Just been spending the past couple of days or so with the DS version fairly solidly. Haven't got through all the later levels but I like what I see. I appreciate the drop in visuals from X360 to Wii, let alone DS, but does that really matter in a game like this? Clearly not if the experience is as well put together as this on a smaller screen with unusual controls.
Controls work really well - much better than expected - left pad for movement, right face buttons for shooting, SNES Smash TV style. Alternatively using the right thumb on the lower screen works better than expected. Haven't tried the analog nub that comes with the Phat DS but that might do here. Forget about using a stylus - that's just insane! Lots of customisation for all aspects of control are offered here, sure to find a setup that fits.
Minus points :
- it is too easy to unlock levels; there's no sense of progression when you can open up a large proportion of the game after only playing a few worlds
- the geoms are a nice idea but the multipliers they give mean that the scores are all factored up. it feels silly getting a score of 20 million after a bit of a fiddle after spending months on the previous Geometry Wars game and getting nowhere near even one million. a picky thing, i admit
- the system for downloading high scores and comparing against the best is a little clunky. it means you have to connect online for each individual level, and none of the data for other peoples' scores is stored on the card so you need to connect each time you want to view what you're up against
However I'm very impressed. There's a little slowdown but nothing game-breaking, and nice to see an accomplished 2D shooter coming to the DS. Going to pick up the Wii version at the first opportunity just to see how it'll control, but the handheld version is worth a look.
Controls work really well - much better than expected - left pad for movement, right face buttons for shooting, SNES Smash TV style. Alternatively using the right thumb on the lower screen works better than expected. Haven't tried the analog nub that comes with the Phat DS but that might do here. Forget about using a stylus - that's just insane! Lots of customisation for all aspects of control are offered here, sure to find a setup that fits.
Minus points :
- it is too easy to unlock levels; there's no sense of progression when you can open up a large proportion of the game after only playing a few worlds
- the geoms are a nice idea but the multipliers they give mean that the scores are all factored up. it feels silly getting a score of 20 million after a bit of a fiddle after spending months on the previous Geometry Wars game and getting nowhere near even one million. a picky thing, i admit
- the system for downloading high scores and comparing against the best is a little clunky. it means you have to connect online for each individual level, and none of the data for other peoples' scores is stored on the card so you need to connect each time you want to view what you're up against
However I'm very impressed. There's a little slowdown but nothing game-breaking, and nice to see an accomplished 2D shooter coming to the DS. Going to pick up the Wii version at the first opportunity just to see how it'll control, but the handheld version is worth a look.
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