Alex Rider Stormbreaker (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

We've always had both GBA and DS games which tie-in with the latest summer or seasonal blockbuster and they're a significant portion of Nintendo's back catalogue, which takes its title from a big screen outing. The Harry Potter books changed that, to a certain extent, with publishers and the larger movie studios finding a new source of ideas (and ready made scripts) in the growing popularity of children's literature. The last few years have seen Lemmony Snicket and the continuing obsession with all things Potter and later this year we'll be treated to Eragon. Before all this though writer Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider character will be brought in Stormrider and THQ are betting that it's going to be one of the summer hits releasing games for both the GBA and DS platforms. The film doesn't open for a few weeks yet so it gives us a chance to give the games the once over.

Gameplay

The game places you in the central role of Alex and (I'm told) follows the movies' plot very closely. I won't go on about the story too much as that will no doubt spoil the experience for those of you who wish to see the movie or even read the books. Let's just say that in addition to Alex being a 'normal' teenager he also happens to be secret agent employed by Britain's Top Secret Intelligence Agency. Your adventure starts as a 3D action adventure and it's these sections that really drive the story. Some are mission based (collect bugging devices) while others simply challenge you to get to the end battling henchmen and collecting items on the way. This generally ends with an end of level boss although unlike other action games you are used to you don't have to discover their weak spots before you can defeat them; it's always a simple case of engaging in hand to hand combat.

To aid you on your quest you have your trusty map which is on-screen at all times which can be enhanced by your trusty DS. Yes, Alex Rider has a modified Nintendo DS, which is a GBA in the books, or so I'm told. What the DS does is add extra functionality to your DS depending on which cart you select although it's important to note that your DS only has so much power so you'll need to use it sparingly. The carts in question range from 'Panic Stations', which indicates helpful items on your map, to 'Green Screen' that turns it into a smoke bomb so enemies can't find you. There's even a cart that turns it in to a PDA Transmitter allowing you to keep in touch with MI6 and check the details of your mission.

Linking the action of the 3D sections is a number of mini-games. Unlike the other parts of the game these test a variety of different skills and while none of them are the greatest example of their genre, it's still impressive to see so many game types in one cart. You start with 'Motorcycle Escape', which is best described as a watered down Road Rash that takes place on the longest stretch of completely straight road in the world. 'Station Pursuit' is more about your stealth skills and here you must follow a suspect without being seen or getting too close. There's even a snooker game although the rather sloppy controls stop this from being truly enjoyable. Our favorite was the 'Licensed to Crash' section, which is a parachute course, taking place high above the streets of London. The object here is to collect documents (which are located by passing through huge green circles) and landing safely below.

Controls

Alex is controlled in the traditional sense with the A and B buttons and the D-pad and while this should be the type of thing every developer has implemented in the past, it does appear to have caused Altron some problems. The first of these is the awkward manner in which Alex moves around and while on some occasions you are rewarded for the element of surprise, actually hiding behind a wall or boxes in order to sneak up on an enemy is almost impossible to do. This is liked to the terrible collision detection meaning doors which appear wide open can only be walked through in the dead centre with an invisible force field blocking your path elsewhere. Outside of this you have your combat skills, which are basic at best but most guards can be defected with only a handful of kicks and punches.

Graphics

This is a real mixed bag here with the 3D engine occasionally impressive (especially on a handheld) the interface looks like an intellectual's vision of the future circa 1970. Back to the main game engine though; both the characters and environments have been well designed with the facial mapping particularly impressive given the screen's size and resolution. The mini games are more impressive using a mixture of both 2D and 3D visuals with the 'Parachute' mission a real stand out slice of gaming. To top this off there are a number of stills from the movie, which can also be viewed at any time from the gallery, once you've managed to unlock it that is.

Sound

The various soundtracks are actually very good with the developer clearly so pleased with their compositions they've opted to put a 'sound test' feature on the menu to allow you to listen to all of them without actually playing the game. Sound effects are a little more generic and any sign of voice-overs have been replaced with heaps of on-screen text so get your reading glasses on people.

Dual screen

The touch screen isn't utilized nearly as much as it could have been in a title where it would have been seemingly ideal and while you can control some of the mini-games with the stylus it's generally easier with traditional controls. There are some interesting uses though such as turning your DS on its side as you scale down a wall or blowing into the microphone in order to power your parachute but the innovations are pretty thin on the ground. As we've mentioned before the DS is used as a communications device in the movie but also here, in the game, and although you'd imagine this would allow the developers no end of options it simply boils down to selecting a cart in order to change the DS's functionality.

Final comments

While Stormbreaker has its fair share of ups and downs its real problem is that it's just far too short and you'll find you'll finish the whole thing in only a few sittings. While this may satisfy younger fans of the books and the movie it will frustrate more experienced gamers with its simplistic and linear design. That said there is substantial replay value thanks to the mini-games some of which are very enjoyable. Overall this is definitely one for the pre-teens and even with that I'd still recommend you try before you buy but don't stay in your local game shop for too long or you may just complete it.

Pro: Great Mini-Games and Soundtrack.
Con: Terrible Collision Detection, Main Game Too Short.
Final score: 6.7

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