Bio Motor Unitron

"Biomotor Unitron -- A spectacular pocket RPG from Yumekobo for the NGPC"

I frantically searched for a new game for my NeoGeo Pocket Color. I saw it in the store, right there on the shelf. I shelled out some dough, $29.95 + tax, and went home. This game is Biomotor Unitron, one of my favorite fantasy RPGs.

Gameplay - I find this game to be, most interresting. It may not offer the super-realistic style offered by many console RPGs, but it has it's charms. This game is fun as heck, and can be played many times and many ways. Also, this game is amazingly simple, not to the point of boredom, but to the point where walkthroughs are not necessary. The game plays like a dream, and is easy to control, using only the A&B buttons and the control stick. The main feature in this game is development. You, in league with your engineer, build weapons compatible with your Unitron, and you can buy or find other parts that increase your Unitron's ability. Changing your Unitron's parts change its look, and there are hundreds of possibilities.

Story - The story pretty much tells itself through the course of the game. The premise is that after a crystal crashed on your planet, Tridiss. This crystal became what is the power source of the Unitron, a machine used to battle for the coveted title in the Arena, the Master of Masters. There are other things you can do in Tridiss in your spare time to level-up, including navigating through dungeons to obtain badges, symbols of different monsters who are in line with the affinities of water, air, wood, earth, fire, light, dark, or mirror. There are dungeons for water, air, wood, and earth, and a hidden dungeon.

Audio/Video - The audio in this game is possibly as clear and crisp as possible for the NGPC's hardware, and the background music is very good. The graphics are pretty decent for the dungeons, but the towns, people, and Unitrons are very nice.

Replayability - This game has amazing replay. There are multiple endings, and you really have to play it with all the races available and develop all the weapons to get the most out of this game. This is a BUY game (besides, I don't think you can rent NGPC games).

PS. Get ready for the sequel (November 99-Japan, December 99-US).

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99