply point and click to manipulate whatever is in front of you at the time. Movement is similarly controlled by pointing where you want to go and clicking.
The pointing and clicking translates into tapping the screen in the DS version, but mushy reactions and random lag make navigation a chore and some puzzles more difficult than they really need to be. It's not a constant problem, but you'll find yourself furiously jabbing your stylus at the screen more than once, I assure you.
Even the aspects of the game that are improvements over the original are still a bit of a letdown. A camera lets you snap pictures, which can make solving puzzles much easier, but you can only keep one picture at a time. You can jot down information in a notebook, but the typewriteresque interface is clunky doesn't take full advantage of the touch screen. To update your first note, for example, you can't move your cursor by touching the text with your stylus, you have to backspace up to it, erasing whatever notes followed it.
If you've never played Myst before, don't, I beseech you, try it on the DS. The awful graphics and mushy touch screen controls will make solving the mystery of Atrus, Cirrus and Achenaar unfairly tedious and frustrating. It's easy enough to find on CD, so do that instead. You still may not like it, but at least you'll be judging the game on its true merits.
For anyone familiar with Myst, playing the DS version is kind of like running into your high school sweetheart at a class reunion, only to discover that they're not quite as good looking or charming as you remember them. Do yourself a favor: Steer clear of Myst DS and keep your memories pure.
-- Susan Arendt
WIRED Clever puzzles, new tools and features
TIRED Blocky graphics, clunky journal, cramped sound, unresponsive touch screen controls
$30, Empire Interactive
Rating: 
Read Game|Life's game ratings guide.
Images courtesy Empire Interactive
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