gimmicks and technical flair do not equate with quality.

the graphics are good. damn good in fact. this is definitely one of the ds' best-looking games, and one of the best-looking shmups, period. unfortunately that's the best i can say for this failed experiment in the ds' long-running line of gimmicky-to-a-fault games.

the game's biggest problem is that you're required to use the stylus to switch weapons, which can prove to be a pain in the ass. when you have lasers and ships flying all over the screen, you can die very easily from this major inconvenience. hey, developers, just because the system has a feature, doesn't mean it needs to be used. take that small bit of advice in mind for your next big gaming project (do i foresee a nanostray 2?). don't worry though, once you learn that you'll only need one or two weapons to make it through the game, you won't need to wrestle with the stylus for much longer, and in the end you'll see what is a very short and very unremarkable shmup that doesn't do anything that other games in the genre haven't done better. there are better ways to spend your time.