 |
| Tiny Fights Big Action |
It's up to you and your nano ship to stop an evil nano virus from spreading across the micro-verse. Good thing you have endless ammo because the constant barrage of bad guys will make your head spin. I guess that's par for the course though when it comes to shoot'em ups, and with this overhead shooter demanding you rotate constantly on an xyz axis you'll give Linda Blair a run for her head-spinning money. I don't normally play games from this genre, but after having tried a demo and seeing that the price had dropped for a little bit, I figured it was time to jump in my nano-ship and blast some baddies. So how does it hold up?
Controls
The left analog stick controls your movement, the right controls your weapon. I like how tight the controls feel with this set up and it reminds me of Smash TV so bonus points for that. It's immensely satisfying to have your maximum number of satellites orbiting you and whipping them around like a whirling-dervish as you blast through enemies If you have a special power up, you control that by tapping the ZR button. One of the key features I appreciate about this game is your ability to control the both angle and direction that your satellite/option is aimed, not to mention the position of the satellite in relation to your ship.
Graphics and Style
 |
| Only you and your robot buddies can defeat the evil micro-pickles! |
With glorious 60 frames per second animation and a visual style feels reminiscent of the Metroid Prime intro screen, how can I not love the graphics of this game? Sometimes I think game designers are too eager to try out new stuff or emulate the 8-bit style that they forget how much joy you can get from an old style that isn't necessarily 30 years old.. Just look at that screen shot. A special glow and shine surrounds each laser blast, each explosion and each enemy is resplendent with....
Okay, as beautiful as the graphics are they can actuall can grow really annoying at times. I think half the time I was hit in the game was because I was confused as to what was just left over explosion residue from an enemy, and what was an incoming projectile. I still like the style though, don't get me wrong; I just wish some of the projectiles weren't so overly bright.
Music
Might make for good exercise music as well.
I already mentioned how the visuals remind me of the Gamecube classic Metroid Prime, I would say the same goes for the music of this game to a degree. It does remind me of some of the Prime series' boss battles--only it has a bit of a 90's techno feel. How so? Heavy thumping techno music pretty much pervades each level, and not in a bad or annoying way. The composer has some nice touches to the underlining rhythms that while not unique and catchy enough to help you remember the music, certainly keeps your heart pumping and makes you feel the action of the moment. These are positives working in the game's favor as it heightens your desire to restart the game immediately should you get the dreaded Game Over.
Final Analysis
Chalk this shoot'em up in the "better than average" category. While I would definitely say that you'll have fun playing it if you enjoy shoot'em ups, I would recommend waiting for one of the times that the game goes on sale. With other games on the Wii U offering richer content for less...well, I don't know. Not that I'm totally a cheapy--but whether you are grabbing a retro game or a brand new one, regardless of the price you want something that you will get the most out of. Not that I expect a Shoot'Em Up to last the same length of time as a meaty RPG, but I suspect that if I was better at shooters I would breeze through the game after only a few tries. I know to those looking to get bang out of their buck it might seem like too little time to spend nearly $10 on; but even that breezing would be an enjoyable one.
Graphics/Visual Style: 8/10
Music: 7/10
Control: 8/10
Overall Rating of Gameplay: 8/10
*Note: I'm thinking of shortening the length of these reviews. I already trimmed a bit in comparison to the last two. Not sure if it just felt like there was less to talk about with the game or if it would just be wise in general to get these shorter. Either way, I may bounce back to longer reviews if I feel the game warrants it.
No comments:
Post a Comment