E3 2008 Preview
– Hands On
Zubo is a quirky adventure game from EA’s
Bright Light studios in the UK. Billed as a “Rhythm-Action-RPG” Zubo has you
teaming up with 55 interesting characters, known as Zubos, as they fight the
evil Zombos through 13 different areas. Zubo is quite a unique title and could
become the sleeper hit for the DS when it ships next year.
Controlwise, Zubo looks to use the stylus
exclusively, allowing you to move your character by pointing to where you want
them to go on the screen, similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass.
Aside from using the stylus to move you’ll be able to drag flames from candles
in order to scare away ghosts, use the mic to blow away spiderwebs, and several
other great functions. Zubo takes full advantage of what the DS has to offer,
both gameplay-wise and aesthetically.
The battle system is also pretty
interesting, as this is where the rhythm-game element comes in. The attacks are
done in “rock-paper-scissors” fashion, with certain attacks doing more damage
against certain foes. In order to cause the most damage to your foes, you have
to tap the screen at the right moment during your attack animation, which will
correspond with a beat in the music (similar to Elite Beat Agents). As your
attacks get more and more powerful, the rhythm sections will get more complex
and difficult to pull off successfully.
As it stands, Zubo will be a pretty long
quest, clocking in at between 15-25 hours, or up to 35 if you’re the “do
everything” type. Graphically and musically, the game is excellent, with 2,048
polygons on the screen at any given time and some fantastically rendered music.
Look for Zubo to launch in Q1 2009.
