If obscure, niche games are what you're after, the DS is chock full of
quality items, especially if you're in the market for shmups. The genre
is one of the DS' strengths, and the touch screen ensures accuracy; one
would assume that the system would have plenty of games in the genre
utilizing the hardware well, right? Unfortunately not. While there are
many different types of top-down shooters on the humble handheld, none
have utilized the hardware nearly as well as they could. Big Bang Mini
is the exception to the rule -- and thanks to Arkedo's audacity, it
plays wonderfully.
If you aren't a grizzled veteran to the genre, Big Bang Mini will be
tough; even if you are the game presents a challenge, and for some the
difficulty level will be a game breaker. If you think you can handle
the heat, though, Big Bang Mini's controls and design are fantastic.
Big Bang Mini is a top-down shooter spanning both DS screens, with
enemies and debris mainly on the top screen. You control a small ship
on the bottom screen by touch and drag, similar to the Nanostray series
(although a bit more comfortable). This is very accurate and allows for
some truly jaw-dropping maneuvers -- most of the time. Occasionally the
game may misread a command, or just neglect it altogether. The accurate
shooting more than makes up for this, however. Flick upwards on the
touch screen and a bullet will go where you pointed. The
easy-to-memorize controls are unique in that you cannot move your ship
and shoot at the same time, which ensures the player can't blindly spam
bullets while avoiding enemy fire to win.
It is a joy to play Big Bang Mini, and the engrossing control scheme
breathes life into a genre on life support. The overall style of play
is similar to that of Space Invaders or one of its thousands of
copy-cats, but the fresh presentation, variety of modes and peerless
control scheme ensure Big Bang Mini stands out from the crowd.
While the controls are simple, there are plenty of special moves to
keep the game engaging. Homing missles, shields, a Ditto-esque move
that steals an enemy's attack, etc. -- Big Bang Mini has all the
standard spices and then some.
Despite being an excellent game, Big Bang Mini also manages to be a
very portable one -- a rare accomplishment. Missions typically last a
minute or two, and are addicting whether you're at home or at work; the
level of challenge certainly encouraged me to compete in Challenge Mode
for quite a few hours. Some boss fights you'll definitely want to
revisit again and again. Perhaps most enticingly, just looking at the
game is reason enough to play.
With 3D backgrounds and 2D art to represent your ship and enemies, Big
Bang Mini is pure eye candy by any standard. The wacky art style is
accompanied by detailed 3D, and the fireworks explosions are simply
gorgeous; the technical aspects of games will be outdated in a few
years, but style will last forever, and this game is proof of that. The
soundtrack is equally as appealing, boasting a varied soundtrack that
manages to sound great despite the low-quality DS speakers.
Longevity may present a concern for those who have been burned by the
short lives of other top-down shooters, but once again Big Bang Mini
prevails in this area -- Challenge Modes, Relax, Online Leaderboards,
Multiplayer and an impressive 90 levels ensures you'll keep Big Bang
Mini in your pocket for dozens of hours to come... If you are good at
it. One design choice I feel was misguided is that the player has to
unlock everything by conquering the main mode. It takes awhile to do
this, and many players simply won't have the skill to do so (the final
level is excruciatingly dificult).
The DS has plenty of shooters of all shapes and sizes, but in my
opinion Big Bang Mini is the best one to grace the system yet. It takes
full advantage of what makes a DS a DS, and in doing so is a unique
fusion of classic and new gameplay that should be played by any shmup
fan. Plus, it's $20.
