Treasure

Calling something ‘hardcore' doesn't prevent it from sucking

HIGH Having a robot for a main character is always a perk.

LOW Everything else.

WTF The utter lack of a difficulty curve: it's all just this side of infuriating.

Game Description: In this DS remake of the classic Bangai-O, you take the roles of Riki and Mami and strap into the powerful Bangai-O suit to undertake the task of catching criminals red-handed. Bangai-O Spirits provides gamers with shooter gameplay and punishing supermoves, along with strategic and tactical elements. The game also offers co-op, competitive multiplayerfor 1-4 players via local wireless, and a powerful level editor tool which allows players to edit in-game levels or create new ones from scratch.

Gagh! I close and my eyes and still see little bink bursts of bullets flying in geometrical patterns...

Comparing Gunstar Super Heroes to We Love Katamari doesn't make much sense to me. They are both cash-in sequels that rehash their originals, but I think there's a big difference between a rehash that comes out 12 months later and one that comes out 12 years later.

Almost every boss—as ever, the beating heart of a Treasure level—is recycled from GH. Players keep expecting some kind of pay-off for those of us willing to accept these throwbacks as 'knowing references', but it doesn't come, and they're not. They're insipid and annoying regurgitations.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Suggestive Themes, Fantasy Violence

Game Description: Gunstar Super Heroes is 2D action and adventure done right. The Gunstar world expands with all-new levels, bosses, and weapons. Take characters, Blue and Red, on different paths to reveal an incredible adventure story. Precision gunplay and brilliant visuals, and all-new levels, bosses, and weapons.

Game Description: Invisible enemies are revealed with his x-ray vision, his Arm Canon discharges explosive firepower, his hearing is unparalleled, and his strength is no less than 100,000 horsepower. With his superior, electronic brain, he decodes robotic languages and secret codes. Help Astro uncover his full potential through 10 non-linear, interactive areas, including a volcano, outer space, underground, and the city.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Cartoon Violence

It's rare to find a handheld game with this much emphasis on narrative (and narrative logic) and Osamu Tezuka's colorful roster of characters are ultimately crowbarred in to good effect.