Slide Adventure Mag Kid is a refreshing DS game that is as quirky and as fun as a game can be. The game is very simple yet has a gameplay mechanism that is so enjoyable and unique that it keeps the level of interest for the length of the game. The game uses a sliding peripheral that is inserted into the GBA slot of the DS and is used to control the player's character in the game. The sliding peripheral is very sensitive and can be used on most flat surfaces, but reflective surfaces are the best to have the controls work well. The sliding peripheral also rumbles and at times is an indicator of damage to the player or can be triggered when the player runs into the side of the stage.

The sliding peripheral side view.

The game is a combination of a puzzle and an adventure game that lets the player travel through the different stages that expand as the player advances to later levels. The basic story is that the player controls a magnet that has fallen from the fridge and battles different household creatures (a few type of bugs, dust bunnies, ect) to gain their powers (wind tunnels, bubbles, fire, ect) to defeat opponents or to collect abilities in a certain order. The player can navigate the different levels by entering inside different objects that are left on the floor; an eyeglass case, a comic book, a coin purse and in doing so can find new household creatures and after getting the right combination of creatures or finding the frequent boss battles, the player can end the level. All of the stages have time limits, but most are generous and can be cleared after a few tries. The game does require a bit of memorization as most stages require the player to journey through a few different levels and gather different household creatures and then venture to find the goal marker.

The game is semi-repetitive but still breaks up the similar levels with frequent boss battles that make the player want to pass the levels and play the next one. The boss battles include fighting such household objects as a teddy bear gang, a record player, a jack-o-lantern, the stove, breaking light bulbs and a lot of other quirky boss battles that break up the scavenger hunt gameplay that the game normally has for levels. The gameplay changes with each boss battle and the player is left to figure out how to use the tools in the level to beat the individual boss and in the end these make up the most enjoyable part of the game.

Through out the levels the player can find Robo Cards which once collected unlock different mini games that can then be accessed from the main menu and also played in the multiplayer portion of the game. In total there are 12 mini games that can be unlocked in the course of the game in no particular order. The games range from racing laps around a track to running into to different color magnets to score points. The other games include a fishing game, a clean-the-floor game with different color spots for more points, a top down shooter and lots more. The games all tie into the Mag Kid world and are fun to play to try and to top the high score which the game saves for easy reference. The games are stored in the card holder featuring nice art on the cards and these match in with the games art style of bright colors and kid friendly cartoon style.

The multiplayer game is a great feature to test your skills against other players as you take the other player on in any of the 12 unlockable Robo Card games. The games are the same but instead of going for a high score; the player competes against the other player in real time and can interact in some of the games by running into the other player to slow them down. The game works very well and does not lag at all but is very short, as most of the Robo Card games last a few minutes but are very fun to play and make up for the short times. The mini games included on the Robo Cards are fun to collect and even more enjoyable to play as a single player game or head to head with another player. Obviously, the game does not support the DS download function as the other player must a have a copy of the game with the slide controller to take part in the mini game multiplayer.

Overall, the game is very fun to play and had some interesting features. The game is entirely controlled using the slide peripheral (even the main menu and file selection screens) and the little world the game creates is fun to play. The game is a great value and the can be played without any understanding of the Japanese language and still be enjoyed over and over. The game is always interesting and the Japanese trend of personifying household objects is a clever way to make for interesting gameplay and story. The multiplayer and Robo Cards make the game last longer and provide a lot of meat to the game by adding new ways to use the slide controller and complement the quirky world by being unique mini games. The game is a great import for anyone interested in how the game works and is one the most creative games on the DS and it is a shame it will most likely never come stateside.