Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized review

A valiant effort, but tries too hard to be its console brother

12DOVE Verdict

Pros

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    Satisfying gun combat

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    Feels like a fun shooting gallery

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    Minigames complement combat

Cons

  • -

    Sluggish performance

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    Focus on iron sights slows down fun

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    Hand cramping

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized recognizes and reproduces what its franchise has always been known for. Enemies constantly pouring out of nooks and crannies while you push forward with bullet fed justice. However, Mobilized is missing what makes its big brother such a blockbuster experience: insane amounts of polish.

It’s nice to see n-Space bring a first-person shooter to the Nintendo DS, but even with our expectations in check, Mobilized still feels dull. If anything more than a gun appears on screen, get ready for performance problems. Things tumble downhill as your left hand quickly cramps as you earnestly squint and aim at distant enemies that look like a few brown and green dots.

Yet even with those cramps, the core shooting behind Mobilized remains incredibly fun (especially with such a great assortment of weapons). Your AN94 assault rifle rips through rounds with a satisfying burst that leaves crumpled foes.

Still, we wish n-Space removed the iron sight aiming; awkwardly tapping the top right corner to toggle it only slows everything down. Death comes fast, and having this mechanic brings it faster. It seems iron sights are here to stop Call of Duty fans from yelling sacrilege, but it’s simply not a good fit for the DS.

From flying a reconnaissance plane to guessing computer passwords (which feels straight out of The Price is Right), the stylus based minigames break up the combat’s occasional monotony. Sometimes fun and other times not as much, the minigames give a much needed rest to your cramping hand.

More rest came when not a single player could be found for an online multi-player match. Unfortunate because replacing a linear mission with an unpredictable opponent usually results in fun. Mobilized cannot completely emulate its older brother and should get better at what makes it unique. That’s what our mothers always told us.

Nov 23, 2009

More info

GenreShooter
DescriptionSometimes taking advantage of the DS and others times not, Mobilized is a hit or miss experience. Taking down enemies is as fun as ever, but sluggish performance and a physically tiring control scheme is not fun. Mobilized tries hard to be like its next-generation brother, but instead it should have tried not to be.
Franchise nameCall of Duty
UK franchise nameCall Of Duty
Platform"DS"
US censor rating"Teen"
UK censor rating"16+"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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