It (does not?) hit the Spark...
Alright let's get back with the flow. Like the sound of Keriotosse! did you? Like offbeat 4 player games?
Well then!
Hansha de Spark! is as off beat as off beat 4 player games get. It comes to us from the fine folks at SIEG (who? This was the sole game they ever made) It opens with a 3D intro introducing us to our "Fantasic 4" team of heroes. The 4 heroes are the only characters selectable from the get-go. More may be unlockable as there are other characters but since I can't beat the rock-hard 1P mode this is unconfirmed. The four Heroes are as such:
1.
Hansha (blue guy)
The typical all-around leader type. Has one bar in four categories, but I can only make out one category as "speed." Looks like MegaMan a bit.
2.
Chammy (girl)
Sports, you got it, pink and even has the bunny ears down. Fast like a rabbit too.
3.
Hayate (black and purple guy)
Sort of the "cool looking non-leader rebel type"
4.
Wappaa (big guy)
The typical big guy... this one wears sheepskin (?) and has a mask complete with tusks. SLOW
So what is the premise of the game?
Do you drop bombs like in Bomberman and run away?
Is it like Grid Runner where you play virtual tag?
Is it like hide n seek?
OK, enough with the suspense.
Bascially, each character shoots a circular shot. If you hit your opponent head on with it, it doesn't kill or harm them -- it merely pushes them back a few steps. The only way to eliminate them is to bounce your shot off of a lever, which in each of the 10 stages, multiple levers are positioned.
Once the shot hits a lever and bounces off, it becomes a spark which if it hits an opponent, he is then eliminated. You have to rely on the multiple levers to richochet your shots off of.
The levers come in these directions:
1. |
2. /
3. \
4. _
And reverse for a total of 8 positions.
Basically, if you're facing to the right of _ and you fire a shot at it, it will go through.
However, if you're facing North or South of _ and fire, it will bounce back at you.
Stand to the left of "/" and fire means it'll go up.
Stand to the right of "/" and fire means it'll go down.
Same principle with \ (only reverse them)
And yes, your own shot, much like your own bomb in Bomberman, can kill you.
Sometimes there will be four, five sparks flying around the playing field! Watch your step...
Thankfully in HDS! the levers can be switched with the press of Button Y in any of the 8 directions. So you're not just a sitting duck based on predetermined factors.
But just like the cardinal rule in baseball and basketball, remember that a pass or a fastball ALWAYS travels faster than a guy running. In other words, the sparks come off the levers pretty fast. If you're in the direction of an incoming spark you better change the lever real quick. You literally have to anticipate and see the play happening before it happens. Otherwise you stand no chance.
There are also red levers, these levers cannot be altered.
This game has strategy and technique thanks to the ability to switch up levers.
The more times a spark bounces off a lever, the faster it travels and the bigger it gets. Also, it gets louder too. Nice.
Each field has blocks to clear too, much like Bomberman. Sometimes these blocks hold powerups.
With the exception of a double shot powerup, only one shot from your character can be in play. It needs to either dissipate or destroy something before you can fire another. If the shot has been bounced into a spark, that spark will keep bouncing along the path set by the levers until it hits something. There are the usual power ups like speed, shield, life extenders, etc. There are no cheap dinosaurs or kangeroos here to save your butt though!
The graphics are a notch below Saturn Bomberman, but still pretty decent. The music is pretty good, my friend describes it as "the music, which sounds like Kraftwerk if they OD'd on happy pills" lol.
There is some technique such as switching the levers in one of 8 directions as pointed out. It definitely has a learning curve too. Whereas in Bomberman you could just pick it up and play, this one you can't just hand the controller over to your 8 year old nephew and expect him to get it.
The 3 game modes are:
1. Free play 1-4 player battles
There are 10 mazes with each having its own gimmicks and design, a la Bomberman. Though some stages aren't really THAT much different and only sort of aesthetically come off different. You can do any combo of 1-4 player Human or CPU. You can do a 1-on-1 human vs. CPU battle or even watch 4 CPU's battle it out on any one of the 10 stages. There might be 2 hidden stages as the select screen shows 6 on top and 4 on bottom with room for two.
