Has the glut of games this holiday season got you worn out? Tired of slaying radioactive zombies and saving ungrateful princesses? Then what you need is a gaming vacation on a tropical island. Tropix for the DS is a smorgasbord of nearly a dozen relaxing casual games with a tropical twist.

Tropix is just a collection of around 11 mini-games. There are puzzlers like a Zuma clone and a match-three-fruits-in-a-row challenge. Familiar classics like Solitaire, Sudoku, and bowling. And a few light action games like vine swinging and parasailing. With the exception of one game, all others control with the touch screen and stylus and all work well.

By playing the games you can earn sand dollars to buy more things for your islands. The more stuff you buy, the more games you can unlock. You can also play a few with a nearby friend with a DS in single or multi-card play. All the games play well and are easy to pick up and understand. Tropix is great for people who enjoy casual gaming.

Kid Factor
Tropix is rated E-10 for Everyone 10 and up with ESRB descriptors of Comic Mischief, Simulated Gambling, and Use of Alcohol. There is no violence. If your monkey falls off a vine in the Jungle Jump game, he just drops to the ground and says “Ouch!” I guess the simulated gaming comes from you winning sand dollars by playing the games. And the alcohol reference is just a picture of a mug of beer you can buy for your island. Reading skill is helpful but the games are so simple that anyone can figure them out. Even though it’s rated E-10, I’d let any kid play Tropix.

Tags: Game Reviews