The second week of WiiWare brings Hudson Soft's latest shoot-em-up, Star Soldier R. Like previous Star Soldier games, there isn't a plot. You're in deep space and shooting everything from flying enemies to stationary blocks. The difference here, though, is that R never feels like a complete game. It's more like a time-structured mini-game with a competitive edge. That's not to say it sucks, but it might make the 800-point ($8) price tag hard to swallow.
Star Soldier R has three modes: a two-minute mode, a five-minute mode and a Quick Shot mode. This game is built for only for competition. You blaze through the two or five minute modes rather quickly, trying to rack up as high a score as possible while staying alive. Quick Shot lasts even less. The main reason it exists is to tell you how many times you can hit the trigger button in a 20-second time span.
Star Soldier R is all about points. So go get some!
This may sound shallow and for the most part, it is. However, Soldier gets approval because of online interactivity. While it doesn't have direct online play, Star Soldier R does have access to Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection, letting you upload your scores in the two and five minute modes to compete with others. You can choose your competition by region or worldwide and see how you stack up. This gives the game a limitless degree of opposition. Just when you think you've gotten your shooter skills down, you find yourself in 2,343rd place, vying to make yourself better. It's really quite addictive, almost on the same level as Pac-Man Championship Edition on the Xbox 360. It's just a shame you can't upload your Quick Shot shooting skills as well.
With presentation, Hudson Soft did a fine job. The two levels look fantastic, with planets and sub-leveled space stations in the distance and a pair of impressive boss designs. The music's good too, although the sound effects are plain.
Star Soldier R could've been so much more, with at least five or six more levels, a difficulty curve and two-player interactivity. As it stands, though, it's surprisingly fun. The online leaderboards make the game exciting and we dig the visuals, despite playing through the same terrain. Despite its short length, this will keep you busy until the real Star Soldier sequel arrives.
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