style, the purposefully restrictive control and the rhythm and flow of the shooting". Reviewer Tom Bramwell conceded some issues, applauding "the stunningly clean, almost textureless" environments and "magnificently detailed, beautiful explosions" but wishing for more varied environments, and concluding "although P.N.03 is plainly flawed, with a little perseverance the gameplay still shines through as something relatively new and engaging". Nintendo World Reports Jonathan Metts stated "P.N. 03 has a lot in common with Rare’s Jet Force Gemini or Kemco’s Winback" with "strange controls that you’ll either love or hate" and "engaging...and challenging" shooting sections, but he had issues with the camera and called the game "flawed", "niche", and "offset by a lot of frustration and tedium".Electronic Gaming Monthlys three reviewers characterized the game as shallow, repetitive and devoid of plot and character development. Mark MacDonald of the magazine criticized Vanessa's inability to move and shoot at the same time. By contrast, the reviewer for Edge wrote, "P.N.03 may be rather short and its premise simple, but grace under fire has rarely been done better." The writer favorably compared its gameplay to that of Space Invaders, in that the game "rewards skill above all else and mastery brings huge satisfaction". The reviewer cited Vanessa as one of the game's high points. In a 2009 retrospective review, the Edge magazine staff echoed its previous praise of P.N.03 but acknowledged the game's awkward control mechanics. The staff commented that Vanessa's potentially fluid movement is difficult to execute, but that the challenge of mastering the control scheme is part of the game's charm.GamePros Mike Weigand called the game "a long, intense, thumb-busting shooter that tests trigger fingers and patience levels." He found the environments and enemies repetitive, but he cited "strong aesthetics" and "a slick reward system" as redemptive features. Weigand summarized that, while the game lacks depth, it may be recommended to "those who crave a shoot-em-up with old-school inflections". Paul Byrnes of GMR found P.N.03 to be a "boring and repetitive" missed opportunity. He felt that it lacked flow, thanks in large part to Vanessa's "clumsily staccato" movements and inability to move and shoot simultaneously. Game Informers Andrew Reiner wrote that P.N.03s setting, animations and protagonist give it an "undeniable allure" of freshness and originality. However, he disliked the game's control system and wrote that "blowing away robots gets old rather quickly". Reiner called P.N.03s length, which he estimated to be four