Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer

"Layin' "smack downs" on angels"

What you are about to see is game based on the short-lived Japanese cartoon/comic series by CLAMP (a group of four female cartoonists).
They are known for their works: Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth , X, etc., and reached the eyes and hearts of viewers everywhere. CLAMP is also another comic universe, because they have so many characters, just like DC and Marvel. But unlike those, CLAMP is all cutesiness and magic and things girls like.

Story (9/10):
Misaki Suzuhara has transported to Tokyo, from wherever, through train and ends up getting lost. Eventually, something on a TV screen catches her eye.
She sees two people battling with their gracious moves, and gets hooked. Angelic Layer was the name of the program. It's a battle between two dolls,
mind-controlled by their owners called a "Deus". Misaki is quickly influenced to by one of her own and that's how it started. Now she hopes to aim to the top with her angel, Hikaru, against the toughest Deuses and their angels in he arena.

Graphics (10/10)
Nice. It's all as cute as CLAMP could be. There are also clips from the TV show.

Controls (9/10)
In the overworld, you play as Misaki. And ou play as Hikaru during "angelic fights". The fights are the main themes in the gameplay department.
The controls for Misaki in the overworld are all diagonal and each step is squared. You can't move up, down, left or right. Just like in Sonic Labyrinth. Her only purpose in the game is to talk to people.
But that's all right. There are no hidden items in the corners. For Hikaru, you move anywhere you can in the rectangle arena. You choose which move(s) you want Hikaru to execute then by pressing one of the shoulder buttons. But that's only half of it. For her to actually execute it, you have to press the buttons shown in the bar below you and pressing them at the exact moment just like in a Dance2 Revolution game.

Gameplay (8/10)
Misaki only talks to people, also to buy moves for Hikaru using points won in battles. Hikaru doesn't need to level-up to learn moves. You buy them and equip them. The battles are turn-based and are a bit easy if you are good at the rhythm part during a move. To win a battle, you must beat up the opponent until it's low on power or by knocking it out of the ring. When you get a move that can push angels off, that's when the game gets easy. Much later, you can make your own angel and battle with others.

Sound (6/10)
The music isn't that great, I can still remember it. It just doesn't have that exciting tone that makes you wanna play again and again. The game also has voice acting. Misaki says "na" in three different ways to know how she's feeling at the moment. There's "na?", "na...", and "NAAA!!", for puzzled, depressed and frightened. The scientist, Icchan Mihara, says something I don't know but it's annoying.

Replay (5/10)
Much later in the game, you have the option to make your own angel and pit it out against people in the game or link. But there's so little modifications to choose from.

Extra note:
Nobody ever mentioned this but AL is kind of similar to Megaman Battle Network because of theme they use: the battles, the names of characters used and the similarities.

Angelic Layer
-Hikaru is named after and is similar to the character in Rayearth
-Mihara is the last name of another character in Cardcaptor
-Misaki's friend's name is Tamayo, like Sakura's Tomoyo.

Megaman
-All robot masters names are given to NetNavi's.
-Lan's last name is Hikari (light). His dad is a doctor. Megaman's creator is Dr. Light.

Both
-The arena layouts look the same, almost.
-Megaman.exe and Hikaru both have "don't" signs on their chest.
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Pros/Cons
+graphics
+gameplay
+Story

-Battles are a bit too easy
-Music not that good
-Not Released in US

Overall (8/10)
What does the comic and the TV show have in common? They're both short, and the game is a bit too easy, making it short. But everything else looks nice.

Buy/Rent:
I don't fully recommend it, but I guess you could buy it. If you don't like it return it for something else.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/26/04