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Metal Slug 7

Developer: SNK Playmore Corp.
Publisher: Ignition Entertainment
Format Reviewed: DS
Other Released Formats: None
Number of Players: 1
Online Features: None
ESRB Rating: T – Teen (Blood, Violence)
Genre: Shooter (Platform)
Release Date: 2008-11-18

Woo. I heard one of my most treasured game series was coming out with another sequel, I was in love. When I heard it was coming to the DS exclusively (now rumored to be coming to XBLA in 2009), my heart broke. DS only? No big screen carnage and mech warfare? DAMN! I didn’t think about the fact that the game was on the 16-bit (and later the 64-bit) Neo-Geo arcade system, which the DS can run circles around these days. I loaded it up and was right at home. Who knew? Even with its diminutive size, it’s still the king of cartoon violence and absurdity! If you don’t love the series already, you might be turned off by the unapologetically 2D graphics. Yes, it’s stayed true to its 2D roots, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The only thing I miss is there is no multi-player.

You have 2 choices when you start up the game, Play the game, or go to Combat School. The game mode is just that, the straight forward insano gameplay that comes with a Metal Slug game. For the un-initiated, a quick overview: You play as one of 6 commandos, all with some different skill (though most are unnoticeable except for ___ who can die twice). You are out to rescue commandos (who give you new weapons and powerups) and take down General Morden, who has a place in almost all games as well. This game is a prequel, set between MS 3 and MS 4. The Metal Slug is a reference to the vehicles in the game, all called “Slugs”. Normally it’s in the form of a tank that can jump and fire in all directions, but each game as introduced new slugs, and this one is no exception, with a truck-inspired design and a robot-style Slug. You have 4 difficulty levels, and playing on Hard is tough even for a Metal Slug veteran.

Choice 2 is Combat School Mode. This is a lot of fun…it’s also a lot of frustration. It’s HARD. It’s a challenge for the die-hard, and will give you a lot of game-play experience. Finish the game first, and then use this mode, as it has you playing through parts of the game in time trials, trick-shots, and more. This doesn’t make up for the fact there’s not 2 player, co-op, or multi-player modes, but it does add a lot of play to the title.

The graphics are decidedly primitive. They’re done this way to keep the style of the previous games. They may look dated to most people, but they also serve a purpose: keeping the gameplay frantic and fast paced. This game is known for it’s on-screen chaos. Its bosses will take up to 75% of the screen at times, and in the old days this would cause most arcade systems to melt down. The bosses are always huge and over the top, and in this iteration, they didn’t skimp.

The controls are as simple as they come, move, jump, shoot, bomb. No fancy multi-button combos to do, and no touch screen usage. This is not one of those games where they decided “hey, lets change the gameplay and make them use the touch screen!” They did put it to use, there is a scrollable map, but you’ll be so transfixed on the top screen, you probably won’t even notice the touch screen.

One thing missing, sadly (and cost some points on the review) is any type of multi-player. Though the game is great for those who love the series, it’s missing the ability to kick some tail with a friend. There’s not even a vs. mode on here which would have added to the series as a whole.

Still a great series, still great to look at, still 2D. Metal Slug 7 is great fun to play. I don’t recommend it for the little ones, even though it’s cartoony, it’s still pretty bloody and you’re shooting soldiers and mechanical targets. Ashton (7) did play it, and enjoyed the game. He does know that it’s just a game, but I will not let my other two younger ones even watch me play it, as it’s just too much violence…fun violence, but the Teen rating is earned and appropriate.

Rating 4.25 of 5
Pros: If you love Metal Slug, this is more of what you want. Great variety in weaponry and Slugs this time around. Graphics are great, even for the 2D Style. Combat School is a nice addition to longevity.
Cons: No multiplayer whatsoever. This seriously hampers any DS game, especially this one which has always had a 2-player mode.

Elite Beat Agents

Developer: iNiS
Publisher: Nintendo (of America)
Format Reviewed: DS
Other Released Formats: None
Number of Players: 1-4 (Via Wireless DS Single Card or Multi-Card Download Play)
Online Features: None
ESRB Rating: E10+ – Everyone over 10 (Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor, Lyrics, Suggestive Themes)
Genre: Rhythm, Music
Release Date: 2006-11-07
Misc Feature: Support for Rumble Pak

This review is for the 2006 game, Elite Beat Agents. Elite Beat Agents was picked up by the kids who thought it would be a “Men in Black” style easy game. Whoa were we wrong. It’s a pretty tough little rhythm game, that keeps you tapping (and spinning and rolling) the beat. The heroes of the game are 3 agents dressed in black suits with microphones, who groove to the music, solving the world’s problems. In the first levels, you help a loser director, a girl who just wants to go steady, and a lost dog. Not serious stuff there, but it gets more so in the later levels.

The gameplay mechanics seem simple enough. You tap the numbers as the circle encloses on it, usually along with the actual song beat, some circles become a ball that you have to guide on a half-circle track, some back and forth. It gets tough in the later levels. Keeping up with the beat circles gets real tough, but Ashton has made it to the final level after 2 weeks.

The songs are catchy, and don’t get old quickly, which is a good thing, because you will hear them over and over again until you are able to get the level done correctly. Timing is crucial, but so is a good eye. Sometimes numbers will overlap, and you will have to tap twice (always messes me up). There are 19 songs, some from newer artists, some from older ones (real old…like Queen and Deep Purple). Some work pretty well, some…well…Ashlee Simpson? The kids knew the songs and will sing along as they’re franticly tapping, dragging and spinning along on the touch screen. It’s great to see that they’re getting into the music as well as the game.

