very Japanese-y, Astro Boy: Omega Factor comes from the publisher of Sonic the
Hedgehog and Nights into Dreams and the developer of Ikaruga and Wario World.
It’s credits like those that sparked my interest in Astro Boy. I’ve never
seen the show and after playing the game I am certain I don’t want to.
However, it does deserve a few pats on the back, because without the show’s
inspiration we wouldn’t have this unusual, unorthodox, uninhibited game.
Astro Boy just might have
invented a new game genre. It comes into the world with a complex (but easy
to execute) blend of evasive flight moves. The indication is that Astro Boy
has the power to fly, but in the game you’re limited to dashing and hovering
only. This creates the challenge that hardcore gamers will welcome and
endure, and is the reason why Metal Slug fans will be eager to get their hands
on it and unleash their hard-earned skills.
Despite having levels and
enemy situations that are nearly as difficult as Metal Slug, the gameplay
experience is much different. There’s shooting in this game, but it’s not the
primary form of combat. Astro Boy is loaded with a Dragon Ball Z-style laser
beam; a powerful, combo-creating kick; and three special attacks that deal
optimal damage. He can punch his enemies several times for multiple
consecutive hits, but it’s the kick, which can only hit once, that’s really
fun to use. Most enemies will be thrown back, hitting anything in its path.
Should the kicked enemy have four baddies behind him, they’ll get knocked
around like bowling balls. This move is heightened with great sound effects
— successive beats that get higher and higher. Not drum beats, but the
classic, 16-bit style beats you remember from the early 90s.
The dashing and hovering
that I spoke of is perhaps the most important part of this game. Astro Boy is
at the mercy of his over-sized enemies, many of which have stronger attack
power and a larger life meter. Your only line of defense: dashing. At any
point in the game the player can tap the directional pad twice (left or right)
to evade an attack. You can also dash upward, and then choose to dash left or
right before falling. That sounds logical, but there’s a twist: evading makes
Astro Boy invulnerable to attacks. He cannot be hit, touched or tackled at
any time while dashing. "Eureka! This game will be no match for mere!"
That’s what you think. Astro Boy gave you this life-saving tool for a
reason. Knowing that you have hope, the developers decided to crush that hope
by throwing in more enemies. In some levels boss battles occur one after the
other. The game usually saves after each battle, making the challenge
considerably less overwhelming than Metal Slug. You still won’t beat it in a
day, however. Maybe two or three days, but only if you’re really hardcore.
With a taste of Capcom
fighting games baked in the middle, Astro Boy lets players fill an EX gauge
and execute one of three special attacks. The EX gauge fills just by
successfully hitting an opponent. The attacks range from cool to extremely
weird: a lunging fist; a powerful laser beam shot from the hands (this one is
far superior to your standard laser); or a cannon that shoots from Astro Boy’s
shorts. It looks weird and makes absolutely no sense, but that’s true of
everything in this game.
Astro Boy takes a cue
from Devil May Cry by giving the player the chance to upgrade his statistics.
Life (energy bar), Punch (melee attack power), Laser, Shot, Jet (the number of
times you can jet), and Sensor can be upgraded as you encounter Tezuka
characters. What’s a Tezuka character, you ask? I know it has something to
do with the game’s story and likely came from the cartoon. The dialogue
didn’t hold my interest long enough for me to find out, but it didn’t affect
the gameplay. It’s doubtful that you’ll require a more detailed explanation,
but if you do the game manual should be able to help you out.
Given the game’s heritage
(and the childish hero on the box), you might imagine that Astro Boy has a a
dark side. Not a cool dark side like Anakin Skywalker, or a mature dark side
that would prevent kids from playing it.
We Americans love great
games just as much as Japanese gamers, so the gameplay can be equally
appreciated in all parts of the world. Their taste in television, however, is
very different from ours. Astro Boy’s dorky looks, silly enemies and annoying
story sequences will turn off most adult gamers. As much as I enjoy playing
this game, there were times when I had to take a break. Even I – a hardcore
gamer with varied tastes – can only take so much.
Can’t take these
annoyances? Then Astro Boy: Omega Factor should not be in your Game Boy
Advance collection. Otherwise there aren’t any reasons for me not to
recommend it. Astro Boy is great the first time through and has that
wonderful 16-bit quality that’ll make you want to play it several years from
now.
Gameplay: 9
If you want
something different, Sega’s here to provide it. Astro Boy is one of the most
unique titles you’ll find on any console. The new gameplay elements prove
that you can still create innovation on old technology.
As Astro Boy, players
find themselves in a world where enemies are sized like clothing, coming in
small, medium, and large. Boss battles are immensely challenging (some taking
place one after the other!).
Not all
of the levels are perfectly designed, but overall the gameplay is polished and
worth coming back to. Buy it for this reason and this reason only. Just
beware of the annoyances before you do.
Graphics: 6
Bright pretty
colors, but we’ve seen it all before. It’s worthy of a 7, but I’m giving it a
6 because I can’t stand the way the characters look (silly and childish). The
enlarged enemies are pixelated, giving me another reason to mark down the
graphics.
Sound: 6.9
Adding to the
graphical annoyances is the sound. I love the combo sound effects (where one
enemy bounces into another), but for the most part the sound and music lack
any memorable qualities.
Difficulty: Hard
It will crush
you. It will stomp on you, laugh at you. It might even point and stare!
Concept: 8
From a gameplay
standpoint, Astro Boy is pretty awesome. I love the idea of flying in a game,
and even though you can’t do that here, the dash/hover mechanics (which
simulate flying) are really good.
Overall: 8.5
Astro Boy will
surprise you with its challenge, its endurance, and its clever (and crazy)
boss battles. The dash-to-survive gameplay is very unique. Never before have
I been able to become invincible in a game so easily, yet still manage to die
by the hands of my enemies.
Puzzles are nowhere to be
found, but you could argue that the boss battles are like puzzles. Their weak
spot is rarely obvious, and even when you figure it out, it’s not easy to get
to it. You’ll have to do more than evade attacks to get through these tough
baddies. They’ll suck you in, chew you up and spit you out. Come to think of
it, that’s one comedic, over-the-top element this game didn’t literally
tackle. Maybe in the sequel?
Regarding the annoyance
factor, I wish I could tell everyone to be safe and rent the game. If you use
an online renting service that should be a possibility. But if you go to one
of the typical rental chains, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to find it
(Blockbuster does not carry many GBA games). Unfortunately that means that to
experience the fun you have to take a thirty-dollar risk.
