E3 06: Point Blank DS

Point Blank DS is an adaptation of the classic arcade lightgun title from Namco by the same name. Over the years I’ve probably dropped hundreds of dollars into Point Blank cabinets, so I was intrigued to find out that it would be brought over to the DS.

The DS iteration of Point Blank features levels pulled from all three arcade titles with some additional gameplay modes added in. Namco’s biggest addition to the classic set of levels is a new mode that they are calling “Brain Massage.” This mode has you performing specific tasks and you are given a score on you performance rather than just a simple pass/fail result.

Graphically Point Blank looks nearly identical to its arcade counterparts but the colors seem to pop a bit more on the DS screen than they did a few years back. The visuals are crazy and look to be inspired by some crazy dreams or a bad drug experience. Whatever brought them about, however, the style of Point Blank is alluring and begs to be approached.

In regards to the gameplay, I’m a little disappointed in the execution. The game felt novel and interesting at first, but tapping the touch screen like a madman lost its appeal rather quickly. Half of the charm in Point Blank is a result of its graphical style, but the frantic nature of the game causes your hand to block most of what there is to see. As a pick up and play title Point Blank DS might work in short spurts, but its definitely not going to be well-suited for longer play sessions. Namco is releasing Point Blank later this year, but no release date has been specified as of yet.

Keep checking back with AMN for more news regarding Point Blank DS and other upcoming titles.