Now, let me say a little something first. When I first heard about the DS…I…I rolled my eyes a little. I was very, very apprehensive about it until I played this past May at E3. Shortly after playing, I fell madly in love with the little gizmo (not to be confused with Gizmondo). Once back home in the hilly world of Western Pennsylvania, I took all the effort I could to squirrel away information about the system and it's upcoming titles. One that caught my eye was under the working title "Project Rub" from SEGA. I love Sega, and I think they make some of the most original games, and given the sheer fun I had with the Sonic DS demo at E3, I knew whatever this was had to be good.

Fast forward to November 21, 2004. DS launch day here in the good old U. S. of A. I, because of questionable practices, had to wait about two weeks to get my actual DS system, but I was able to purchase my Project Rub, now known as Feel the Magic: XY/XX.

The winds of change!...nobody got the reference...

I do not believe there is one word that could honestly describe, nor would just one word due this game justice. Never before in my life have I loved and hated a game as equally as I have loved this. Love. I think that may be the word to bring it all together…

Consider the story, the tale of our young, affable hero who falls madly in love with a girl, and to win her over he joins a super group called the Rub Rabbits (sexual connotations abound). Alas, he is not alone in his pursuit of the fair maiden, as there is another fella, large with a funny looking Mohawk, who has been smitten. It is up to you to guide our young friend through unendingly fun, yet torturous, mini-games. This story, interesting in it's own right, is made even more awesome by the mini-games and how each game has some aspect of the story involved…but that is for all of you out there in DS land, to find out.

The games, first and foremost, are amazing. With 30 different games to play (sequentially in story mode and then at your own perusal in Memories mode), the game just seems to keep expanding. As it were, they began simple and easy going, but evolved by the end to some of the most complex, and quite difficult, I might add, games I'd played. In the beginning you start of with games like "Goldfish," "Candle," and "Painter." Goldfish requires one to rub upward inside a man's stomach to make him…throw up the goldfish (and in memories mode, turtles and things). Candle requires you to blow on the screen, which is misleading, to blow out a lit candle. You're blowing at the screen, sure, but it's the embedded microphone that picks up the static and creates the gust. In painter it becomes your job to break the law and show your absolute love by defacing a wall (just rub inside the lines and you're good, Fryman). The "boss" battles are just freakin' crazy. Running over people and then throwing them with a giant rubber band, or fighting a giant plant and shooting down missiles. Only the Japanese, er, SEGA could come up with a game like this.

This game really gave new meaning to playing with pussy.

The graphics are amazingly awesome. From the opening cinema, much like Jet Grind/Jet Set Radio Future, it had a unique style that really just fit the mold perfectly. From the water "effects" in some of the games, to the vivid use of color (such that blue hair doesn't always have to be in an RPG), the game impresses thoroughly and excellently to all eyes. Also, let us not overlook the fluidity of the game, in which I never once experienced a hiccup or slowdown of any type, even during the most intense parts.

My biggest concern, which was quickly put to rest, was the issue I refer to as "too much technology, not enough time." When a system launches (pretty much all of them, to be fair, God knows Nintendo has screwed the pooch before at launch), there is always one or two titles that just somehow slip through quality control and go straight to market. In many of the instances it has led to terrible, shoddy control or poor response, things like that. I feared, above all else, that as the game became more intense, much like during a boss battle, it would become strained and sometimes the touch controls would become less responsive or even buggy/glitchy. Not at all. Never once did I experience an issue of sluggish controls or an unresponsive touch screen.

Whilst discussing controls, I issue a word of caution: To those who find the original Xbox controller (I call it the Wookiee Paw controller) comfortable, and have hands large enough for it, you may have an issue playing this game. The only instances I found aggravating, and it's not a design flaw, was sometimes the screen would be obscured by my fingers holding the stylus. You know, in a game about love and pursuit of a beautiful woman, it might have been wise to pack in a bigger stick.

And it proves that all women want the ring...and Sauron, but that's a different story.

The music was hilarious, but fitting. Slower games had slower music, while more active had jumpy music. Have you ever heard comedian Eddie Izzard explain Stonehenge? Well, it's like when he compares it to Trump Tower. At Stonehenge you've got a mystical atmosphere and need something like monks chanting in the background, unlike Trump Tower where you would need a chorus line. Only one or two songs really get on your nerves, but the games don't take too long to play through, which makes it tolerable. The opening music is fantastic, and the little voice snippets are what sell the comedy, though. Imagine the most cliché sound effects, now make them Japanese, with funny looking pictures and silly music. As if that weren't enough, once story mode has been completed, you can unlock the sound test menu and play all the songs and sounds to your heart's desire, while all the characters dance on the top screen. I will be the first to admit…I hummed along with a lot of the music…in public. It really freaked people out.

And if ever a game I find with such pick-up-and-play appeal, I will buy it in a heartbeat. What one must understand is that I'm a pretty busy guy. Between being a full-time student, a full-time retail whore, and this website, I don't have large blocks of time in which to play games, such that any game I can pick up and play for five minutes and make progress is a winner in my book. Don't get me wrong, you can sit down and play this for two hours straight and not make it anywhere (when you get near the end, you'll see why), or you can play for twenty-five minutes and burn through ten mini-games. It's one of the most perfect blends of short and long play. It's like watching the Pittsburgh Steelers. If they run the ball, it takes a while but things still get done. If they throw the ball, everything happens quickly, but the opposition gets a crack at it sooner. I may be able to say it is too difficult to determine a length-of-play projection, as it will take a different amount of time for each person to play through. Once story mode has been completed, you aren't done. It opens up hard mode of play, and, naturally, you have to collect all the different hairstyles, clothing and shoes for the girl through memories mode. It almost becomes an unending endeavor, but a tremendously enjoyable one, unlike some games, BloodRayne, for example.

The general presentation is something similar to Wario Ware, only if you lit it on fire while on a bad trip of X. From the crazy audio, insane games, hilarious story and just all around zaniness, this is one of the absolute most fun games I've played in…forever. If you have a DS, you owe it to yourself, your friends, SEGA to get this damn game. Are you going yet? You really should. Well, hop to, Ace. Life is passing you by. You never know, you might just happen to bump into that special someone on the way.