Astro Boy: Omega Factor might be one of the most 16-bit games on the GBA. What do I mean by that? Pop in any of Treasure’s Genesis classics, Gunstar Heroes for example and you’ll know you’ve played this type of game before. Even the shooting segments feel eerily similar to Treasure’s Ikaruga. When compared to those two titles, how do you think this title is going to fare?
"Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a worthy successor to the Treasure name"
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It’s fares extremely well. Astro Boy mixes two classic types of play into the mix. Some levels will have you cruising through the sky, shooting enemies Gradius style, yet others will have you in a side scrolling beat ‘em up type. There’s usually a pretty robust amount of enemies for you to fight depending on the level, but they don’t vary too much. You’ll be fighting the same minion robots, but in different numbers, different combinations, and different sizes, depending on the stage. Each stage usually has a different set of robots, and as you probably guessed their size pretty much will determine their strength. You don’t fight too many enlarged enemies, but when you do they pack a pixilated punch; the sprites could have used some remastering when enlarged (of course this saves cartridge space, but I wonder if they needed to). You don’t get too sick of seeing the enemies as frequently as you do however, because there is a plethora of bosses in this title.
I mean plethora in every sense of the word. Each stage is divided in to 5 or 6 acts, and usually every other act is a boss battle. Factor in around 7 stages, and some unlockable ones, and you have yourself a healthy portion of bossitude. The boss battles range in difficulty, as do the stages themselves in a pretty erratic fashion. You’ll be fighting a horde of enemies in stage that feels longer than it should sometimes, only to fight a puss of a boss, and sometimes it’s the other way around, and you’ll be cursing the boss that’s in your way. However, you never get sick of fighting the boss because each time you do a little better, and they’re never so difficult you feel cheated, which is rare for a Treasure game, or even less specifically for games of this type.
The stages themselves are for the most part wonderfully crafted. You’ll progress through modern cities that have breakable windows in the background. You’ll watch the sun set in the background as you fly over the Pacific Ocean blasting bullet spitting robot fish. Each stage’s pacing usually shows Treasure put a level of effort into how it was paced, but once in a while you’ll find one that’s a little too short, or one that’s a little too hard and long. My only complaint really is that the stages are so beautiful, and the enemies are so plentiful, that the game might slowdown once in a great while. I’ve only seen slowdown twice, in some pretty random and unsuspecting places, but I don’t know if I got lucky or not. You’ll probably see some too.
"... never so difficult you feel cheated, which is rare for a Treasure game..."
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The slowdown only happens during intense combat, which I admit was done phenomenally. The system is surprisingly deep for a system with so few buttons. Astro is able to fire lasers, shoot his butt cannon, jet-boost, punch and kick… I’m telling you this kid is a machine (go on roll your eyes). Sometimes you’ll get stomped by a group of enemies, and realize you should actually think about what strategy to use. You don’t normally have to think about strategy in a game like this, but trust me, it’s a good thing.
Strategy it has, but strategy game length it doesn’t have. This game won’t win any prizes for its length either way; it’s a pretty average sized game, that is, if you choose to only play though once. I won’t reveal anything but the story does continue after the initial “completion.” The story it self isn’t bad at all. It’s not your typical story by any means, but it does get better as it goes along. It’s enough motivation when coupled with the gameplay to continue on though which is more than some games can say, especially on the GBA.
"Astro Boy: Omega Factor might be one of the most 16-bit games on the GBA. "
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The game is no stranger to unlockables, as it has cleverly, and sometimes deviously, hidden characters in the stages who will help to upgrade your character. One of my favorite things to do in this title is comb the stages for the characters they’ve hidden, but you’ll want to as well, since it makes your character more powerful. Some are pretty normal, but some of these characters are super wacky. Finding them can be as simple as breaking a window, or as difficult as flying to the top of a stage and looking for a panel you can break.
Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a worthy successor to the Treasure name, and it’s good to see these guys still have it. Recent stinkers like Wario World have made me question their skill in 3D gaming, but if they continue to produce games like this in 2D, I won’t have to worry about a thing, and neither will you.
