Nintedo DS Review: Custom Robo Arena

The Custom Robo series has always been something that I didn't seem interested in. I had no idea what it was about, but the way the game was presented made me think "Man, that looks pretty average." After playing Custom Robo Arena for the Nintendo DS, I finally understand what the game is about, and I have found that Custom Robo isn't that bad of a series at all.

The concept of Custom Robo is similar to Pokemon, in a way. The game's world is obsessed with these little robots that are used to battle against other robots for fun. Everyone is obsessed with them. People talk non-stop about these robots. The main character's school even teaches the class about these robots (you'll also get tests on these robots throughout the game during school).

The game has you playing as a schoolboy who basically does the same things every day of his life. You wake up, you eat breakfast with your family, you leave for school, you go on some sort of adventure, you go home to eat dinner with your family, and you go to sleep. There are many battles scattered in between each of those daily events.

Unlike the Pokemon series, you can actually avoid some of the battles with other characters. Characters who throw cubes up and down in their hands are the characters you can battle with. Simply walk right up to them and tap A to ask for a battle.

Battling is completely controlled by you. As soon as a battle starts, you have three seconds to throw your robot on the field via a rotating cannon. Once your robot is thrown from its cube form, it will land on the field. The player must tap every button on the DS to get the robot off of the ground.

If you were the first to get off the ground, you may have an advantage, since you can easily get the first hit. If you are second, you may have to dodge the few first attacks. Players can attack opponents with one of the many guns, bombs, and pods (sort of like homing mines). To avoid attacks, you will need to hide behind environment walls, as well as jump, and dash away from opponents, bombs, and bullets.

The amount of customization you can do to your robot is the greatest part of the game's series. Custom Robo Arena has thousands upon thousands of different combinations of weapons you can equip to your robot. Each weapon and part you put on your robot enhances the way it performs during battle. You can place new items on your robot by going to your garage before battle, or while browsing the game's menu.

Article Author: Kevin Cortez

Kevin Cortez is a young critic located in Orlando, Florida, who enjoys film, indie music, hip-hop, gaming, comic books, and film.

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