System Flaw
Ages: Everyone

Leave it to Storm City to come up with innovative game play. This game, a sort of 3-D Space Invaders, plays only on the Nintendo DSi! You see, there are these horrible aliens, but no one can see them! You have the advanced technology in your DSi to make them visible, and they are all around you. Just look at your screen. As you turn around, move the DSi up and down, right and left, you can see them on the screen, superimposed on the view of your surroundings that the built-in camera gives you.

On the upper screen is a radar-like display which shows you where these critters are - there can be lots of them and there are 10 different kinds (besides the mongo evil bosses that I haven't gotten to yet). You blast away at them using either one of the shoulder buttons until they go poof and blow away (except for some nasty types that multiply when blown up!).

When some of the critters are vanquished, they leave behind canisters which can give you health or weapon improvements. Exactly how to work this wasn't clear to me, as we were sent a preview game chip but no manual. The game info says that there are 100 missions or levels, so anytime you are at loose ends or need to get some agression out, pick up your DSi and blast away!

By the way, you really cannot play this sitting down, maybe a swivel chair would work. The use of the camera for motion tracking is really novel and clever. You are so busy zapping the aliens that you don't really have much chance to enjoy them superimposed on the real world image. It probably looks pretty weird to others to see you holding your DSi and twirling around, holding it up and down, but ... ONLY YOU CAN SEE THE ALIENS!!

Probably the first game made exclusively for the DSi.

Fun Factor: More exercise with a DSi than any other game!
Player Friendly: Saves after each level. You can replay previous levels.

Reviewed by: Lou - 12/09