G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Traditional games manufacturer Hasbro are on a bit of a roll at the moment, not only has the latest Transformers movie just stormed the box office but we're now offered GI JOE, which is also based on one of their best selling action figures. This has led to speculation that they are about to option more of their most treasured properties but we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves now. If you've seen the trailers to GI JOE then you'll probably agree that it was only ever going to be an action movie so it stands to reason that this theme would filter down into the games, as indeed it has. Some of the initial trailers for this game looked very interesting indeed, promising onscreen mayhem. It seemed like a good starting point for a game but has it all worked out?

Gameplay

Although we generally begin movie tie-ins with a warning about plot spoilers, you needn't worry this time because we can't make head or tale of the story, so if you want the actual plot, go and see the movie. The game is viewed from a top down perspective so don't expect any clever touch-screen puzzles such as defusing bombs or picking locks. You play as one of six team members all of whom can be upgraded, simply by killing enemies and completing missions. The missions themselves are split into different tasks with HQ constantly in contact and a handy map on the bottom screen, showing you where to go. One thing you'll learn very early on however is that enemies will constantly 're-spawn' unless you destroy the buildings that they are coming from. These enemies are everywhere so there's always plenty to shoot and destroy and the explosions are quite spectacular.

There's some variation in the levels but not nearly enough, so simply blowing up generators or hacking computers (by standing next to them) can become a little tiresome. Fortunately you also have the ability to jump behind gun emplacements or into tanks giving you much more firepower but not rendering you indestructible. If you do happen to die though it's not really a problem and even with the boss levels you'll simply return, with full power, to the spot where you fell. Finally the Multiplayer, while it does contain a variety of Deathmatches requires a copy of the game for each player, which is a little disappointing given how simple the engine appears to be.

Controls

While your first level is basically a tutorial, it's difficult to get lost with GI JOE and all the various moves and weapons are just where you'd expect them. The only real problem occurs when you jump into one of the tanks that aren't controlled in the traditional sense, but rather travel in the direction you push the D-pad.

Graphics

It's rare when a game actually looks worse than the initial screens but GI JOE does just that. The actual top down 2D/3D engine is average at best and the rest of the game is truly awful with badly drawn characters and basic Gameboy Color style tanks. The real surprise though is that the various cut-screens not only have images which appear to have been taken on the very first digital camera, but the overall design seems to have been inspired by a 70's music show. It's bizarre stuff and a definite contender for the ugliest handheld game of 2009.

Sound

There's an impressive orchestral soundtrack which plays throughout the game and some meaty weapon and explosion sound effects but don't expect any voice work by the main players.

Dual screen

Other than the map there's been no attempt to use the touch-screen at all.

Final comments

If we marked games on graphics alone, GI JOE would be in the gutter. Fortunately, there are a few other aspects to consider and, while this latest movie tie-in could certainly have been just another huge disappointment, it does have a generous chunk of entertaining gameplay that just manages to save it. It's not original and it's not particularly clever but there's no denying that blowing stuff up is always fun and this game has a lot of mayhem and destruction all packed inside that tiny cart. There is the rather annoying text, which constantly freezes the game, but you're just going to have to overlook that aren't you.

Pro: Lots of Stuff to Blow Up!
Con: Awful Visuals, Can be a Little Repetitive, Annoying Text.
Final score: 7

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