OVERVIEW
Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals
By Shaun Hatton - October 25th, 2008
About a month ago I had a one-on-one demonstration of Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals, the sequel to the only third-party Nintendo DS game to break the top ten sales chart last year. Ross Purnell, Associate Manager, Public Relations at Disney Interactive Studios and I sat down to go through some of the highlights of the game, in particular what new features were added to the gameplay.
Among the most noticeable of the new features is that the world is now a 3D environment with a wide degree of camera control. The game’s developer, Jupiter Corp. did have a 3D environment in the original title but found that the ¾ overhead view restricted the player’s view of what was happening around them; and enemy could be around the corner and the player wouldn’t know till it was nearly too late. The new camera is positioned behind Rallen (one of the main protagonists) and allows the player to scope out the environment to plan movements a little more strategically.
This time around, Rallen can also participate in field battles using a blaster, sword, or gauntlet. This doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of Spectrobes battles to be had, however. These fights take place in real time and the Spectrobe types (red, green, and blue) function as a rock, paper, scissors balancing device.
Jeena, the other protagonist from the first title, now has a more active role. During certain key points in the game, she becomes a playable character. She’s the brains to Rallen’s brawn and according to Michelle Liem, Director of Marketing and Sales for Disney Interactive Studios Canada, including Jeena as a playable character was somewhat of a fan demand for the sequel.
Excavation, which was a major game mechanic in the first title is back again, but now digs can occur in different environments such as water, sand, and lava and there are tools useful for different ground types. Spectrobes are still incubated and nurtured, and your favourite ones from the first game can be transferred over as well. In total, there are over 100 different creatures in Beyond the Portals.
The game also makes use of DGamer, which we have written about before. Online stats are uploaded via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and there is a robust and family-safe online community where players can choose to trade or auction off their Spectrobes using in-game currency. And of course, players can battle with others around the world.
There’s no mistaking Spectrobes as a franchise marketed to children, but the Beyond The Portals offers a lot of depth and fun for action/RPG fans of any age.
