Astro Boy
- July 14, 2004 12:23 PM PST
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Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka?s futuristic Pinocchio story, shows us what today looked like 50 years ago.
Manga doesn?t get any more retro than Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka?s brainchild that kicked off Japan?s infatuation with cartoons over 50 years ago. After Astro?s many incarnations in print and on TV, Sonic Team is bringing the iconic robot boy to the PS2.The game begins with the creation of Astro Boy in Dr. O?Shay?s lab. Two of Astro Boy?s powers, Rocket Feet and Supersonic Hearing, develop almost immediately. Several other abilities must be discovered as the game progresses, including 1,000,000-Horsepower Strength, Arm Cannon, X-Ray Vision, Digibeams, and the Power of Analyzation.
The Rocket Feet get you up in the air and help you explore the vast reaches of Metro City right away. The buildings and environments are filled with 1950s sci-fi charm, and are fleshed out nicely with stylish humans and androids. Side-quests supplement Astro Boy?s main story and boss battles to give players a bit of freedom. Predictably, collector cards are hidden throughout the game to reward exploration.
For as great as it looks, however, actually playing Astro Boy is a mixed bag. Difficulty ensues as soon as you have to combine flight with any other activity, i.e. fighting. Combat, especially of the aerial variety, feels cumbersome and has a steep learning curve.
The camera controls are unintuitive, and targeting has as much to do with luck as skill. Astro Boy would benefit from an overhauled control scheme, but since it?s already been released in Japan, it?s unlikely that any major changes will occur.
