Nintendo Okie

Today’s game up for review is a little DSi Ware game I bought on the 3Ds market named Hero of Sparta. Some of you may have heard or even played the game on different platforms such as iPhone/iPod, Anroid or even the PSP. Developed and published by Gameloft, this game was originally released on December 9th, 2008 for the Nintendo DS. The games release was very popular and it soon was awarded IGN’s Editors’ Choice Award. Knowing that the game was on the 3DS market, cleverly labeled “Games You Can’t Put Down”, I knew this download would get the good ol’ Mac’s look over. And to my surprise, it was a really good game. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Hero Of Sparta is a sort of an action hack and slash with a good adventure style feel, that to my surprise did not become heavily repetitive. Waking up on a sandy beach with little to no clue of what happened to the rest of your ship, our protagonist Argos sets out on his own to find out where he is, and why there is a enormous temple on this random island. Coming across monsters is plentiful, and cutting them down to size is also readily on hand. The premise or main goal of the game is similar to a God Of War game. Collect plenty of weapons, upgrade them with orbs you get by killing monsters, and find out and even exact your revenge on some baddies.

Mighty axe looking thing you got there. Oh wait....(courtesy of IGN.com)

   It slices, and dices…and blows enemies away?

Believe it or not, cutting multiple enemies down to size while barely dodging some huge Bull’s Axe was not only immensely fun, but at times slightly difficult. Fear not though fellow Spartans, for we get new shiny swords and shields that will turn the tide of battle, and will make your enemies think twice before swinging. As depicted to the left, your inventory will always have some new weapon that will come in handy at a certain point or in a particular situation. Again, feeling like a sort of God Of War game, you can choose to upgrade your weapons regularly with orbs that you receive for showing the bad guys who’s boss. Having a dull looking sword one minute can truly turn around with major improvements and evolve into a rather mean looking “destroyer of worlds”, if you will. Through out my time playing this game, I was thankful when I found a point to rest for a minute and re think my strategy. Just because I may have a weapon that can do a lot of damage does not mean I can run frantically into battle without considering my options. Swords are great for smaller crowds of enemies, between 5 and 8, but an axe the size of my body is better suited against larger enemies and bigger crowds were numbers can reach 10 to 12. So consider your surroundings first before engaging into battle. Another neat game function is the ability to use magic or what some might say is an “get out of my face” move, such as “Ascension”. This move makes sure that no matter how many bad guys are around, a little breathing room can be assured. Beware though, some moves and magic can only be used with a certain combination of weapons (i.e. Ascension can only be utilized when you have a shield and sword combo).

THIS IS SPARTA!……Kind of!

Beautiful enviroments are always around

Like many hack and slash games, Hero Of Sparta can truly absorb you into the game and make you feel like a part of its universe. Scientists call this “immersion”, or the complete attention of a person. Although we know this is a game, the reason why artists and designers of games work hard is to ensure a player can connect better to the world that is being imagined. I was pleased to see that although the game is not taking place in Sparta, the lost island with temples and doom can really through you for a loop. From broken temple doors to lavish green trees and broken tiles, this game truly put the best into the environment they could on an Nintendo DS game. For someone who plays a lot of hack and slash games, I truly appreciated this from Gameloft.

Uh, did it save?

One thing I was not to pleased with was the annoying fact of whether or not my progress was saved  if I randomly decide to quite the game, or the battery on my 3DS died. I had to take the chance and hit menu to see if the “Continue” button would return me to my last area. Thankfully it did. But not knowing if I could just leave the game and loose everything I worked on did make me a little uneasy. There should be a save option in the menu, or even a note that will let me know my game is being saved.

Graphics

What most people might not come to terms with is the overall graphic quality of the game. Although easily overlooked by me, I can understand that some people may expect a better quality game on a 3DS. At times it did look like I was being absorbed by enemies when they held me by the neck, but given that this game was originally released on the DS, I considered it to be normal. However, for this game to truly capture peoples attention, a more refined look and better camera angles would have been appreciated.

Conclusion

People who enjoy hack and slash games can finally rejoice; There is a rather great game on the 3DS that can pass time and really make up for some lack of Mature games. If you wish God Of War should have been on the 3DS instead of the PSP, Hero Of Sparta is as close as it gets. Should you be looking for something besides Mario or Zelda on the 3DS, this game could really fill in the gap and wanting of a good game. For only $4.99 in the eShop, there should not be a reason why you shouldn’t give this game a try. I know it has captured my attention, and will certainly keep my preoccupied when all else fails.

Final Score:

Hero Of Sparta purchased on the 3DS eShop

Played through most of the campaign.

Total play time: 5 hours