You remember the early 2000s, right? It was a weird time for gaming. Companies were slapping their mascots on everything, trying to turn snacks into digital heroes. Some were disasters. But honestly, M and Ms Adventure on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 was such a specific vibe that people are still hunting for old cartridges today.
It’s not some high-brow masterpiece. It’s a platformer. You play as the iconic candy characters—Red, Yellow, and Green—as they trek through different historical eras to recover lost ingredients. Think of it as a playable commercial that actually had some heart.
What M and Ms Adventure Was Actually Like
The plot is basically a fever dream. The M&M’s are at the factory, things go sideways, and suddenly you're platforming through the Middle Ages and Ancient Egypt. It was developed by Nikitova Games and published by Destination Software. If those names don't ring a bell, it's because they were the kings of "budget" titles that filled the shelves of GameStop and Walmart back in the day.
The levels are surprisingly varied. One minute you're dodging knights, and the next you’re jumping over pits in a volcano. It’s classic "collect-a-thon" gameplay. You need to find all the scattered M&M’s candies to progress. Simple? Yeah. Frustrating? Sometimes, mostly because the hit detection was a little wonky. But for a game meant to sell chocolate, it didn't feel like a total cash grab.
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The Weird Appeal of Licensed Games
Why do we care about a candy game twenty years later? Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. But also, there’s a charm in how straightforward these games were. There were no microtransactions. No "battle passes." Just you, a snarky Red M&M, and some moderately challenging jumps.
The DS version, specifically, tried to use the dual-screen setup in ways that felt high-tech at the time. You’d use the bottom screen for menus and tracking your candy count while the top screen handled the 3D action. It wasn't The Legend of Zelda, but for a kid in the backseat of a minivan in 2008, it was peak entertainment.
Breaking Down the Gameplay Mechanics
Each character had a slightly different feel, though the core loop remained the same. You run, you jump, you attack. The enemies were themed to the time period. In the "Western" levels, you’re dealing with tumbleweeds and outlaws. In the "Future" levels, it’s robots.
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- The Environments: There were about 8 main zones.
- The Bosses: They were surprisingly tough if you didn't time your jumps right.
- The Music: Deeply repetitive but somehow stays stuck in your head for three days.
The graphics were... well, they were DS graphics. Blocky textures and low-resolution sprites. On the PS2, things looked a bit smoother, but you could tell it wasn't pushing the hardware. Still, the character animations for Red and Yellow were spot on. They captured that "reluctant hero" vs. "lovable goofball" dynamic from the commercials perfectly.
Why the Internet Can't Let It Go
If you look at speedrunning communities or retro gaming forums, M and Ms Adventure pops up more than you’d think. Why? Because it’s "kusoge"—a Japanese term for "crap game" that is actually fun to play because of its quirks.
The physics are floaty. Sometimes you’ll clip through a wall. Other times, a jump that looks impossible works perfectly. For speedrunners, these glitches are gold. They turn a 5-hour casual play-through into a 20-minute sprint of technical exploits.
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Is It Worth Playing Now?
Look, if you’re expecting Elden Ring, stay away. But if you have an old DS Lite gathering dust and $10 to spend on eBay, it’s a fun afternoon. It represents an era of gaming that doesn't really exist anymore—the "B-tier" licensed game. Today, candy brands just do crossovers in Fortnite or Roblox. They don't commission entire 3D platformers.
There's a certain soul in these mid-tier projects. The developers were clearly working with a limited budget and a strict license, yet they tried to build something with multiple worlds and boss fights. It’s a piece of gaming history, even if it’s a small, chocolate-coated piece.
Practical Steps for Retro Collectors
If you're looking to track down a copy of M and Ms Adventure, keep a few things in mind. The DS version is the most common and usually the cheapest. However, if you want the "best" visual experience, the PS2 version is the way to go, though it's slightly harder to find in good condition with the original manual.
- Check Local Retro Shops: These "budget" games are often in the $5 bin because shop owners don't think they're worth much.
- Verify the Region: Most DS games are region-free, but if you're buying the PS2 version, make sure it matches your console (NTSC vs. PAL).
- Clean the Contacts: Old DS carts often fail because of simple oxidation. A little isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip usually fixes "Read Errors" instantly.
- Emulation is an Option: If you just want to see what the fuss is about without spending money, most DS emulators run this game flawlessly because it doesn't use any complex hardware tricks.
The real value in M and Ms Adventure isn't in the gameplay itself, but in the memory of a time when games were just simple, weird, and focused on one thing: making you want a bag of chocolate while you avoided falling into a pit of lava. It’s a time capsule.
Pro Tip: If you're playing the DS version, don't ignore the touch screen elements. Some of the mini-games are actually required for 100% completion, and they're surprisingly picky about where you tap. Also, watch the shadow beneath your character; since the depth perception in early 3D games is notoriously bad, the shadow is your only real guide for landing jumps.