Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: June 24, 2008

System: Nintendo DS

ESRB Rating: E

Official Web site (Japanese)

0:00 I'm a big fan of the Mega Man series, but I've never played these RPG-like spinoff games. With my broken laptop preventing me from effectively taking notes on any console games, though, it seems like the perfect time to open this oddly named chestnut.

0:01 "In the days of old there was a Tribe that moved like wind and reigned over the land..." Then some anime robots jump around in full, anime-styled, double-screen regalia. The title appears with techno music and a streaky background. Whoo!

0:02 I get to choose between Zerker and Ninja modes. Since I have no idea what a "Zerker" is, I go with Ninja.

0:04 "I will set Zerker to Auto Brother" says a little blue slime thing. Er ... thanks? I name my Auto Brother Zerker "Zerker!!!!" Then I have to decide his age and gender. Oh lord, I really do not care...

0:05 "The year is 220X ... Owing to the rapid advance in wave technology, people are able to enjoy a life of ease and convenience." I'm Geo Stelar, a "fifth-grader in this future society." He's rarely left his room since his dad died, but an alien with an EM body, Omega-Xis, merged with him (is that what they're calling it these days?) to become ... Mega Man! Then FM-ians attacked Earth and Mega Man saved them. Hooray for backstory!

0:07 Two months later ... Geo receives the package he's been waiting for. It looks like he's talking to himself, until he puts on a pair of "Visualizer" glasses that show the "Wave World," where Omega-Xis is hovering next to him. In the package is a Star Carrier. It can be used as a TV, phone, e-mail and data client. Wow, I want one!

0:09 I enter my standard handle of "Ace!" The Carrier has a holographic "Air Display" that hovers a window right in front of your face. Yowza! The future is awesome!

0:11 I'm in control now ... tasked with showing my "Personal View" to a random girl in the park. Is that what they're calling it these ... aw, forget it.

0:13 The girl's Personal View lists her best feature as "Clear Skin." What is this, a Noxzema ad?

0:14 The relationship between Omega-Xis and Geo is kind of endearing. One's a nerdy, timid fifth-grader, while the other's a tough, violent interstellar being. This all comes through quite well in the writing. I smell a sitcom!

0:15 Suddenly, an "Advert Ship," which was showing an ad for a new ghost movie, comes crashing down nearly on top of us.

0:17 After some small talk with the assembled gawking townsfolk, the Advert Ship's sound system starts malfunctioning and causing painful screeching. With his Visualizer on, Geo sees little EM viruses. Aw, they look like Hard Hats from the Mega Man games. SO CUTE!

0:20 I have to "pulse in" by finding a "Wave Hole." Dirty! "EM Wave Change. Geo Stelar. On. The. Air." I turn into super-stylized anime Mega Man. Word.

0:22 One of those blobby guys, a Hertz, goes on about the backstory of the EM World. Long story short, it's the invisible world of electromagnetic waves, but personified.

0:24 "Wave Battle! Ride On!" The top screen is a 3-D, behind-the-back view of the battle, while the bottom screen hosts a selection of attack cards.

0:26 So I choose my card and then go into a surprisingly reflex-based battle. I can shift left and right on a three-block grid to avoid attacks or line myself up. There's an unlimited Mega Buster that does minimal damage, or I can use my more powerful cards to take them out quickly, though I have to wait for them to recharge. Who knew these battles would be so action-packed?

0:28 In battle number two, I lock on to an enemy and use a dashing sword attack card. The animation is nice, but I don't really like the crude polygonal graphics. The hand-drawn isometric style of the main game is much nicer.

0:30 If I attack an enemy just as it's preparing to attack me, I get a special status upgrade card that's applied automatically. The whole battle system reminds me a bit of Super Mario RPG, but Mega Man-ified. This is a good thing.

0:32 The game won't let me cross the street except at the designated crosswalk. This is so precious I just might die.

0:33 The class president comes up and tells me she's worried about me staying inside all day. Since when is that the class president's business, huh? Her henchmen, Bud and Zack, commiserate over how the Advert Ship noise ruined her piano practice. SO PRECIOUS!

0:34 These guys know Geo Stelar is Mega Man. Also, I think the prez has a crush on BOTH of them.

0:35 A greedy movie producer happens to walk by to lament the passing of his Advert Ship. Key, unedited quote: "Money ... Money ... Money ... Money ... Money ... Money ... Money ... Money ... Moneeey!" This is repeated TWICE!

0:37 Somehow I got stuck looking around for the Advert Ship's broken propeller. It's on the roof of a building, which I can't reach. But Mega Man can travel on a convenient "Wave Road" that leads right up there. Woot!

0:39 Argh! Random battles?! And this game was showing such promise.

0:40 A bigger Hard Hat is joined by a cannon this time. My initial sword card attacks don't seem to have enough range, but my Mega Buster and some subsequent bomb cards do the trick. My "Delete Time" (22-second) and "Busting Level" (four-second) are recorded and I get a star card to increase the power of specific attacks.

0:44 I'm really getting the hang of these battles ... my Busting Level is up to 7, and I'm learning the pros and cons of different card selections. The sword cards seem to be all cons so far, though ... they just don't reach the enemies! Overall though, the battles are surprisingly fun and engaging!

0:45 I make my way to the propeller and give it to "Greedy Miser." Yes, the producer is actually named "Greedy Miser." I know! To show me his appreciation for me fixing his expensive Advert Ship he gives me ... some near-worthless movie tickets.

0:47 Man, Prez is bossy. She tells Geo to wear a sweater, Zack to take off his glasses before bed, and Bud to get to sleep early. I hate people like that!

0:49 In my house, my mom is fiddling with a broken, huge-screen TV mounted in the wall. With the Visualizer on, I can see there's something wrong with the "Wave Space" above the TV. I'd better fix this soon, because Futuristic Gilmore Girls is on soon!

0:51 Luckily mom doesn't seem to notice me changing in to Mega Man and traipsing around her house, climbing on invisible waves. The game explains I'm invisible to humans. Well, OK then!

0:56 After wandering around a bit and finishing some quick battles, I look at the TV and warp to the "Wave Space" up in the clouds.

0:58 A Hertz in the Wave Space was sleeping on the job. Stupid, lazy, good-for-nothing Hertzes!

0:59 I'll say one thing for the random battles, at least they're quick. There's no loading, and they're over in roughly 10 seconds each. The way it should be...

1:00 On the newly working TV, "Documentary 220X" looks at "Space Station Peace." Wow. The future is AWESOME!

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes.

Why? The writing is pretty good, in an endearingly childish and Japanese way, and I'm intrigued by the tight, action-packed battle system.

This column is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher a few months ago. Sorry it took so long, Capcom.

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