Happy Face D.I.Y. is played entirely with the DS's touch screen. Happy Face's movement isn't control directly with the touch pad. Instead, the stylus is used to draw lines on the screen that Happy Face will roll along, using magic ink. Once the ink meter runs low, it refills on it's own. (Slowly when the character is in the air, but quickly when they are on the ground.) The ink can be used to stop Happy Face as well by blocking him. The top screen is only used to display a map and other statistics, depending on the mode in which is being played.