When one thinks of games for the Nintendo DS, first-person shooter (FPS) isn't usually the first genre to spring to mind. However as Renegade Kid has now proven twice over, creative application of the DS' touch-screen can produce an FPS experience nearly as natural as that on a PC. With their latest title, "Moon," the developer has redefined a number of preconceptions of the type -- and quality -- of games that Nintendo's handheld can handle.
"Moon," appropriately, takes place on the Moon. The discovery of a mysterious hatch on the surface has brought you, Major Kane, to investigate, and within the game's first few minutes, everything goes horribly wrong. Kane spends the game both on and beneath the surface of the Moon, engaging hostile forces as he gradually discovers the terrible secret of space.
Easily one of "Moon's" greatest features, controlling Kane is a simple and intuitive process. With one hand on the D-Pad to move, and the L button to shoot, Kane's first-person camera is aimed through subtle movements of the stylus on the DS' touch-screen. It's as instinctual as using mouselook in an equivalent PC game, and within minutes, players will be firing off precision shots without slowing down to aim.
What's more surprising, though, is the level of sophistication that appears in "Moon's" design, including a number of features that one might not expect from a DS game. The graphics are impressively detailed for a handheld title, with plenty of ambient animation and lighting providing a healthy dose of atmosphere. The sound, too, is used to great effect, with 3D stereo instantly telling you where the enemy is coming from, and spooky music heightening the suspense. In addition, this robust presentation comes through at a silky-smooth 60 frames-per-second.
There are even subtle inclusions that one might not think possible from a DS title, such as a persistent world: If you kill an enemy and do not pick up its ammo/health, that pick-up will still be exactly where you left it, even if you leave the room, save the game, and shut off the system. As the game progresses and the enemies get tougher, the ability to turn around and go back for more ammo is invaluable.
"Moon's" low point is the forced repetition generated by the level design. Most of the missions involve exploring a level to trigger multiple security devices, in order to unlock the main route forward. In some cases, this progression is linear, but in others, this involves traversing several long, dead-end paths -- and, since the world is persistent and everything behind you is now dead, you've got a long, boring walk to return to the "hub" area.
Still, the game provides plenty of variety to keep things moving, with 7 different weapons, a remote-controlled robot to navigate narrow maintenance tunnels, and even some driving segments. With 8-12 hours of solid FPS gameplay contained within "Moon," any DS owner should consider a purchase, even if only to see what the system is capable of in the right hands.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Great review Jesse. Thanks for your support!
April 28th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
It sounds like you're creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place.