Worms: A Space Oddity: A Review

Wii-Fi · 03-25-2008, 05:05 AM

http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3167021&p=44

Quote:

Ten minutes after booting up and playing Worms: A Space Oddity for the first time, I already had a first-draft review written in my head. It was only 11 words long, too: "This one is just like the rest of 'em. The end." But with our little editorial policy about reviewing games "thoroughly" and all that, I had to play more -- and I'm sure glad I did. A Space Oddity is still mostly a rehash in a series that has had plenty of them, but the puzzle-centric style of the single-player experience won me over.

Puzzles? In a turn-based strategy game? Yup -- in this edition of Worms, you still progress by taking your team of cute, cartoony invertebrates, arming them with highly volatile weapons, and blowing up the other guys (all while laughing as the chaotic physics and destructible 2D environments do their best to mess up your war plans). But the scenarios go beyond the typical 4-versus-4, last-team-standing-wins setups we've seen countless times before. On one map, for example, you're given four "Astro Punches" (aka the old Dragon Ball/Fire Punch melee attacks) and three minutes to get rid of two docile enemies (hint: Use the stage's proximity mines for the extra damage needed). On another, you have to use "Impact Frags" (aka Rocket Launcher) to knock mines into a valley to help blow up a single trapped enemy. Some stages may not even have any foes. In one early level, you must navigate floating platforms by purposely walking into mines so that their explosions will launch you in the right direction with the right arc (pick up health crates to stay alive). Mix in tricky-to-reach "locked crates," which unlock video clips and more items to customize your teams with, and you have the most noggin'-scratching, and therefore most addicting, single-player Worms yet.

Notice all those "aka's" above? That's where the rehashiness comes in. A Space Oddity has a sci-fi-themed coating (space environments, futuristic weapons, robot and alien sound bites, etc.) over very familiar gameplay. But any Worms veteran will instantly see through the charade. Almost every "new" gun, bomb, or grenade has an exact equivalent from an older game, making the space theme almost disappointing. I guess if it ain't broke, just lower the gravity and put it on another world....

Actually, lowering the gravity (and doing other out-of-this-world tricks like high gravity, slippery ice conditions, sticky planetary surfaces, etc.) does help vary the gameplay from what our worms have grown accustomed to in the past. Once you finish a hub world of six stages, you will touch down on a new planet with different laws of nature and physics governing the environment. A simple, silly minigame level caps off each world, and this also helps keep things fresh (and once beaten, these minigames are available for four-player play).

The Wii motion controls are initially as friendly as a Rancor beast, but they're just as easily conquered. Instructions line the bottom of the screen, showing you how to launch each type of attack. It takes some getting used to at first, especially when filling up a power/strength meter for throwing or firing (by tilting the Wii Remote)...or when trying to pan the camera outside of the original view. But after a few Wiimote stabs, swings, and pumps, you'll probably never want to go back to traditional button-pressing controls. And the Wiimote comes in tremendously handy in the most user-friendly map creation mode I've ever seen. Just point, draw, and hit OK -- voila...instant new stage.

I thought I'd seen enough of these squishy warriors, but they've managed to clean themselves off and make a decent comeback with a few simple design choices. The space theme could've been carried further, and the weapons need way more originality, but that doesn't stop A Space Oddity from being one of the most refreshing Worms in quite some time.

End Review B+
Looks like a keeper...

Wii_mii_up · 03-25-2008, 05:15 AM

sounds good, nice article!

Wii-Fi · 03-25-2008, 05:18 AM

More Rankings:
Nintendo Power 6 / 10 Apr 1, 2008 unusual that nintendo power gives them this low of a score, i don't like their criticism, so i wouldn't pay much attention.
Games Master UK 52 / 100 Apr 1, 2008
Official Nintendo Magazine UK 72 / 100 Apr 1, 2008
gamesTM 5 / 10 Apr 1, 2008
GameTap 7 / 10 Mar 17, 2008
IGN 7 / 10 Mar 13, 2008
*Gamespot currently has no reviews

Lost Savior · 03-25-2008, 06:11 AM

Thanks for the review. I think I want this game now.

cyberzomby · 03-25-2008, 09:22 AM

Too bad there is not online multiplayer. Wont get it now

Transfixed · 04-04-2008, 07:30 PM

This game is OK at best. After being hooked on Worms: Armageddon and Worms: 3D's single-player mode which were both great, I was extremely disappointed in A Space Oddity's single-player mode. It was boring and uneventful. The whole "space" concept was poorly executed and was basically nonexistent. It was like, OK! On this level, your grenades won't BOUNCE when they hit the ground, they'll just STICK! WOW! You're in SPACE!!

