Pure Arcade Shoot-Em-Up Fun (Geometry Wars (DS))

Member Name: alf_fly

Product:	Geometry Wars (DS)
Date:	04/07/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pure, fast-paced action with lots of levels and medals to unlock.

Disadvantages: Simple graphics, controls can be uncomfortable.

Based on the hit XBox Live game, Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a frantic shoot-em-up that make use of the DS's touch-screen to replicate the analogue stick controls of the original. While the XBox 360 game was a single screen shooter with a fairly steep difficulty curve, Galaxies plays out over a series of levels, each of which has its own victory conditions and challenges. Whether throwing specific types of enemy at you, limiting your lives and smart bombs, or putting you in mazes with moving walls, these variations and more keep the game fresh and exciting, and there are plenty of levels and achievements to unlock.

Your craft is controlled using the directional pad, while you use the stylus to aim your guns. It's a decent enough system, but the DS's notoriously poor directional pad can make dodging enemies trickier than it should be, and this set-up isn't incredibly comfortable for long play sessions. Graphically everything is bright and shiny, with some neat particle effects, but the DS's relatively low graphical grunt means that this version isn't as busy or pretty as it's Wii equivalent.

What it is, though, is lots of fun. Without any semblance of a plot to weigh it down, Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a lean, pure arcade shooter with a surprising amount of variety and plenty of replay value. At the low prices it's currently selling at this is a real bargain.

Summary: Simple, addictive and replayable - lots of shooty fun.