User Reviews (1 - 2 of 2)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Gets the Job Done

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It's hard to believe we're up to the 8th iteration of the Battle Network series going all the way back to 2001 and I've played them all. My general pattern in these reviews to list changes including positives and negatives, add them up and find out if the series is improving or not and BELIEVE ME it often doesn't improve.

My favorite new addition is Star Chips which increase the damage of other chips. For example if you have a GrndWave Star Chip in your folder all the GrndWave's will be upgraded based on the Star Chip's power level. Most Standard Chips have three corresponding Star Chip adding up to 360 to collect. Star Chips are gained by defeating larger than average foes found randomly during battles with their power level set by how fast you win the battle. This feature allows folders to become more specialized, something the series has desperately needed.

Star Force has also added rescues during battles. Every once in awhile there will be a navi in need of rescuing. If you can defeat the enemies without striking the navi you get an extra bonus. There may have been a feature like this in one of the previous version several years ago and it's a great addition.

Link abilities have changed a bit in that each ability has a point value. The total point value of all attached abilities must remain at or below Megaman's Link Power which is raised by creating brother bands. It all sounds very complicated and it can be but you get used to it after awhile. What's cool is that the exact same Link ability can be found with different point costs which means you may come across one with a lower point cost than one you have attached. I was surprised when I came across a flotShoe for just 20 points when the lowest I currently had was 50.

The last addition is blank chips. Players can input codes to get powerful chips from previous games. I only found around 10 blank chips but they can be written to multiple times if you prefer to input a different chip. These codes are found in player manuals but of course they can also be found free online which is how I got them.

Just like in the last game there are a ton of mostly short and easy side quests. My one issue is that the Battle Network series always forces players to complete the current side quest before they start another. The problem is that if you get stuck on one you can't do any more. I would suggest either allowing multiple side quests or let players cancel the current side quest.

On the downside the series is feeling increasingly dated. It only uses the DS stylus on rare occasions and has a pervasive been there done that feel to it. But what hurts it the most, and I've complained about this in previous reviews, is the lack of continuity with previous iterations of the series. Players should be able to trade chips from prior games. I wont stop complaining until this is addresses. Also, Many of the unlockables force players to create online brotherbands but I've found this task to be rather difficult. Another issue is the fact that the battle chip set is relatively static from game to game rather than an ever increasing library like Pokemon. In fact Megaman could learn a lot from Pokemon on how to keep player interest alive. Unfortunately the Battle Network sales have been dwindling badly and looking at online sites like GameFaqs it's pretty clear that StarForce 2 has the least interest of any Battle Network game thus far.

Star Force 2 isn't the revolution that the Battle Network series badly needs but most of the tweaks and adjustments have benefited the game and that usually isn't the case. The graphics are far from mind blowing but the different areas do seem larger than ever. I'm satisfied with the results but as I wrote in my review of Star Force 1 until the series allows retro chip trading or some kind of continuity I can't award it anything higher than 4 stars.

Extras and gameplay make up for a fairly weak story (4.5/5)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Five stars may be a bit high of a rating, 4.5 may be more appropriate, but seeing as how much time and enjoyment I got out of this game I see no problem rounding up. Also, I am a die hard fan of the Battle Network and Star Force series, so there is sure to be a little bias. Anyway, I will try and examine the seperate parts of the game without trying to sound too much like a fanboy.

Story - This is by far the weakest point of the game. Aside from the very back end of the game, the story never really sucks you in. There are certain interesting parts, but overall the story just comes off as silly. This may work towards the younger crowd, but for me it was nothing special. The story is by no means terrible, but it is not really good.

Gameplay - Now this is where the game shines in my opinion. I like the over the shoulder perspective, and there are a bunch of cards to collect. With around 200 different cards you have plenty of options for folders.
As far as enemies go there are plenty of unique ones to be found. Of course there are some recycled enemies/bosses from the previous installment but overall they seemed to be pretty diverse. The bosses in particular are unique. They each have a different play style, and you will have to go in with a different strategy for each of them. The one problem, however, is that the versions of the bosses you fight in the story are easy.

There are also transformations unique to each file, and I personally found them a blast to play as. You can double tribe if you have brothers, and when you triple tribe you transform into the awesome Tribe King. On the flip side if you are a loner, or simply do not have wifi, you can collect certain items to acquire the Rogue form. Overall there are plenty of transformations, all of which are fun to play as.

Extras - There are plenty of extras in this game. There is an extra area after you beat the main story, which has an interesting story to it. There are 51 fairly easy side quests, as well as a super version of the final boss. One thing that can also be used to enhance your experience are Wave-Command codes. They enable you to upgrade viruses as well as bosses, and they let you acquire secret cards. They can also be used for items or tribe transformations.

Another interesting extra for this game is Wifi battling. Wifi battling allows you to face off against either your friends, or a random worldwide opponent. You will sometimes run into cheaters, but for the most part it is a fun experience. It requires you to use some strategy, and you get to test your abilities against others.

Final Verdict- In closing Star Force 2 is more of the less what you would expect in a BN/SF game. There is not much innovation, but if you are a fan of the series like I am, then you should find this game enjoyable. If you are more of a classic style Mega Man fan, then you should probably just wait for Mega Man 9. Overall it may not be a game for everybody, but I sure did enjoy it.

Review Page: 1 

Actions