GENRE
	Platformer
	DEVELOPER
	5th Cell
	PUBLISHER
	THQ
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	Yes
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	No
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Nintendojo was provided a copy of this game for review by a third party, though that does not affect our recommendation. For every review, Nintendojo uses a standard scoring criteria.

For those who prefer original heroes, items, weapons, and -- let's just get right down to it -- original games, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter might be just the ticket. Not only does the game allow one to design your own hero, arsenal, and, to a certain extent, environment, but it also allows the player to trade weapons, items, and other drawings with friends for an even bigger mash-up of original design.

From developer 5th Cell, which, with releases like Lock's Quest and Scribblenauts, is perhaps the most prolific of Western DS developers, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter picks up a bit after the first game left off, and involves some of the same characters. As in the original, the dark sprite Wilfre is making things miserable for the bunny people that inhabit the Drawn to Life world, even to turning their entire village to a black-and-white wasteland, so it's up to the Creator (the player) to take things into His own hands and sketch up a hero for the people.

This, of course, is the hook of the game. Players are welcome to create nearly any kind of hero they choose, from original characters to established heroes like Solid Snake or Link, to even making a representation of the player him- or herself. The sky is near literally the limit, and the even the number of arms and legs for the game's hero is optional. Making a hero that fits in perfectly with the bunny people of the game is somewhat difficult, but since that really isn't the point of the exercise, it isn't a big deal, and players who want to fit their hero in as much as possible can still give it the old college try.

The hero isn't the only part of the game that is designed from player input, though. Switches, platforms, weapons, and other items are also created from player input. If, for instance, one might want to whack badguys with a hockey stick or take them down with a salad shooter, that's totally possible, as is cookies, batteries, or even cans of adult beverage as power-ups. Of course, it's also possible to use pre-designed items, weapons, obstacles, and even heroes, as well, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the game.

So, if the aesthetics of the game depend on the individuality of the player, how about the rest? Well, it's not bad. The bones of Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter are comprised of a side-scrolling platfomer, complete with jumping and weapon-based combat. Since objects in the field of play, including the hero himself, are unique to the player and, in some cases, be several different sizes, the platforming and hit detection is not always precise. This isn't always a problem, but can make timing exact jumps and lining up attacks tricky.

In addition to helping the hapless bunny-people, the hero can also find bottled colors, which are used to restore the bleak, black-and-white worlds drained of color by Wilfre. Like the drawing segments, these are handled with the stylus, but unlike those portions of the game, re-coloring the towns are even simpler than a paint-by-numbers canvas, as the stylus must merely be traced over coloring randomly, while the game takes care of the rest.

Really, how great Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter happens to be kind of depends on how creative the player is. If one doesn't really feel like creating a third to a half of the game world, then the end product probably won't be that interesting. On the other hand, if someone is really into the creative portion of the game it might help overlook the somewhat bland, if functional, gameplay. Basically, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter gets an A for effort and flair, and a C for quality of play. Oh, wait, we don't give out letter grades, here, do we?

8.2/10