Writing
Preview: Spectrobes - Published by N-Philes, Jan 26, 2007
Disney has good reason to be excited for Spectrobes: it's their first wholly original videogame. Developed by Jupiter Corp., the minds behind Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, Spectrobes is built from the ground-up as a DS title, and is hoping to spice up the handheld's RPG landscape. N-Philes was invited to learn more about the game from a few of the guys behind the game. Disney PR manager Eric Wein, Spectrobes Associate Brand Manager Steven Dodson, and Quality Assurance Lead Tim FitzRandolph were on call.
Real-time battles keep things action-packed.
Playing as Rallen, a Nanairo Planetary Patrol Officer, the game sets us out a cosmic adventure that's sure to be filled with twists and turns. Joining him is Jeena, his unwilling partner in crime prevention who's probably too young to legally be described as attractive. He's the bold and reckless pilot, she's the intelligent and by-the-book scientist, and together they become wrapped up in collecting Spectrobes in order to save the universe from imminent destruction. The online character blogs and web episodes (available at Spectrobes.com) set up the adventure in more detail.
Spectrobes' plot is what drives the game. It's largely told between battles, by travelling to various planets, talking to characters within the game, making discoveries, and triggering specific events. In that sense, Spectrobes follows a very familiar RPG structure.
But what is a Spectrobe? Long answer short, it's like a dinosaur, an extinct class of animals that currently exist as fossils. They also happen to be the natural enemy of the Krawl, a vicious species bent on universal domination. Thankfully our heroes meet up with a scientist who has developed ways of harnessing the power of these Spectrobes. And in good RPG fashion, the only way to prevent the destruction of the universe is to collect Spectrobe fossils and use their power to defeat the Krawl.
The gameplay revolves around collecting fossils, raising Spectrobes, battling the Krawl, and playing out the story-driven events. Collection and excavation are a play big part of the game, and use the DS' features to their fullest. Upon discovering a fossil, the touch screen and microphone are used to scrape and blow away debris, provided you're careful enough not to destroy it. Awakening the Spectrobes into battle can be done via the microphone.
Uncover the fossil, but don't dammage it!
Each of the 50 different Spectrobes comes in three forms: child, adult, and evolved. The child form Spectrobes are good at finding underground items and other Spectrobe fossils, whereas the adult and evolved Spectrobes are better suited for battling. The monsters gain levels through battle experience, through excavation, and by consuming minerals.
If you like your fire, water, and grass types, prepare for disappointment; Spectrobes only come in corona, aurora, and flash varieties. Each type is stronger than and weaker to another. Some are faster, others have better defence, some have short-range attacks, while others are better with distance blows. Each Spectrobe is customizable in that you can change their colors, as well as add different parts and items to their bodies to change their appearance and stats.
That's pretty much where the similarities to Pokémon end, though, because Spectrobes hopes to be an entirely different beast. "It's like comparing Gran Turismo against some arcade racer," says FitzRandolph about the inevitable comparisons to Nintendo's juggernaut series, "they're both in the same genre, but we definitely have differences that stand out."
The battle system offers action-oriented real-time combat, as opposed to the turn-based formula. The battles themselves can be seen on the map and can be fought or avoided. Your character also gets in the action; Rallen and the Spectrobes' movements and attacks are controlled via the D-pad and buttons. Usually, the Spectrobes will remain at your side and wait for your commands, though that isn't always the case.
3D on both screens
Also, you aren't really fighting other Spectrobes as much as you are directly battling it out with the Krawl, multiplayer notwithstanding. There are different types of Krawl that keep you on your toes by using different styles of attack. They also fuse with the environment, so you may find yourself fighting cactus Krawl in the desert, or bulldozer Krawl in industrial settings.
Spectrobes is shaping up to have a variety of multiplayer and Wi-Fi options. When playing locally, players can trade fossils, Spectrobes, and items, as well as engage in one-on-one battles where each player is accompanied by two of their monsters. You can also host a round robin tournament where up to 16 players can simultaneously fight it out round until the ultimate victor and loser are crowned.
The folks at Jupiter have set out a number of interesting online features for Spectrobes. Through the Wi-Fi Connection, players will have the ability to download content straight from Disney with download points found within the game, whether it be brand new items, creatures, or even video clips. For those who like to be the best of the best, you can upload your game profile, high scores, your Spectrobes team, etc. and rank yourself against others through the Spectrobes website.
Curiously missing, however, is the ability to battle and trade over Wi-Fi Connection. The developers decided to focus on a more social, local multiplayer because that offers a better experience when compared to playing over the ‘net.
Completely defying Nintendo's failed e-Card Reader, the development team have integrated a way to use trading cards and the touch screen to unlock rare items and creatures. Placing the card on the touch screen and tapping a specific pattern shown on the cards will unlock goodies found within the game. There aren't any plans to sell these collectable lenticular cards in stores, but BVG insists they have ideas about how to distribute them to Spectrobes enthusiasts. Each game comes with four random cards.
Cards are used to unlock special items and monsters.
Overall, the main plot should take about 15 – 20 hours to complete. Just like Pokémon, however, that number dramatically increases as you try to find and collect everything. Spectrobes runs in 3D, makes fair use of the touch screen, microphone, and both local wireless and Wi-Fi capabilities of the DS. It's really nice to see a publisher put so much effort into an original, full-scale DS adventure. Hopefully when it ships in March, Spectrobes differentiates itself enough to stand up to the behemoth that is Pokémon.
The Disney reps remained tight lipped about the possibilities for Spectrobes beyond the DS game. Movies? Theme park rides? It's all certainly possible, though nothing has been announced. As for an appearance on Nintendo's shiny new console, "Wii is a possibility," Dodson says rather neutrally. "Nintendo is a great company, and there's a lot of crossover with Disney fans and Nintendo fans, so who knows what's doing to happen in the future."