Nanostray
DS- Publisher: Majesco Games , Majesco
- Release Date: Jul 19, 2005
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Nanostray is great fun to play. Unfortunately, the “nano” part of the title seems to be indicative of it having the lifespan of a gnat, and the gulf between the extremely easy (but great) Adventure mode and the overly-hard Challenge mode (which will put off all but the most ridiculously hardcore) is baffling.
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If anyone can justify spending $40 for a game that's shorter than every full-length movie released in the past decade, disregard the score and dive in. Just remember: this is a fling, not a long-term relationship.
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The flashy graphics and rocking tunes will bring you right back to when shooters were king of the hill. If memories of Gradius or R-Type fill your heart with goodness, Nanostray will slap a smile on your face for a few hours.
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The game itself if still a lot of fun and fans of shmups will rave over it, but it is flawed and that alone makes the game a niche purchase only.
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Nanostray reminds us what we love about the genre: a bunch of amazing weapons, tons of enemies, and some awe-inspiring background levels. Is it a decent game? Certainly. However, it’s far from perfect.
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It remains a thoroughly enjoyable, good all-round handheld shooter that's accessible to all ages and playing skills, with lots of replay value that demonstrates that, thanks to technology, good portable shooters are now possible once more.
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Truthfully, it isn’t a bad game, but its appeal only reachs a small niche.
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There's plenty of great stuff to be found in this offering, but it just doesn't feel like it's all been pulled together in a tight enough fashion.
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But like a train journey with a friend, a few hours can be lots of fun, but then you've arrived at your destination, the conversations are put back in your bag, and the rest of your life is ready for the living.
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If not for issues with the touch screen, and especially the simple yet deep problems set off by Shin'en's camera angle choice, I might have gone as far as to write my letter of recommendation for Nanostray to sit in non-Japanese shmup classic status, along with Amiga greats like Apidya.
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Because Nanostray is not a particularly bad game, it is somewhat disappointing that the game felt so half-assed. The retro gameplay with a modern twist is charming and entertaining, but right before the time it becomes a must-buy, the ending credits appear.
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The mere existence of this game means that there are people out there with their hearts in the right place...which makes the end results all the more heartbreaking.
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Underneath Nanostray's excellent presentation is a game that's not nearly as good as its sources of inspiration. A weak multiplayer mode, repetitive level design (even for a shoot-'em-up), and limited replay value put Nanostray squarely in the "almost, but not quite" category.
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Nanostray's controls may have fixed something that wasn't broken, but even so, it still managed to provide a pleasing, fast-paced jaunt through the cosmos.
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It's fun in spurts and, as I said, the only game in town for shooter fans on the DS.
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netjakThere's absolutely no reason to own this game. Even a shooter fan like myself isn't going to find enough reason to keep this game around any longer than 3 days tops.
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I can't emphasize enough how much potential this game had on the Nintendo DS, but unfortunately none of this was put to use and we are left with a sub-par video game that I would only recommend at most as a rental.
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One has to wonder, however, whether or not there's a price to be paid for the dazzling graphical presentation. Could it explain why the level design is so utterly boring? Aside from background variations, each stage plays almost identical to the others.
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Nice idea, chaps, but for now I’ll stick to Galaxian on my PSP.
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Nanostray is a technological marvel that winds up being a fairly large disappointment.
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Weak weapons, dodgy dodging, and the most oppressive scoring system in years all rob Nanostray of any momentum it might have mustered.
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Nanostray should come in a plain white box labeled VERTICAL SPACE SHOOTER--it's as generic as games come.
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Edge MagazineIf there isn't a great deal of sophistication, there also isn't much in the way of mucking around. Flying up the screen making things go pop has been reliably entertaining for decades. [Oct 2005, p.95]
Awards & Rankings
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28
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24
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#24 Most Discussed DS Game of 2005
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20
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#20 Most Shared DS Game of 2005
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User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 21
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Mixed: 7 out of 21
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Negative: 2 out of 21
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Jun 24, 2023
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Dec 23, 2019It is a good game but it is in the short side, fast action and good graphics,
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Dec 9, 2014