It was a long day at my high school. Teachers didn't feeling like teaching, and students didn't feel like learning. I spent my whole day looking at the clock and thinking about my love. I could not believe how well we got along. I cherished the feeling as my fingers graced my sweetheart's smooth skin. I felt my dearly beloved everywhere I went, as if the apple of my eye was right next to me.

The bell rang. I raced downstairs, navigating my way through the hallway traffic to the cafeteria. I threw my book bag on the floor and grabbed a seat at the lunch table. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my Nintendo DS. I recall feeling the union of souls as the small portable once again roared to life. I was reconnected with my one true love yet again.

Just then, my friend of many years sat down opposite me. ‘Oh, nice … a DS? Sweet!' He exclaimed.

I smirked. ‘Yep, I'm telling you man, had it for a week and it's been nothing but pure bliss.' I buried my head into Mario Kart DS. It had only been a week, and I was zipping past the competition. My friend, having no respect for the privacy of couples, asked yet another question. "So what game are you playing?" I gave a quick nod and mentioned the title.

‘Hey, man, I tell you what, I just got a PSP-want to swap for this period?' I shot him a look. I wasn't one for promiscuity. At first I was hesitant. I had been with the DS for quite a while now. However, I was young; I was experimental. So I agreed. We swapped systems. I kept a careful eye on my system as I popped in Wipeout Pure. The game was enthralling, engrossing and all around quick-paced. I realized the prognosis. Mario Kart was excellent but was becoming stale and a bit slow. In other words, we weren't going fast enough in this relationship.

After school, I drove down to my friendly Gamestop in hopes that I could find a game to salvage this relationship. It was then that I found Nanostray. I admit that buying this game was a gamble for me. I had heard nothing about it. I hadn't done any background checks to make sure it was a pure, invigorating game. I went home, undressed the game from its wrapping and placed it in the slot.

The game itself is described as ‘one of the best looking, most exciting shooters ever' on the back of the case. It definitely delivers in that regard. The graphics were simply amazing, and my DS looked like it just received a facelift. The ship, the enemies and the surroundings are quite possibly the best images I have seen on a handheld, including the PSP. The sound is not exactly the one to blast and party hard too; however, it serves its purpose.

The game itself is fast-paced and engrossing. There are four weapons to choose from on the touch screen, consisting of a Pulse (the straightforward main weapon seen in most shooters), the Sideshot (a weapon that fires from the sides), the Seeker (a double laser that seeks out enemies) and Lightning (a continuous beam of lightning that attaches to an enemy until it is destroyed). Each weapon has a sub-weapon, which you can activate by pressing B. The weapons have their own special qualities for different enemies, and I have noticed some enemies become more vulnerable to varying weapons. Smart Bombs are also included, which are VERY useful during bosses. All the weapons work well, except for the Sideshot.

The developers opted to keep the touch screen as a status display, which pretty much destroys the novelty of the DS. The only thing the touch screen is capable of doing is alternating between weapons. This brings the game down a bit, as I first imagined moving the spaceship with the stylus or thumb, all the while firing with L. In addition, the game is devoid of a plot. I was not expecting a detailed and interwoven plot from a space shoot-‘em-up, but even as much as mentioning a villain's name would have been nice.

Another upsetting feature was that there were only eight levels. The difficulty levels only limit your amount of continues, smart bombs and lives. This has cost the game lowered reviews on many other sites, but it seems that the critics failed to notice the Challenge section of the game. Challenge consists of 22 challenges, roughly three per level, whether it be completing the level with one life, no sub weapon or a peak high score. Undoubtedly, the Challenge section breathes some life into the replay factor.

In conclusion, if one is looking for a fast-paced, play-on-the-go game, then one should definitely purchase Nanostray. It is not the ‘sit home on a Saturday night and play' game, but it serves as a prettier version of Tetris. The main reason I love this game is that I can turn it off without worrying about saving my spot or what not. The game is good clean fun and has rekindled my once-thought lost relationship with my Nintendo DS.

Jan 12, 2006 | 0 comments
Matt Signorile