Arkanoid DS is almost exactly what you'd expect. If you've always been a huge fan of the series, then you'll probably be willing to customize things here and eliminate most weaknesses. You'll possibly even ignore the distracting bar through the middle of everything because it means that now you can play on the road.
If you've generally found the franchise a bit on the shallow side, though, you can safely ignore this newest installment. While it's a competent package and faithful to its predecessors, it doesn't offer anything particularly compelling for the modern gamer. Unless you're a total newcomer, the packaging was right: you know the drill.
TGH writes
2009 wasn't just the year of big name releases; there was also a very obvious attempt to revive some of gaming's longest running franchises. While that's not necessarily a new idea, it seemed like in this past year developers actually attempted to keep the feeling of the original games instead of just taking the name of a franchise and slapping it on something completely new. Take a look at some of the classics that received some nostalgic love this year, and reminisce about the good old days as you cross your fingers that 2010 holds the same retro...
411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Little King's Story, Katamari Damacy Tribute, Shatter, and Wii Sports Resort.
Poorly-reviewed update Arkanoid DS contains a hidden, far better Arkanoid game not mentioned in any reviews. UK gaming website WoS exclusively reveals and unlocks it.
Holy crap I haven't heard the name Arkanoid since the 80s. Classic 80s gameplay, I encourage everyone who loves classic gaming to get this.