Retro Review - Astro Boy: Omega Factor

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The game I will talk about today is about a character whose merit is to be the precursor of introducing anime outside Japan and although I have never seen a chapter of this old series or read a chapter of his manga, he is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable characters in the entertainment industry. And I'm sure many people know his name even though they haven't seen anything about him. And of course, I'm talking about one of the most iconic characters of the manga and anime industry: Astro Boy, which has an excellent game for Gameboy Advance and today I'll tell you a little about it.

Today's Retro Review is about: Astro Boy: Omega Factor.



The story of this game is basically an adaptation of the manga/anime, which tells the story of Astro Boy, a robot made from the image of the deceased son of Doctor Tenma, which was created to fulfill the purpose of being his son, to the point of implanting certain memories of his deceased son. However, Tenma abandons Astro Boy as he will not be able to fulfill what he really wanted, as his creation cannot express feelings... or so at least that is what Tenma thought. After abandoning him, Astro Boy is found by a scientist who sees in our beloved protagonist a diamond in the rough, due to the great amount of abilities that he possesses, in addition to the fact that little by little he notices that Astro Boy is capable of developing feelings. From that moment on, and under the tutelage of the scientist who rescued him, Astro Boy is now a kind of vigilante who is in charge of fighting evil in his city. Astro Boy will also have to face those who, like him, are creations (robots, basically) and are in conflict for their rights as "living beings". A very interesting story and quite emotional in some moments, besides having good plot twists and very entertaining action situations.


Graphically Astro Boy: Omega Factor is an outstanding game, considering the graphics standards of the Gamboy Boy Advance, it is a game with a lot of colorful, detailed on screen and decorative elements that make it visually pleasing to the eye. It has aged very well over the years and it is because this game was developed mainly by the great Treasure, so it was 100% assured that in terms of graphics and art in general, it will be a timeless wonder.



In terms of enemy design they are also quite good, they are very original and with good details, but they are repeated a lot throughout this adventure and many of them only change the color palette to differentiate between them in the different scenarios that we will go through. The design of the final bosses, is what stands out most with respect to the enemies, they are relatively larger and with better details, logically. The design of Astro Boy is very good, practically the same as his manga and anime counterparts and has a set of animations quite varied and very fluid and although the design of Astro Boy in general terms is "simple" is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic and representative characters of an era, despite that "simplicity".



The light effects and some extra visual effects give the game a lot of life, as well as in the attacks that our character can perform. It really is a game that you can tell that it was made with a lot of effort and affection. The scenarios are quite varied, they are recreations of places seen in the anime/manga, with a good dose of beautiful and high quality pixelart, with good details and decorations, although there are also scenarios a little simpler, but still are quite good.


The music is spectacular, it transmits echoes of a bygone era in its melodies, very lively music that reminds me of the anime of the 90s aimed at a slightly more childish audience (basically what Astro Boy is). It has a large set of very varied melodies that fit very well with the whole plot of the game and the situations that we will live with our protagonist, plus there are also melodies with rhythms a little more relaxed, which serve as ambience and for those emotional moments that we will see in this game. In the same way the sound effects are very good and help the expressiveness of the actions that we will perform and to some extent as decoration in the scenarios, plus this game also has digital voices that add even more personality to the game itself.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor OST Playlist


Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a beat em up, but also with elements of the run and gun genre, in which the action will be present from minute 1. Astro Boy is capable of performing different actions that will help us a lot throughout his adventure, in which he will be able to jump, run, punch and kick, even fly and of course, use his characteristic laser weapon. With a simple but effective gameplay, Astro Boy: Omega Factor is an excellent action game like few others and it is due to its intuitive and simple gameplay system and mechanics.

In addition to having elements of the aforementioned genres, there will also be sections of gameplay much more focused on shoot em up and although this is a genre of video games that I personally do not like very much, I can say that in this game it is extremely fun and it is because there are many things happening on screen, but it is not invasive like other games that focus especially on this genre.



As I have already mentioned, controlling Astro Boy is extremely simple because its mechanics are well implemented, but it is quite satisfying that our character moves with such fluidity of movement as Astro Boy does, being this an aspect that greatly enhances the gaming experience. Although in general terms, Astro Boy: Omega Factor is not a game that innovates too much, since it has many elements seen in other games, this one, unlike others, has something that makes it more enjoyable than other games of the same genre. And it is thanks to all the factors mentioned above that makes Astro Boy: Omega Factor a highly recommended game.


I have little more to say about Astro Boy: Omega Factor, other than it is an excellent game based on one of the most emblematic manga/anime of the industry and with one of the most beloved and representative characters of a generation. Play it if you haven't already because it's worth it. This week I have done three video game reviews, it has been a long time since I did so many in a single week, it is very likely that next week I won't do 3 video game reviews, but at least one review is more than assured and it will be about a very particular video game I found, one of those lost games that never left Japan.



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