Odama, for the GameCube, is a unique kind of game, a mix between pinball and a war strategy. This is one of THOSE games. The ones that you hear about often, but never actually get to. Choosing games to play is difficult, when there's a variety. However, this finally caught my eye at a local rental store, and I decided, "Might as well". I always thought Odama would be interesting. Unique, to say the least. But after playing it, is it as good as it is innovative? Let's find out.
This system is ranked on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being excellent and 10 being terrible... Just kidding. 10 is excellent, 0 is terrible.
Story: 7.0
(As shown in the
manual)
The world is
torn in a bloody war. Endless battles have ravaged this once-beautiful
land. This land had long been governed by Lord Yamanouchi Nobutada of the
Yamanouchi clan. When Lord Yamanouchi's trusted vassal Karasuma Genshin
betrayed him in a vicious coup, Lord Yamanouchi took his own life rather
than
bear the shame
of defeat. It is the year 1539.
Hungry for revenge, Tamachiyo, eldest son of Yamanouchi, assumed the name "Kagetora". Traveling in secret, he fled to safety with a handful of his most loyal retainers. It is here our story begins.
At the tender age of eleven, Tamachiyo knew the horrors of war. Though the Kagetora camp had few soldiers and fewer provisions, they possessed two secrets their longtime foes knew nothing about. One was a Yamanouchi family treasure, a gigantic ball known as the Odama. This giant ball was said to have been taken from China long ago, during the Tang dynasty. Legend held that, when unleashed in battle, the Odama could inflict untold damage to foes or grant great powers to allies, but these legends remain untested. The other secret was the doctrine of Ninten-do, the Way of Heavenly Duty. The word Ninten-do is formed from the first kanji of three proverbs: Nin-ga Mu-shin ("Attend to one's duties without ego"), Tenzai Kohrin ("Those in heaven will descend"), and Do-gi Tsuu-mei ("Moral action is a daily command"). The Way of Ninten illustrates the mindset of the Kagetora army, soldiers who have entrusted themselves to the heavens to fight for a common purpose. This is the true origin of bushido, the code of the samurai.
My liege, witness the treasure of our army, the Ninten Bell. Remember the power it possesses: Strike it with the Odama, and its tolling brings miracles. Guide it into the donjon of Karasuma Keep, and your victory will ring throughout this land! My liege, you must understand... We can not afford to lose this battle. Prepare yourself. But need not worry. With the Odama and the Ninten-do on our side, Genshin's camp is no better than a straw hut. We have nothing to fear. My liege... The time for battle is upon us...
Now I don't know much about Japanese customs, names, history, etc. It confuses me. Such was the way when I read the story. But eventually it does make sense. The Ninten-do part actually made me laugh out loud. At first, it does seem like a weird story, but it really isn't. To sum it up, the character's father was betrayed, and you have to avenge him using a giant ball, the way of Ninten-do, and a giant bell. I was a little disappointed in the avenging of a betrayed father cliche. But the setting of the story, the time and place, it's a breath of fresh air to me. I just wish that it was longer (more details set in through the course of the game). Also, there are no shockers or big plot twists. Ever. Still, it managed to be a bit entertaining.
Controls: 7.0
There are too many at first. Chances are, you won't get a hang of the controls until about halfway through the game. You see, Odama uses the mic feature, which is used simultaneously with the controller. The mic is army control based, while the controller itself manages the field like a pinball table. It's a bit difficult to get the hang of them at first, but don't worry. Eventually you will.
Characters: 3.5
Tsk tsk. Not very good. For one, the main character is never actually seen up close. Nor does he ever have anything worthwhile to say, if anything. He just sits behind the flippers, slaying any enemies that may try to attack directly. You have no control over him. Secondly, not one character has a distinguishing personality, or something that defines them. Of course, while playing, occasionally a speech bubble will appear by them. The speech bubbles did save the nameless soldiers whom you command. That was a good thing about them. They always had something to yell, depending on what's happening or if you just did something (namely running them over with the Odama). Then there's the narrator-type character, who seems to be an advisor to the main character. He's the most defined of all the characters, but we never see him. Sometimes he has something interesting to say (mission objectives), while other times he's just annoying (he may laugh at you if you lose).
Now for the baddies. Still not good. There are four significant antagonistic characters, all of whom you STILL know barely anything about. That even goes for the game's main antagonist. The only truly interesting evil character is Saisai, a beast monk (enlarged head, body of a spider). When you actually confront them, they still have nothing to say, just sometimes those speech bubbles ("Take this!", "Yum yum.") Nameless soldiers of the other army... virtually identical to your own. Just a different color and against you. All in all, the characters could have done better in many aspects.
