While Astro Boy may not be one of the top anim franchises today here in the States, he sells like hotcakes over in the Land of the Rising Sun, where he's received fame status equivalent to that of the lovable Disney rodent Mickey Mouse. The little robot boy known as Astro was created by Dr. Tenma in memory of his son, Tobio, who was killed in a car accident. Raised by Dr. O'Shay, Astro has quickly become something of a moderator between humans and robots, with one group not entirely sure how to relate the other, except with fear. Through a series of events, Astro ends up at the heart of this struggle, and, through a dazzling number of plot twists, ends up in different realities and times in the war as well.

The game overall plays like a quirky beat-em-up, but because it's developed by the same team that headed the manic Gunstar Heroes for the Sega Genesis, surprises are pretty much guaranteed. And Astro Boy delivers. If you're a fan of anim, beat-em-up video games, or even the famed Mega Man series, Astro Boy will not disappoint.

In defeating Astro's enemies that come in all shapes and sizes, you have a wide range of moves at your disposal. There is the standard punch-kick combo, a laser for attacking faraway enemies, and the cool boost jets on Astro's feet will allow you to zoom past your enemies, or dodge their attacks. As you attack, you also build up a super meter at the top of the screen that can be later used to power a variety of special moves.

In addition to the standard side-scrolling, beat-em-up action, Astro Boy does attempt to break things up every now and then with some horizontal-shooter-style gameplay, and even a few challenging mid-air battles.

Despite the game's wackiness (fighting through screens of tiny little men, for example), the plot takes itself seriously, and the difficulty remains very real, meaning that you will die a lot in this game before you get the hang of how exactly to kill each enemy. Near the end of the game, for instance, you do battle with a giant samurai robot that can kill you in one hit, so you must learn his attack patterns and know them from rote.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the gameplay here is the ongoing quest during the game to meet as many people as you can. All of the characters in the game are creations of the mind behind Astro Boy, Tezuka Osamu. Meeting the various characters may or may not help the plot along, depending primarily on who you find and when you find them. However, when you do meet many of these hidden characters, you will be given a chance to boost your various abilities up one notch, so it's a good idea to find as many as you can throughout the game.

If you're fond of old-school-feeling games like the Contra series, Mega Man, and Final Fight, give Astro Boy: Omega Factor for the GBA a shot. And hey, the fact that you have to play through the thing at least twice to flesh out all of the story is a neat gimmick, and it really does add significantly to the total playtime. It's a solid title, and--from what I've heard--a lot better than its next-gen cousin.
While Astro Boy may not be one of the top anim franchises today here in the States, he sells like hotcakes over in the Land of the Rising Sun, where he's received fame status equivalent to that of the lovable Disney rodent Mickey Mouse. The little robot boy known as Astro was created by Dr. Tenma in memory of his son, Tobio, who was killed in a car accident. Raised by Dr. O'Shay, Astro has quickly become something of a moderator between humans and robots, with one group not entirely sure how to relate the other, except with fear. Through a series of events, Astro ends up at the heart of this struggle, and, through a dazzling number of plot twists, ends up in different realities and times in the war as well. The game overall plays like a quirky beat-em-up, but because it's developed by the same team that headed the manic Gunstar Heroes for the Sega Genesis, surprises are pretty much guaranteed. And Astro Boy delivers. If you're a fan of anim, beat-em-up video games, or even the famed Mega Man series, Astro Boy will not disappoint. In defeating Astro's enemies that come in all shapes and sizes, you have a wide range of moves at your disposal. There is the standard punch-kick combo, a laser for attacking faraway enemies, and the cool boost jets on Astro's feet will allow you to zoom past your enemies, or dodge their attacks. As you attack, you also build up a super meter at the top of the screen that can be later used to power a variety of special moves. In addition to the standard side-scrolling, beat-em-up action, Astro Boy does attempt to break things up every now and then with some horizontal-shooter-style gameplay, and even a few challenging mid-air battles. Despite the game's wackiness (fighting through screens of tiny little men, for example), the plot takes itself seriously, and the difficulty remains very real, meaning that you will die a lot in this game before you get the hang of how exactly to kill each enemy. Near the end of the game, for instance, you do battle with a giant samurai robot that can kill you in one hit, so you must learn his attack patterns and know them from rote. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the gameplay here is the ongoing quest during the game to meet as many people as you can. All of the characters in the game are creations of the mind behind Astro Boy, Tezuka Osamu. Meeting the various characters may or may not help the plot along, depending primarily on who you find and when you find them. However, when you do meet many of these hidden characters, you will be given a chance to boost your various abilities up one notch, so it's a good idea to find as many as you can throughout the game. If you're fond of old-school-feeling games like the Contra series, Mega Man, and Final Fight, give Astro Boy: Omega Factor for the GBA a shot. And hey, the fact that you have to play through the thing at least twice to flesh out all of the story is a neat gimmick, and it really does add significantly to the total playtime. It's a solid title, and--from what I've heard--a lot better than its next-gen cousin.