"Let this star shine"

Starfy was a Japan only series for quite some time, only with this title did Starfy make his way stateside. Whether Super Smash Bros. Brawl inspired NoA to bring Starfy stateside or not, I'm happy to have the cute little guy overseas.

Gameplay: (8/10)- Starfy is a platform game on a system that's lacking in the genre. Unlike most platform titles, Starfy takes place underwater for much of the game, even though he does find himself on land on numerous occasions. Starfy spins to attack and swims smoothly underwater. The game has 8 worlds to start with, each with about 4 levels and 3 secret levels. Treasure chests are scattered throughout all the levels, but barely any of them have anything worthwhile inside. It's a shame too, because it could have added far more depth to the title, instead of just being for collection purposes. The contents of the chests include short journal entries from characters, clothing that can only be tried on the menu screen for aesthetic appeal, extra health (which is absolutely unneeded) and minigames. There are only 3 minigames in the 102 available chests, but they're actually worth the trouble of gaining. The 5 total minigames (2 from the start + 3) are similar to touch screen Kirby minigames, except for the cooking one, which is really creative and fun.

This really is a quality title, but it takes a while to pick up. Starfy starts off very slow and insulting easy, and it only picks up around the halfway mark. That alone should drop the score dramatically, but Starfy manages to bring so many neat ideas to the table later in the game that I can almost forgive the slow start. Additionally, it has an unlockable time attack world, and a boss rush mode, both of which are challenging to even the most seasoned of gamers. It's a shame more modes like this aren't available throughout the title, because the rest of it is too easy, even in the later segments.

Graphics (9/10)- The game consists of 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds. Starfy is a very colorful and nice looking game.

Story (7/10)- It's not exactly the most compelling story around, but it suits the cute style of the game, and has more depth than a story from most platformers like Mario and Kirby. The story is presented in comic book style (manga in the Japanese version). Character interaction is entertaining, and skipping cutscenes is an option. Overall, you're not getting the game for the story, but the story adds to the game and doesn't detract.

Audio (8/10)- The music is cute, catchy and well constructed, but it's not amazingly perfect. It once again holds a similarity to the Kirby series, but I think the audio in Starfy is a bit more slow paced and light in comparison.

Lasting Appeal (5/10)- There are chests scattered throughout the game, which are only useful to someone who likes collecting things. Most of the levels aren't really worth going back to a second time, but some of them might be, particularly the ones at the end of the game. There are 2 unlockable worlds, one where you can play as Starfy's sister Starly and another that is a Time Attack world. The Time Attack world is by far the better of the two, and is a very redeeming part of the game.


Overall (8/10)- Starfy is a cute, fun, and well made platformer, but it doesn't have much depth and replay value. Despite the games shortcomings, it's one of the best platformers on the DS, save for games like Kirby and Castlevania (if you even count it because it's mostly an action RPG). It's worth trying the series, and supporting the idea of bringing more games overseas.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/14/09

Game Release: The Legendary Starfy (US, 06/07/09)