Could someone explain to me why this game got such good reviews? Did someone slip me a phony cartridge?
User Rating: 6.6 | Astro Boy: Tetsuwan Atom - Atom Heart no Himitsu GBA
Once in awhile I play a game and am stunned to see that my reaction goes against the vast majority of reviewers. This is one of those games. Astro Boy: Omega Factor has received a number of strong reviews. I have trouble believing I have played the same game as these people. This game is a simple side scroller based on a Japanese cartoon featuring a lead character who looks like the mascot of the Big Boy restaurant chain without a shirt. As the game progresses you go through level after level of punching enemies, shooting enemies with one of two lasers that your body emits or firing a machine gun out of your ass that appears to be embedded as deeply as Cartman's anal probe--I am not kidding. Some levels you fly, others you are on the ground but have jet boots to give your jumps some height. Much of the game is easy. But then it becomes jaw droppingly hard with no transition. One level simple. The next, I simply could not get by. After awhile I gave up. But the big issue here is that the gameplay seems so "been-there-done that." The writing is nothing special. The graphics are nothing special. The sound is nothing special. The combat is fairly shallow. It is not a bad game, but it is nothing memorable. Certainly nothing that deserves the accolades it has received. I would not say to avoid it, but I can think of a stack of GBA games I would recommend ahead of this. So, give it a try. Maybe I got a phony cartridge. But I have to tell you, there is no way the game I played deserves the high scores so many other reviewers have given it. Just no way.
