Programmed by Jupiter, best known for Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Published by Disney Interactive, Spectrobes is a solid hit!
Coming out a week earlier than it was supposed to may not have been a great idea. Those who were interested in the game that didn't pre-order were denied the game on its release day, and others with a casual interest may just give up on it entirely and not give it a second glance. This would be unfortunate, as this game has sooo much more going for it than it would first appear.
Take one part Monster Rancher, add one part Pokemon, throw in some fun fossil excavating techniques and you've got a unique game that uses ALL the functions of the DS.
First, you are sent to a planet to investigate a distress signal from a pod who's inhabitant is in a state of suspended animation. Second, upon discovering said pod, you also find a piece of alien technology that mysteriously fits perfectly into your combat suit's glove. This device known as a "Prizmod" allows you to command and communicate with "Spectrobes"... This is immediately discovered as you are attacked at the pod site by a swirling black Tornado. You are thrown into battle with the alien "Krawl."
The battle plays out in real-time. You can bring two Spectrobes into battle with you. The left trigger button is assigned to one Spectrobe, the right to the other. Simply pressing one button or the other will have the Spectrobe do their basic attack. Charging your "CH" meter will allow you to do "Specials." Charge the meter and press one corresponding button OR charge the meter fully, and press both L + R to have your team unleash a Combined attack to devastating effect!
The two Spectrobes assigned to your Prizmod are adults and are combat ready, so winning the first battle should not be a problem. After that, you return to your spaceship to revive the space traveler, Aldous. He explains to you that the Krawl are an evil alien race that consume planets and solar systems AND they are headed your way! The only creatures capable of fighting back (of course) are the ancient race of Spectrobes!
With Aldous as your guide, Your Commander to provide you military assistance, and Jeena (your perky partner) to communicate with you as you engage in your search missions, it is here where your quest begins. You go from planet to planet searching for Spectrobe fossils, engaging Krawl minions and leaders, to save your planet/solar system from certain doom.
Planetary exploration is done in a unique way. You have a "Child" Spectrobe as your Searcher. Tapping it on the 3D world map brings up a circular excavation radius. If there is anything to unearth, it will show up as a twinkling Orange, Blue or Multi-Colored Star. Use your drills and scanning equipment to unearth your find. Use the Large drill to break through earth quickly and the Medium and Small drill to clear the finer areas around your Spectrobe Fossil, Mineral or Cube. In this tricky mini-game sequence, you need patience and a steady hand as drilling your find can/will damage or destroy it! The percentage unearthed is actually reflected in how effective a Spectrobe or Mineral you get, so start practicing your Archeology skills now! Yes, as you may have heard, blowing into the DS microphone actually blows the excess dirt off of your treasure and does add to the illusion of doing an actual dig! It's a lot of (creative) fun! Later on in the game you will get fluids and Sonic Drills that make your excavation easier, but keep in mind: You do get more experince by doing it yourself AND with more experience comes better Spectrobe fossils!
Besides exploration on the world map, you'll do a good share of battling. Your adult Spectrobes can fight, but it's through Battle Experience and good Care, you get your Evolved (final forms) of your Spectrobe allies. You can take 6 Battle Spectrobes with you when you explore. Two will fight, and the other Four will provide support boosts to your Battle Team as they engage the Krawl.
Once exploration is complete, you bring your spoils back to your ship. It is here where Aldous has set up a lab to Awaken, Incubate and Research your growing Spectrobe army. Awakening is done with your voice, yes, so if your are shy and lame, you'll be hiding in you room, yelling into your microphone to raise your fossils from their slumber! Once awake, you place your Spectrobe child into an Incubator where you can Feed it Minerals, Pet it and Pair it with another to encourage better teamwork when they grow up to battle together... There are specific strengths and weakness amongst the 'Trobes ( Corona over Aurora, Aurora over Flash, Flash over Corona ) so a balanced team is a MUST! Finally, in your ship you have the Spectrobe Server and the Pod where Reasearch is gathered and the Cubes you unearth are stored.
Cubes are VERY important as they have multi-purpose functions. Some simply give you Raising, Training and General ADVICE when caring for your Spectrobes. Others UNLOCK Wireless Play, WiFi Capability and The Ability to scan Cards using your Touch Screen to unlock newer, rare species of 'Trobes or Items to give to them! The more you play the game, the more you uncover!
Through Wireless Connections you can battle your friends. Through WiFi, you can download movies, Spectrobes, or enter your High-Score from Survival/Layer Battles to see how your team stacks up against the rest of the world! Who knows what else may be coming down the road though! Simply playing the one player game and putting it down would be a terrible mistake as MUCH more is yet to come!
Ignore the kids who downloaded the ROM and are saying this game is bad... First off, they don't have an instruction booklet to guide them and are missing out on the finer functions of the microphone and touch-screen. Second, do you really want to trust the opinion of a thief, anyway? This game is a top-notch, incredible, solid first-entry by Disney Interactive and it deserves your attention! Try it for yourself and you'll see what I mean! Ignore the nay-sayers and you'll find a game worthy of your time...
...Or at the very least a great game to fill your time between now and April 23rd! 8)
Any questions or concerns, post away!
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