sci-fi

I couldn't wait till the release day since I found out that the game was developed with cooperation of TREASURE, one of most beloved video game company of my life(company responsible for games like Radiant Silvergun, Gunstar Hero, Guardian Heroes, Silhouette Mirage, Sin and Punishment, Ikaruga, Bangaioh...) So I bought an import version because I figured that this game is an action game although I have very minimal Japanese...who needs to know Japanese when you are playing an action/shooter game, right? Well, I was very wrong; and I'll explain later why.

This game is based on THE famous 'Astro Boy(Tetsuwan Atom)' series by Tezuka Osamu, who's considered to be the Father of the Japanese manga/animation starting in 1960s. What really surprised me was the sheer amount of animation and STORY in the game. I mainly expected just some nice actions, yet this game is just packed, I MEAN PACKED WITH SEEMINGLY ENDLESS STORY. There are total of 46 characters, directly related to 'Astro Boy' series such as Uran and Dr.Ochanomizu, however, some characters, like Sapphire, happens to be one of Tezuka Osamu's creation from other series.

So what about the game itself? You can definitely feel the touch of TREASURE here and there, which means it's very enjoyable. I would say that the game is bit on the easy side, however, they give you much harder option once you complete the game by having to finish the game without a continue(I continued numerous time while I was playing for the first time...it's not that easy). Graphic and sound is top notch as if you are watching a well-made GameBoy Advance version of animation; you won't be sorry! This game starts with a tutorial with Dr. Ochanomizu, and it is highly recommendly because Astro Boy can do several things, including some special attacks(Some characters are reachable by performing certain action... so pay attention!)

I guess this game really shines when it comes to the story. I felt strongly compelled to buy US version SO I CAN JUST GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING ONCE AGAIN WITH KNOWING THE PLOT. I mean, who really cares about this old, outdated anime as long as you get to play the action part, right? WRONG! I remember that I bought an mport version of Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero first(again, couldn't wait), then bought US version just to read rivals' profile. Why? Because the game was so good and reading that rivals' profile was a crucial part of that gaming experience...didn't mind playing the whole game AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS STILL DAMN GOOD. It's same for this very game because you can't deny the whole gaming experience of this sheer amount of story when you get to play this game; trust me on this.

You can finish the game with finishing from stage 1 through 7, however, there are unlockable stages 0 and 8, which gives you the REAL ending with more, much more satisfaction. And I guess the one of the best part of the game was figuring out and completing the game with 100% completion; I don't get picky with completion percentage with games, but this game FORCED me to do so WITH PLEASURE.

So if you are having a doubt that this game is just a way to cash in some profit by using some Astro Boy fame... Think again because you will be PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.

Enjoy; you won't be sorry!

E3 2004 came and went and AstroBoy Omega Factor was there and waiting. It played like a classic space shooter with power ups and loads of enemies to blow away. The game looks very sweet on the GBA hardware and is being developed by Treasure, the same guys that did Ikaruga and Gunstar Heroes, and the coming soon: Guardian Heroes for GBA. The hype starts here for this soon to be classic.