Custom Robo Arena: Can You Say Online Battle Frenzy?
Written: Apr 12 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good graphics, huge selection of customizations, online multiplayer is fun and engaging.
Cons: Single player mode is presented without any style or innovation.
The Bottom Line: Custom Robo Arena for the Nintendo DS is great for players who expect to use the multiplayer function often. The game's single player mode remains quite bland.
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| billy159401's Full Review: Custom Robo Arena for DS |
The Custom Robo series first started on the Nintendo 64 and then was moved to the Game Boy Advance platform. A big hit in Japan, the series received much less attention in the US, in the form of a GameCube version of the game. Custom Robo for the GameCube didn’t start well in North America.
Nintendo has decided to attempt once more, with its new Custom Robo Arena for the Nintendo DS. Designed as robot fighter simulation with a role-playing twist, Custom Robo Arena improves upon its predecessor in a number of ways. Even so however, it remains largely multiplayer driven because of its rather predictable single player modes.
Storyline
Tiny robot fighters have, pretty much, taken over the entire world. Custom Robos are little action figures that, as their name suggest, may be customized to a considerable degree. Take command of you Custom Robo and battle your way to the top. Strive to become the champion Custom Robo battler!
Gameplay
Custom Robo Arena offers an interesting story mode, where players may follow the storyline to learn how to play and unlock parts to build the ultimate Custom Robo. The entire plot feels very role-playing-ish. The presentation and development of the storyline unfolds the story of your character trying to become the champion Custom Robo battler of all time.
Custom Robo Arena stresses the “family value” theme – players will go home to eat dinner every night and wake up in the morning to talk to their parents. Although this feature was interesting – I’ve never really seen it thoroughly implemented in other games – it became quite tedious. The overall role-playing adventure idea is, however, presented to the player quite clearly. There is the usual experience gaining and money collecting in order to buy new parts for your Custom Robo. The adventure is pretty much guided, with the plot set and players will have to progress in a certain order in order to complete goals and proceed further in the story mode. This lack of innovation in style of presentation certainly put me to sleep, as I’ve seen too many games like this.
I was very impressed with the sheer number of customizations available in Custom Robo Arena. Certainly, this is what gives the game its name. Body parts, legs, guns, rockets, and more are available to unlock and use forever after. The amount was quite overwhelming – simply page after page of available customizations (perhaps in the thousands). Your starting battler contains all the parts it needs to fight. As you become more advanced, however, you’ll realize that there is no “ultimate” build – there are simply so many possibilities and combos to utilize that many of them become good choices for different occasions.
Combat is another big draw for Custom Robo Arena. The battles are spiced up with changing arenas and various AI opponents. Although most of the computer opponents you’ll hit in the beginning are easy, the more advanced stages do require some skill.
Graphics
The graphics are decent for a Nintendo DS game. Mixed 2D and 3D graphics make this game quite interesting. The special battle effects like the occasional explosion are nice eye candy. Occasional cut scenes are usually entertaining, but like most other games, will become boring and repetitive.
Sound
Custom Robo Arena has a great playlist that is full of energy and will be sure to get you in the rrrrrumbling mode! The music was clear and DS worthy.
Controls
The controls are quite intuitive. Custom Robo Arena does utilize the touch screen, but not frequently. The direction pad inputs are often used and work well with this game.
Online Multiplayer
Custom Robo Arena prides itself with its vast customization options. Therefore, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the online feature offers the main attraction. With human players, tons of unique builds will present tough challenges for both the casual and hardcore gamer.
Multiplayer in Custom Robo Arena is quite well done. There is relatively no lag in games simply because battles are one-on-one, which allows for a much smoother gaming experience via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Generally, players will have a great time testing out the actual effectiveness of their Custom Robo build against other players.
Final Thoughts
Custom Robo Arena for the Nintendo DS is a decent robot combat simulation. Its vast selection of customizations is impressive. However, its single player mode is presented without any style and its online capabilities are the game’s main attraction. If you don’t plan on using the multiplayer functions, then Custom Robo Arena is definitely not for you.
Recommended:
Yes
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billy159401
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Member: Billy
Location: New York City
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