Many years ago,
there was a children’s software program called Monster Maker Math. The premise
was that children earned monster body parts as they answered math questions
correctly. These body parts were wacky and wonderful, and the monsters fun to
design. Spore Hero reminds me of that game and has a lot of the same charm and
whimsy.
The original
Spore is a PC game that is a simulation game set in space, wherein players
essentially have an enormous sandbox to create their own species and send them
off to colonize and take over the universe. Spore Hero uses the same concept of
monster design, but takes another tack of a platforming game with battles.
In Spore Hero,
players will spend their time earning body parts for their monsters by
completing simple quests, which range from fetching items for in-game characters
to designing a monster according to certain criteria. The rewards for these
quests are monster body parts.
These body parts
all have different abilities, such as biting, spitting and kicking, which are
used for fighting. Adding new body parts to monsters can also level up the
monster. Upgrading the monster can occur at any time during the game.
The sole purpose
of creating a monster is to see just how strange and wonderful one’s creation
can be. The monsters are fantastic and quite engaging to watch. The mechanics
of their movements are highly fine-tuned and lend a total believability to the
sight of a monster walking around on limbs that look quite unwieldy. Players can
add any amount of appendages they desire for some very odd-looking creatures.
Not only are the
monsters beautifully animated, but the entire world is wonderfully imagined.
This is good, as players will spend a good bit of time running around, platform
style, to satisfy all the quests. These quests are mostly "fetch" style types,
where players will be trying to find an item. Oftentimes, these items are body
parts that will enable the monster to acquire a skill that will enable it to
access another area.
Besides running
around and fetching things, the monsters will engage in battles. These battles
are not very well-designed, and can be frustrating. The Wii control detection is
hit-and-miss, and often times players will be madly moving their Wii-motes
around like crazy with nothing happening as expected. There is a multi-player
feature where players can fight other players, but again, the bad control
detection works against this mode.
There is also a
mini-game that is a rhythm dancing game, in which players will shake both the
nunchuk and the Wii-mote. Again, this mini-game isn’t as well-designed as it
could be, mostly due to bad controls.
Spore Hero is a
fun game in many ways, particularly for younger players, with a lot of charm and
engaging play. Kids will love the wacky monsters, and there are lots of quests
to occupy their time when not fighting. The monster design feature is deep and
intricate, with a ton of body parts to earn and find. However, the fighting is
very basic in concept, and not a whole lot of fun. Neither is the dancing
mini-game.
The battle
aspect would have been better served to be a turn-based design, akin to the
system in Pokemon Battle Revolution. The leveling up would have more meaning if
used strategically in this manner. These monsters are way more cool than the
ones in Pokemon Battle Revolution, and the added strategy would have given more
depth to add to the visual appeal.
Still, Hero
Spore is fun and cute, and the monster design aspect is quite enjoyable. Young
kids will love the monsters, and won’t mind the similarity of the quests. The
battles, though, may frustrate younger players because of the bad detection.
Gameplay:
7.0
The premise is
unique and the monsters highly entertaining, but the fighting and overall
gameplay is weak. Bad controls make for a frustrating experience at times.
Graphics:
9.0
The game is beautifully detailed and animated.
Sound:
8.0
The music and
sound effects are good, with some great theme music.
Difficulty:
Medium
The game is not overly difficult in theory, but the battles can be a bit tough
due to unpredictable controls.
Concept: 8.0
The concept is
great, and with a better attention to some design issues, this game could have
been a great game for the Wii, similar to Animal Crossing or Rune Factory in
terms of charm and creativity. However, the bad battle design and lackluster
dancing game brings down the experience a bit.
Overall: 7.0
Spore Hero has
some great features. The monster-making in and of itself is deep and satisfying,
and engaging. There are tons of body parts, and the manner in which players will
earn them through the quests has the potential to keep players questing away.
Unfortunately, the battles and dancing games aren’t nearly as well-designed, and
cannot be avoided. Best for older children who aren’t easily frustrated.
