Review: Astro Boy Omega Factor

Genre: Action
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Developer: Hitmaker/Treasure
Publisher: Sega
Release: August 18, 2004

Birthed in the pages of Captain Atom in 1951, Astro Boy (or Tetsuwan Atom for those of you in the Land of the Rising Sun) has become Osamu Tezuka's most popular character. Since his creation, Astro has gone on to star in numerous incarnations of his own series, appearing in other numerous works by Tezuka and becoming a pop culture icon in Japan in the same manner as Superman has become a world wide phenomenon. Like the man of steel and other fictional super heroes, Astro has seen his share of video games and sadly, most of them have been pretty forgettable. But the one game starting Astro that you don't want to pass up is Astro Boy: Omega Factor. Developed by Hitmaker and Treasure, Omega Factor is one of best titles on the Game Boy Advance, one of the best licensed games ever made and quite possibly one of the greatest games you could ever play.

With stunning backgrounds and spectacular sprite animations, Omega Factor is a visual feast.

You're invincible when you use your standard dash. Naturally, you'll want to spam this for all it's worth.

Playing as the eternal child android, Astro gets locked into the struggle between humans and robots, a battle that escalates to the point of threating the entire planet. The game is comprised of two chapters. Birth, the first chapter sees Astro trying to stop humans and robots from fighting but ultimately failing to do so. Rebirth, the second chapter allows Astro to time travel via stage select. Astro still works to keep the peace for both races but having lived through the events of before, he now tries to right the wrongs from the previous timeline to keep history from repeating itself. Omega Factor certainly isn't the first game to use time travel gameplay but it's clear that a lot of thought went into it. Because of Astro's knowledge of the past and future, conversations with characters he interacts with may play out differently from before.

In addition to the standard beat 'em up levels, there a several SHMUP stages.

Say hello to my BOOM STICK!!!

The actual gameplay is the stuff that makes old-school gamers giddy all over, blending elements from shooters and beat 'em ups. Astro can deal damage to his enemies in an assortment for ways. Hand-to-hand combat is Astro's means of close range fighting. You'd be tempted to just keep punching away since punches work as a combo attack but a single kick sends your foes flying into other enemies. Three of Astro's abilities run on Supers, which can be amassed by taking damage and dishing it out. Astro's Machine Guns work great for hitting all enemies on screen at once and leaves them temporarily stunned. The Finger Laser is good for hitting a straight line of enemies, but it's not as good as the the Arm Cannon, a powerful beam that would make Mega Man X jealous. EX Dash lets Astro plow through enemies. On the non combative side, Astro is also equipped with Hyper Sensors and Jets. Hyper Sensors basically function as super hearing and enhanced sight while the Jets enable Astro to dash and fly in shooter levels.

Atlas, like any other anime rival has a huge chip on his shoulder.

You wish you had machine guns coming out of your butt.

Each of Astro's abilities are useful so you won't find yourself relying on just one throughout the whole game. All of these skills can be upgraded but not in the way you'd think. In most games you get stronger through combat. Astro Boy upgrades through his Omega Factor, what is known as his soul. Every time Astro encounters a character be they good or bad, they are added to his Omega Factor and after this, most of the time you're given the chance to pick which ability you'd like to upgrade. Since you grow stronger by meeting characters you'll always be on the lookout for new faces, some are in plain sight, others are hidden so well that you may need a guide to find them. Regardless of how you choose to upgrade Astro, you'll have a chance to max out all of his abilities because every character in the game must be found in order to complete the Rebirth chapter. What's interesting about the characters in the game is that every single one of them comes from Tezuka's other works. The game incorporates the Star Stystem in the same way Tezuka did with his manga creations. Needless to say, Tezuka fans are sure to geek out on more than one occasion.

The bosses and even the mooks are much bigger than Astro himself.

You can choose any of Astro's stats to upgrade but you'll eventually be able to max out each one.

New to Tezuka's world and don't know any of the characters that appear in Omega Factor? Don't sweat it. A nifty character database details who is who and where they originally came from is accessible for each new character you encounter.

No one should have much, if any trouble completing the game on the easy difficulty. On easy you can stock up to 99 Supers, disposing of the hordes of enemies with no problems at all and you can spam your Arm Cannon attack on most bosses. Easy is still fun but probably not enough to satisfy those looking for a serious challenge. Playing on normal limits you to stocking only 5 Supers so you'll have to be less trigger happy and more patience about winning your battles. If you're into pain hard mode is enough to make grown men weep, giving you only 3 Supers and the enemies beat on you like you owe them money.

Even for a handheld game, Omega Factor's visuals are positively jaw dropping. The backgrounds are gushing with detail. The first level sees Astro enter by dropping into Metro City with flying cars and tall buildings  behind him. It's all very impressive. Sprite animations are also just as gorgeous to look at. The lighting effects from Astro's Arm Cannon and Finger Laser reflect beautiful off of Astro. The audio is no slouch either. Being a game made with Treasure's involvement, fans of Gunstar Heroes are sure to recognize a song or two. If you actually watched Big X, you might be surprised to know that his them made it into the game. There's even a sweet rendition of the Astro Boy theme song as the game's title music (as well as the actual title screen itself being a direct homage of the 1963 Astro Boy series).

Astro Boy: Omega Factor is an outstanding game on every front. It has a surprisingly complex story, rich visuals, tons of characters to find, and fantastic old-school gameplay. It's no stretch to say this game ranks right up there with Ikaruga and Gunstar Heroes, two of Treasure's best efforts. If you happen to be a fan of Osamu Tezuka, you're going to love this game. It's a touching love letter to one of the finest creative minds that ever lived and to his many fans. But even if you've never read Astro Boy, Phoenix or any other Tezuka story, it won't hurt your enjoyment of Omega Factor in the slightest. Along with the layers of fan service, this is a game that was made with great care. Next time a discussion comes up for the best Game Boy Advance game, don't be surprised if someone mentions Omega Factor. Pick up a copy so you'll know just what everyone else is talking about.