A pretty decent isometric platformer, but is bogged down by the Lite's D Pad.
However, parts of it get old really quickly. The D-Pad, long thought to be an essential part of any game, quickly becomes your greatest nemesis as you attempt to line up diagonal shots and jumps, only to miss enemies and platforms by a few pixels. One of my greatest pet peaves is having to do something over again because you make a stupid mistake, simply because the controls did not respond well enough. Well, Scurge pulls this off marvelously.
Another gripe I have about the game is the simplicity of the opposition. Enemies don't change. In fact, there are only about a dozen unique enemies, which represent three separate traits (mechanical, biological, and energy). Each palette swap does the same thing, only taking a shot or two more to destroy than their predecessor. Strangely enough, each enemy is about as malicious as a red slime out of the Dragon Warrior series, but I won't hold that against them. Also, the AI is about on par with that of a lobotomized chimp. Again, it's not the enemies fault; Orbital made them that way!
With all this griping, one would ask, 'Does this guy even like the game?' To be quite honest, I was a little underwhelmed by it initially, but it has grown on my like an electronic fungus. The controls may be a bit wonky at times, but there are moments when you feel this game is right as rain. For instance, despite the short-bus caliber enemy AI, bosses are actually enjoyable, and in some parts, very fulfilling. Simultaneously, everything you do, whether it's exploring, finding an upgrade, or blasting some hapless creature back to its base atoms is a race against time. You have a specific amount of time allotted before you become fully infect with the Scurge, at which point your health decreases. While this cuts continuous exploration short and forces the player to find a save point, it also adds a bit of strategy to figuring out where and how to go next. It can be frustrating at times, but it is far from debilitating.
Ultimately, Scurge: Hive is fun, albeit a little short. It was originally (and still is) a GBA game. It looks and feels GBA. Yes, the DS version of the game is a direct port over of the GBA game. The only difference is the constant map on the bottom screen, which you will come to love. If you can look past the wonky control issues with the D-Pad (I don't have the GBA version to test how it handles), then you've found yourself a real gem. In the end, it's a pretty decent way to spend 10-15 hours of your life, if not less.