DS Review: Dream Day Wedding: Destinations

When I first stumbled across this game, I was expecting something akin to the Imagine: Wedding Designer game, expect perhaps a little more maturely based (judging by the pictures on the box). Having been involved in the planning of several weddings in real life, you could say I've "caught the bug", as it were, and couldn't resist picking this one up.

While I can't tell you that it's even remotely similar to the other title (because it's nothing like it), I can tell you that it IS an interesting game! Your character is a wedding planner who has to help plan 3 couples' weddings. About 90% of the levels you'll play are pretty much like "I Spy" games, but in a good way! They're VERY challenging, even for someone who's quite skilled in these games. The items you find, however, are at random; they usually don't have anything to do with weddings. But that's beside the point! Adding to your challenge is that you are given a 5 minute time limit...not for just one, but completing TWO levels in the allotted time given. It's harder than it would sound, believe me! If you don't complete the second puzzle under the time limit, you have to do them both over again until you do get it. Eventually you'll learn the different hiding spots for most of the different items, which makes the game easier as it progresses, but it takes a while to catch on, since they're not always in the very same spot.

In between these puzzles, you must also fill your clients' requests that they email you (but they'll usually do this before a level, which will often distract you and make you forget what they wanted). In addition, there's other bonus mini-games such as having to bake the wedding cakes, stitch the wedding dresses, do last minute shopping in the middle of hectic rush hour, etc. As these 'disasters' happen in each couple's story, it makes me think one thing: you need MUCH better colleagues! ;)

I only have one real complaint about this game, and it's that the accuracy you need with your stylus is SO overly hyper-sensitive that even with a 100% perfectly calibrated DS (and now I've seen the difference between my old one and my brand new one), you might have to touch certain items a couple times in slightly different spots to get it to register. If your calibration's even a little off, chances are you won't be able to play this game. Most things like the search levels, you can get through trial and error, but for the stitching of the wedding dress? It will render you helpless if it's not precisely on it. (Just thought you should know!) But overall, it's actually a pretty good game. I found through a little bit of searching that there is apparently a whole line of different "Dream Day Wedding" games (although only the one for the DS as of yet) so who knows? There seems to be a whole array to pick from to try next, and I hope Nintendo will release some of these other titles for the DS as well. :) I'm scoring this game a 7 out of 10 wedding bells!