http://ds.ign.com/articles/115/1156374p1.html
Just a part of the article here:
The first couple of levels are a cakewalk, but the later levels will have you scratching your head and eagerly replaying them over and over, trying to outmaneuver the fierce combination of the level design and the constant onslaught of enemy attack. While I enjoyed the amount of thinking and strategizing these advanced levels provided, there were far too few of them. Even going back to beat each mission with all three ships and finish in better times didn't make up for the fact that there were just not enough missions to choose from.
I also wish there had been more boss fights, as these were always particularly engaging to overcome and provided a much needed change of pace. Dodging missiles while waiting for an opening in the enemy's defense to attack and slowly chipping away at their damage meter one blast at a time (all while trapped in a relatively small, 2D plane) made these moments feel like a much slower-paced Mega Man with submarines, and that's a compliment. But, again, there weren't nearly enough of these encounters to make this package feel complete.
Of course, the gameplay itself is truly what matters, and between a solid Mission Mode (which was, admittedly, far too short), an amusing Periscope Mode (which has you either spinning around with your 3DS or moving the dial to spot and destroy all surrounding enemy ships as fast as possible), and a standalone multiplayer turn-based strategy game, there's more fun to be had here than you might think.
While this isn't exactly the new IP I was looking for from Nintendo, and it's true that the game is probably too slow moving for a lot of folks, once I settled into its pace I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed myself. While I admit I hastily dismissed Steel Diver when I first started playing it, I eventually found myself hooked.
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| out of 10 | Click here for ratings guide |
| 6.5 | Presentation Steel Diver does a great job of capturing the feeling of manning a submarine, though at the expense of its presentation being bland at times. The story, while it serves its purpose, doesn’t add much. |
| 6.5 | Graphics The bare environments and vessels are underwhelming considering how little is actually on the screen at a time. I can tell some attempt was made at varying the look of the levels, it wasn't enough. |
| 7.5 | Sound The music is entrancing, though almost too tranquil, and sets a decent backdrop for the gameplay. Small touches (like the sounds of switches, torpedoes, waves, etc.) add great atmosphere. |
| 7.0 | Gameplay An acquired taste, but if you like slow-paced strategy games you’ll likely find yourself addicted before you know it. Otherwise, you’ll probably find it to be a little on the boring side. |
| 7.0 | Lasting Appeal An intriguing multi-player mode and the challenge of trying to beat your best times and complete each mission with all three submarines adds to its life span, but the main game is far too short. |
