Shumps are my weakness, I mean everyone above 30 years old loves them, we grew up with them, we were molded by them, and we knew true despair when losing our only life before the final boss….those were the days. And I am happy to see that Star Ghost for the WIIU brings back those memories of having fun while sweating like a maniac trying not to lose your only life, and I really dig that.
For starters StarGhost has a unique control system, you only use the A button to hover up and down( similar to infamous Flappy Bird) you use the Left Stick to control your shots trajectory. Also your ship shoots automatically so no more frantically pressing the attack button like there is no tomorrow. So what happens when you take away the classic elements of a shump? You create a unique an action packed experience. Your ship doesn’t fly in a straight line, and if left to its own it will plunge to the bottom of the screen where it bounces off an otherwise invisible force field.Star Ghost offers a challenge which is unique in the genre. Knowing exactly when to tap and release that button can be the difference between missing an incoming projectile or grabbing that much-needed power-up. There’s a skill level involved here which goes way beyond traditional shooters, which allow you to move your craft around the screen at will. The Power ups range from Spread that add more shots in each volley of fire, Speed rate that makes you go from a slow shotgun to a machine gun, A Traction Field that ( useful for getting items and power ups)can be expanded to fill more of the screen. A repulsor shield has the opposite effect and forces unwanted objects away, while missiles greatly augment your offensive potential. A shield replenishing pick-up allows you to regenerate your health should you take a knock, and soon becomes an essential item, but not everything should be picked up, there are Viruses and if you pick one up your weapons are shut down, leaving you defenseless for a short while( and in stages with many enemies this means game over). The power ups are not permanent they are time limited and since you shoot automatically, you need to make each shoot count.
Star Ghost offers 12 Star systems each with different stages, and they feel like a sweet race from start to finish, each level is dynamically generated so each play through is different, since you only have one life, you might find yourself starting over again and each time you do you will find that your enemies are placed on different spots, or sometimes you will find power ups more easily so for me this was a brilliant idea that evens the ground since later stages are more difficult.The Sentinel battles are boss fights with powerful enemy ships which have a overwhelming number of weapons at their disposal, and if you don’t manage to defeat them within the time limit they warp away, costing you valuable points.The music, and sound effects in the game are very well made, they make the experience more involving playing with headphones on the gamepad is heaven for me. Graphically I like the neon design, the enemies and background give the feel of outer space, the explosions, and even the Virus effect are great to look at.
Bottom Line Star Ghost is a welcome surprise to the ever growing WIIU library, it has a unique control scheme that is sure to give you a challenge, a great sound track that shows that it has the DNA of greatness, I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great game, its humble beginnings are just the tip of the iceberg for developer Squarehead Studios, and Star Ghost is a step on the right direction.