Custom Robo
for Gamecube
by Mario Johnson
Overview
I've been speaking of this game in my E3 coverage for two years now. All the fans of Smash Brothers
Melee would remember the trophies about this game that read "Japan Only". Well i'm glad that's no longer the case.
I loved playing this game and look forward to buying it. So enough of my overview, lets review this game.
Graphics 9 out of 10
The game looks great. But not perfect. Rarely do you find a game that truly takes full advantage
of a system's capabilities and presents a beautiful looking game. The only flaw was the bizarre arm movements during
cutscenes. Other than that, from the Custom Robos, to the city, to the people, to the battle animation, the game looks
great.
Sound 8 out of 10
The game sounds great too. The music gets you in the mood of the game. Whether in a cutscene,
battle, or building. The sounds the characters make when speaking are funny too. But surprisingly help act
out what they are trying to say. The sounds of things like a machine gun or an explosion are easy to spot.
Overall, good sound.
Gameplay 9 out of 10
The gameplay during cutscenes or navigating the map is boring. But you'd expect that right?
The real part of the game is the battles between Custom Robos. And when the Custom Robos fight, its chaotic! The
gameplay during fights reminds me of Smash Brothers Melee; fast, hectic and furious. The controls are pretty simple.
Advanced battle tactics require more complex controls, but they stay roughly the same.
Difficulty 9 out of 10
The difficulty level increases as the game continues. And the difficulty is set very well. I
almost lost several of the fights. I was withing a few points of health. The final boss is one real bitch.
He's uber hard and armed to the teeth, literaly! And since he has all the best weapons, your only advantage
is...oh wait, I won't ruin the surprise. But anyway, the game's difficulty is set well.
Playtime 8 out of 10
Most action games can be finished within a week. As well as the initial story mode, there is a grand
battle royal between every character in the game that you ever met. It's all part of a big government conspiracy.
Anyway, the story mode will take you a few days, and after that, you still have the "Grand Battle" as it's called, to finish.
Not to mention all the various Custom Robo parts and battle arenas for multiplayer mode. This game will take you more
than one rental if you play normal hours. Which is ten or more hours of gameplay a day.
Replay Value 9 out of 10
Collecting all the Custom Robo parts, and I think there's over a hundred in all, will take you some time.
And unless you don't like fast-paced robo action that's perfect for multiplayer, this game wont rank high for Replay Value
for you. But for me, it does.
Story Concept 10 out of 10
I loved the story. It was so twisted and full of plot twists and secrets. Meaning CONSPIRACY!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, the story was original, deep, and heartfelt.
Story Presentation 9 out of 10
A good story is nice, but you need to present it just as great. In this game, the only thing
that brought the presentation down a point is reviewed in the next category. But anyway, the way the story is presented
is so close to perfect. You don't even fully understand the story until just before the final boss. Just like
in a great RPG!
Acting N/A
Since this game had no voice overs at all, I feel that this was the only bad part of the game. But
voiceovers would have made this game all the more closer to perfect. To summarize, this game is the Ocarina of Time
to Gamecube. In other words, the closest thing to perfect you will find on Gamecube.
Ending 10 out of 10
Don't you just love happy endings? Anyway, in a completely unrelated topic, I loved the ending.
It was perfect. Everyone was completed as a character and the final boss got what was coming to him. How
that happens is something I wont go into.
Overall 9 out of 10
This is one of my favorite games of all time. My dream collection of games includes this game, Ocarina
of Time, Melee, Soul Calibur 2, and Gundam. With several dozen others of course. But anyway, this game is so close
to perfect. I highly recommend you get this game immediately. Well that's it. I'm done with this review.
