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Published May 15, 2011

Poor Mighty Milky Way couldn’t have crappier timing. DSiWare is in a weird state of limbo right now; the type of gamer was who was downloading DSiWare in the first place has likely graduated to the Nintendo 3DS, and that system’s eShop doesn’t launch for a few more weeks. It’s a damn shame, too, because MMW continues WayForward’s hot streak of games for the service.

A better dinos-in-space romp than Dino Crisis 3

Mighty Milky Way is a colorful puzzle-platformer with a heavy emphasis on managing various gravitational pulls as you navigate your green spacelady to the finish hole. Luna can jump on most planetoids twice; one tap results in a tiny hop, while a second blows up the planet and sends her flying in the direction she’s facing. Players can destroy, but they can also create; so long as Luna has a “planet candy” available, she can conjure a spherical surface anywhere in space. Early levels offers some puzzle-solving leeway, but later levels force players to take their time aiming jumps and figuring out the proper order of steps for careening through space.

WayForward has certainly earned its reputation of 2D mastery, and while this game isn’t the studio’s most technically accomplished, Luna and her nameless T-Rex still have plenty of personality. I’m not sure what inspired the decidedly French flavor — Luna’s a chatty Francophile and the levels are book-ended by scenes at Parisian cafes — but it helps the game stand out amidst all the DSiWare garbage. Also of note is Jake “virt” Kaufman’s terrific pop soundtrack.

It’s admittedly been a while since I’ve reviewed something for the site, but then it’s been quite some time since I’ve played a game this likely to slip under the radar. It’s easy to forget the DSi shop given Nintendo’s long history of neglect, but whether you grab this now or when the 3DS eShop launches, it’ll be 800 points well spent.

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