Review: Nano Assault
By: Jeff Rivera
Shin'en has quietly become the superstar on Nintendo handhelds when it comes to producing quality shooters that pack a nice visual punch. Nanostray 1 and 2 were both visual treats on Nintendo DS and the Iridion series before it on the GBA provided some eye-popping graphics. Nano Assault continues that tradition, and it is definitely one of the more unique titles available for the Nintendo 3DS.
Nano Assault is pretty light on overall story, but the premise is still quite cool for a shooter. You're piloting a small Nanite ship with the goal of eliminating a contagious threat on the molecular level before it can spread and cause a full medical emergency. You'll find yourself flying around individual cells in a free roam space, cleaning up microorganisms and collecting valuable organic material for about half the game, with the other half of the game being more of an on rails shooter. In an age where shooters are a niche product and the hardcore crowd is willing to take a gamble on just about any title, it's really nice to see Shin'en push a unique idea out the door and have the confidence to try something truly different.
As you make your way through the game, you can't help but be impressed by the visual splendor. Nano Assault looks amazing in 3D, and it holds its own with the best the 3DS has to offer in regards to both 3D effects and overall quality of graphics. The cool and bright color palette go great with the theme of cells and microorganisms. While there are occasional hiccups with the framerate, it's a fair trade for how nice the game looks.
The gameplay is nice and tight, though it does take a little getting used to at first. The left stick is to navigate your ship, while the right face buttons are used for aiming your bullets. The X fires up, B fires down, Y fires left, and A fires right. You can also hit two buttons to fire on a diagonal. It's gameplay reminiscent of a twin stick shooter, but the face buttons are acting as a substitute for a second stick. It works well, but not quite as fluid as having a second stick would be; though you can't fault Shin'en as a second stick is not available on the 3DS hardware at this point.
The game isn't very long, but it's worth revisiting quite often for a variety of reasons. There's unlockable content, a great Boss Rush mode, an Arcade mode to compliment the Story mode, and a cool "Nanopedia" that lets you dig deeper into the lore of the game world. It's all nice content to give you more of a reason pop the game back into the 3DS long after you've finished up the storyline.
If there are any real complaints, it's that the game is pretty short. You can probably blow through the entire thing in a single charge, as it clocks in at roughtly 3 1/2 hours of play time. There's also a lack of memorable moments or characters throughout the story. There's just not a big reason to care about the world, aside from the nifty visuals and big time explosions. We don't need Hamlet, but maybe a bit more story substance would have been nice.
Overall, Nano Assault is a nice addition to the 3DS library. If you're into shooters, this is an easy recommendation, despite its short length. There's enough bonus content to keep you happy, and it's priced well as a budget title. I hope that Shin'en keeps pushing the shooters out on Nintendo handhelds, because results in recent years have all been great.
4 Stars out of 5