Lame. The challeneges were slapped together. The enemy teams blew themselves up as much as they blew me up...ugghhh.... multiplayer is still fun though, nothing really new added, it seems they actually TOOK OUT some elements, like: where the hell is the Ninja Rope? My favorite tool of all time, just kinda missing from the game. Instead they give you a buttload of JETPACKS. Woo-hoo. The back of case declares: "A More Casual Experience!"
Apparently that means they dumbed it down and made it "simpler"...no more of those confusing Ninja Ropes! Seriously irritating.

You know what I miss? And all the naysayers can bite me...

Worms 3D! Just because too many people were too incompetent to learn those zany 3D controls and like to talk trash about it apparently, they have abandoned the 3D. What a tragedy. If they made a brand new 3D version with updated graphics and tons of modes, weapons, tools....it would be AWESOME. I'll be waiting I guess...

Adamquest64 · 04-04-2008, 07:46 PM

Me and tons of my friends played Worms 3D when it was out and after a year of playing we all agreed that it blows.

I have never known anyone to have an issue with the controls though. The issue with the game imo is the fact that most all deaths are caused by drowning. In 3D the worms are usually surrounded by edges, instead of edges only being on the left and right, like in 2D. This really lowers the variety of playing styles in a worms game.

P.S. NO MORE NINJA ROPE!?!? WHY GOD!? WWHHHYYYY?

Dan0353 · 04-04-2008, 08:12 PM

I bought this game through half.com for 35 bucks, and it was totally worth it. It's nice to see a third party make use of the wii remote. By swinging your remote in different directions, some weapons do different things. I'm only halfway through it right now, but I'm happy I bought the game, but I feel like worms armegeddon had more depth. Online mode would be awesome along with the dozens of weapons that worms armeggedon had as well. One weapon i wish they put into this game was the rope. I absolutely loved the rope in W:A, but they including the jet pack in this version. Overall, this game is very entertaining if you do enjoy the worms series, but it may not be worth the 50 dollars to pick it up, but if the price drops to 35-40 bucks definitely pick it up.

In my opinion this game is above average, and I would merit it a B - or a B.

Adamquest64 · 04-04-2008, 08:16 PM

No online and no Ninja Rope? After my excitement for this game for months now, this is like a slap in the face. Even the most recent Worms game for DS has online. Maybe I won't get this after all.

FR. · 04-04-2008, 08:28 PM

Not including online play was a huge mistake. Worms: A Space Oddity is not worth too much since multiplayer IS the root of the game.

Transfixed · 04-05-2008, 08:41 PM

I take back what I said about the multiplayer. It SUCKS too! I tried to enjoy it, tried to overlook the flaws, but it's just impossible. This game sucks completely. Unless you aren't used to other Worms games, then you might not recognize how low they have sunk. I would rather play Worms: Armageddon for 1000 years before playing this again. The worms are Waaaay too tiny for one thing. You'll strain your eyes to the point of headache trying to see what the hell is happening. They took ou the Ninja Rope, AND the parachute, AND the shotgun. What did they add in their places? NOTHING! Basically this is a stripped down, ugly-looking, un-fun, frustrating piece of garbage that feels like it was made by some "fresh out of video-game school" interns at Team 17. Grrrr...

And Adamquest64, if Worms 3D was so bad, why did you play it for a YEAR?! There must have been something fun about it. And though drowning was easier in 3D, it certainly wasn't the case all the time. There were TONS of different levels to play on, some of which drowning almost never happened, so I don't really know why people wouldn't want to go back to 3D, especially after this piece of dung effort called A Space Oddity. It's really a Space Tragedy, and I won't be buying anymore Worms games.

Man...on top of it all the single-player mode takes like 2 1/2 hours to beat. Woo-hoo $50 down the drain!

Adamquest64 · 04-06-2008, 05:48 AM

I'll just stick to my Worms Open Warfare 2 for DS. It gets tons of play between my gf and I and random people around the world because IT HAS ONLINE!

Atomheart · 04-06-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberzomby

Too bad there is not online multiplayer. Wont get it now

Exactly. The game would have definately been a must buy (especially if, dare I say, it had voice chat for trash talking). They really shot themselves in the foot by not including multiplayer. I've heard from IGN that they'll probably re-release the game with updates including online multiplayer down the road. Apparently, that is what happened with the DS version.

jimbo · 04-06-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamquest64

and no Ninja Rope?

your being seroius??

Homesrfan · 04-06-2008, 08:58 PM

I'm so sad this doesn't have online. I probably would have bought this when it went down in price but that's a total deal breaker for me.

Wii-Fi · 04-06-2008, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atomheart

Exactly. The game would have definately been a must buy (especially if, dare I say, it had voice chat for trash talking). They really shot themselves in the foot by not including multiplayer. I've heard from IGN that they'll probably re-release the game with updates including online multiplayer down the road. Apparently, that is what happened with the DS version.

That would be really great! Is that based on IGN's assumption or are they really thinking about this?