It's a high score game, and players can either tackle two fully fledged levels (five minute attack) or just the first one (two minute attack). You can die as many times as you like, but that's not going to help you fill your combo meter, is it? Afterwards, you can upload your score via Wi-Fi and then watch helplessly as your Wii physically heaves with laughter as your score is crushed by thousands of uber-gamers. The leaderboards are poorly arranged and needlessly awkward, meaning even high-score freaks are being short-changed on this one.
You'll love:
- Classic gameplay
- Pretty graphics
- Fierce competition
You'll hate:
- Not enough game for the money
- Badly designed leaderboards
- Not unique amongst shooters
TG:
"I can only hope that Hudsonsoft are testing the water with this release, and will put out a full set of levels should Star Soldier R prove to be a success.
While Star Soldier R is still a good purchase at only 800 points, the decision to release such a game so brief is an odd one, like Warner Brothers only putting out half a film or JK Rowling only writing half a novel. Very, very strange indeed."
During the PC Engine heyday (known as the TurboGrafx-16 here in the U.S.), Japanese gamers were treated to annual "caravan" competitions, which were hosted by Hudson. These travelling competitions bussed from city to city across Japan in a special yellow bus that highlighted upcoming products as well as a special tournament title. These caravan titles were often time-limited, with the goal not being completion of the level but earning the highest possible score in a limited amount of time. While hardcore fans are no doubt familiar with the caravan titles, most U.S. gamers haven't had a chance to experience them until now.
Star Solider R was the star of the show at last fall's Hudson Caravan, and it is one of the first titles to debut on the newly launched WiiWare store. Because it was designed as a tournament style game, Star Solider R is much shorter than a typical shooter - the longest game mode is a mere five minutes - but what it lacks in length is more than made up for in depth of play.
On a superficial level, Star Soldier R is very easy to pick up and play. Simply grab a controller, move your ship and start shooting the bad guys. There's no need to worry about extra lives, as you have an infinite amount to use if needed. The real challenge here is time. Every death costs you precious seconds as you wait for your ship to respawn. You also lose any power-ups, not to mention the combo chain.
While Star Soldier R lacks a story mode, it's a great WiiWare title that will always keep you coming back to advance in your regional and worldwide high scores. The only complaints Hooked Gamers personally have about this game are the lack of a story mode and the useless Quick Shot mode. At 800 Wii Points, this is a great WiiWare title to get for your Wii.
