Sigma Harmonics Hands-on
Musical cards and monster slaying.
August 3, 2008 - Yesterday, we described trailer impressions of Sigma Harmonics, a musical card battler soon to be released in Japan later this month. Today, we managed to get a little hands-on time with the game, and noticed that the title has many more twists than we expected. When you start the game, you pick up your DS and play it on its side like you would if you were playing Brain Age. The top screen is primarily used for battle sequences and cinematics, while the touch screen is used for interactive elements and menu options.
As far as battles are concerned, it's rather intriguing that Sigma doesn't actually fight. His friend Neon does all the fighting for him while he essentially conducts, directing the battle from afar. Fights occur randomly, and are set in real time, so you'll need to be pay a lot of attention to what's happening or you'll take a lot of damage. At the start of a battle, you're presented with three separate sets of cards. Each card performs a different attack or magical spell, such as healing or unleashing a group attack. To trigger their effects, you drag a card from the pile to a central location, activating its power. However, you just can't start throwing cards down; you have to wait until the timing bar for each card is filled before you can use it.
Adding to this sequence is a rhythm bar, which seems to intensify the power of the card depending on the beat of the music that is going on in the background. Luckily, Sigma has the ability to boost and change the music at will, making the timing of certain cards fill up faster than others. He can also use his abilities to perform a "job change" for Neon, letting her switch between three separate outfits, each with their own card sets and abilities. This helps when you're trying to find the most effective way of killing an enemy.
As you explore the town and school in which Sigma lives, you'll discover that you'll need to search for specific objects, ones that help Sigma regain his memories. Once you've tracked these items down, you enter a puzzle grid, where you'll need to put them together in the right order to unlock the lost connection. Players will need to be careful with this, however – it appears as though the puzzle grid can trigger boss battles, so you'll want to make sure your arrangements are correct and you've saved before you take these fights on, just in case.
