Tucked away in a ignored corner of TGS wasAstro Ranger, a rhythm action arcade game from Korea. I was immediately drawn to it. The art direction and general premise here is very reminiscent ofViewtiful Joe, which is a sure fire way to garner my affection. Starting up, you can chose between four different characters, a Japanese schoolgirl, a punk, a huge shirtless man, and a sexy American looking woman. From there, you pick a song, and then start taking on monsters of various sizes, ranging from little flying octopus to giant Kaiju. Your only weapon? The rhythm. Score enough points, and you transform into a costumed superhero and beat even more monster ass.
Simple button presses are your only method of control, but it works. If this game were at my local pizza place or speak easy, I’d definitely play it while waiting for my food to come. A DS port would work as well, with touch screen simulation of the game’s buttons. Fat chance, right? Still, a man can dream.
