Game Review 13:Guilty Gear Dust Strikers

I have been anticipating for Guilty Gear DS since its announcement last year and after a long wait, it has finally arrive on the DS! So the first question that comes to your mind is: How does it fare? To start with, I must say that Guilty Gear DS will be a minor let down to die-hard Guilty Gear fans. Note, it is only die-hard Guilty Gear fans. The DS version of Guilty Gear sees an introduction of an all new multilevel platform fighting system. Therefore, when you press the 'up' button on the D-pad, the character will proceed to the upper level instead of jumping into the air and vice versa, which is quite odd, compared to other traditional Guilty Gear games (e.g. Guilty Gear XX, Guilty Gear Isuka). To make matters worse, the gameplay also seems compressed because the characters look so small on screen, perhaps partly due to the fact that the DS screens are only 3-inches. Guilty Gear DS lacks the complexity of controls of other traditional Guilty games too. As far as I know, each of the 20 characters is only limited to 1 combo. Perhaps, innovation in Guilty Gear DS is doing more harm than good but, on the other hand, there are some good ones too. One of which utilises the touch screen. You may notice that there are several boxes scattered aross the screens during gameplay. Jump on them and you can use the items in them, ranging from bombs to lightning strikes. To my relief, the audio and graphics of Guilty Gear DS remain unchanged from the other Guilty Gear games. This is good news for you will be able to experience the atmosphere of playing Guilty Gear. Included with Guilty Gear DS are 7 basic mini games, like balancing acts and cleaning a yoyo. The scores that you achieve (must be 1st, 2nd or 3rd highest score) can be used to unlock special moves and sequences in Robo-Ky Factory, another new feature of the DS version of Guilty Gear. In Robo-Ky Factory, you can create your own characters with their own moves and opening game runs. Interesting? I do agree that after playing Guilty Gear for a week, you will realise that Guilty Gear DS is short in content and has a low replay value. However, the ability to play wirelessly with 3 other opponents compensates for this flaw. Overall, the developer, Majesco, must be credited for their good attempt at bringing Guilty Gear on to the portable consoles. Fan or no fan of Guilty Gear, go get this game for the fun and enjoyment that it dishes out but if you demand better quality Guilty Gear games, I suggest that you wait for the alternative: Guilty Gear Judgement for the PSP on May 30.

Overall score: 8.6/10
Platform: Nintendo DS
For screenshots, please click here.
Forthcoming reviews: Metroid Prime: Hunters, New Super Mario Bros.