Difficulty:

Very Easy

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Underappreciated"

Megaman Star Force is not a game for everyone. True RPG fans will feel let down by the simplistic RPG elements, and the hardcore Megaman fan will be disappointed by the fact that it is not a plain shooter. Star Force takes place 200 years after the end of the Battle Network series and takes a fair few battle elements from it as well. This is not a bad thing for fans of BN, but others unfamiliar with the kind of game and universe might feel left out all together.

Star Force takes place 200 years after Battle Network, in a universe where the internet has become obsolete and now a network of "waves" control the everyday lives as the Net used to. The hero is a familiar site to Battle Network and puts you in the shoes of a fifth grade boy, who in general, is an outcast. In the year of 220X man has come into contact with aliens in space and attempted to form a relationship with them. From there the story begins and as the young boy, Geo Stelar, is inhabited by a run-away alien from the race known as the FM-ians. After wards, this alien gives Geo the power to change into Megaman so that he can enter the Wave World to save earth from any FM-ians that come to harm the one inside Geo.

If you have played a Battle Network game, the battle field will look familiar, but there are some significant changes. No longer do you watch a 18×3 from a third person view as Megaman moves around and attacks the enemies. Now you will be seeing things from an over-the-shoulder view as Megaman side-steps, shoots, and shields himself from enemy fire. This would seem to greatly limit the way Megaman can fight, but instead it adds much greater strategy with new powers and needed to defend instead of just run away. These changes are welcome to the Megaman RPGs and allows not only the seasoned Battle Network player to be pulling off combos with ease.

However, Star Force looks and sounds much like a GBA game. Very little is done to take advantage of the DS Hardware, and with the exception of a few 3D effects, Star Force could have easily been made on a GBA if it was still a popular console to make new games for. Sound quality is also the same, featuring mostly remixed tracks from the Battle Network series. The Touchscreen is optional for almost every use it has, and in no way truly changes the series through its use.

Megaman Star Force is truly a great game for Battle Network fans, but few others would find much enjoyment from Star Force. Little RPG emphasis, graphics and sound that could very well be from the GBA, and a seemingly cheap take on the Battle Network popularity. Luckily it is still a fun game to play and the story is host to a variety of unique characters that truly make an engaging Megaman game. If you were questioning Star Force and were a fan of Battle Network, this is just the game you may want to take up more than 20 hours of your life.