GBA · Classic Vidya Review
Astro Boy Omega Factor
Completed 29 May 2024
Hall of Fame
Cover Art
Ending Screen
- Is this THE most slept-on game on the GBA??? I don’t remember anyone talking about it in its’ time but WOW is it awesome
- I cannot recall another action game besides maybe NES Ninja Gaiden which is this satisfying to control
- Rough summary of what’s going on: You are Astro Boy, and you are trying to save the world from…. something? (The plot makes no sense anyway if you’re not familiar with the manga, which I am not). In order to save the world, you must fight your way through stages which are sometimes beat-em-up style and sometimes shooter style. Many stages contain bosses at the end. There are unlimited lives and unlimited continues. Absolutely nothing in the game is missable. Since you’re a robot who is trying to develop a soul, you power up when you meet people, talk to them, solve their problems, etc.
- Sometimes feels like it’s only a boss rush style game, which is a good thing, because that is when combat is at its’ best
- Makes you do 2 loops in order to fully beat it, and this is one of the few instances where I had absolutely no problem at all with that. It’s not easy, but it’s so, so much fun that you can’t help yourself. When the first loop is done you don’t want to stop playing anyway.
- Very creative bit of game design / plot device: Loop 1 is entirely linear, and only after beating it, a “stage select” screen opens up. Without spoiling anything, there are plot reasons that you can now go to any stage you want. This matters a lot with regard to progression, because in Loop 2, you have to do things out of order, search for specific people to talk to, replay stages in different ways, etc. You would think it would be stale but it absolutely isn’t.
- Music was kinda hit or miss but maybe I’d like it if I had seen the show? Doesn’t really matter anyway because the game is so fast paced, and each individual level is so short, that nothing overstays its’ welcome
- Unfortunately, the good people at Treasure may have swung for the fences a little too hard when it comes to graphics. There are quite a few slowdowns, especially with lots of enemies on the screen, but IWABH I had stockholmed myself so hard that I started to welcome it, because it at least gives you a little more time to think when tons of stuff is flying at you at once.
- Not just one of the best games on the GBA! It is one of the finest action games ever made. Highly, highly recommended.