Intro - This will be an unbiased review for those worried about that kind of thing. This is my first Star Force game, in addition to not having played any of the Battle Network games. But that aside, this game stands very well on its own as an action RPG. In fact, it is one of the better RPG’s I have played on the DS. The combat shines immensely, and the story isn’t half bad! The music is entertaining, and the characters can actually bring some decent humor through the text. Overall, this is a great game for the DS library, and based off others opinions, seems to be a great addition to the MMSF series.
Story 7/10 - Mega man Starforce 3 is an RPG, and with all RPG’s a good story is generally required. Luckily, this game delivers. It is by no means an epic tale that will envelope players like some big name RPG’s, but the story is good for what you might expect from this kind of game. The plot revolves around our hero, Geo Stelar, his wizard Omega-xis, and all their friends. Geo, for the third time, gets involved with a calamity befalling his planet, and steps up to the plate to challenge the forces of an organization that calls themselves Dealer. Dealer utilizes the new wave technology to stir up noise and attack their targets. Many characters show themselves from past Star Force games, either helping or challenging Geo. For those who have played the entire series, a feeling of nostalgia from the characters will definitely add to the story. The dialogue, at times, can be very humorous. I have actually laughed out loud at times. Most of it is generic “I can do it!” or “I’m counting on you, you are the only one who can do it!” lines found in Japanese games, but the developers added something wonderful to counter it. A skip button. Yep, second play through? Impatient and just want to fight? Just press start during cut scenes, and press L to see what you have to do at the time. Some may call it lazy, I say it is genius.
Music/Graphics 8/10 - The music in this game is very appropriate for the environments. Never have I once listened to what’s going on and thought it sounded odd or out of place. The boss battle music is also great, it really differentiates regular virus battles from the boss you are fighting at the time. The music is not a well thought out score made to raise the bar for DS games, but it does its job. And a very good job at that. The graphics do same thing for the game that the music does. It makes sense. Out of battle, colorful sprites fill the screen. In battle, mega man becomes a 3D fighter, with very flashy attacks and explosions. One thing that may turn off players is that some areas are often rehashed. Noise waves (hidden areas with items inside) and Cyber cores (basically the same thing, but more story driven) both of those areas are very unoriginal, as most of them wont have unique pathways. This doesn’t lower the “fun factor” at all though, because the fighting keeps everything fresh. Compared to other DS games, the graphics could be better, but they aren’t bad.
Gameplay 10/10 - Ah, where to begin? The best part of the game by far. For the veterans of the BN and SF series, the gameplay is as great as everyone seems to say it was in the past. For those new to it like me, it is a great take on the action RPG genre. The player enters a battle, and can move between three panels on the left and right of the avatar. On the bottom screen players chose between six battle cards that have individual effects. There are combat cards that do damage to enemies in hundreds of different ways depending on the card. Then there are support cards that can heal oneself, change the battlefield, add barriers, ect. As you open gems (essentially treasure chests) players can get cards, money, or HP upgrades. Monsters also give both cards and money, so players always have the opportunity to change up their battle folders for new cards in battle. After a certain point in the game, the player will game the ability to see how much “noise” they acquire in battle. Depending on your percentage, the player can earn “illegal data” which is essentially cards that shouldn’t be available at that point in the game. This doesn’t sound like much, but it is easy to spend hours just gaining new and better cards from using the “noise” system. Later in the game, players will gain a new “noise form” which is both beneficial and looks really cool. Each form has an elemental affinity, which add bonus attack to cards of that type, but take more damage from the opposing element. This adds a HUGE element to online play. Oh yeah, online play! The meat and potatoes for the competitive people out there. Players can gain “brothers” which give players an extra card in their folders which give them the option to combine noise forms, or have a roulette of certain cards from their brothers folder. This adds even more depth to the competitive field, because now they have to strategize against potentially two elemental forms as opposed to one. The other thing players can do online, of course, is battle others. There is option for friend codes for those who want to keep battle mates, and there is also a random battle option. Everything about the gameplay truly is gold, and really does not bore the player at all.
Playtime/Replayability 7/10 - Mega man Starforce 3 shares a similar trait with the Pokemon games; once you start a file, you won’t want to erase it for a very long time. Luckily there are two file slots incase the player has a younger sibling. But the work that goes into beating the game, collecting all the cards, doing all the side missions, beating all the bosses (3-4 versions of each one) and getting a good record on wi-fi play, it really raises you hour count. The online play really makes it impossible to truly beat the game, so most competitive players will have an enormous amount of time on their total play time. Playtime is truly a 9/10, but the replayability lowers the score a bit because there isn’t all that much appeal to starting the game over.
