I’ve been waiting for Spore for a very long time and still in a way is. Spore released on September 4th for PC, Mac (Intel) as well as on Nintendo DS. Since my Mac is not Intel based and my PC being retired for a very long time, my current option was to try it out on my little DS while waiting for it to launch on the Wii platform. Of course I didn’t expect it to be anything like we’ve seen for the PC version etc. However, I was expecting it to be fun and interesting in a way still. I will say this: if you consider on getting it yourself for your DS; STAY AWAY!
There is absolutely nothing resembling the game as I remember it from media besides a very gimped evolution part. It looks like a cheap ripoff of it self in a very bad flat 2D way. (Note that I have not played the PC/Mac version, so I have nothing but media presentation to refer to). When you move for instance, you don’t move straight forward as you would expect. Instead since this is 2D in a kind of 3D world you move in more of a 45 degree angle which looks absolutely ridiculous. You would think they could at least do it better graphic wise in 2008, and we all know that the DS is capable for some rather gorgeus stuff. That’s not all of it. In fact there wasn’t a single thing about the whole game I found to be fun or interesting.
As for the gameplay if to just think of this as any other game than Spore as we know it, it’s not making much sense either. Perhaps I just didn’t understand it, but being thrown off after half an hour because I didn’t find any way to kill my first assigned kill in one of the first missions in the game due to the fact I only had one attacking part available for my creature that hardly could do anything else than to burst a balloon. Maybe I could have gone and socialise pushing one button 400 times, or maybe dance for hours until I gained 20 levels so I’d have enough health to hold on until my little balloon popper could finish him off. Where is the fun in that if so? Some might say that the whole game it self is over hyped, this might be true. However I would go as far as to call it a scam.
If this post is sounding very frustrating and with no order it’s because that’s exactly how this whole game is. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, not even kids. On the bright side I’m still looking forward to get my hands on the proper game. I only hope they don’t intend on doing something different for the Wii as well. If so do it proper or please don’t even release it at all. This version should never had been made. In fact I wonder what they were thinking (besides more money). It could be a dangerous move on their part reputation wise regardless of what they had in mind.
Thoughts? Have you played the DS version? What did you think? Even thoughts about the other Spore versions are much welcome, even if you haven’t played anyone yet.
Rating Spore for DS:
1/6