Great puzzle fighter...fits the DS to a T
Clash of Heroes is basically a puzzle fighter game, so I didn't expect much in the way of story. Unexpectedly, the story was solid and kept the momentum of the game moving forward. You play as five different heroes whose parents and friends have been murdered as part of an insidious plot. Demons have invaded the elven forest and plan to open a portal to the demon realm.
The most striking aspect of the game is the great use it makes of the dual screens. The player controls the bottom screen while the computer AI battles you from the top. The game skips through five characters, enlarging the story while providing variety. As you play through each character you get the opportunity to control a new army with unique strengths and abilities. Each battle you win gives experience to your troops, from lowly grunts to champions you acquire as the game proceeds.
The gameplay is designed around the classic "three-in-a-row" concept: troops come in three colors, randomly tossed onto the screen, and your job is to line them up. Three across forms a wall to protect you from enemy attacks, while a vertical match up powers up an attack. Both your's and your enemy's stats are displayed on screen, showing you when your attack will charge up, and how powerful it will be.
For me, the mark of a good game is how often I turn to it when I'm in a game playing mood. I made short work of this one due to the variety of each section. Just when I felt that the gameplay was getting stale, I was given a fresh new character with a different army that needed a new strategy. The game was fairly short, with a maximum play time of about 20 hours, but I thought the pacing was very good. There was little replay value except through multiplayer, which I didn't attempt.
The sound was quite good with sweeping scores in an orchestral background that suited the mood of the game.
I felt that Clash of Heroes was a title well suited to the DS. One minor gripe might be the graphics, which worked well, but could have been better. Granted, the game's vibe is cartoony, but I would have enjoyed that extra bit of attention to the graphics. Overall, though, it was the gameplay that kept me coming back. The title is well-balanced, well-paced, and one that I recommend to anyone with an interest in fantasy, turn based strategy and/or manipulating little stacks of purple demons.