Contact – NDS – Review

Atlus
has always been a company that, for better or for worse, releases fresh and
different RPG titles. Contact is one such game, and fortunately for gamers, it
falls into the better category. Right from the get-go, Contact sets itself apart
with immersive gameplay and an interesting story that compels players along.
While the game is simple to control (it almost entirely uses the stylus and
touch screen), there is a surprising amount of old-school depth, and fans of
classic fare like Earthbound on the Super Nintendo will appreciate the look of
the game.

Created
by the director of the extremely bizarre PS2/GameCube game Killer 7, Contact is
a strange game right from the start. You spend your time interacting between two
characters, the Professor and Terry, each from two different worlds, and
basically working as a go-between for them. You don’t exactly play as either of
the characters, but rather you guide them both through the game’s storyline.

While
you, the player, are a separate entity in this triumvirate, you do guide Terry
substantially through the quest, moving him along and giving him commands in
battle. Terry does manage to do quite a bit on his own, often only needing a
nudge in the right direction to do want the situation calls for. For example,
you don’t have to tell Terry to fight, since if you put him in his battle stance
and he gets close enough to an enemy he’ll do it automatically.

One
thing that is quite unique is the way that clothes fit in to how you play the
game. While the system isn’t quite as focused as the dress spheres in Final
Fantasy X-2 (nor as corny), it is a pretty unique way to develop your character.
Certain weapons and items will get stat boosts depending on what you wear, and
some weapons will require you to wear certain outfits in order to use them at
all. All in all, it’s a clever way of maximizing your character’s potential.

Terry
is also an extremely customizable character. However you play the game, you’ll
be able to build Terry as you see fit. The types of suits you wear, the weapons
and items you use and so on have drastic effects on Terry’s abilities and stat
ratings, so you can tweak him as much as you want.

Graphically, Contact is almost two different games. As the professor and Terry
are from two different worlds, their look is different. The Professor looks like
he could’ve been pulled out of a late-generation NES game, while Terry’s world
sports more of a look akin to what you’ll find in other sprite-based Nintendo DS
games, yet has some of the feel of classic 16 games from the golden age of RPGs.
The use of the dual-screen format is certainly not squandered, as the separation
between the two screens helps to immerse you in the journey and present the two
characters in constant real-time.

Contact
has some pretty unique sound effects, too. In the game’s opening, before your
first interaction with the Professor, the game has a “bleepy-bloopy” NES style
score (when I first heard it, it reminded me of the opening to the original
Metroid). Soon after the focus shifts to Terry, the game has a more detailed and
sweeping score befitting an RPG on the DS.

Contact
is a compelling entry to the RPG genre, with simple to grasp gameplay yet an
extraordinarily deep quest. Plus, the game is a perfect fit for the DS, as it’s
impossible to imagine it done justice on any other system out there. DS fans
looking for a fun and quirky RPG need look no further.

Review Scoring Details for Contact

Gameplay: 8.5
Contact has an
easy to grasp control scheme, making it simple for anyone to pick up and play.
However, the game is still incredibly deep, with tons of customization options
for your journey.

Graphics: 8.0
Contact presents
two different aesthetics, with an old-school 8-bit look to characterize the
Professor and a more traditional DS look for Terry. The two separate looks give
the game a unique sense of visual style.

Sound: 8.0
The game’s score
sounds great, and fits as well as any RPG soundtrack on the DS.

Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: N/A
While the
multiplayer elements could not be factored into this review, the game does
feature some innovative Animal Crossing-style features that let you meet up with
a buddy in the virtual world and put an imprint of your character (in NPC form)
in their game world, capable of providing unique items from your own personal
adventure.

Concept: 9.0
Contact is a
great concept, putting the player in the story as a viable character and making
them a link between two distinct worlds. Plus, the story is engaging and the
game is teeming with personality overall.

Overall: 8.5
Contact is a fun
and deep experience, with lots of personality and easy-to-grasp gameplay.