Other things you can do with My DoItAll are not as practical, but they can be fun to use once in awhile. First of all, when you start the game you create your own character. This is done similarly to the Miis on the Nintendo Wii, selecting from many different hair styles, eyes, eye and skin color, eyebrows, noses, mouths, and their corresponding positioning. Nothing can be rotated, but everything can be tweaked to be higher up or lower, closer together or more separate, etc. I enjoyed the character creator, but unfortunately the avatar is not used for much, other than playing little games. You can exchange your contact card with other people, but they need to own the game too, so it's not extremely useful.

Sound-driven applications like the Rhythm Machine, Sound Effects, and Voice Changer are interesting additions that could be appealing for some kids, especially if they're into the YouTube phase, creating their own videos and such. You can play a couple dozen different sound effects, create new rhythms with rock, metal, or pop influence, and even record your voice and tweak the pitch / gravity, play it backwards, etc. Honestly, there isn't much to these little applications. You can do these things on the computer a thousand times better, but it could be fun for a few giggles with your friends.

So, what else can you find in My DoItAll? There's a Dice application where you can select and throw different kinds of dice; there's a Spinner where you can type a few options, but it doesn't work very well; there's a Poll system where you can ask your friends questions by passing the DS around or via wireless ad-hoc; and finally, there are three games mostly based on luck. The first, Boxes of Doom, will display a group of boxes and you and your friends will have to lift them up, taking turns, until one of you uncovers the clown (loser!). The second game, Ninety-Eight, is a card game. It can be played wirelessly and with only one game cartridge. All you have to do is discard your cards in hand, taking turns, and add them all up until one of you goes over 98 (again, loser!). The third game, Crazy Eights, is also card-based. It's similar to UNO because you have to match the color or number of the card that's facing up until one of you manages to get rid of all the cards in hand.

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As you can see, everything in this title is very simplistic, and so are the visuals, menu interface, etc. Everything is user-friendly, simple, and appropriate, but it doesn't have much spark anywhere, which would have made the title more attractive. In addition, I found some of the menus to be slightly confusing, but I also appreciated the shortcuts to the different applications available at almost any time through a simple tap on the top-left corner of the screen. The design choices in general might not have been the best, but they do the job.

So, what's the verdict? Does My DoItAll really do it all? Yes and no. It's true that this package contains more features than you would imagine right off the bat, but I also think you'd get over it fast, as they're not particularly useful. Also, most of the apps are the kind of thing you would take for granted on a modern handheld system such as the DS. Why it didn't come preloaded with some of these features is a mystery, but you know almost every modern phone / music player / gaming handheld out there can play music and even videos, has a calendar, notepad, organizer, calculator, and much more. That's why I don't find this software appealing enough, even if I got excited with the unit and currency calculator. Also, at $30, the price is quite steep! I guess we'll have to leave this one for a younger audience with a desire to learn new things.

By Maria Montoro
CCC Site Director