"Though you use the stylus to point on the bottom screen, you actually play on the top one."

A few weeks ago, I concluded my review of Quantum of Solace on the DS by saying that maybe it should've been a first-person shooter like the other versions. But after playing the DS version of Call of Duty: World at War -- which is a first-person shooter -- I realize that no, no it shouldn't have been. At least, not like this.

COD: WAW is one of the single most frustrating experiences I've had playing a game this year -- and last year, and the year before that. Why anyone thought this version was a good idea is beyond me, but I'd like to shake their hand for being so inept and ask them how they enjoyed their stint in the Bush administration.

The source of all the frustration is the controls. Using a combination of the directional pad and the stylus (or the buttons and the stylus, if you're a leftie), you use the former to move forward and back, strafe left or right, and, if you tap up or down twice, run or crouch. To shoot, you hit the L or R button. The direction you move, and thus shoot, is then handled by the stylus.

"I think I'm shooting Japanese, I think I'm shooting Japanese, I really think so?"

But while this sounds like it might work in theory, in practice it just doesn't. Trying to bear down on an enemy in the heat of a firefight is even more difficult here than it is on the notoriously inaccurate Nintendo Wii. It also makes it difficult to retreat when you're injured -- which you will be, a lot. In trying to back up when I was being riddled full of bullets, I often found myself going into the crouching position, which helped slightly but wasn't at all what I wanted to do, and it still resulted in my being buried in an unmarked grave in some foreign land.

It doesn't make things any better that, while you aim by moving the stylus on the lower screen, you actually play on the upper one. It's a disconnect that never goes away, even after you've gotten as much of a hand on the controls as anyone can get. (I must admit, though: If you both aimed and played on the lower screen, I'd probably be bitching about how your stylus hand often blocks part of the screen, making you vulnerable to attacks from that side.)

Also, using the L or R buttons to shoot becomes cramp-inducing after only a few minutes, though this could just be the whining of someone who doesn't consider the DS his platform of choice; veteran DS fans might not have this problem.


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"As required by law, World at War features a turret level."

It also doesn't help that to do certain crucial things quickly -- such as reloading your weapon or looking down the gun barrel for more accuracy -- you have to click on a an icon on the touch-screen. Granted, this doesn't require much time, but since it does require you to stop aiming, it's just enough to get you killed.

Thankfully, it doesn't always come to that. The enemies in this game seem to have similar control issues, because while there were times when, while switching to iron sights, an enemy had me dead to rights, but did nothing. And there were other times when they took the shot but missed me, even though I was just sitting there, fiddling with my rifle.

The game also has some other mechanics that are just as frustrating. Using mortar attacks, which involves turning two different dials to aim, isn't fun -- especially since it's sometimes hard to tell how close you are to your target, and it ends up being a guessing game. Equally irritating is the defusing of mines, because the controls are so oversensitive here that you'll blow yourself up numerous times before getting it right, even when it's early in the game and you're playing it on the Easy skill level. Granted, defusing a mine shouldn't be easy, but since they didn't make any other aspect of this game realistic, why start now?

"Though not required by law, all WWII FPS games also feature a sniper mission."

And don't even get me started on the Morse code parts. How anyone ever used Morse code to order Chinese food is beyond me. (That is what they used it for, right? Ordering take-out?)

What makes all of this even more irritating is that, on a certain other handheld system whose initials we won't mention, they've done first-person shooters well. On that system, FPS games use the directional pad and the buttons much the way a home console controller uses the right and left thumbsticks. It ain't perfect, but it certainly worked better than what they've done here.

These frustrating controls don't just ruin the Campaign mode, though. There are two other single-player options: Quick Play, which allows you to replay any mission you've already beaten in Campaign, and Challenge, in which you have to, well, meet certain challenges, such as killing a certain number of enemies before time runs out. Though, considering how much fun the Campaign isn't, we doubt you'll want to bother with either of these.


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Good luck hitting the bad guys without shooting your pal.

For those who like to share the pain, the game also boasts some multiplayer action, which can be played with nearby friends via the DS' Wi-Fi, or over the Internet through Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service (both of which work fairly smoothly). The modes are rather standard and play the way they do in other games. Besides Free for All (a.k.a. Deathmatch), there are also some team-based modes, such as Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and a variation on VIP called Hunter/Prey. But without a headset mic, playing most team-based games (save for Team Deathmatch) is kind of pointless over the Internet, since it's impossible to work together or coordinate your attack. Via system-to-system Wi-Fi, however, this can be compensated by playing on two sides of a big room with people who are good at whispering. Or blinking Morse code.

Visually, the game doesn't look as bad as it plays. Sure, it doesn't hold a candle to the other versions, but for the DS, it holds its own. It kind of reminds me of the original WWII FPS on consoles, such as the first Medal of Honor on the PlayStation back in 1999. Sure, the enemy soldiers look boxy, but they are distinct enough from your allies to prevent any friendly fire. Or worse, your welcoming someone with open arms, only to get a face full of lead. The game also has decent sound, far better than some DS games I've played recently (especially when you use a good set of headphones).

Ultimately, this version of Call of Duty: World at War shows why first-person shooters don't work on the DS -- at least, not when they insist on using the touch-screen. Somewhere, James Bond is laughing.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.