No Wonder Astroboy Was GameSpot's Best GBA Game of 2004

[Nz17]

I recently finished playing Astroboy and all I have to say is, "Wow." I mean really, outside of a few little rough spots in the translation and the fact that one must play through the game's stages multiple times to complete the game, this game is nearly flawless. It may not be for everyone, but with its multiple difficulty settings even a greenhorn player should hopefully be able to beat it.

I finished the game on Normal difficulty (which is Japanese Hard difficulty), but I'm curious if anyone on the board has finished the game on Hard Mode.

So what are you're all thought on Astroboy? What could have been improved, and what exceeded your expectations? My favorite part is how it seemlessly integrated numerous characters from different manga and anime that Osamu Tezuka made over the decades into a story that worked well. Just, "Wow."

[Crush Crawfish]

Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a masterpiece. Definitely on of Treasure's finest works. I agree that it was definitely the best GBA game of 2004. I think it dropped to $19.99 recently, so if you don't pick it up now, you are certifiably crazy-go-nuts.

[Muscelli]

i got it for christmas, i like it so far... i havent played much of it though...
the controls take some time to get used to... but i love it

[NeoZeedeater]

GBA Astro Boy rocks. It feels like classic Treasure more than anything else they have done recently. Zero Mission is probably my GBA GOTY for last year though.

[suppafly]

this game rocks. Its addicting and difficult too...it will be a classic ! :)

[Jorpho]

(Might as well bump an ancient thread rather than start a new one.)

What a truly splendid game this is! Anyone clamoring for a new 2D experience should give it a whirl. Catchy music, excellent graphics, replay value, and even a coherent, reasonably clever plot!

I imagine the thrill of seeing so many Tezuka characters connected in one coherent storyline would only add to the enjoyment if I was more familiar with them. (As it is, I am merely astonished at how much material Capcom seemed to borrow for Mega Man.)

What's this about the Japanese version being substantially different?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I think the Japanese version is easier, not sure though.

I bought this game last year, but I refuse to use an FAQ to find the one thing I'm missing. The "clues" make as much sense as the clues in Samurai Shodown 2, so I'm stuck. :(

[Jorpho]

Yeah, I almost had to use a FAQ. I probably only found one or two hidden things by sheer chance rather than skill. But I managed nonetheless.

[Lord_Magus]

I could easily sit here and write a 5-paragraph post about how awesome this game is, but there really is no point... You see, those of you who have played it already know the amazing amount of polish (=Treasure) this game has. The few of you who haven't...well, you should stop reading inane posts like this one and simply go out there and buy this game. Now.

PS: yes, I love Treasure :)

[MrSmiley381]

Rule #1 of this thread: Treasure Rules.
Rule #2 of this thread: Treasure Rules.

Seriously, Astro Boy: The Omega Factor is one of the best games I think I've ever played. The combat is fast and furious, secrets are hidden everywhere, Astro gets more powerful when you find other characters, everything's just freakin' fantastic. Treasure also used the Gunstar Heroes Boss music and ending theme! How awesome is that? This game's ending almost made me cry, too. It was that touching and awesome.

As for the Japanese release, the enemies didn't have a health bar that showed up. Also, the difficulty setting might have been different, I'm not to sure.

And I can't beat 2-1 on Hard. Hard mode is hard.

[Jorpho]

And I can't beat 2-1 on Hard. Hard mode is hard.

Agreed. A cruel twist of irony, that. (This is why I'm wondering about Mr. nz17's comment suggesting that the Japanese version didn't even have an equivalent of this Hard mode.)

Oh, and another thing: Just how much of this game was Treasure, anyway? The credits seem to de-emphasize that company's role in favor of Sega/Hitmaker.

[MrSmiley381]

The storyline stuff was, from what I could tell, all done by Hitmaker. Treasure did all the badass parts with lasers and explosions. I'm guessing they also did the music.

