by Jake
Go ahead and brag it up Wii U owners. You have your very own excellent twin stick shooter!
One of the great things about the advent of the dual analog stick controller has been the appearance of a new generation of twin stick shooters ("TSS" if you're into the whole brevity thing). Back in the good old days, we had to go to the arcade to enjoy games like Robotron, Smash TV, and Karate Champ in their true twin stick glory. More recently, Geometry Wars hit the scene and took the genre to a new level. That franchise became a matter of bragging rights for Xbox 360 owners due to exclusivity and addictive online leaderboards. PS3 owners eventually got their own twin stick shooter in the form of the excellent Super Stardust HD, while Nintendo fans were given Geometry Wars Galaxies on the Wii and DS. There is something special about the exclusivity of these titles and the love developers put into them. Geometry Wars continually pushed the envelope with fast paced gameplay and barrages of enemy fighters while Super Stardust HD upped the ante by utilizing wild weaponry and amazing graphics.
So what does Nano Assault Neo bring to the table? First off, it is the best looking twin stick shooter ever released. You are treated to a full HD intro as soon as the game begins and each new cell brings more visual glory.
In innerspace, no one can hear you scream
Nano Assault Neo boldly goes where no twin stick shooter has gone before (well, besides its 3DS predecessor) - to the microscopic cellular realm. Gamers today may be familiar with this realm (in a more "macro" sense) thanks to the Trauma Center franchise but pioneers like me fondly recall taking the fantastic voyage with Microsurgeon.
Microsurgeon... seems like a cave painting from an ancestor of Nano Assault Neo
Although it is never stated whether you are in a human, animal, or alien life form, the cells are beautiful and challenging. I thought about the fact that a player with a cold could play this game and imagine themselves defeating their own real life virus. Whether or not this will have any psychosomatic value is debatable, but at least it is a great way to pass the time on a sick day.
4 clusters are in the game each with 3 cells and 1 boss
The game adds a new twist to the genre by providing obstacles on the playfield. These barriers can be used for protection and strategy. Also, the oddly-shaped cells make for the largest playfields yet seen in this genre. One of the crucial elements to a great twin stick shooter is great enemies and this game has them. One of the great things about the enemies is that they each have a "personality" and that makes them all more engaging. Some fly, some crawl, some shoot, and the list goes on. One of the fun things about the game is devising strategy for each cell and the enemies contained within them.
The boss battles require patience and strategy
Nano Assault Neo walks the line between the lineage and the future of the twin stick shooter genre with great skill. Boss battles and bonus levels seem like a welcome bit of nostalgia and the old school "honk" the ZR button makes when you run out of your special weapon is classic video game 101. This is not to say that the game is antiquated in any way (it most certainly is not). Instead, these details prove that the developers love video games and put that love into this gem. Speaking of the ZR button "honk", the controls are responsive and tight. Matter of fact, I never felt "cheated" by the controls at all... they are perfect. During gameplay, you use the left stick to move, the right stick to fire, and ZR for your special weapon (either picked up on the cell or purchased between levels). You can also use the GamePad screen to position your satellites (extra guns) and rotate a map of the cell to find enemies, bonuses, and the exit.
The Wii U GamePad rocks this game...or is it vice-versa?
There are basically 2 main fields of play- cell levels and boss battles. On the cell levels you blast away at enemies until 90% of them have been defeated. Once this is accomplished an exit opens on the cell, along with a countdown timer. Reach the exit before the cell explodes and earn bonus points. Defeat the remaining 10% of the enemies before exiting and earn even more bonus points. Between cells, you are given the opportunity to buy upgrades and extra lives. In the boss battles you blast away at the bosses weak points (i.e. red spots) until you blow it away. Defeat the boss and open up the next cluster. Defeat the final boss and open up Survivor Mode, in which you are randomly placed in a cell with 1 life and no option to buy more between levels. Arcade Mode allows you to chase high scores on the cell of your choice. You can also play the game using local co-op as well.
Nano assault Neo is a "gamers game"
The Miiverse and its Nano Assault Neo Community exalt this title above all other twin stick shooters. Not only do we have in-game leader boards (which have become a genre standard) but we now have a cool way to share tips, brag about our scores, post screenshots, and chat about the game. One final word/tip, I have seen many people in Miiverse talk about the difficulty spike between the Zeta and Epsilon clusters. While it is true that Epsilon has more enemy firepower than the previous cells, my suggestion is to keep moving quickly around the cell as you blast away. Trust me, you will discover a method to the madness and eventually be purifying the cells like a pro.
Bottom line - Shin'en Multimedia has created a video game masterpiece. It is the best 10 bucks you will ever spend.
Nano Assault Neo is available exclusively on the Wii U eShop.
A must buy for genre fans, almost everyone will love it.
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