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PS2
Tori no Hoshi: Aerial Planet
- New Import,
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NCS
Game Synopsis
«©NCSX»
Join the
birds in the sky and embark on an action adventure
that follows the journey of a lad who flies across a
world primarily covered by water. Billed as a flight
simulator without conflict, players fly and
commingle with flocks of feathered friends that
populate the planet.
In the intro to the game, a damaged spacecraft passes over a
blue-tinted planet as it tumbles through space. The
ship was meant to dock with a research station on
the planet below but it has suffered a catastrophic
hull implosion. The spacecraft eventually releases a
capsule from an underside hatch which plummets into
the planet. After a fiery descent, the capsule
projects its landing gear and makes a safe landing.
In the next scene, a lad named Hugo Ramanski who
wears a protective suit emerges from the capsule and
eventually takes to the air with a glider-like
contraption. His mission is to locate the research
station which just happens to be on the other side
of the planet where Hugo landed.
Aerial Planet is the kind of game that requires a dedicated time
investment to get the controls down pat. A short
tutorial starts the action off which is an
invaluable starting point to learn the nuances of
how the glider works and wings through the air.
Pack-in Bonus
Every copy of Aerial Planet includes a Planet Symphony audio CD
which contains melodious music from the game. In
case you're wondering who sings the songs on the CD
- it's the computer generated Miku Hatsune from the
Vocaloid2 software program. Although an anonymous
voice actress provided the voice samples for Miku,
the Vocaloid2 program generated the vocals for the
songs without any need for a real live singer at the
time of production. Maybe it's a precursor and
preview of what we'll be doled out from the record
companies in the future.
Jan
Code: 4995506001339
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NCS
Game Notes
» Start a new game and the camera pans across a
green expanse where the capsule from the intro has
touched down. Hugo, the hero of the game appears in the
foreground and is still dressed in his spacesuit but
his helmet has been doffed. A communications device
is attached to his left ear. The camera pans down to
an AI device located on his left wrist which flashes
intermittently.
» After the formalities are over, Hugo takes off
on a glider of sorts with a sizable wingspan. Soon
afterwards, a tutorial commences which teaches the
Dual Shock controls as follows:
R1 Trigger / Accelerate and loft higher. To
fire the afterburners, double tap R1 twice quickly
R2 Trigger / Activate air brakes
L-Analog / Push upwards to swoop down and
push downwards to fly higher; Push left and right to
move accordingly
R-Analog / Maneuver the camera around the
glider. Push down to reset the camera to default
position
» The controls are simple but the flight mechanics
take considerable practice to get down right. For
example, moving the L-analog left or right won't
physically move you left or right. Since you're in
the air, what you're trying to do is move the
glider's wings so that they work with the built-in
thrust and the air currents to reach certain
locations. In the early going, you'll have to refine
your movements and get your bearings because a red
target in the sky must be reached and you'll get to
practice flying in order to reach it.
» Day turns into night and night turns into day. The
Day that you're on as well as the time are shown on
the upper-right corner of the screen.
» To bring up a 3D map of the area that you're
flying around in, press the SQUARE button. To zoom
in and out of the map, press the R1 or R2 triggers.
» To perform a quick turn-around move, press and
hold the R2 trigger and then move and hold the
L-Analog either left or right.
» After the meat of the tutorial has been completed,
the radar on the upper left corner of the screen
will flash and you'll be able to join disparate
flocks of birds in flight. If you've practiced the
flight maneuvers somewhat, you'll be able to adjust
your glider and fly with the birds in formation.
It's rather special the first time you lock into
thrust with a flock and check out their fluid motion
as they fly in perfect unison alongside the glider.
When Hugo is with a flock of birds, he's protected
from the elements around him since they're
inhabitants of the planet and know how to avoid
intense weather patterns and fierce atmospherics.
» After enjoying the sun and skies, the first level
grows dark and storm clouds gather which leads to
howling winds and pelting rain. The effect of
inclement weather is well done and we felt relieved
after the storm passed.
» The hero's health is indicated by the body icon
located on the lower-right corner of the screen.
Whenever Hugo crashes onto land, a chunk of HP is
removed from his body. Lose all of the hero's HP and
the game ends abruptly.
» Since Aerial Planet is a Nippon Ichi production,
it just wouldn't be right if a Disgaea reference
wasn't placed somewhere in the game. In later areas
of the planet that Hugo travels across, he can fly
alongside a flock of purple Prinnies who somehow
stay aloft with their tiny demonic wings.
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This document and photos are ©NCSX 2008. All rights
reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of
this document may be made without express written
consent of National Console Support, Inc. |
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