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Fly around in space! Shoot stuff!
August 8, 2005 | 4:52 PM PSTby: Nate Gleaves
As a fan of Iridion II on the Game Boy Advance, I was excited to discover that I would be the one to review Nanostray for the DS. This is Shin’en’s first DS game. Nanostray is a 2D shooter that is very much like Iridion II.
This game has a very old-school approach to it. Shoot the bad guy space ships, then shoot the boss, and then repeat in the next stage. There are eight stages in total. You have three to select from at the onset, and then three more after you finish those. After that there are two more that you must go through one at a time in a specific order. Your ship has several weapons to choose from, which is nice, but you have to select them on the touch screen. Anyone who plays shooters knows that taking your eyes off the screen even for a split second can be hazardous. It would have been better if you could change weapons with the L and R triggers. I also like to be able to upgrade my weapons in shooters and Nanostray does not have that option.
You have a strong and weak version of every weapon, but that is it. If you use the strong version it depletes your weapon energy, but don’t worry because every time you destroy a group of enemies they drop a token that completely fills your energy meter. Eight stages isn’t that short for a shooter, but it isn’t that long either, especially in this case. I was able to complete nearly every mission in one try. Once you beat all the stages you can go back and try and complete the “challenges” which pretty much boil down to getting better scores on each stage. The game’s strongest asset is its graphics. The music sounds straight out of a GBA game, but the visuals are gorgeous. The backgrounds really lead you to believe you are flying all over the place in a 3D environment.
Closing Comments:
Nanostray really has nothing to bring you back, which is a problem. I don’t feel the need to try and beat my high scores anymore. I have grown to need more than that in a video game these days. Take R-type Final for example. There are near endless new ships and weapon options to unlock. That is a reason to replay a shooter, because it keeps the game fresh. Nanostray just didn’t do it for me. I have read other reviews that said it only lasts for twenty minutes. That is a little harsh. It took me an hour.
Well there you have it -- a short and simple review for a short and simple game.
This game has a very old-school approach to it. Shoot the bad guy space ships, then shoot the boss, and then repeat in the next stage. There are eight stages in total. You have three to select from at the onset, and then three more after you finish those. After that there are two more that you must go through one at a time in a specific order. Your ship has several weapons to choose from, which is nice, but you have to select them on the touch screen. Anyone who plays shooters knows that taking your eyes off the screen even for a split second can be hazardous. It would have been better if you could change weapons with the L and R triggers. I also like to be able to upgrade my weapons in shooters and Nanostray does not have that option.
You have a strong and weak version of every weapon, but that is it. If you use the strong version it depletes your weapon energy, but don’t worry because every time you destroy a group of enemies they drop a token that completely fills your energy meter. Eight stages isn’t that short for a shooter, but it isn’t that long either, especially in this case. I was able to complete nearly every mission in one try. Once you beat all the stages you can go back and try and complete the “challenges” which pretty much boil down to getting better scores on each stage. The game’s strongest asset is its graphics. The music sounds straight out of a GBA game, but the visuals are gorgeous. The backgrounds really lead you to believe you are flying all over the place in a 3D environment.
Closing Comments:
Nanostray really has nothing to bring you back, which is a problem. I don’t feel the need to try and beat my high scores anymore. I have grown to need more than that in a video game these days. Take R-type Final for example. There are near endless new ships and weapon options to unlock. That is a reason to replay a shooter, because it keeps the game fresh. Nanostray just didn’t do it for me. I have read other reviews that said it only lasts for twenty minutes. That is a little harsh. It took me an hour.
Well there you have it -- a short and simple review for a short and simple game.
February 8, 2010