The graphics are great, done in a quasi-anime style, and making use of the agents as a quick reference for how great (or horrible) you are doing in the game. Each level has a story, and the cut scenes are entertaining and fun. In addition to the pre-level cut scenes, there are scenes during the game that let you know if you’ve done well on a piece of the song. It lets you take a breather, and many of them are actually pretty funny. I did not notice any slowdown, even with the frantic pace of things going on.

The control of the game is easy enough, you use the stylus exclusively, and once you get the hang of it, you’re tap tap tapping your way through. We don’t have a rumble-pack, so I’m not sure how that works with the game.

The Multi-player lets you do co-op or competitive. Co-op lets you split up the beats as a team (which might be harder depending on how well you know the song), while competitive has you trying to fill your meter faster than the other players. If you’re playing with one cartridge, prepare to make a sandwich while each DS unit downloads. It’s a big game.

In all, this is a great, frantic rhythm game that will give you a lot of replayability, and keeps it fun. It’s definitely not easy, but it’s rewarding, and keeps rewarding you with the entertaining cut-scenes. Musically it’s all over the map and that keeps things interesting (Y.M.C.A. anyone?). The boys love the game, and both my 7 year old and 5 year old have had a great time. Ashton (7) loves playing, and says that it’s even better with headphones on. Don’t worry about the E10+ rating if you have a younger gamer, there’s nothing too violent in the game. The most suggestive thing I’ve seen is the babysitter and football player in the earlier level, but there’s definitely nothing too risqué that they won’t see on iCarly, or anything on Nickelodeon.

Rating 4.5 of 5
Pros: Great fun, fast-paced, rhythm game. Multiplayer is always fun, especially the co-op.
Cons: Might be too difficult at times

For your comparison, Testfreaks rates this game 7.6 out of 10 compiling scores of over 150 expert and user reviews! http://www.testfreaks.com/ds-games/elite-beat-agents/ (I’ll be talking more about Test Freaks in a later post)

Dropcast

Developer: Mikoishi Studios
Publisher: THQ, Inc.
Format Reviewed: Nintendo DS
Other Released Formats: None
Number of Players: 1-4 (Via Wireless DS Single Card or Multi-Card Download Play)
Online Features: None
ESRB Rating: E – Everyone (Comic Mischief)
Genre: Puzzle
Release Date: 2008-09-22

This one came unexpected. I picked it up as a birthday present for Camden (5). He has had a newfound love for the puzzle games like Tetris, Bejeweled Twist and Zoo Keeper. Dropcast looked like it could be a new fun game for him to give a whirl. It’s a lot tougher than I had expected, and much different than I expected. It turns out to be a twist on the brick-dropping puzzle genre, with some quirky graphics and a great story mode.

The main game, Ingrid’s Curse, is what both modes of play are based on. In the single-player version, you turn the DS clockwise, as the game is played vertically. The touch screen is you play field, the top (now right) screen is the screen you will have to clear. You have to “cast” pieces of 6 or more to the other screen, and they fill up. Here’s where the twist on Tetris comes in: you have the “drop piece” shape on the top of the left screen, and when you “cast” those blocks to the right, they form that piece and drop. You must drop them all across the screen to make the rows disappear. If you let them build all the way to the top, you lose. Easy right? Not quite. You will also be building them up on the right side, and that can reach the top and make you lose. You can continually throw away pieces of 2 or more, but then you can’t cast to the right side! To help you either way the screen has columns made slightly lighter every other one, and they correspond with the right screen to help you put the blocks in the right places. It doesn’t make it easier, but it does help when you have a large column you want to avoid.

The second game is the story mode, Battle Royale. Ingrid’s toys fight each other, you on the left touch screen side, and your foe, evil stuffed bunnies, cats and others, will be on the right screen. You battle it out, pretty much like any other puzzle game: you dump blocks, they appear on the other side. These challenges are tough, even on the easy difficulty, though you can find ways to make it through them quickly. The game makes it tough by giving you 3 offensive and 1 defensive move (or “cast). The opponent seems to know how to use these expertly, and if you’re not quick and precise, you will find frustration in this.

The graphics are quirky and creepy. They look like they were inspired partially by Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas characters and Emily Strange (drawn by Rob Reger and Buzz Parker). They are mainly there as dressing and aren’t used in the actual game play, which is a good thing. The backgrounds of the levels definitely look Burton-esque. There is a bit of “Engrish” going on with the cut-scenes, probably due to hasty translation.

This game is pretty much a touch-only affair. It works well, and I would consider the screen a big part of the control, since you need to make sure you use the correct column, or you will end up losing quickly.

The multi-player works exactly like the Battle Royale, with a human on the other end. Our oldest constantly dominates the younger child, though they both enjoy the battles. The graphics and attacks keep it interesting.

This game is decent, though not a breakthrough by any means. It tries to improve on the “battle-Tetris” concept, but ultimately fell flat. It’s one for rental, and when the price is right, would be a decent buy for die-hard puzzle gamers out there. The kids actually enjoy this one more than I do, probably due to the fact that they haven’t played too many puzzlers out there, and they enjoy trying to one-up each other’s “casts”.
 

Rating: 3.75 of 5
Pros: Interesting twist on the battle-puzzle genre. Creepy fun graphics.
Cons: Just doesn’t bring enough innovation to keep it from mediocrity.