Sure, it’s a stupid name. But how does it play?
[starreview]
Developer: Bionic Games
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: September 22, 2009
ESRB Rating: T
Spyborgs can be summed up in three, simple words: formulaic, repetitive, and fun. Now that last word may seem a bit out of place to most of you, considering that the first two words are far from high praise. But the truth is, sometimes simpler is better. And in this genre, Spyborgs is as simple as they come.
At its core, Spyborgs is a classic beat-em-up. You traverse around three dozen short stages blasting and punching everything you see. The enemies never get too diverse, the scenery never changes all that much, and the story is entirely cookie-cutter. But as I already implied, the game still has a distinct fun factor that, despite everything, will keep you entertained until the end. You can choose from three different characters to play as; the nimble girl with a sword, the heavy, powerful robot, or the average man with an arm blaster. Despite who you choose, your kill-everything directive won’t change, but at least the character selection gives you some sort of much-needed variety. It pays to try them all, too, since the game has a leveling system that allows you to upgrade key stats like health and strength.
Thankfully, Spyborgs keeps the controls as simplistic as the gameplay. You will need a nunchuck to play, but motion control is kept to a minimum and can, in fact, be turned off completely. Difficulty can also be adjusted, which is a relief. Just like any good beat-em-up, Spyborgs can be frustratingly tough on the normal and higher settings. Unfortunately, what can make it even harder is the occasional glitch. During my playthrough I encountered a bug that froze my game twice in a row on the same level.
In order to glean the maximum amount of entertainment from Spyborgs, I do recommend playing in co-op. Even if you play alone, an AI partner will watch your back. But there’s nothing quite as fun as having a good friend over to blast through waves of killer robots together.
Spyborgs certainly has weaknesses, and I probably would not have recommended a purchase when this first came out. But now that a year has passed since its release date, it can easily be found for a good price. So if you love classic beat-em-ups and you have a friend who’s willing and able, there’s no reason not to pick it up for a rainy day.
A copy of this game was sent to NintendoGal.com for reviewing purposes.