[Bratwurst]

Great game, for a while there it was floating around everywhere for five bucks a copy. Not sure how plentiful or pricey it is now but it was definitely neglected at retail.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Great game, for a while there it was floating around everywhere for five bucks a copy. Not sure how plentiful or pricey it is now but it was definitely neglected at retail.

Something tells me most people ignored it because of the PS2 game. They must've thought they were the same. The PS2 game got an average of 57% (http://gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/919022.asp?q=astro%20boy)... but the GBA game got an average of 86%. (http://gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/918953.asp?q=astro%20boy)

[Ed Oscuro]

I said so at the time I got it (which was probably 2005, I guess)! Fun game.

Now I've got to find some time to finish Gunstar Super Heroes...

[Julio III]

Absolutely loved this game. I liked the way it had the 2d side-scrolling shooter elements also. This is a definite 4 star game.
I have heard about the differences between the regions, the Japanese one is meant to be far too easy compared to the Western ones. It certainly does provide a challenge at some points.

[kaedesdisciple]

I really feel like an idiot for selling this game when I felt like I was done with it. I miss it now...

[MarioMania]

How about Treasure's other game..Gunstar Super Heroes

[Jorpho]

Oh, and I also noticed that Sharaku doesn't appear in the extended character list for some reason. Is he also from the Astro Boy TV series, or is he another Tezuka character?

(I quite like that extended character list. Makes me wish Jump Super Stars/Ultimate Stars had something like that in English somewhere.)

[Damon Plus]

I don't know what to say about this game. I love that it has the typical Tresaure system, with lots of cool, awesome moves, but I feel that the level design is just average, and the action is a bit cumbersome at times. I liked it, but nowhere as much as I tought I'd do.

[MrSmiley381]

Oh, and I also noticed that Sharaku doesn't appear in the extended character list for some reason. Is he also from the Astro Boy TV series, or is he another Tezuka character?

(I quite like that extended character list. Makes me wish Jump Super Stars/Ultimate Stars had something like that in English somewhere.)

Beat the game, then wait a few minutes after the credits, a la Megman X. You'll see a cutscene and get him in the extended list. He should be your last of the forty-six. If not, you missed someone somewhere.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Oh, and I also noticed that Sharaku doesn't appear in the extended character list for some reason. Is he also from the Astro Boy TV series, or is he another Tezuka character?

(I quite like that extended character list. Makes me wish Jump Super Stars/Ultimate Stars had something like that in English somewhere.)

What do you mean he's not in the extended character list? Do you mean this guy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosuke_Sharaku

He's in the game, and a goddamn pain in the ass, too. He's in the top-most part of Astro's character list.

[Raccoon Lad]

I LOVED the game, but as a fan of the classic (60's-80's) Astroboy, who's not much a fan of the new Megaman style arm cannon, I really wish there was an option to change the controlls so I could swap the arm cannon attack for the Dash attack.

That, I feel would make it feel like the 80's Astro Boy, at least.

[heybtbm]

I bought this game when it first came out (almost exactly 3 years ago IIRC) and loved it. I've never watched the cartoon (anime?) that it was based on, but was a huge fan of all things Treasure and had to have this. Definitely in the top 5 GBA games of all time.

[Jorpho]

Beat the game, then wait a few minutes after the credits, a la Megman X. You'll see a cutscene and get him in the extended list. He should be your last of the forty-six. If not, you missed someone somewhere.

Blargh, I missed that! See, the "Extended Character List" in the Options menu became the "Ultimate Character List" when I finished the game, so I thought that was it. But no, he is indeed number 44. (It's a rather amusing little cutscene, too.)

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I agree that Astro Boy is a gem. I did get stuck two or three times threwout the game, but I had to use the FAQ because I didnt have the patience to do it on my own.

[Hawksmoor]

Based on this thread I picked this game up on Amazon and wow, am I impressed. It's a steal at $15 (what I paid), but for those of you that got it for even less...you really got an amazing deal. It's a tragedy that a game this awesome was played by so few people.