For better or for worse, there's an artist in each of us.  Whether you’re a modern Rembrandt or just can't resist filling in the empty spaces in books and college papers, most of us have dabbled in the art of visually jotting down the masterpieces in our minds.  But I’m not talking about the bored accountant or self-proclaimed hipster 'artists' we've all run into; I’m referring to the active child who’d rather be drawing instead of taking afternoon naps or engaging in other busy-work activities whenever they can.  Based on a best-selling line of Kodansha Japanese drawing books (what won’t they think of next) comes Let’s Draw for the Nintendo DS, which lets you do exactly that when the teachers take away the crayons and coloring books.  Not that I’m advising children to disobey teachers for the sake of creating their own fun…well, maybe just a little.

There's no shortage of drawing-based games for the DS, most of these focus on using the stylus to complete tasks and assist an otherwise normal game by creating objects and using them during gameplay.  Let's Draw isn't as concerned with actual gameplay as it is simply allowing users (presumably much younger children) to simply draw and color their work with simple tools and easy-to-use interface.  The overall experience is divided into three areas: Free Draw, Tutorial, and Mini-Games.

Free Draw is just as it sounds, where anyone can immediately jump in and start creating using the available tools and color pallet.  While this won't challenge Photoshop masters, the key here is simplicity as tools are limited to thin/thick pen, crayon, and eraser for basic line drawings, with twelve different colors to choose from.  Keeping things as basic as possible was a great choice, as younger children would likely feel overburdened with anything more complex than what's available here.

Those looking for a helping hand will definitely want to check out the tutorial section, where helpful step-by-step tutorials are presented in friendly spoken commands that help give guidance into the world of drawing.  I'd recommend that new users (and their parents) spend time in this section, as its a great way to create more complex designs and shapes without getting discouraged.

The mini-games are where most kids will likely spend their time, as apart from offering the only true 'game' element to the package, it's here they can turn their static images into something more interactive.  Most of the available games here, including whack-a-mole, balloon pop, bug battles, etc, offer nice variety and make good use of the stylus to play with.

Being able to replace the stock images with your own artwork will be the main drawing point here, and it's a little thrilling to have your drawings suddenly come alive (the game animates them with subtle movements) with minimal effort.  This subtle, but welcome, interaction between creator and the games they're playing can't be overstressed, and this alone earns the package a resounding recommendation from me.

While the basic elements of letting younger children create and play with their own artwork is extremely well done, I wish the developers had included the ability to share their creations to other DS (or even the Wii) consoles.  Another nice touch would have been the ability to view creations in the DSi console's album section, which would have let them be used as the initial viewing screen on the console, or uploaded via Facebook to share with friends and family.  But again, these are just small niggles I have, as the core fundamentals are quite solid and incredibly simple to understand and use right away.

Kodansha is an expert in this field, and it shows with the inventive drawing primer Let’s Draw for the Nintendo DS.  With an emphasis on basic tools and color this should satisfy beginners on a primary level, and is a great way to introduce the mechanics of digital creation in a fun, interactive package.  The ability to add original artwork to the various mini-games is an outstanding addition that really sells the idea, and parents will love having a way to harness their budding artist's talent without having to clean red maker off the bedroom walls. Whether or not your child becomes a visual prodigy is up to them, but giving them this sound alternative isn’t a bad place to start.  Games like this are what the DS was made for.