Overview:
The Legendary Starfy series has existed for quite awhile now, however it was not until recently that Nintendo brought it to North America as the series has been deemed "too Japanese" for release outside of Nintendo's home nation. However subsequently this is the first of hopefully many Starfy games to come in the future and Nintendo wanted to make this game enjoyable by both Japanese and North American gamers alike. Having never played any of the other Starfy games in the franchises history before, this review is how I see the game from a general perspective compared to other platformers. Plans have been made to bring the previous 4 Starfy games, 3 from the GBA and one for the DS to North America depending on reception of the current DS release, possibly by way of DSiWare most likely or a collection cartridge.
Storyline:
You play as the main character Starfy, like his name, he is a star from the kingdom of Pufftop in the sky where he is the prince. One day while sleeping soundly, a rabbit from space named Bunston comes crashing through his ceiling, followed by a gang of space pirates known as the Dire Space Pirates, however Starfy uses his patented Spin Attack on the pirates and flee's with his clam friend Moe and new companion Bunston. Together they set out on an adventure to collect shards which help restore Bunston's memory which he lost after crashing into Starfy's palace.
Gameplay:
The basis of this game involves a lot of swimming, spinning and jumping. As you progress through the storyline, you will gain access to 4 transformations that you use after you officially join Bunston to recover his memory. The first form you obtain changes you into a fire breathing dragon with a basic breath attack, then you find the manatee form which allows you to swim faster through water and jab enemies with a giant chunk of ice. You will also find a ghost and chicken suits with skills that can be upgraded as you progress through the game and explore each new zone. The map layout is similar to the one in New Super Mario Bros, with hidden areas that you can open up by completing special tasks from NPC's that are found behind special blue doors through out the game. One thing I personally noticed about this game is that the way you work through levels is a lot like most Kirby games and the art style is quite similar to the DS remake Kirby Super Star Ultra. Starfy starts off with a basic spin attack ability and you keep learning new abilities like swim dash, a spinning attack that moves you further ahead and you can even bounce out of the water to reach higher ledges.
One of the advantages to this version of the Starfy series is the ability to have a 2 player co-op mode after Starfy's sister Starly finds you early on in the game. If you are having trouble and have friends who play, get them to link up with you over local wireless and you may adventure together by speaking to Moe after this event. There are also a multitude of minigames to play as well as numerous treasure chests to find which will give you a bit more detail into the story from the perspectives of many of the characters in the game.
In closing, The Legendary Starfy is a very fun game, certainly a very enjoyable platformer and one that would be good for kids as the storyline and characters no doubt target the younger players. It has a lot of characteristics that make it play and feel a lot like a Kirby game, heck Starfy never has lines in the game just like Kirby but that isn't really a draw back, however the somewhat repetitive gameplay kind of makes it feel mundane by the end.
The verdict: 8.5/10
The Legendary Starfy series has existed for quite awhile now, however it was not until recently that Nintendo brought it to North America as the series has been deemed "too Japanese" for release outside of Nintendo's home nation. However subsequently this is the first of hopefully many Starfy games to come in the future and Nintendo wanted to make this game enjoyable by both Japanese and North American gamers alike. Having never played any of the other Starfy games in the franchises history before, this review is how I see the game from a general perspective compared to other platformers. Plans have been made to bring the previous 4 Starfy games, 3 from the GBA and one for the DS to North America depending on reception of the current DS release, possibly by way of DSiWare most likely or a collection cartridge.
Storyline:
You play as the main character Starfy, like his name, he is a star from the kingdom of Pufftop in the sky where he is the prince. One day while sleeping soundly, a rabbit from space named Bunston comes crashing through his ceiling, followed by a gang of space pirates known as the Dire Space Pirates, however Starfy uses his patented Spin Attack on the pirates and flee's with his clam friend Moe and new companion Bunston. Together they set out on an adventure to collect shards which help restore Bunston's memory which he lost after crashing into Starfy's palace.
Gameplay:
The basis of this game involves a lot of swimming, spinning and jumping. As you progress through the storyline, you will gain access to 4 transformations that you use after you officially join Bunston to recover his memory. The first form you obtain changes you into a fire breathing dragon with a basic breath attack, then you find the manatee form which allows you to swim faster through water and jab enemies with a giant chunk of ice. You will also find a ghost and chicken suits with skills that can be upgraded as you progress through the game and explore each new zone. The map layout is similar to the one in New Super Mario Bros, with hidden areas that you can open up by completing special tasks from NPC's that are found behind special blue doors through out the game. One thing I personally noticed about this game is that the way you work through levels is a lot like most Kirby games and the art style is quite similar to the DS remake Kirby Super Star Ultra. Starfy starts off with a basic spin attack ability and you keep learning new abilities like swim dash, a spinning attack that moves you further ahead and you can even bounce out of the water to reach higher ledges.
One of the advantages to this version of the Starfy series is the ability to have a 2 player co-op mode after Starfy's sister Starly finds you early on in the game. If you are having trouble and have friends who play, get them to link up with you over local wireless and you may adventure together by speaking to Moe after this event. There are also a multitude of minigames to play as well as numerous treasure chests to find which will give you a bit more detail into the story from the perspectives of many of the characters in the game.
In closing, The Legendary Starfy is a very fun game, certainly a very enjoyable platformer and one that would be good for kids as the storyline and characters no doubt target the younger players. It has a lot of characteristics that make it play and feel a lot like a Kirby game, heck Starfy never has lines in the game just like Kirby but that isn't really a draw back, however the somewhat repetitive gameplay kind of makes it feel mundane by the end.
The verdict: 8.5/10
