Just finished Chapter Three.
Wow! The production values in this game are sky-freaking-high. Everything just shines with quality. The menus, the opening cutscene, the voice-overs, the graphics. Everything just has superb presentation; something you don't really get from most handheld games. Heck, I love Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7; but really, those are games where you basically turn the system on and jump in a level. This just feels so much more "full-featured." Especially when you consider all the bonus stuff I haven't even dabbled into, yet.
Gameplay wise, I'll start off with the good: First off, the sense of speed in flight is awesome. It really feels like you're absolutely hauling ass at certain moments. Does this game run at 60fps in 3D mode, too? It certainly feels like it. And if not, I have to commend the developers, because I'm pretty picky about framerates. Everything is silky smooth. Also, there's been a ton of variety so far. Lots of enemies, a few bosses, sky combat and ground combat. And the dialogue is fantastic. It really feels like a childhood cartoon ... in the absolute best sense you can imagine.
But yeah, controls are pretty iffy. They're not "bad" by any means; and I don't know how they could be much better on the system - because, honestly, I don't think dual-analog would benefit the game much at all. The pinpoint accuracy of the stylus is absolutely necessary. But, yeah, it's a bit tough to strafe and shoot in the game, and keeping the 3D sweetspot can be a challenge. It definitely shouldn't prevent you from picking up what is, so far, an otherwise amazing title. But I can understand some reviewers' complaints. Hopefully it'll get better as I go along!