Graphics: 8.0
First off, let me say, if you zoom in on the soldiers very closely (even the ways bosses look), they appear as simple shapes which look like they belong on the N64. But nearly all of the game is zoomed out and then... It looks great. The soldiers seem a lot better, and it's easy to distinguish your own from the enemy's. The entire environment around them is also quite well done, with rivers that drain and flow so naturally when a gate is closed or open, the sides of mountains, and designs on fortifications. Even little things, like showing a group of a soldiers who solely control the flippers, so there's no wondering on "What makes them flippers flip?!" When the Odama rolls over soldiers, it's shown accordingly, as they are sometimes stuck to the Odama itself, or just flattened, from which a spirit soon exits. Reminds me of Pikmin. And even though some parts of the environment look stable and look as if they are rooted there (houses, towns, enemy fortifications), the effect when the Odama just slams into them looks awesome... Most of the time, that is. The Odama itself appears well-detailed, whether it be normal, heavenly, or evil (explained later). I do have one problem, and that is the four boss enemies. Remember when I said that zooming in on soldiers show them as poor quality? Bosses look like that all the time, even though three of the four are actually human. For you see, all bosses and even the main character (though you can't even make him out) are enlarged drastically compared to the soldiers, which is very confusing, as this isn't explained. If the soldiers and bosses were a bit better designed, then this would've gotten a 9. Still, even with them, the graphics are outstanding from a zoom-out view.
Audio: 5.0
Could've been better. Virtually no music is present throughout the game. That hurt the score. When commanding soldiers on the field, they usually respond in unison, which will get somewhat annoying, especially if you have to constantly repeat the same command. However, while there was only one voice (narrator), it was extremely well done, completely in Japanese too. It made the game seem more... realistic. Remember the Ninten Bell? Well, whenever stricken with the Odama, it makes a very authentic gong noise. And while used a bit too often, just hearing the gong can be invigorating, as it may signal a comeback, depending on if the bell is a certain way (explained later). However, these small, good things just weren't enough to bring the score up higher. Decent, but not all too great.
Gameplay: 9.0
Now we reach the core of the game. What can I say? Simple yet complicated. The objective of each mission is to get the Ninten Bell through the gates at the end of a level. You lose if you run out of Odamas (just like in pinball), the enemies force your bell crew or anyone carrying some object behind the flippers, or if the sun sets. However, your bell crew won't be able to get past all those enemy soldiers, so you send in your own. Soldiers die off extremely slowly when engaging one another, and usually you're outnumbered. One method is to aim the Odama so it rolls right over the enemies, crushing them. A better one is to turn the Odama "heavenly", by running over a green object or hitting the bell once you get a heart on the field. When heavenly, the Odama actually captures enemy players and converts them over to your side. In a situation where the player is heavily outnumbered and the bell is white from the heart, slamming into it, stunning the enemy with a shockwave, then converting them can be really relieving.
The mic commands are well done, such as "Rally!", "Press Forward!", and even "Flank and Destroy!", although the last is rather difficult to execute. When one really gets into the game, it almost feels like you're in command of an army. As such with armies, the game features a Morale meter, which basically means the soldiers' enthusiasm to fight. This meter decreases by giving risky orders and running over your own army with the Odama, but increases by releasing more soldiers or commanding them to rally on a rice cake you can fire. When the meter is really low, the soldiers refuse to listen to commands, so it really is important to recruit extra soldiers. The rice cakes I mentioned were also a neat addition. By running over a certain item in the field, you get one, which you can fire from a cannon onto the area, to which enemy troops will flock, making for an easy massacre with the Odama if one has good aim. It does look a bit humorous.
The levels were very well done, actually making nice pinball levels. By hitting a certain device, a gate will close and a river will drain. You can make the soldiers seize enemy flippers meant to knock the Odama back at you in "evil" form. There's even a level where the players can build a bumper, and by destroying fortifications, the Odama can roll along them like ramps. At first, the levels are straightforward and played in a small, one view area. But once a player reaches Spider Temple, things really get interesting. The level takes place on a mountain, with three sets of flippers constructed around the mountain. By knocking the Odama on a path, or even pressing the C-stick left or right, the camera changes view to the other sides, which makes the level hard, as you may lose track of the bell crew or other workers. After that, there's a level in a town which is too long to display all of, so as the bell crew proceeds down alleyways, the flippers (plus a fence attached to them) move with it, making the levels really big. In fact, in the final level, by getting the Odama into a certain spot, it takes you to... well... Let's just say it's a very neat feature and a cool Easter egg.
Of course, the game does have plenty of power-ups that will save the player on several occasions, such as an hourglass, which extends the amount of time one has to beat the level. The heart and green orb are the best to see, as they help the Odama become heavenly to recruit more soldiers! If you've ever played on a pinball machine, you'd know there are plenty of curvy ramps and pathways leading to bonus points. This sort of exists in the game, where going on these paths yields power ups and even voice-commands (you have to get them all at the beginning), so it adds to the feel of pinball. The control stick also tilts the entire playing field, which is perhaps one of the biggest aids in the entire game. Really, the game does have a lot to offer as a pinball and strategy.
