Nanostray Review
Destroying different space machines, while moving at high speeds was always one of my childhood dreams, ever since the days of NES. Now I know that it won't be
possible in this lifetime, but I still have an active imagination. Therefore,
Nanostray delivers myself some nostalgia and more.
GamePlay 8.5
Now, don't get me wrong, it's just as basic as any shooter, but having infinite weapon energy just makes it appeal to me even more. Especially since you don't have to pick up the weapon upgrades. There are four weapons with which are all useful in their own since. Each of which, have their own power weapon, which ranges from a steady flowing beam of energy to a side ways spray of pulse. The AI should keep you on your toes, seeing as a lot of the enemies will fly kamikaze style. Memorizing the patterns of each individual wave is something that won't happen. You may trace some of them, but there will always be a surprise. You also have smart bombs which decimate everything on the screen. You start with three and they replinsh according to which difficulty you're playing on.
Controls: 8
Simple, intuitive, and right there are how controls should be. The L trigger
and B buttons serve as your main cannon, while the A button uses your power weapon.
R trigger attracts upgrades towards your ship, and the X button fires smart bombs.
The D-Pad moves your ship, while the touch screen serves as an interactive radar
that shows enemy ships and projectiles. The touch screen is also used for scanning
a boss for its weak spot and changing your weapons. Most of yourattention is spent
on the top screen though, which shows the playing field.
Graphics: 8.5
The backgrounds are pre-rendered 3D but who cares? It still looks great and
it's actually interactive. Flying through ducts and craters. Avoiding lava spurts,
it really ties in with the game well. Sprites and animations are very fluent as
well. There is a bit of slowdown when the enemies become overwhelming, and you will
notice it, but that's nothing when you have smart bombs to take care of them.
Sound: 7.75
Sound quality is just about perfect. Nothing sounds midi-ish. Which is great,
but I simply would have liked to hear more from the soundtrack. They sound looped,
although it does flow with the game mechanics very well. The sound effects could have
been a bit more varied as well.
Sidekicks:
Unlockables? Yes, Media-esque.
Singlecard Multiplayer? Yes, fly side-by-side and destroy anything in your path.
Voice? No
Replay Value? Very High
Overall: 8
This is a great pick up and go game. If you're looking for something that will
take some time, this game is moderate, playing the arcade mode and challenge mode to unlock things will lengthen it. The Nanocode system should be pretty neat as well, plenty of competition to go around.
-D*
possible in this lifetime, but I still have an active imagination. Therefore,
Nanostray delivers myself some nostalgia and more.
GamePlay 8.5
Now, don't get me wrong, it's just as basic as any shooter, but having infinite weapon energy just makes it appeal to me even more. Especially since you don't have to pick up the weapon upgrades. There are four weapons with which are all useful in their own since. Each of which, have their own power weapon, which ranges from a steady flowing beam of energy to a side ways spray of pulse. The AI should keep you on your toes, seeing as a lot of the enemies will fly kamikaze style. Memorizing the patterns of each individual wave is something that won't happen. You may trace some of them, but there will always be a surprise. You also have smart bombs which decimate everything on the screen. You start with three and they replinsh according to which difficulty you're playing on.
Controls: 8
Simple, intuitive, and right there are how controls should be. The L trigger
and B buttons serve as your main cannon, while the A button uses your power weapon.
R trigger attracts upgrades towards your ship, and the X button fires smart bombs.
The D-Pad moves your ship, while the touch screen serves as an interactive radar
that shows enemy ships and projectiles. The touch screen is also used for scanning
a boss for its weak spot and changing your weapons. Most of yourattention is spent
on the top screen though, which shows the playing field.
Graphics: 8.5
The backgrounds are pre-rendered 3D but who cares? It still looks great and
it's actually interactive. Flying through ducts and craters. Avoiding lava spurts,
it really ties in with the game well. Sprites and animations are very fluent as
well. There is a bit of slowdown when the enemies become overwhelming, and you will
notice it, but that's nothing when you have smart bombs to take care of them.
Sound: 7.75
Sound quality is just about perfect. Nothing sounds midi-ish. Which is great,
but I simply would have liked to hear more from the soundtrack. They sound looped,
although it does flow with the game mechanics very well. The sound effects could have
been a bit more varied as well.
Sidekicks:
Unlockables? Yes, Media-esque.
Singlecard Multiplayer? Yes, fly side-by-side and destroy anything in your path.
Voice? No
Replay Value? Very High
Overall: 8
This is a great pick up and go game. If you're looking for something that will
take some time, this game is moderate, playing the arcade mode and challenge mode to unlock things will lengthen it. The Nanocode system should be pretty neat as well, plenty of competition to go around.
-D*
