Customer Reviews

Astro Boy Omega Factor

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 I mean, who really cares about this old, outdated anime as long as you get to play the action part, right?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!

As a review once said, it's worth getting a GBA just to play this game. From the very first level, there is a satasfaction with kicking robots into each other, before wading in with your cannon and blowing them to bits. The gameplay itself is very well done, although some of levels can get tedious at times. A nice feature is meeting the characters and gaining more power, as well as reading about them once collected. The bosses are very well programmed, you don't mind going back a 2nd time to lay waste to them again. Overall, a good game with the potential for a sequal.

I bought this game after reading a bunch of reviews so it was pretty hyped up in my mind before I ever played it. I have to say it didn't dissapoint.
As other reviewers have said, one of the strongest points in the game is the story. It actually makes you want to complete each level to unravel the next part of the story.

The gameplay is so intuitive it doesn't take too much practice to get used to the control scheme. At the same time it has the perfect balance between control depth (different moves, attacks, etc.) and complexity.

In general, Omega Factor is extremely fun to play and its pacing is just perfect. Amazingly, it even offers a lot replay value for an action game (discover all the characters Astro can meet)! A GBA must-buy!

Astro Boy is a short but fun experience. Be aware when you plunk down your hard earned cash that this game can be won in an afternoon or two. The short play time is padded by having players repeat all the levels and sometimes visiting them a third time.

The game is a side scrolling platform/shooter. There are both walking and flying levels and by and large the control feels very good. The punching feels correct and the flying levels are well done. The bosses are old school. Some can be beaten in one attempt but others may require dozens of tries.

The one thing I enjoyed about the game was the general feel. I'm rather ignorant when it comes to Astro Boy and it was fun collecting the various characters from the series. The game even offers short bios including when characters appeared in the Anime and Manga. For instance tt was mentioned that the character of Red Duke has been reused by Astro Boy's creator Osamu Tezuka in other stories including the recent movie Metropolis. The character of Alejo is thought to be Osamu Tezuka himself.

The game has considerable charm and actually inspired me to learn more about Astro Boy but I just wish the game could have been longer.

There is a lot of text in the game, but you can skip through it very quickly if you want too. Amazingly fun and original with beautiful graphics. Cons are it is a very repetitive button masher, and it is wicked short. It took me two hours to beat the game on normal and I'm just an okay gamer. Each level was ridiculously short and flew byin a minute. The boss levels were cool by even the hardest ones were really easy to figure out how to beat. You pretty much only use one button when attacking.

While Astro Boy may not be one of the top animé franchises today here in the States, he sells like hotcakes over in the Land of the Rising Sun, where he's received fame status equivalent to that of the lovable Disney rodent Mickey Mouse. The little robot boy known as Astro was created by Dr. Tenma in memory of his son, Tobio, who was killed in a car accident. Raised by Dr. O'Shay, Astro has quickly become something of a moderator between humans and robots, with one group not entirely sure how to relate the other, except with fear. Through a series of events, Astro ends up at the heart of this struggle, and, through a dazzling number of plot twists, ends up in different realities and times in the war as well.

The game overall plays like a quirky beat-em-up, but because it's developed by the same team that headed the manic Gunstar Heroes for the Sega Genesis, surprises are pretty much guaranteed. And Astro Boy delivers. If you're a fan of animé, beat-em-up video games, or even the famed Mega Man series, Astro Boy will not disappoint.

In defeating Astro's enemies that come in all shapes and sizes, you have a wide range of moves at your disposal. There is the standard punch-kick combo, a laser for attacking faraway enemies, and the cool boost jets on Astro's feet will allow you to zoom past your enemies, or dodge their attacks. As you attack, you also build up a super meter at the top of the screen that can be later used to power a variety of special moves.

In addition to the standard side-scrolling, beat-em-up action, Astro Boy does attempt to break things up every now and then with some horizontal-shooter-style gameplay, and even a few challenging mid-air battles.

Despite the game's wackiness (fighting through screens of tiny little men, for example), the plot takes itself seriously, and the difficulty remains very real, meaning that you will die a lot in this game before you get the hang of how exactly to kill each enemy. Near the end of the game, for instance, you do battle with a giant samurai robot that can kill you in one hit, so you must learn his attack patterns and know them from rote.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the gameplay here is the ongoing quest during the game to meet as many people as you can. All of the characters in the game are creations of the mind behind Astro Boy, Tezuka Osamu. Meeting the various characters may or may not help the plot along, depending primarily on who you find and when you find them. However, when you do meet many of these hidden characters, you will be given a chance to boost your various abilities up one notch, so it's a good idea to find as many as you can throughout the game.

If you're fond of old-school-feeling games like the Contra series, Mega Man, and Final Fight, give Astro Boy: Omega Factor for the GBA a shot. And hey, the fact that you have to play through the thing at least twice to flesh out all of the story is a neat gimmick, and it really does add significantly to the total playtime. It's a solid title, and--from what I've heard--a lot better than its next-gen cousin.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a fantastic action title for the Game Boy Advance and, dare I say, perhaps the best original game to come out for the GBA in years.

Based on the manga by Tezuka Osamu, you play as Astro Boy, a robotic boy with a heart of gold and the desire to bring peace to a world of humans and robots. You don't have to understand the characters or the story to enjoy this game, which serves up a healthy dose of old school side-scrolling action!

Astro has various abilities accessed by very simple controls. His standard attack is a punch (B button), which can be linked up to create combos. B + Down is a kick attack that sends enemies careening across the screen and bowling over other enemies. B + Up is Astro's finger laser, which is his primary long-range weapon. The A button is jump. Double tapping the direction pad in any direction makes Astro dash. Interestingly, he is invulnerable when he dashes, which is a very important gameplay mechanic on higher difficulty levels. Lastly, L, R, and B + A launch all sorts of flashy special attacks.

