Review - Ultraman Powered
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:27 am
Well where do I start?
This is an import that when I first heard of its existence back in the 3DO's hey day that I believed was one I had to have. The TV series was known to me and I always felt that it fell between the Godzilla movies of the sixties and slightly (but only just) more polished fare as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
The game itself is divided into a couple of different parts
There is the obligitory versus mode where you get to choose your opponent from the list or a human counterpart chooses.
You must play however as Ultraman
There is an Episode/story mode - this stages each fight around a tv episode which is shortened from its original format - this sets up your opponents backstory and the fights setting
Then there is Battle mode - this is curious as it starts each fight with you in the pilots seat of an aircraft that passes over your enemy on rails.Each shot within the target area takes damage off of your opponent once the regular fighting starts.Although this perspective is quite good ,your aircraft is rendered destroyed and useless after just two passes at your enemy so you need to make them count.
Being a bit of a closet fan of Ultraman I was curious as to how the game actually played - visually the game is great - the FMV of the show is of a high standard (unlike the acting/dubbing) , the characters are well thought out and drawn and the backgrounds are actually photographic. I have always enjoyed seeing western actors dubbed in Japanese and the rubber alien suits are as cheesy as you can get.
But the gameplay.........in a word .....horrendous. there is a significant lag in commands , which could be lived with if it wasn't for the fact that the AI computer opponent has no lag. This game is incredibly difficult as a result. Each enemy has a weakness and it takes a bit of practice to find it , unfortunately once found its a case of repeating the same move over and over again to win. CHA CHA CHA
As you ramp up the difficulty the AI becomes near impossible to defeat as you cannot enter your countermoves fast enough and you end up throwing your controller , console , ...small child ...whatever is in reach at the screen.
In a nutshell the game although fun due to its cheesiness and curiosity value is a nightmare to actually play. Its disappointing as the bare bones of something special are there - its just not finished.
I would have loved some more of the on rails stuff but the extras in the form of stills/slides of the show are a great touch.
I recommend only if your curious , an Ultraman fan , or just need it to complete a collection - as a fighting game it makes a good tv show.
This is an import that when I first heard of its existence back in the 3DO's hey day that I believed was one I had to have. The TV series was known to me and I always felt that it fell between the Godzilla movies of the sixties and slightly (but only just) more polished fare as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
The game itself is divided into a couple of different parts
There is the obligitory versus mode where you get to choose your opponent from the list or a human counterpart chooses.
You must play however as Ultraman
There is an Episode/story mode - this stages each fight around a tv episode which is shortened from its original format - this sets up your opponents backstory and the fights setting
Then there is Battle mode - this is curious as it starts each fight with you in the pilots seat of an aircraft that passes over your enemy on rails.Each shot within the target area takes damage off of your opponent once the regular fighting starts.Although this perspective is quite good ,your aircraft is rendered destroyed and useless after just two passes at your enemy so you need to make them count.
Being a bit of a closet fan of Ultraman I was curious as to how the game actually played - visually the game is great - the FMV of the show is of a high standard (unlike the acting/dubbing) , the characters are well thought out and drawn and the backgrounds are actually photographic. I have always enjoyed seeing western actors dubbed in Japanese and the rubber alien suits are as cheesy as you can get.
But the gameplay.........in a word .....horrendous. there is a significant lag in commands , which could be lived with if it wasn't for the fact that the AI computer opponent has no lag. This game is incredibly difficult as a result. Each enemy has a weakness and it takes a bit of practice to find it , unfortunately once found its a case of repeating the same move over and over again to win. CHA CHA CHA
As you ramp up the difficulty the AI becomes near impossible to defeat as you cannot enter your countermoves fast enough and you end up throwing your controller , console , ...small child ...whatever is in reach at the screen.
In a nutshell the game although fun due to its cheesiness and curiosity value is a nightmare to actually play. Its disappointing as the bare bones of something special are there - its just not finished.
I would have loved some more of the on rails stuff but the extras in the form of stills/slides of the show are a great touch.
I recommend only if your curious , an Ultraman fan , or just need it to complete a collection - as a fighting game it makes a good tv show.