Odama

"A great genre combination! And a great game!"

Though Odama is about the strangest game I have ever played, It is extremely entertaining. The only problem though is how extremely hard it is. But maybe that's just me. The game is interesting though, as it is the only game that combines the strategies of war and pinball. I don't know how the idea for this game came to be, but enough of this, and on with the reviews!

Graphics: 6.5/10
This is probably were the game falls. I know, you can't make good looking soldiers in strategy games, but I've seen better. And the bell carriers in thongs kind of creep me out. Also, some of the other objects in the battlefield look a bit awkward. The actual environment looks pretty good though, and the Odama (despite the fact that its just a ball) looks good as well.

Gameplay: 9/10
Pinball and Real Time Strategy. What else do I have to say? Though it is very hard. The mic was a good feature in the game, and its hard to beleive that I haven't run into any problems commanding my troops, though my ninten bell carriers move around somewhat spastically. Its just a matter of getting used to the controls, then you should be just fine.

Control: 10/10
The control may seem tricky at first, but after about 20 seconds, the game seems to flow fine. All I can say is I am grateful that you only need to press the X button to activate the mic, and not that blue button. Otherwise, I would be very very very confused.

Sound: 10/10
I like the feudal Japan themed music, and that guy speaking in Japanese. The music seems to be fitting with all of the events in the game, and, um, I haven't actually paid attention to the sound effects.

Overall: 9/10
Overall, this game is exceptionally good, and I would recommend you rent this one first, then buy it. Just in case you don't like crazy-weird games. However, if you're sure you want it, then go ahead and buy it right away!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/06