We've long taken to anything with a 'mon' in its title and it's a strategy that hasn't failed us yet.
Behold Digimon Battle Spirit, one of the cutest GBA games we've seen. Like Nintendo's Smash Bros, it's a simple versus battler, except this one offers bonkers Digimon techniques within volatile, multi-tiered arenas.
Bringemon Obviously this is a game for your younger relatives, and anyone else who doesn't care how old they are where Digimon is involved.
There's no point getting all high and mighty over the lack of truly great fighting strategy, or wasting the GBA's technical potential. This is your straightforward character game, so pushing the boundaries of design was never an option.
However, just like Smash Bros, it's a genuinely funny game to play against a friend. It also fits the bill if you eat/sleep Digimon. There's all manner of secret characters to unlock and the little guys are bursting with charisma, despite the basic visual style.
Back To Basics Just the A and B buttons are used, giving you a jump and a small range of attacks. To defend, press and hold 'down'. Stabbing at the Attack button results in simple punch-type moves. Anything more impressive than that is done by combining directions plus attack and/or jump. Now this is a far cry from Street Fighter or Tekken, so accuracy is not a requirement.
While all well and good for getting through the one-player quest, it makes a joke of the two-player link-up battles. But you're a fool if you take this seriously. Love it for the crazy, individual displays of Digimon techniques and try to get your hits in first. It is, after all, plain funny to beat on someone with Terriermon's stupid floppy ears, or Agumon's puny fireballs.
This brand of manic action is confused even more by the trap-sprung nature of the arenas. While you're trying to land a few slaps on the rival 'mon, critters poke their heads from the ground, lightning strikes from above, and conveyor belts move this way and that. Each Digimon has its own arena, but is still vulnerable to the same dangers, so it's for show rather than strategic use.
The Digimon theme is treated with respect, so if it's a few comedy scraps you're after, well, ta daa... here you go! Beyond that, though, it's tough to think of big enough reasons for you to choose Battle Spirit over Super Street Fighter II, for example. Not just for Digimon fans only, but may as well be after all.
Here we have a fun fighter that serves the Digimon theme very well, but if you're not excited by the characters you won't be so enthralled by the action.
About halfway through each battle, the world's cutest Digimon, Culumon, flies into the areas.
If you bump into it, your Digimon Digivolves into its ultimate form and is invincible for about 15 seconds. Keep your rival away from Culumon or you'll suffer the consequences.
Culumon causes any Digimon it touches to Digivolve into its highest form
Sukamon Digivolves into this poo-shaded monkey, and goes on to beat the living crap out of you
We think Renamon’s Digivolved state is the coolest of the lot. It summons lightning – whooah!
Impmon’s stylish Digivolve is fairly tricky to beat in the one-player mode
Every attack taken from a Digivolved Digimon counts for four times the amount of damage
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
