Captain Galactic: Super Space Hero Review

Anannya Sen’s Review

Not a bad game once you get used to the controls.

We are always glad to play Digital Chocolate games as they are probably the developer with the highest standards. Their games are always fun, well presented with nice graphics and sound. So I was slightly surprised when I initially couldn't get into Captain Galactic.

On loading, the plot sounds like something straight out of the comics I used to read. In the future we discover an amazing crystal which explodes and gives our main protagonist, Spike super powers. He becomes Captain Galactic and sets off to save humanity who have been kidnapped by evil aliens. Then it all gets a bit Matrix, but I'll leave the rest of the plot for you to find out about.

In true comic book / animé fashion, the graphics look like they should be on a Saturday morning kids show. Not the most detailed, but quite stylised and full of colour. Sound is well represented with a reasonable tune.

The thing that threw me about the game is the controls. Usually Digital Chocolate games are very easy to control, but there aren't a whole load of instructions, and the game, while giving you a basic tutorial, could be better explained. So let me try. Spike is so powerful he runs around planets, so you use left and right to run. If he encounters low level enemies, his running will knock them away. He can also pick up coins too which help in the score and could lead to ship upgrades.

In addition to the running, you can jump with 5. This allows you to jump over enemies and if there are planets nearby, you can jump to them as well. So far so good. Next up is flying and here's where I got confused. Pressing and holding 2 will allow you to fly and you essentially orbit the planet in the direction you were running. If there is a planet very close by, you will get pulled into it's orbit and start flying around that. Unlike Superman the Movie, you can't fly fast enough to rotate the planet backwards and turn back time.

The tricky thing with flying is trying to get to other planets a bit further away. It took me many levels before I realised that when you let go of the flying button (2), you will shoot out at that direction. If there is a planet near you, most like you will enter it's orbit and either land or slam into it. It's these slingshot slams you need to use to destroy certain enemies. If there is no planet around when you let go of the flying button and shoot off at an angle, then you will spin round and slingshot back into the planet you just came from.

The timing of this technique is what makes the game slightly tricky and also makes it quite addictive. Once you get it right, you still need to ensure that you have coincided your slam with the enemies which move around the planet. Often, you may find yourself bouncing around and bouncing off planets, which can be fun in itself but doesn't complete the game objectives.

In each cluster (there are 6) you have a number of normal levels followed by a boss level. The normal levels have standard objectives (destroy a certain number of enemies or collect a certain number of crystals) and then an exit opens. The boss levels each require a specific strategy. In between levels, your trusty droid will be updating you on what's going on. Also on most levels, there are cities you can explore. Usually these are just sections where you can get coin or health replenishes, with some creepy crawlies also around for you to deal with. When you're done on these, just fly up, a la Chris Reeve in Superman 1, and you're back to the planet's surface again.

Like most mobile games these days, there are achievements you can unlock as well, depending on finishing certain levels, numbers of enemies or collection of coins. These achievements upgrade your battered ship and what was once a rusty bucket of bolts starts to look like a smooth flying machine. The ship's name changes too.

Overall this is certainly a fun game, with a playful plot and vibrant graphics. Once you get used to the controls, it will become a bit more addictive, but that's good as it will get tougher too. The added achievement element elevates the game to another solid offering from Digital Chocolate which more than allayed my earlier fears. Definitely worth a look.