Moon is a testament to what can be done on the DS

by Peter Fiorilla

Fun factor: Boring

Worth to: Buy/Rent

Definitely flawed and lacking multiplayer, but the fluid gameplay and beautiful graphics shatter any misconceptions about shooters on the DS

Designing First-Person Shooters for a weak system is a controversial topic. Skeptics will sneer that they will be low quality because of the system’s limitations; AI, number of enemies on screen, etc., are all superior on more powerful systems. Moon is one of the most controversial examples of a FPS on a weak platform to date. It has plenty of fans, haters and everything in between. But if you are willing to accept that Mastiff can’t and isn’t trying to replicate a typical 7th gen console FPS, you certainly won’t be one to hate it.

The adventure parts set it apart

First and foremost Moon is a shooter, but it heavily relies on its adventure elements to provide for a unique pocket FPS. It plays differently than most other current gen FPSs, which works in its favor. Sure, you’ll be blasting away enemies of varying shapes and sizes, but the game makes up for the DS’ weak hardware with a Metroid Prime approach to the genre. Mission objectives are usually about locating objects, instead of blasting away hundreds of on-screen enemies, and the player uses the RAD to do it.



The RAD is where Moon sets itself apart from other FPSs. Think of the Mark II from MGS4, but actually useful. The RAD can crawl into tiny vents where you can’t, which is useful in two main ways: it can either locate hidden artifacts for bonus missions, or unlock a door you can’t get past as a human. The RAD can also stun enemies, but outside of Moon’s adventure elements the contraption is pretty useless.

That’s not to say the game is all about finding artifacts and progressing through the story, of course. There are plenty of enemies hiding around corners and on ceilings, and while the variety is lacking, enemy patterns are interesting and it’s enjoyable to take opponents down. Boss fights are especially enjoyable, although they could have been much more with a decent soundtrack.

Simple but intuitive controls

The game also employs a mildly enjoyable story. As Major Kane, you’ve been assigned to a secret mission on the Moon after Earth discovers a “Hatch.” When you get there, your men are mysteriously attacked by Extra Terrestrials; some are even abducted by them. Your commanding officer orders you down into the Hatch, which is full enough of secrets to keep the plot interesting.

After destroying the Hatch, you go back out onto the surface of the Moon in search of another, which is the beginning of the car levels. While these levels only last a minute or two, it’s worth noting that they are pretty bad, even considering how poorly other FPSs handle car control.



Aside from that, though, Moon controls like a charm. Think Metroid Prime: Hunters, but better. You aim with the stylus, move with the D-pad, shoot with shoulder buttons and switch weapons by tapping a button on the touch screen (thankfully, the game pauses the action to give you time to choose your weapon, unlike in Hunters). It’s simple and intuitive, and probably as good as any DS FPS will ever control, but I would have liked to see some innovation. Melee attacks? Ducking? Grenades? While extremely accurate and fun to use, the DS’ controls are as basic as they were in 2006.

It’s easy to forgive the simple controls when you’re using such a great arsenal of weapons, though. The variety here is nice, and each gun feels great. Weapons are a joy to use and, almost as importantly, a joy to look at.

Renegade Kid proves mastery over the DS

No matter who you are, you’ll be able to appreciate Moon’s silky smooth, unwavering 60 frames per second. Not only that, but DS owners will appreciate the upgrade Renegade Kid has done to their engine. Character models, textures, lighting, animations, etc., Renegade Kid has proved mastery over the DS hardware. Dark environments and a creepy atmosphere really help mask the DS’ hardware limitations, as well. In my opinion, this is the best looking 3D DS game on the market (screenshots and videos look far worse than the real thing, trust me). I never thought I’d say something like this, but I would love to see the Renegade Kid Engine be the Unreal Engine of the DS; Moon makes most 3D DS games pale in comparison.



Outside of the visuals, though, the game’s presentation falls flat. Multiplayer could have extended the game’s short life -- even online rankings would have been nice. The soundtrack is pretty annoying. The series of bleeps and bloops may occasionally fit in with the dark, bleak atmosphere, but for the most part it’s just that -- a series of bleeps and bloops. Moon’s presentation is pretty bareboned even for the DS, and it’s a shame considering how much potential the game has for multiplayer.

Repeating level design is also a large problem. Initially the design seems pretty good, but 3 hours later when you go past the same room for the upteenth time you might lose a little interest. Boss fights also repeat, which is a problem Hunters had, and it’s even less excusable now that we’re in 2009.

Summary

If you go into Moon with a pessimistic perspective, thinking it will suck for being on a weak platform, you will hate it. It’s easy to criticize it: it’s short; has a terrible soundtrack; level design repeats far too often... But if you want to look at the good aspects, there’s plenty to enjoy. It isn’t Killzone DS, but I would recommend Moon to any DS fan with an appreciation for the genre.