These easy controls guide Astro through a graphically lush world and seven "episodes" of gameplay. The developers fill the screen with colorful enemies and awesome special effects. The game's plentiful bosses rotate and scale and level backgrounds have five or six layers of parallax scrolling, taking advantage of everything the Game Boy Advance can do. Some enemies are even larger than the screen itself! The overall feel of the game is like Mega Man blended with a traditional brawler like Final Fight with a dash of Gradius shooting. Astro has moves traditional to Mega Man games, but you are frequently forced to fight hordes of enemies before the screen will scroll to the next area. There are also a few shooter stages where Astro flies to the right and you fight all sorts of avian foes. This hybrid action/brawler dynamic is fresh and exciting to play.

Although the initial game may seem short, the developers extend the game by forcing you to play through it twice. While this is a choice that might seem lame, in a brilliant move, the story actually explains why you play the adventure twice, and various things are twisted and different the second time around. Only after completing this "second quest" will you unlock the final eighth episode. Overall, this is very gracefully done.

I think it's a testament to how fun this game is that it's an absolute joy to play it twice. Individual episodes don't take much longer than fifteen minutes to complete at easier difficulties, making this a great game to kill time with. The replay value on this title is very high.

However, there are two minor problems with the game. First, there is slowdown when the action gets intense. It's not bad, however, and in some ways it makes attacks feel more powerful and dramatic. And second, the game does feel short. Although there's lots of replayability, it's no replacement for having more levels. If a sequel was ever made, I'd definitely pick it up!

Judging from the copies of the game as various stores, I'm not sure how well it is selling. But, I believe this is easily one of the most fun and polished GBA games I've played in a very long time. This is a superb, overlooked gem that every GBA owner should play. Highly recommended.

This game is fun and and has a great replay value. Good story and a is not too easy. There are many cool bosses. Great game to play on a long trip in a car. A most own game.

And I almost didn't either until a few years back when seeing it used in my GameStop. The game only cost me $10 but y'know, if I paid attention when this game actually came out, I would have readily payed $30.

This game... I mean, it's Astro Boy, an anime icon, the game though has its own storyline (and character designs) seems closer to the recent 2003 anime the game accompanied. Anyway, back to this game, this wonderful gem of a game... It's gonna be hard not spoiling this wonderful game for you.

Story:

After the game prologue Astro starts his training in Dr. Elephun's lab this is basically just helping you get into the games controls and you'll need it. Right after you'll be swept into Stage 1 and onward through an excellent story full cameos and roles from characters of the Osamu Tezuka universe.

The games story is quite interesting especially a certain turning point where you're lead to believe is the final battle only to learn well... just wow. Very strong message the Astro Boy games are known for and the endings (yes, this alludes to what I said earlier) are real emotion bringers.

Gameplay:
Like I said, this game is a gem. It's part side scroll beat 'em up, part side scroll shooter, part explorer in one nifty little game. The game has three modes. Easy (I haven't played this), Normal (which is quite hard) and Hard (which is a nightmare). Hard lives up to its title as enemies hit hard and bosses can pretty much 1HKO you if you don't upgrade Astro's health.

And to upgrade Astro's health and everything else is in the title. The Omega factor is quite a unique customize system. To utilize it, Astro needs to meet many different characters who'll all fall into certain places in Astro's judgment (Friend, love, enemy etc) Astro makes these judgments and each confirmation meeting allows you to access Astro's Omega Factor and upgrade his Health, Power, Laser, and Bullet weapons. Some people you meet start as "???" But don't worry, as the game moves along, Astro (and you) will see these people for what they are and the call is made there.

Replay Value:
It depends on you. I fell in love with this game and all the extra challenges (and lovely story) in the game made me play over and over until hard mode and its insanity made me stop. Try seeing if you can beat Stage 1 to the final areas, the game even times you for it. Good luck.

Astro Boy Omega Factor: One of the best GBA games made that was shunned due to all the hype around other games. It's a shame, but if you can, pick this game up! You'll love it.

I would have to say that this is the best game for the GBA that I have ever played. It is simply perfect in almost every aspect. Treasure has made some of the best 2D games around, but they have gone above and beyond with this one.

Here's Why:

1. The gameplay is tight.
The control, feel, fluidity, response; basically all control elements work flawlessly to give this game an amazing feel.

2. The Difficulty is just right.
One of the common criticisms of today's games is that they are always too easy or too hard. This game gets things just right and keeps you in the sweet spot of gaming for the entire ride. You never feel like you are blowing through enemies way too easily, but at the same time you don't get stuck on stages and feel it's hopeless to continue.

3. The story aint' bad.
Ok ok, I know it will upset the fanboys but I still think the character is weird being a 10 year-old in his underwear, but once you get past the weirdness factor the story is pretty cool, especially in the later parts of the game. Most reasons for replaying a game and doing levels again are pretty lame like unlocking characters or bonus footage, but this game ties the story into its replay so you really want to finish it the second and third times around.

4. Everything works together well.
It's not just that all these elements work seperately but that they come together to form a really polished, smooth, and great gaming experience.

5. It's FUN!
In my top 5 games of all time on the fun factor this game is just a blast. I couldn't wait to be done with work to get back to playing it.

The only real criticism is that the graphics get a bit pixelled because they use the same models for multiple sizes of enemies. Other than that it's really a gem.

Finally, a note to all the older gamers who think this is just a kids game: Don't be fooled. I grew up loving games like Robotron, Mario, Contra, and Gradius (And I've beaten the last three also). So just cause it looks like it'll be a kids crap game or just for anime fans don't be fooled.

Pick this game up! You won't be sorry!