Final Score 9/10 - This game, whether you are a veteran to the series or a newcomer, is a must for ones DS collection. It can appeal to people of all ages, and of all gaming preferences. The story is simple but enjoyable, humorous, and skippable! The music is fitting and engaging, and the graphics perfect the image of the game. Any other art style probably wouldn’t fit very well. The gameplay is, to put it simply, amazing. There are so many things for the player to try out, different strategies, card types, fighting styles that will keep everyone happy. I honestly cannot say anything bad about the gameplay. The playtime possible in this game is endless. There are a ton of bosses to fight and cards to collect. The replayability is really there, but why ruin your record from online play anyway? The wi-fi will be incentive enough not to erase your file. This game is great, and well worth your money if you are any type of gamer.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A star in a New World. Starfy makes his way to America, and with a great game behind him
A Star In New Lands: The Legendary Starfy
The name “Starfy” is a household name in the country of Japan, where the little starfish has had all of his game exclusively published there since 2002. Well lucky for us, TOSE and Nintendo realized that this popular series can make a profit in America as well. On June seventh, 2009, Starfy arrived in a little cartridge titled “The Legendary Starfy” for the Nintendo DS handheld system. This game is a bright, colorful platformer that makes use of both the top screen on of the DS, and the touch screen for menu’s and dual screen boss battles. With 8 worlds, 2 bonus worlds, and a ton of replay-ability, most casual gamers with get at least fifteen hours out of this new adventure.
Gameplay: Starfy, from the first look, it’s a typical platforming game. In many respects, this is true. I myself am not the type to go out and spend money on platforming games. This title happens to be one of few that I can actually sit down and play for an extended period of time. Our hero, Starfy, glides gracefully through water and can jump high on land. His spinning attack cannot be used more than three times quickly, which adds a bit of difficulty to the game. Puzzles start simple, and gradually begin more and more complicated. Co-op play is available to those that have siblings, as this game is targeted to a younger crowd. Additional players can play as Stapy, Starfy’s pink sister. The game is not difficult by any means, but it is fun. And that is what we look for in games, right?
Graphics/Visuals: In an honest opinion, this is one of the most beautiful games that can be found on the DS. The visuals are simple, no crazy light shows or intense graphical cut scenes, but it is nice to look at. The colors are all tropical and bright, giving a very welcoming feel and encourage players to play the game if they need something that isn’t harsh on the eyes. Some may feel that bright colors are overbearing and annoying, but this game has a great balance of that issue, and the art style only compliments it. Characters are simple and humorous, with cute designs that everyone can appreciate. The graphics found in this title are by no means “breathe taking,” but will make any DS owner smile.
Music/Sounds: “The Legendary Starfy” has a very generic sound track and use of sound effects. Generic does not mean bad, not at all. But sound buffs will not be impressed with the tunes found within the game. Tracks are very theme oriented with the tropical setting of the game. The sound effects are as you would expect from the game, enemies being defeated sound how they should, rocks being destroyed have a “crumble” sound to them, and the detector used on the bottom screen sounds….well like a detector. Its all safe and “sound.” Okay bad pun. But the sound track doesn’t take any risks, and is fitting for the game.
Content: The content of this game, compared to most platformers, is a great deal. The game consists of 8 worlds, all of which have multiple levels within them. For the gamers who search every nook and cranny of a game, this game is a goldmine waiting to be pilfered. Before entering a level, the world map tells the player how many treasure chests are hidden throughout the respective world, which contain various clothing and diaries. A collector will have a great time replaying levels trying to find that last treasure chest, while attempting to collect every optional piece of clothing or diary within the game. For those with siblings, there is a wireless matchup option on the title screen for those with, or without, the game to play together in the main story or minigames. After completing the game, a new game mode designed for all the boss battles appears, where the player can experience all of the boss battles found in the game. It isn’t a ton of content, but for the game’s genre, it isn’t half bad.
