Custom Robo Arena

Custom Robo Arena
North American boxart
Developer(s)	Noise
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Series	Custom Robo
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release date(s)	JP October 19, 2006 NA March 19, 2007 EU May 25, 2007 AUS September 20, 2007
Genre(s)	Action RPG
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Rating(s)	ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) CERO: A (All ages)
Media/distribution	Nintendo DS Game Card

Custom Robo Arena, known in Japan as Gekitō! Custom Robo (激闘!カスタムロボ, Gekitō! Kasutamu Robo^?, lit. "Rumble! Custom Robo"), is a science fiction action role playing game for the Nintendo DS. It is the fifth title in the Custom Robo series. The name was announced on May 9, 2006 at the E3 convention,^[1] and released in Japan on October 19, 2006, then later in the United States on March 19, 2007. Later, on May 25, 2007, it became the first Custom Robo title released in Europe, and on September 20, 2007, it also became the first title of the series released in Australia.

In the game, the player participates in Custom Robo tournaments and tries to earn money to buy parts to use to improve their robo. The game is the first in the series that features two-player mode with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection including voice chat, Multi-Card play, and DS Download Play. Custom Robo Arena also uses a "Rivals" list.

Story

The game starts with a player-named male character whose father has just moved into the town of Midheart to work at NeoBrain, a robo research company. Upon arrival, you meet with Liv and Dennis of Team Numero Uno, a robo-battling club. After class on the first day, Team Numero Üno is forced to battle the Grapple Gang, led by Bull, the first major enemy. A teammate from Team Numero Uno switches to Bull's Team because they are undefeated in the school. You decide to join the Numero Uno team. Later you fight Bull and your team may win or lose...

But anyway you spend the next few days preparing for the Forester prep tournament. Their champion is Serene, who has the power-enhancing Soulboost. Liv's interest in the soulboost will take your team to Mt. Zephyr, where Stark will turn you away at the top.

Then, you go on police duty with seemingly bumbling police cadet Duncan. After an ambush with a rogue commander and a criminal, the latter of which you will illegally fight outside of a holosseum (Arena), Dennis and Duncan become too weak to fight, and you are their last hope. Later, after you have defeated the criminal, your team will return to Mt. Zephyr, having been given a note from Kris. Because of this, Stark will teach you the Soulboost.

Kris will also give you a special license. Later, a tournament at the robocenter will allow you to compete in a tournament (the Robo Cup) shortly after. Your team boards a ship, headed for Encephalon Isle, where the Robo Cup is to take place. The President of NeoBrain makes a statement, that the preliminaries will take place on the way. This raises questions to various contestants about what happens to the losers.

Soon, you find yourself at Encephalon Isle, where the Robo Cup takes place. The night before the tournament, however, Liv exhibits strange behavior, seen walking to the nearby laboratory by herself. It doesn't take long for her to snap out of it, but she is entirely confused as to how she got out there on her own. You take her back to the hotel, and the next day starts after sleeping.

The tournament starts well, various battles taking place according to the plan. The security Robos placed around the forest, however, start to go haywire. Liv and Mr. Geary (your father) go missing half-way in as the security Robos go haywire and take out commanders in the tournament. There is only one possible perpetrator to this twisted turn of events: NeoBrain itself. An employee at NeoBrain, Dr. mars, reveals himself as Scythe, leader of the Greybaum Syndicate.

Upon infiltrating the nearby Research Facility, it's learned that the President ultimately regrets his decision, and helps the player out. The player also recovers his dad. Combined with Dennis the two attempt to find Liv in the underground fortress. The protagonist must defeat four 'Gatekeepers', and defeat two identical illegal robos, 'Jameson'. The Jameson robo is incredibly strong and huge yet the slowest robo in the game.

The character defeats Kindjal, who has masqueraded as a professor at NeoBrain and a teacher at Midheart High. The player then reunites with Liv's brother Eddy, though Eddy is soon injured by Scythe's Katana after gloating over his victory with an autonomous decoy.

They find Liv, but it's assumed too late, as she is already 'diving' into Hadron, the most powerful Illegal Robo ever created. The player attacks Hadron, taking it down once. But however, Hadron revitalizes itself with Scythe's energy, gaining his personality and dreams, then takes on the player again. This specific battle is impossible to win, as shots fired by the player do not deal damage. The only choice is to lose. However, this does not result in a Game Over.

Dennis and Mr. Geary manage to free Liv. However, Hadron still functions. Every character on your team is too weak to fight Hadron, and all seems hopeless. However, all of the competitors in the Robo Cup that survived the security Robos walk in from behind, wanting to help. Liv, being drained of mental energy, cannot help. So instead, all of the competitors lend their mental energy to Liv, who then transfers it to your character.

The final battle takes place with both Robos locked in a permanent Soulboost the entire match. Upon defeat, Hadron explodes. The haywire security Robos disengage, and the organization behind the entire mess is shut down. However, NeoBrain is left in pieces due to this event.

After the game is beaten, the player learns that Lambda Inc., teaming up with NeoBrain, has offered to host the Robo Cup again, but this time with "no strings attached." You become the next Robo Cup champion, and then set your sights on joining the Police Force, and beating the Great Robo Cup, the player's character never actually enters the International Police Corps in the game, but it is assumed that he does once he has cleared all Grudge battles, and all Underground battles.

Gameplay

Fights start with the opponent's robo customization being shown. You then may make adjustments to your robo—such as changing parts, polishing, and altering the diorama. This can also be done outside of a battle, in the portable garage.

Battles begin with your custom robo cube being launched out of a Robocannon(controlled with the D-pad). There are six sides of the cube on which the robo can land.

The objective of the battle is to reduce the opponent's energy points from 1000 to 0 by using your guns, bombs, pods, and dash attacks. There are two third-person views in battle and five different control schemes.

If the player repeatedly loses the same battle, the game offers the option of a health handicap, which goes up to 75%. Each victory increases the player's Soulboost meter and when it is full, Soulboost can be used. Soulboost makes the robo stronger and tougher for about 21 seconds, afterward making the robo weaker for a short time.

Reception

• EGM: 7.5/10 - 8.0/10 - 8.0/10
• X-Play: 5/5
• Gamespot: 7.9
• Gametrailers: 7.7
• Nintendo Power: 7.5
• GamersUnited.org: 9.0

Overall, Custom Robo Arena received positive reviews.

Other appearances in media

• Ray Mk III, the newest Ray model of the Ray series, appeared as an Assist Trophy in the Wii video game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In the game, his weapon appears to be the Flare Gun as seen on the cover of Custom Robo Arena; however, it functions like the Gatling Gun, instead of the Flare Gun in Custom Robo Arena.

• Jameson and A.I.R.S., two special robos, appear as trophies in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

References

1. ^ E3 06: Nintendo tips handheld hand - DS News at GameSpot

External links

• Official Website (English) (Japanese)
• Nintendo Online Magazine (N.O.M.) webpage
• Custom Robo Arena guide at StrategyWiki
• QJ Release info
• Magic-Box confirmation
• Custom Robo Arena at N-sider