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[lachesis]

I finished it while I was doing emergency stand-by for the State of the Union speech last night... and I wasn't really interested listening to dubya, so I whipped out my GBA. I was stuck on Garon, final boss for quite some time - but I became good enough to dodge all those consecutive meteors he throws at you when he's low on his HP.

Pretty tough with only 3 EX moves - but what a game. Tough, yet not impossible. Pure old-school style gem from Treasure/Hitmaker. Playing the game brought so much memories of 8bit-16bit days of good old action games, and how fun they were.

I don't normally finish a game on Hard mode, especially these days when I am a such a weak-sauce casual gamer - but this game was a good medicine to bring up my gaming sense up a bit. (I wouldn't say it was too hard, though - it's just about alot of re-trying and figuring out the patterns, weakness etc.)

Playing on Hard mode really did made me play differently though - conserving EX moves and using more combo attacks (I never even had to use Kick - bowling combo for Normal mode due to plenty of EX powers), and just be more agile on the D-pad.

Anyhow.. just wanted contratulate myself a bit for concuring one of the finest action games on GBA. It's another proof how talented Treasure really are.

lachesis

 

[Tsubaki]

... or for others, it's another in a string of mediocrity for Treasure who normally makes such phenomal games. Sin & Punishment and Ikaruga are great, but they've been lacking inspiration since.

Not that Astro Boy is awful. It's perfectly adequate. It's just not... special.

 

[Nightbreeze]

really need to pick this one up before i cant find it...

 

[lachesis]

... or for others, it's another in a string of mediocrity for Treasure who normally makes such phenomal games. Sin & Punishment and Ikaruga are great, but they've been lacking inspiration since.

Not that Astro Boy is awful. It's perfectly adequate. It's just not... special.

Perhaps because of its subject matter - astroboy. I do not disagree with you - as I've played better treasure games - but i still believe it stands tall against other mediocre GBA action/shooting games. However having watched Astroboy (Atom) since my childhood, having read of the comics and all (especially world' biggest robot), it did add a ton into my enjoyment. Also, gameplay mechanics really shine in hard difficulty.

lachesis

 

[Soul4ger]

This game is for "babies," according to Crispin Boyer of EGM.

I wonder how far he got on Hard Mode. One of the best GBA games, no question.

 

[jarrod]

... or for others, it's another in a string of mediocrity for Treasure who normally makes such phenomal games. Sin & Punishment and Ikaruga are great, but they've been lacking inspiration since.

Not that Astro Boy is awful. It's perfectly adequate. It's just not... special.

I dunno, Astro Boy OF + Gradius V + Advance Guardian Heroes is probably the best year Treasure's ever had overall. I do think AB/G5 get a bit overexposed (they're not *perfect* people) though, while AGH gets unfairly picked apart.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

I'm playing it now and then, and I find it pretty cool that Astro Boy has characters from Metropolis (or the other way around?). I've never read any of the original comics so I didn't know that.

 

[Ironclad]

Astro Boy is only $19.99 at Gamestop and they all seem to have a few copies lying around.

Anyway, this really is a great handheld action game. IMO, the flying segments are the best but this game has real replay value.

 

[Mejilan]

I love this game. Played through it 2x. Ever since AGH, however, I haven't really been inclined to replay it. AGH kinda replaced it for me.