The game is very customable a la Saturn Bomberman. Also an unique concept is that you can pick from 1 through 10 rounds, NOT wins. So say you pick 2 rounds and 2 players each won 1. What happens next is those two are placed in a smaller version of the stage you picked... death match style. If you play 1 round and everyone dies, the next match pits all four in a VERY small version of the arena you had chosen.
2. 1 Player Quest
Kinda like Bomberman's 1 player quest. This mode was fun as it is more of a brainteaser than Bomberman as you don't just lay bombs and run about. You gotta watch those levers... enemies range from zombie skeletons to headless knights to dragons to pumpkin-headed demons.
I was able to beat the first 2 bosses. (each stage has 3 rounds then you face a boss) First boss was a cool looking giant brown castle that emits bats from its forthold. Not hard at all.
2nd boss was this flower-looking monster. He spits out a circle of white spears. Use your MAD SHMUP DODGING SKILLS!
After you kill him he splits into 3 smaller forms. Blasphemy! No rest for the wicked eh?
You got to use the levers to flip the sparks off of to hurt the bosses. Shooting the spark directly at them does no good.
Based on the manual here are some of the other bosses:
-A towering blue bipedal Hammerhead Shark.. his head glows yellow
-A giant white Kirby
-Three enormous yellow Aliens (fun...)
-A fire monster
-Some sort of white Creature from the Lagoon...
Looks like good stuff.
3. Pre-arranged scenarios where you gotta get to the exit
There are 36 total. Kinda reminds me of the one found in N64's Pokemon Puzzle League or those Side Pocket games where you have specific things to unlock and they get increasingly harder. You start off here and the exit door is there. Use your spark and levers to get to the exit.
Here are some brief notes on the 10 stages:
1. Green shrubbery surrounds the outside playing field. Looks like a castle surrounds the play area (which makes sense as you fight a giant castle in the 1P mode in this level). Spikes pop outta the ground after a while. Touch and you die
2. Green shrubs are the blocks here. Fire errupts outside the arena. There are a couple red levers in this stage (red levers cannot be changed)
3. Bigger playing field than the previous two, colorful stage with water.
4. Carnival theme as carnival-esque lights light up the top of the screen. Very small field... things get up close and personal here. Better think on your feet!
5. Destroy box-like blocks as fog sweeps through this brown-hued stage.. cool affect!
6. Gearworks stage, gears rotate outside the arena. Big stage. Nice and simple.
7. Another watery stage, only this time the water moves and looks very lovely indeed. It's slippery... the water sways you to the left.
8. Same design as stage 3 only in lava. The characters must have some special shoes. The lava bubbles and glistens.
9. Dinosaur bones litter the arena. Every once in a while a giant dust storm clouds the entire screen. Some purple levers are present -- bouncing a shot off a purple lever results in the Mega, Ultimate Speeding Spark of Disaster!
10. Houses surround you and fog comes in and out. Done differently than the fog found in stage 5. Great affect.
Due to waiting factor for the spark... this game is more of a "thinking man's" survival of the fittest. You can't go "super crazy" like you can in Bomberman, Bomberman Fight!! or Keriotosse! I like this aspect of the game. It's not really a "chaotic" title like the other 3 mentioned... rather more of a thinking man's 4 player game.
I got this game for $14 a month ago. When I first played it I was HORRIBLY disappointed. But the more I played it the more I understood the little intracies of this little game and it warmed up to me.
It's safe to say HDS! is a hit or a miss title, for me it was a (small) hit. Not a great game, and it will definitely NEVER replace Saturn Bomberman, but it's decent and can prove to be a nifty little diversion of a game. Whereas I highly recommended Keriotosse! and Shingata Kururin Pa!... for this obscure exclamation Saturn title I will say "buyer cautioned." It's def. not for everyone. Only buy it if you *really* feel you might like it.
The only picture I can find of it currently is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62053&item=8188348888&rd=1&ssPageName=WD1V
Well have a great weekend everyone. Stay tuned for my next writeup... it's sort of a Resident Evil for kids.