Difficulty (in terms of how hard): 8.0
This game is very difficult. There are times when you just can't replenish the morale meter. There are times when you can't find an hourglass and time runs out. An extremely common thing in this game is that you will almost always be outnumbered, for enemy soldiers just keep flooding onto the field, while the player has a limit to how many they can have on the field (120, about). Even when you get a heavenly Odama and roll over several enemy troops, chances they'll be replaced in moments. Some voice commands are pretty much useless. As cool as "Flank and destroy!" is, your group of soldiers must be bigger than the one they're currently against, they have to be able to circle them, the move wastes a lot of morale, it usually doesn't work, and in the time the enemies are slain, even more take their place. Until you beat story mode for the first time and unlock free mode, by attempting previously played levels the ones you'v unlocked after that one become relocked. So the idea of going back to practice on earlier levels can't be done unless you want to start over from somewhere.
This game does have the pinball factor, which indefinitely contributes big time to the difficulty. Even though you can tilt the field, just as in arcade pinball, the direction in which the Odama travels is usually random, and often by running over enemy soldiers, the Odama takes a good chunk of your own with it. Morale decreases very fast because of this, and moves that can prove necessary ("Press forward!") also subtract from it. Another thing to note is that only soldiers who accompany the bell crew through the gate at the end of a level pass on to the next. So unless you recruit more soldiers and get them all through that gate (or keep them in reserve), the game is just going to get a lot harder. Though morale does carry over to the next level, simply releasing the soldiers onto the field will replenish the meter. Enemies have a nasty trick. Sometimes they may attack the main character and the flippers directly. While these enemies are slain quite easily, they often render the flippers temporarily stunned. A worse method is the enemies' cavalry who, though rare, rush at the flippers very fast, and unless taken out, will automatically render the flippers useless for a dangerous amount of time. Getting extra Odamas is a must, either by killing a boss, all of a group of cavalry, or for every 100 seconds left on the clock when you complete a level. The only somewhat easy one is the last method, so completing levels quickly proves very necessary. Finally, boss health drops very slowly when soldiers attack, and they're only temporarily vulnerable when the Odama stuns them. All in all, this is a challenging game, but it is quite beatable.
Length: 2.5
The game is also very short. It is only 11 levels long, all of which are usually short. The only real factor that adds to length is the difficulty, as many of the levels require multiple attempts, whether you lose or did very poorly. Since it's also so linear, there's just the level objective and nothing else.
Bosses: 1.5
Um... They're basically the same. The only one who is slightly different is that Saisai I mentioned. In total, there are only four, and the method to defeat them is the same: hit them with the Odama to stun them, then rally your soldiers onto them to attack. Normally they only have to be fought as they intercept the player and the goal. As such, all four of them are, in a way, optional. That's right. Simply by stunning them and running past them through the gate, the player can avoid fighting a boss altogether. That goes for the final boss too, which made it feel somewhat anticlimatic. Each of them has a certain move to stun the player's soldiers or just to get them away from their goal. The only one I've ever seen kill soldiers is Saisai, who is also the easiest to skip, as he travels around the mountain, not near the goal. There was no real variety between them, and killing them only yielded one measly extra Odama, which a player could probably get two of by saving time and skipping the boss altogether. These were boring enemies.
Fun Factor!: 8.0
Odama is an addicting game, just as pinball can naturally be. Seeing the Odama just roll across the terrain, smashing everything in its path is exciting, and shouting out commands to the soldiers is also godo fun, if not irritating at times. That said, the game is frustrating on several occasions, due to factors listed in the difficulty section, which caused a loss in points here. In the end, the good does outweigh the bad, because even losing can excite the player into doing it again just because they know it was fun and they want to try again, hoping this time they'll get it right. It was especially fun rolling around in the Easter egg area, which is stress-free, humorous, and just plain fun. If you can get past the bad factors in this game, Odama does prove to be very fun and addicting.
Replay Value: Varies
You may wonder what I mean by varies. It goes from player to player. True, there are not any sidequests or extras in this game, other than Free Mode and the Easter egg. However, there are players who will enjoy playing through again, trying to outdo themselves or others, whether it be the pinball or the war going on around it. Sadly, I'm not one who can replay missions so briefly after I've beaten them all. So, there isn't much replay value for me, as it would take a long time for me to play it again out of interest. The game itself is addicting, but mostly when you still have missions to complete.
Overall: 7.0
I really did find Odama to be an interesting game. And it did prove to be fun, with its addicting gameplay, and the style in which it was done. Of course, there were a few factors in the game, such as short length, a pitiful amount of sounds, and poorly done bosses. But once you get the controls down and get over all these things, Odama can really prove to be as good as it is innovative. Difficulty did manage to stretch the game length, which made that factor positive. That is, if you don't get overly frustrated right away and ditch the game.
Recommendation:
This part is interesting. As noted, the mic is included and very necessary to the game. However, I'm not sure whether your local rental stores provides a mic with the game. Mine didn't. So unless you can provide your own mic from a different game, or it comes with the rental, renting is out of the question. As for buying... That's a bit iffy. Many players can be instantly turned off by the shortness or difficulty of the game, while others can work around that. I'd only recommend buying if you enjoy these genres (pinball, war strategy), and can easily replay levels just for because.
| If you would like to send some feedback
to the author of this submission, please complete this form.
What's your name?
What's your Email address?
How do you rate this submission?
Does this submission belong in Little
Lemmy's Land?
Would you like to see more from this author? Comments and suggestions:
|
