Rodea the Sky Soldier Review (Wii)

            During the development of the infamous Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, Yuji Naka, one of the original creators of the Sonic franchise, left Sega. He went on to form a company called Prope; it’s here that he developed Rodea the Sky Soldier for the Wii. However, Kadokawa Games, the publisher, delayed in releasing the game in order to create 3DS and Wii U versions. Both of these versions play differently from Yuji Naka’s original vision, and were very poorly received. This review focuses solely on the original Wii version.

Story

            At the start of the game, a robot named Rodea makes a promise to protect his Princess, as well as the Sky Kingdom Garuda. During the Naga Empire’s attack against Garuda, Princess Cecilia uses the Key of Time in her possession to send Rodea 1000 years into the future. When he next gains consciousness, he’s lost nearly all of his memories.

            To sum it up, this game’s plot is barebones and cliché. We have it all here: an amnesiac hero, an evil empire that wants to conquer the kingdom due to an energy crisis, a heroine that acts as the implied love interest, and so on. To be honest, half of the writing feels like it was trying to parody tropes, while the other half played them completely straight with no plot twists. The overall story doesn’t explain enough about the world, and presents no twists to keep things interesting. However, the plot is inconsequential; Rodea the Sky Soldier places a larger focus on gameplay.

Gameplay

            Rodea the Sky Soldier sports very simple controls in the Wii version. You point your cursor at where you want to go, and press B to lock on and fly towards it. Holding B and swinging the Wii Remote in a specific direction will cause Rodea to fly towards the designated spot in an arc, allowing you to control your approach a little more easily. While flying towards a target, holding A will have Rodea do a spin attack, which is your main means of offense.

            Rodea also has access to several powerups, and they all function similarly to powerups in the Mario franchise; each powerup allows you to take an additional hit. The basic tail powerup turns Rodea’s hair green, and doubles your damage output with the spin attack. There are also three more powerup types found throughout the levels: a machinegun to allow for ranged attacks, speed shoes that let you use dash panels to maneuver past obstacles, and a visor that allows you to lock on and attack multiple targets at once.

            The gameplay does take a while to get used to, but it’s very simple and intuitive once you understand how it all works. It’s a solid, interesting system, except for one notable flaw. You control the camera by pointing towards the edge of the screen, and it’s rather clunky. This can lead to a few irritating moments, but it’s not a huge problem for most of the game.

Graphics

            Rodea the Sky Soldier’s visuals are rather colorful, but are somewhat outdated as it’s a Wii game released in 2015. From a technical standpoint, the framerate tries to maintain a solid 60, but often drops. Considering the hardware it was released on, it’s understandable.

Music and Sound

            The game’s soundtrack is quite catchy, but it doesn’t quite live up to the games that Yuji Naka made while he was still at Sega. Still, the music is pretty good. The voice acting leaves quite a bit to be desired, but it isn’t too bad. Rodea and Ion easily have the best voices in the game, while the rest of the cast vary.

Length

            Rodea the Sky Soldier isn’t a very long game; it can be finished in maybe around 8 to 10 hours, maybe more if you explore each level thoroughly. It may come off as short, but the game’s arcade-like experience makes it feel neither too short nor too long.

Verdict: 8/10

Pros

• Simple, intuitive control scheme makes for a surprisingly fun game to play
• Artstyle is bright and colorful, and character design looks good
• Good soundtrack

Cons

• Clichéd and barebones plot
• Voice acting ranges from above average to mediocre
• Camera control is clunky

            Overall, the Wii version of Rodea the Sky Soldier is a solid game with a few flaws. If you’re looking for a simple and fun action game that draws inspiration from the Sonic the Hedgehog and NiGHTS franchises, the Wii version of Rodea the Sky Soldier is your best choice.