Moon Review (DS)
Written by yoshiyo100:
As I have become a more involved gamer over the years, I’ve begun to play the games that are truly excellent, but never get enough media coverage to make it to the general public. Welcome to the world of Moon, created for you by Renegade Kid (makers of Dementium: the Ward), a group of people who have tried, and succeeded, in bringing a darker side to the DS. This DS shooter finally takes the crown from a genre never fully explored on the system. There have been tries like Call of Duty 4 and Brothers in Arms DS, but neither have actually mastered what the handheld can do (like so many other third parties). The only other big name shooter on the DS is Nintendo’s own Metroid Prime Hunters. And it is in this comparison that Moon shines. Metroid, which came out around the launch of the original DS, now almost four years ago, was a ground breaking title that enabled over the internet voice chatting and tight controls on the DS, now has Moon to cope with.
In Moon, you are Major Kane, a member of the Extra-terrestrial Encounter Organization, and as you traverse underground facilities of alien construction, you uncover more than you would’ve ever given a game titled “Moon” credit for.
The story line is told through “diary” type entries written by aliens and by a human scientist, and they are scattered throughout the facilities. It is a new spin on the old “alien v human” story, so I won’t spoil it for you here. The sound is a little corny, with 20th century beeps and boops associated with space, and the weapon sounds seem like they came out of a toy alien blaster.
The game play is tight, and the action is fast. Major Kane starts with a standard assault rifle, weak, but with unlimited ammo, and finds weapons up through the usual progression of pistol, rifle, shotgun, sniper, rocket launcher, etc. The hook is here, they are alien weapons and shoot a variety of colors (a little cheesy, but nice when ammo is on the ground because you know which weapon it will go to). The sensitivity on the touch screen for aiming is very high, much higher than Metroid or Call of Duty, but I must say it works. The enemies don’t dodge with inhuman speed, so the aiming is very well laid out. The game is mainly moving through rooms trying to reach objectives, whether they be power generators or bosses. Each room is broken down into the “kill then look” idea born in Metroid. Another throw-back to Nintendo’s shooter is the RAC, or remote access droid, which you control in areas Kane cannot reach. This little device functions almost the same as Samus’s morph ball. Overall, the game play is a little repetitious, but the different weapons and tight controls will always make it seems like there is something new. Plus, the story will be pulling you along in the desperate quest for information on a great mystery.
Some things that are not similar, however, to Metroid are the boss battles. Instead of Nintendo’s usual formula (hit weak points, then move in for greater damage), you and the boss will constantly be unloading on each other, doing damage all the time, until only the victor stands. Another thing to note is the enemy variety: there is none. I would say, in total, there were probably less than 10 types of enemies, plus about 5 or 6 types of bosses. Though this is saddening, seeing three giant robots coming at you, even if you have faced one before, is a terrifying experience. Along with the shooting, there is a bit of traversing on the moon’s surface (two times, to be exact). In the Lola, a moon designed ground transport with mounted turret; you will drive past mines along canyons in the crust to reach your next destination. I am not a fan of driving games, and found the Lola steered like a car out of Grand Theft Auto (yes, it was that bad). I did not enjoy these times, but did get through them.
On a side note, Moon does not feature any Wi-fi play, not necessarily something that would’ve fit the game, but at least another feature for it to have. Also, I would like to add that the included instruction booklet is very detailed and offers some tidbits on the weapons and characters the game doesn’t deliver. I have found these pamphlets to be increasingly useless over the years, and this book was a surprising up lift.
At the end of the day, Moon is a game so desperately sought for by hard core Nintendo gamers, a category that may be fulfilled this year, but does not deliver a varied experience. The game took me a week to finish, slightly disappointing, but it does offer replay value at higher difficulty and to find more secrets in the game (in turn unlocking secret missions). The light gunning game play but deep story makes it feel more cinematic than other DS shooters, which is nice for the system. So if you’re looking for a DS shooter, and you’ve finished Metroid, Moon will deliver a similar experience. Graphics and sounds have been cut for game play, but the light action is fast and fun. Moon is one of those games that will never hit the mainstream, but is a golden jewel that is well worth the trouble of $30. Please enjoy a third-party game that is so well designed to support these developers for future projects.
Check out these images from IGN:
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- The Lola vehicle makes its way through the myriads of canyons on teh surface.
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- A large robot shoots a large red laser
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- Major Kane moves in on an automated security system
