Steel Diver (3DS)

[kryss]

Can't decide how I feel about this game. It looks like there are 7 missions and only 3 subs to play as (quick and weak, slow and strong, and the inbetweener). That kind of screams of a short play to me. Did I read this was originally a tech demo? I'd be lying if I said it didn't kind of feel like it.

That's the negative out of the way! I'm enjoying this. The side-scrolling sections are controlled entirely with the touch screen, with the "periscope ship torpedoing" sections utilising the gyroscope for scanning the horizon and aiming, with zooming, diving and firing all on the touch screen.

It's pretty shallow (...) but simple mission plots are nice for a change.

[briareos_kerensky]

If the standard missions hadn't the periscope phase at the end I'd be playing more of this, it's nigh impossible to during the commute, especially when there are two ships left and they are always on the other side of your field of vision.
There's also a turn-based strategy game but borders on complete boredom due to incredibly long enemy turns.

[Fuddle]

it does seem rather short at first, but you do have to complete each stage with each sub.
i dont think stage 6 unlocks till you have done the others with all 3 submarines. i only just made it through a couple of stages with the little sub, i imagine it will be quite tricky with the largest one at least, as its quite cumbersome with that huge wheel.

time trial stages are quite cool too. but really it needed twice as many normal stages. i cant imagine it would have taken that much work.

i only tried the turn based thing once, and quit due to a combination of not knowing what the hell was going on, and it being incredibly boring.

i do like the graphics though, the 3d depth underwater is really nice. i want a fish tank game now.

[dataDave]

i want a fish tank game now.

Let's hope Miyamoto buys a fish tank soon.

I'd really like a decent tropical/marine tank simulator, with such realism as having to get your water just right before introducing corals and fish. My mate reared a marine tank and said it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever done. Some of his stories are crackers as well! Sometimes he'd buy a coral not knowing it had a dormant parasite inside it that 'awoke' and then started eating his shrimps during the night before retreating back into the coral. Another time a star-fish appeared out of no where! I'm not settled enough to try a marine tank myself, I need a house and everything.... but something like this would be easy to do in a game.

Nintendogs seems a bit half-arsed to me.

[briareos_kerensky]

i dont think stage 6 unlocks till you have done the others with all 3 submarines.

The last two missions aren't unlocked till all previous five missions aren't completed with all three subs, but this does not necessarily make the game "long".
The main problem is that there's little difference between the subs: the small one stands out due to its easier handling method (no pitch control) and vertical-firing torpedoes; the other two are essentially the same: they have pitch control and only horizontal torpedoes. As these two submarines are larger and have more inertia during maneuvers, they share the same tactic of destroying everything in their path instead of dodging it; ironically enough the largest sub is the easier to handle of the two due its greater firepower.
The first five missions aren't particularly intriguing, there isn't much variety in environmental hazards and enemies. Mission 4 ends with an incredibly dull boss fight; mission 5 does the same but it's a little better and actually require basic pattern memorization and to maneuver the sub around.

What Steel Diver lacks is variety, it could have had the same number of missions but with three completely different subs and interesting missions with different objectives and it would have been a much better game.

[Ghost]

So this is coming out over here next week and this is one of the games I have been looking forward to. How long are each of the missions?

[briareos_kerensky]

Each mission has a tme limit, either 10 or 15 minutes but only two come close to that limit. I've just completed the last mission with the first sub and it was fun, it's really a shame that all other missions aren't as interesting as this one.

[Party boy]

Got this yesterday along with Rayman and really enjoyed it, though I've completed mission mode with the big sub, just got to do the last level with the other 2 subs and mission mode's done. I haven't tried the other 2 modes yet, or time trials...