Geometry Wars: Galaxies Review (DS)

One week after playing the exceptional Wii version, Geometry Wars: Galaxies arrives on the DS in fine form. Although there are a few blemishes that make it worse than the console edition, these Galaxies are still worth exploring.

Galaxies takes a retro theme on the original Xbox Live Arcade release and expands upon it tremendously. Instead of just zipping along through one stage, you have a whole galaxy to explore. Each stage is progressively harder than the last, quickly filling up with all kinds of colorful enemies, both old (those annoying green squares) and new (little red paper airplane thingies). Build up enough points on the board and you can earn medals for each stage.

Medals aren't your only reward, however. There's also a currency system made up of Geoms. Destroyed enemies drop these little trinkets over the course of each stage. Use these to unlock new stages throughout the galaxy, along with powering up assisting drones. These droids serve various purposes. Some collect Geoms for you automatically, while others take a more offensive approach. Our particular favorite is the Turret, a stationary cannon that stops every once in a while to shoot everything surrounding it.

The main difference between the two versions of Galaxies is control. Where the Wii version uses the Wii remote and the Nunchuk, the DS version utilizes the touch-screen. You move your ship with the D-pad while touching parts of the screen to direct your line of fire. You can also use the face buttons for directional fire, if you prefer a more "old-school" method of play, ala Robotron 2084. The shoulder buttons activate whatever bombs you may need -- and you'll definitely need them. Messing around with both the D-pad and the touch-screen takes getting used to, but it's a surprisingly functional control scheme. Furthermore, if you're a lefty, there's an option here for you.

Kuju Entertainment made a few minor sacrifices cramming the frenetic action of Galaxies onto its portable format. The game occasionally stalls with its over-the-top action and explosions, running into massive slowdown and hard-to-see blurs as a result. It gets even crazier with multiplayer, as both ships fly around the screen blasting everything in sight. For the most part, though, the game amicably copies Bizarre Creations' retro look, especially with its creative stage designs, and the audio is a delightful mix of remixed techno tunes and cool sound effects.

Galaxies has numerous options available, stretching its replay value almost limitlessly. The Galaxies single player campaign takes several hours to complete, and you'll keep coming back just to earn gold medals in each stage. The original Retro Evolved game is also accessible, along with competitive leaderboards. The game also has a shocking amount of multiplayer support. Even though things can get incredibly hectic, playing along with -- or against -- a friend is a real treat. You can also jump on the Wi-Fi Connection to seek out potential playing partners, or give your friend a sample of Geometry bliss with Game Sharing. Finally, Galaxies is connectable with the Wii version, allowing you to unlock a bonus galaxy.

Even with the visual complaints, there's more than enough content in these Galaxies to warrant a purchase. The controls are fluid once you get used to them, the online and off-line support is sensational and the extra goodies (Wii interactivity, Retro Evolved) validate the $30 price. If you have a DS, you owe it to yourself to learn a little Geometry.

Our Final ScoreGood

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