With the revival of the G.I. Joe franchise including a new movie and a tie in game, we get a hands on with the DS version of the game and see what it brings to the table on the Nintendo DS handheld.
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As with the majority of film tie in games, their are a few things we have come to expect. First of all is that the game will no doubt be released on everything but the kitchen sink, that’s including the handhelds. Mmore often than not the game is released either prior to the actual launch of the blockbuster movie, or on the same day. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is of course no exception, with a slated release of August 4th, the movie and the film tie-ins could be the next big franchise, well, the movie could be, more often than not movie tie-in games are often terrible. However, with each new game one must keep an open mind at all times, and so with that in mind I managed to get some play time on the Nintendo DS version of the game.
The DS version of The Rise of Cobra is a top down - run and gun type shooter where you choose your character and make your way through the levels killing every Cobra soldier you come across, your arsenal includes different types of melee and ranged weapons giving you some diversity to it all. The typical mission is a case of getting from A to B while destroying computers to open the relevant doors to continue and then defeating the end level boss as far as we could see, it’s a typical affair but one that does seem to be quite enjoyable since it’s not often you get a game like this on the DS.
The main difference between the portable version and the full blown console release is it’s lack of co-op. The console release allows you to complete your missions with a friend over the internet but the DS lacks this feature, this does not mean the DS version doesn’t come shipped with multiplayer however, because thankfully it does. The multiplayer allows up to four players to battle it out over various game modes which include; Team Battle, Warhead and Defend the Base. The three multiplayer modes put the Joe's against the Cobra and you can have between two to four players over network play. A great addition to a portable release as far as were concerned, unfortunately we didn't get the opportunity to test this so fingers crossed that it lives up to it's expectations.
Combat in The Rise of Cobra is fairly straightforward and easy to get to grips with even for the novice player, the Joe’s you get to choose from each have their own advantages over one another which include different styles of combat. The single player allows you to pick which Joe you want to use before you start the mission which keeps things fresh and should stop you getting bored of playing the same character all through the game, but, it will probably take away some of the replay value for the single player side of the game. The gameplay could get a bit repetitive upon completion, but we’ll have to see how that pan’s out when the game has been released. Hopefully it should be good all the way through, though even if it is not, the multiplayer aspect is certainly a plus, especially if you fancy playing with some friends and want to blast each other to bits.
Overall, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra looks set to be a decent movie tie-in for the DS, with excellent multiplayer options to choose from for a portable title. The game is fun to play single player and should be equally as fun against friends, blasting the Cobra back from where they came is satisfying enough with the varying arsenal at your disposal – especially the minigun. For fans of the age old G.I. Joe franchise and owners of the DS, the game does look to be a worthwhile title offering you your standard run and gun type single player with added multiplayer on top. The graphics give the whole feel of the game a retro type cartoon effect just like the old G.I. Joe cartoons on TV back in 1985 so any fan old enough to remember the series on TV should find it quite enjoyable.
Look forward to the game being released for the DS on August 4th just short of the movie which comes out on August 7th.
