Geometry Wars: Galaxies First Look Preview

If there’s an unlikely home for the sequel to Bizarre’s twin-stick shooter Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, it is the Nintendo DS. The handheld has certainly capably handled manic shoot-’em-ups before, as the underrated Nanostray demonstrated, but Ninty’s must-have portable has one, or rather two things, missing that seem essential to Geometry Wars: analogue sticks.

Part of the huge success of the Xbox LIVE Arcade hit Geometry Wars was not only the immediacy of its control system, but also the efficiency and responsiveness. Using the left stick of the 360 controller to steer, and the right stick to direct a torrent of fluorescent firepower let players snipe distant foes in every direction with complete accuracy, and was still great for scatter-gunning your way out of the game’s numerous tight spots, when hordes of enemy craft would pin you in a corner.

With the Wii version of Galaxies, Kuju, who have been developing the game with input from Bizarre, have created some fantastic controls from the Wii-mote and Nunchuck, despite them making unlikely candidates for piloting a tiny space craft at high speed. Whether the Surrey studio can work the same magic with the relatively limited interface of the DS is questionable, but it does seem as though the developer has managed some great things with six buttons and a stylus.

Using the d-pad to steer your ship may seem a little unworkable, but bear in mind that many fans of the most furious, challenging shooters ever released are adamant that the Saturn d-pad is far more suited to dodging bullets and waves of fighters than any arcade stick or joypad protrusion.

The DS might have a tighter, stiffer feel to its d-pad, but watching Kuju staff rack up huge scores on the handheld leaves little doubt that it can handle the ferocious thumb pounding the game demands.

The shooting is done with the stylus, in a way that is actually incredibly similar to the original control set-up. Using the touch screen below the action on the top screen, pointing to the left directs the fire to the left. Dragging the stylus across to the right of the screen causes the flow of neon bullets to mimic your action, sweeping them across to the other side of the playing field. If it still isn’t clear imagine a goat on a tether. The anchor point at the centre is your ship, while the rope is the stream of bullets and the goat your stylus.

This system is surprisingly efficient, and certainly allows for accurate long range shooting as readily as it lets you scatter shots wildly to protect yourself from all sides. However, it does seem to work more efficiently with the DS laid flat on a table, freeing both hands for the job of flying and shooting. This is all well and good, except when you are playing on a train journey, when you will need to hold on to the DS with the same hand that operates the d-pad.

Outside of the control input the DS version of Geometry Wars Galaxies is very similar to its Wii sibling. A new single-player campaign, which sees levels arranged as planets set in various solar systems, divides games into different types and difficulties.

Grids are now varied in shape and size, and feature new enemies and effects. The most significant addition to the player’s iconic star fighter is the drone system. Drones, or small ally ships that ride the wake of your main craft, are an old standard of scrolling shooters, but new to the Geometry Wars series. During games a collectable currency called Geoms is left after some explosions. These can be used to purchase and upgrade drones with certain abilities, such as those focussed on defence, to those which concentrate on gathering more Geoms.

The DS version, which comes with a complete version of Retro Evolved, will apparently have plenty to offer players who link their handheld to a Wii running the game, though at the moment Kuju are keeping this content close to their chests, only suggesting that there will be substantial gains for owners of both copies of the game.

Multiplayer will come in simultaneous, verses and co-operative modes but, again, details are sparse regarding game sharing and wireless functionality, though online leaderboards are bound to feature. The DS version does seem to be a little way behind the Wii version in terms of development, but is still a superb looking title that will be a welcome addition to a catalogue a little short on such intense action. If Geometry Wars Galaxies is a success on the DS, then this absorbing shooter is bound to cause many missed bus stops and tube stations, as commuters lose themselves in the gaudy action of one of the 360’s most popular downloads.