Robocalypse Review for Nintendo DS

System: DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Vogster	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Tecmo	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Nov. 18, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 14	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Hero units allow for more detailed, hands-on control. Infused with great powers and abilities, these heroes can be controlled in real time and can sometimes outperform an entire unit. You can choose from 10 different robots each with different strengths and abilities.

Robocalypse screenshot

Joe Commando sports dual chainguns, while Sergeant Payne cracks skulls with his Head Cracking Gauntlet Gloves. Various scouts and snipers round out the rest of the heroes but it’s the Warlord General that commands the most respect. He’s got the most experience and is incredibly powerful. An oversized chainsaw is attached to his arm, so he can reach out and shred someone.

This is a really good-looking and nice-sounding game. The cartoon presentation is perfectly married with the audio, which features a great comical soundtrack reminiscent of classic cartoons. This connection to classic cartoons is purely intentional, as the story and dialogue were created by some of the writers of Spongebob Squarepants. From the intro cutscene to the in-game combat, there’s always something to get a chuckle from. Even though the game has an “E” rating, the humor does seem somewhat mature, although I would prefer to label it as “sophisticatedly immature.”

A four-player head-to-head mode is offered. It requires that all players have a copy of the game. As in the single-player mode, the controls are relegated to the stylus, and everything worked smoothly. There is the slightest hint of slowdown during huge explosions, but it’s just the destructions animation and doesn’t affect the gameplay. Overall, Robocalypse is a solid and deep game with incredible presentation. It’s certainly one of the best RTS games on the system to date.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.8

Graphics
Incredible cartoon presentation with great animation.

4.6

Control
Effective point-and-click control system. Easy to learn.

4.8

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Highly stylized presentation with great music, voiceovers, and sound effects.

4.5

Play Value
Lots of gameplay depth with good replay value.

4.6

Overall Rating - Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Robots with Attitude: Infuses madcap cartoon humor into the heat of battle by giving robots distinct attitudes and personalities. Over ten distinct robot types with specialized skills and weapons.

Madcap Weapons: Over 20 groundbreaking weapon types with laugh out loud destruction and spectacular visual effects, including, Converter Cannons, Falling Anvils Head-Crack'n Gauntlet, and Digitizers.

Total Stylus Control: Simplified controls and innovative Action Flag system reduces the complexity of commanding units. No buttons – just point and tap.

Multiplayer Mayhem: 2 to 4 Multiplayer WiFi – Play head to head or Co-op with unique maps, multiple playmodes, and Hall of Fame.

Heroes Win the War: Courageous Heroes who can singlehandedly turn the tide of battle with powerful abilities that can be upgraded into devastating capabilities like, Rampage Mode, Conversion (turn enemies into refrigerators), and Leadership (the ability to unite soldiers into a single fighting unit). All Heroes can be controlled directly in combat.

Epic Storymode: A hilarious storyline by Jay Lender, a writer and director of the acclaimed cartoon series SpongeBob Squarepants and his writing partner Micah Wright, known for his writing contributions across multiple mediums. Military routines are accidentally installed into prototype robots, turning them into hunter killers. Disaster ensues and to save humanity, a new batch of robots is implanted with the brain scans of retired WWII vets, giving rise to an oil-swilling, brawling, robotic dirty dozen.

Campaign includes 17 unique missions, hidden objectives, and a robust reward system.