A Bright Hero
May 12, 2009 – Starfy might be as bright as a star, but we haven’t been able to gaze upon it yet here in the U.S. After four games in Japan (three for the GameBoy Advance and one other for the Nintendo DS), Nintendo is finally bringing this hidden jewel to America with its latest adventure: The Legendary Starfy. The title might sound too soft and cute, but if you look deeper into this game, you’ll realize there’s more to it than just a bouncy star.
The adventure begins when Starfy, the prince of Pufftop, meets an interesting visitor with the name of Bunston. This bunnie-like character is lost and confused; all that’s known is that he’s running away from undesirable foes. In order to gain his memories back and defeat these enemies, Starfy will have to help him out by finding the lost crystal shards scattered throughout eight unique underwater worlds. Sound familiar? This kind of story has certainly been told time and again in many video games, but that doesn’t mean it won’t bring its own twists.
Also, the gameplay seems to be quite engaging; without having played it yet, I can tell this game cartridge will fit like a glove within your game collection if you’re one of those Nintendo fans who enjoy Kirby-style adventures. I know it’s already piqued my interest and probably yours – you’re reading this, aren’t you? Starfy has a few powers of his own such as gliding, jumping, and more. As you advance through this magical tale, you’ll acquire more abilities to help him best the enemies he encounters and get past obstacles that ultimately lead to the lost crystal shards. 50 levels in total will help put things back together, including eight exciting boss battles at the end of each world.
Platforming elements are nicely mixed up with a few puzzle challenges and even some light-hearted mini-games to freshen things up a bit. Though most of the game is played with the buttons, the mini-games seem to take advantage of the touch controls to achieve little goals like winning a cooking contest. Otherwise, standard gameplay is controlled with the D-pad and face buttons, making Starfy dash and spin-attack with the B and Y buttons, respectively. It seems simple enough, and it definitely appears to be the right choice for this kind of game.
This cute five-pointed hero and its bright comic-book style are a perfect fit for the handheld. People never complained about the look of Kirby titles or Mario and Luigi’s Superstar Saga, and The Legendary Starfy is right up their alley when it comes to visuals. Though it’s designed and developed by TOSE, it still carries its unmistakable Nintendo seal, which in most cases is a good sign. Level design promises to be nice and varied, even if not completely unique. Just like you’ve heard of similar game plots, you can also imagine the adventure takes place in typical scenarios such as icy coves and hot springs – not a bad thing, but perhaps a little too played out?
One detail we applaud: Starfy has a sister. However, she’ll only show up if you’re willing to take your adventure co-op and share it with someone else via local wireless connection. Starly has a few signature moves of her own such as climbing walls, crawling, and low-spinning, which helps her access hard-to-reach areas Starfy might have some trouble with. Starly can even team up with Bunston and turn into a powerful, yet small fire-breathing dragon and a few other almighty creatures.
The game’s release is now less than a month away, so if this is your kind of handheld adventure, be sure to keep your eyes open for it. Though simple, it promises to be a solid outing of Japan’s favorite star-shaped hero. Don’t forget to check out our review when it hits the site for CheatCC’s final verdict.
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