Product Description

Inspired by the hit PC title and built on the game engine behind the critically acclaimed Age of Empires: Age of Kings, Age of Empires: Mythologies will be the ultimate portable tactical strategy game with its refined gameplay, inspired design, fantastic multiplayer, and extensive replay value. Age of Empires: Mythologies for the Nintendo DS is a compelling new turn-based strategy game that challenges players to shape the destiny of three unique cultures in a fantasy world filled with mighty heroes, legendary monsters, and powerful gods. Players will lead their Egyptian, Greek, and Norse heroes to victory by raising massive armies, waging war, exploring new frontiers, and advancing through three distinct ages that offer fantastic new units, abilities, and god powers like lighting storms, earthquakes, and devastating plagues that players can call on to smite their enemies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #962 in Video Games
• Brand: THQ
• Model: 36166
• Published on: 2008-11
• Released on: 2008-11-24
• ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .66" h x 5.45" w x 5.82" l, .25 pounds

Features

• Three Unique Playable Civilizations: Command Greek, Egyptian, and Norse armies in an epic struggle for supremacy.
• Three Unique Single-Player Campaigns: Players will besiege the ancient city of Troy, battle amongst the pyramids of Egypt, and explore the snow covered mountains of the North.
• Divine Powers: By choosing specific gods to worship and satisfy, players can tailor their powers and explore a variety of strategies and play styles.
• Expanded Multiplayer Experience: Supports four player battles via local connection or Nintendo Wi-Fi and offers more maps, customizable rules, and a new Skirmish Mode lets players build their own custom starting armies.

Customer Reviews

A long anticipated sequel for the Nintendo DS
**** NOTE *** in this review I will be comparing Age of Empire: Mythologies to theAge of Empires: The Age of Kings both are Nintendo DS versions. My thought process is if you liked the original you will have interest in the sequel.

Age of Empires: The Age of Kings is my favorite game for the Nintendo DS. In fact, it is about the only game that I play on a consistent basis. The problem is that I have beat the game dozens of times and I have been eagerly awaiting a new challenge. Age of Empires: Mythologies offers me new albeit slightly modified challenges.

The differences- (I am listing just a few)

- Age of Empires: Mythologies lack the overall depth of Age of Kings - there are fewer technologies, soldiers, heros, maps.... and so on. Basically, the newer version lacks the overall depth of the previous.
- Soldiers/Heros do not gain "Experience" by fighting additional battles. In fact, they stay at the same fighting level until you advance to a new
- Mythologies has better graphics that the original.
- Heros only have one special ability instead of four.
- Wi-fi abilities have been added to Mythologies.
- There additional ways to win instead of just "total conquest". By capturing and keeping temples you can earn a "Temple Victory".
- When you "Age-up" in Mythologies you add a new God to your temple. Each God has special powers and abilities that you can research.
- Only three civilizations - Greeks, Egyptians, and the Norse to choose from.


Things that are similar
- Battle sequences are nearly identical.
- building farms,town,mines
- Both games offers campaigns and features that can be unlocked.

**** NOTES TO PARENTS****

Age of Empires is a war based game, however it is not overly violent. The game does not feature any type of bloodshed. Depending on your child's interest in Mythology the game can be educational since many of the characters and scenarios are pulled straight of ancient literature.

In terms of gameplay - Age of Empires (both versions) are somewhat complicated and may be difficult for kids that are not strong reader or if they do enjoy analytical problems.

******************************

Final Verdict - If I was on an island and could only choose one Nintedo DS game it would be Age of Empires; Age of Kings, since it is a game that offers more depth. However, Age of Empires: Mythologies offers a nice addition and has the added benefit of online play.

4 stars

Very fun and enjoyable strategy game for the DS
I bought this game last week, and have been unable to put it down since, it is VERY addictive! I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, seeing as how the only other strategy game I've played was the SRPG Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (which is also an excellent game!), but I have enjoyed every minute of it. I can't compare it to the previous Age of Empires, as this is my first one, but Mythologies more than holds it's own.

MULTIPLAYER: Age of Empires: Mythologies supports Wireless DS Single-Card Download Play (1-2 Players), as well as Wireless DS Multi-Card Play (1-4 Players) and Online Play. I have yet to play multi-card play and Online Play, but the single-card download play was a blast! The premise of the multiplayer is the same as the campaign mode, where you try to defeat each other. The multiplayer matches can be very long, my cousin and I ended up playing a single match for over an hour, but they're a lot of fun.

5/5

GRAPHICS: The graphics are some of the best I've seen on the DS. They are colorful and sharp, with no jagged edges or blurriness. The characters and maps are very well-detailed. The graphics rival those from Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.

4.5/5

GAMEPLAY: There are quite a few modes to play in Mythologies, including Single Player Campaign, Skirmish, and Scenario, as well as the Multiplayer modes. I have yet to play the Skirmish and Scenario modes, as the Campaign mode is sucking up all my time. The story is kinda lacking, but the gameplay more than makes up for it. On each board, you (typically) start with few characters, and must train more from the buildings that you build. There are two ways to win, either by Complete Conquest, where you defeat the opponents entire army and buildings, or what is called a Temple Victory, where you win (or lose) by default after you (or your opponent) reaches a certain number of Victory Points.

4/5

All in all, you really can't go wrong with this game. At $19.99, this game is a steal, even if you play just for the multiplayer. As a newcomer to the series, I look forward to playing Age of Kings, and any other Age of Empires that may be released for the DS.

Any questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment, and I will try to answer your question ASAP.

A Fantastic Sequel to an Already Great Game.
What can I say but Wow! This game is just great. The first Age of Empires was good, but this follow up is near perfect. So many extra features like relics, god powers, lots of different research options, and myth characters/heroes to play. The game has a bunch of unlockables (boards, charterers, and items), and after you finish the first 3 campaigns (24 boards) you can play through them all again on a hard campaign. And if all those boards aren't enough for you there are 24 scenario boards where you can play the different civilizations against each other (Egyptian, Greek, or Norse), plus you get to use the enemy heroes on some of these boards. For those who still need more, don't forget the vs. mode so you can play against human players online or in person.
I've played most of these type games for gameboy, and if only the newest version of Advance wars (Days of Ruin) could have been nearly half as good of a sequel as this game is.
Just to wrap up, again a Fantastic game, I highly recommend it. Hours and hours of enjoyable play time. No one who likes this type game should be without it.