If you want mindless button mashing, long and boring escort missions and massive game slow-downs, than CIMA if for you!
GAMEPLAY ~
OK lets start by saying the idea was a good one, taking away the "field strategy" element of a good tactical game an adding in hack and slash game play! Sounds fun... well... it's not. This game is one huge escort mission! The tutorial was traumatizing to my being! This is the longest I've waited to play the actual game since FFTA! It went so slow! I could have taken a nap on how long it takes to direct the people to their destiny. An once the tutorial is over you finally get to experience the games real charm... hacking and slashing! Yes you get to swipe at all enemies, for about 5 minutes... than it's right back to an escort mission... really Natsume... you did so great on the Lufia series an we get this ball of crap?!?! Anyway, onto button layout...
The "L" and "R" trigger are used during the escort mission part to control one character, a group of characters or the whole darn group of characters to a safer destination. "R" is individual selection and "L" is to choose which "camp" will move. Each camp is made up of 4 characters. Select them individually or all at once with either "A" for one, or "R" again for all! Such fun! Than you place markers with the "A" button an they follow that path to safety... whilst you continuously swipe at monsters to keep them at bay. This is the whole game... creative idea, but very tedious an really seems like no-one test ran this title... if they did, they were probably Lab animals... because any normal human would find this completely boring. Even the H&S is lackluster...
STORY ~
You playa s Ark and Ivy and your title is "Gate Guards". You are protecting a train of various characters through the frontier an suddenly, a gate appears, you are all sucked in, the train goes from a 6 caboose to a 1 caboose an engine room. Oh yeah, you fight the CIMA, which stands for "Crying is My Advance" because I had to actually purchased an played this title. Anyway, they live off human Hope, an you must keep spirits high as your main objective. Their motto is "Protect the People first" WOW!
GRAPHICS ~
This game has some nice graphics for a GBA title. Not saying it's the best, but it's good. It's basic steam-punk look with the sprites going all chibi (or Super Deformed to the laments) and all dialogue is handled in the respected dialogue boxes. Which stops all action on the screen. This game moves slow, as mentions, but moves even slower when your escorts walk through an area infested with enemies. So slow in fact it starts to glitch. This made progression even worse. I actually put the GBA down and watched TV as the escorts moved... THAT IS HOW BORING IT WAS!!!
There are a few puzzles in this game, from geographical changes to just some pole which partially blocks your way. Alot of the other puzzles need more than one person to help solve them. So imagine if you will, a Lemmings version of Shining Soul an you got this monstrosity.
Again, basic graphics design. Overall idea... slow an meandering...
SOUND ~
The music for the most part wasn't too bad. for the train sequence part (before the tutorial) there was a nice semi-acoustic western-esk theme. I really liked this track alot. It gave you a good feeling on the situation of the characters. Other than that you get basic dungeon songs and cave songs. No voice-overs (which I am happy about) an very limited SFX!
A good part to a vastly inferior game.
REPLAYABILITY ~
Don't know, don't care. Didn't want to really delve deep into this title, way too slow. But I will say there is a nifty save option pretty much works as like a quick save, but starts you back at the beginning of the area. Lame, but whatever. Don't plan on moving any further ahead than where I was... so 5 will suffice.
OVERALL ~
If you are looking for a hack & slash title there is far too many on the market which should persuade you away from this game. An if you are looking for a good tactical game, try the Fire Emblem series or Tactic Ogre, both good games. But if you want both fast paced button mashing mixed with long boring escort missions and way too many slow-downs…
I suggest you get some mental help and never think of purchasing CIMA... not worth your time... Nor the 7 $ price tag used…