Overview: “The Legendary Starfy” is a simple, pretty, fun game for all ages. Granted, it is meant for children, but an older person can enjoy it just as much, if not more. The story is lackluster, as with most platformers, but the text within the game is funny and entertaining. The gameplay is easy, but keeps the player happy with the simplicity and straight up fun of it. The game has some of the best graphics found on the DS, with some beautiful backgrounds, full sprites, and colorful themes. The music is enjoyable, and compliments the setting of each level very well. The content is great for collectors, and pretty full for those who love platforming games. As a whole, “The Legendary Starfy” is a great buy, a safe buy at that, because unless you’re the type of gamer that can not calm down and enjoy an easy, light game, its guaranteed you will have fun with this game.
Final Score: 8/10
The name “Starfy” is a household name in the country of Japan, where the little starfish has had all of his game exclusively published there since 2002. Well lucky for us, TOSE and Nintendo realized that this popular series can make a profit in America as well. On June seventh, 2009, Starfy arrived in a little cartridge titled “The Legendary Starfy” for the Nintendo DS handheld system. This game is a bright, colorful platformer that makes use of both the top screen on of the DS, and the touch screen for menu’s and dual screen boss battles. With 8 worlds, 2 bonus worlds, and a ton of replay-ability, most casual gamers with get at least fifteen hours out of this new adventure.
Gameplay: Starfy, from the first look, it’s a typical platforming game. In many respects, this is true. I myself am not the type to go out and spend money on platforming games. This title happens to be one of few that I can actually sit down and play for an extended period of time. Our hero, Starfy, glides gracefully through water and can jump high on land. His spinning attack cannot be used more than three times quickly, which adds a bit of difficulty to the game. Puzzles start simple, and gradually begin more and more complicated. Co-op play is available to those that have siblings, as this game is targeted to a younger crowd. Additional players can play as Stapy, Starfy’s pink sister. The game is not difficult by any means, but it is fun. And that is what we look for in games, right?
Graphics/Visuals: In an honest opinion, this is one of the most beautiful games that can be found on the DS. The visuals are simple, no crazy light shows or intense graphical cut scenes, but it is nice to look at. The colors are all tropical and bright, giving a very welcoming feel and encourage players to play the game if they need something that isn’t harsh on the eyes. Some may feel that bright colors are overbearing and annoying, but this game has a great balance of that issue, and the art style only compliments it. Characters are simple and humorous, with cute designs that everyone can appreciate. The graphics found in this title are by no means “breathe taking,” but will make any DS owner smile.
Music/Sounds: “The Legendary Starfy” has a very generic sound track and use of sound effects. Generic does not mean bad, not at all. But sound buffs will not be impressed with the tunes found within the game. Tracks are very theme oriented with the tropical setting of the game. The sound effects are as you would expect from the game, enemies being defeated sound how they should, rocks being destroyed have a “crumble” sound to them, and the detector used on the bottom screen sounds….well like a detector. Its all safe and “sound.” Okay bad pun. But the sound track doesn’t take any risks, and is fitting for the game.
Content: The content of this game, compared to most platformers, is a great deal. The game consists of 8 worlds, all of which have multiple levels within them. For the gamers who search every nook and cranny of a game, this game is a goldmine waiting to be pilfered. Before entering a level, the world map tells the player how many treasure chests are hidden throughout the respective world, which contain various clothing and diaries. A collector will have a great time replaying levels trying to find that last treasure chest, while attempting to collect every optional piece of clothing or diary within the game. For those with siblings, there is a wireless matchup option on the title screen for those with, or without, the game to play together in the main story or minigames. After completing the game, a new game mode designed for all the boss battles appears, where the player can experience all of the boss battles found in the game. It isn’t a ton of content, but for the game’s genre, it isn’t half bad.
Overview: “The Legendary Starfy” is a simple, pretty, fun game for all ages. Granted, it is meant for children, but an older person can enjoy it just as much, if not more. The story is lackluster, as with most platformers, but the text within the game is funny and entertaining. The gameplay is easy, but keeps the player happy with the simplicity and straight up fun of it. The game has some of the best graphics found on the DS, with some beautiful backgrounds, full sprites, and colorful themes. The music is enjoyable, and compliments the setting of each level very well. The content is great for collectors, and pretty full for those who love platforming games. As a whole, “The Legendary Starfy” is a great buy, a safe buy at that, because unless you’re the type of gamer that can not calm down and enjoy an easy, light game, its guaranteed you will have fun with this game.
Final Score: 8/10
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