Gravitronix Review

Medaverse Studios opened shop in 2002 as a site dedicated to fiction writing.  They soon moved over to dedicated gaming news and finally decided they wanted to try their hand at a bit of game development.  The first fruits of that endeavor are now available on WiiWare in the form of Gravitronix, an arcade style action battle game.

Gravitronix at its heart is pretty simple.  Capture one of four different types of projectiles and fire it at your opponents in an attempt to whittle down their shields before finally dealing the final blow.  To do this you tilt the Wii Remote, or the nunchuk left or right to move your gravity platform.  Pressing the A or C button will cause you to repel any objects that get close and a press of the B or Z button will capture the projectiles.  If you are holding one of them you will move slower but you'll be allowed to aim your shot.  There are four different projectiles that can be captured.  The sphere is the middle of the road shape that you will use most often.  The cube is heavier and slower, but is hard to deflect and will cause more damage.  The shard is a very light and very fast projectile that does not cause damage to opponents shields but can be used for a quick knockout once their shields are down.  The pyramid is unique in that rather than flying in a straight line after being captured it will fly towards the middle of the field and the turn 90 degrees.

There is a campaign mode that encompasses 21 levels that can be played either single player or cooperatively.  You may want to find a friend, because after the first few tutorial levels the game will get very hard and it will do it in a hurry.  The computer opponents tend to gang up on the human player and having a friend along for the ride might make things a bit easier.  If you can adjust to the difficulty it shouldn't take very long to finish the campaign, which you have to do in one sitting, there is no save feature.  That fits with the arcade nature of the game, but feels a bit out of place in today's gaming world.

The multi-player portion of the game is definitely Gravitronix' strong suit.  There are a large number of features that can be customized and you can have up to eight human players playing together.  During the review I was never able to get that many people together, but the game is a lot of fun if you're playing against another living being.  You can change the game to one of six different play modes, as well as the number of projectiles, what type of projectiles there are as well as adapting the A.I. level.  The options for multi-player are huge and there will be lots of opportunity to find the game type that is right for you.

Presentation wise the game is a bit sparse.  Gravitronix is presented in 4:3 mode with no support for wide-screen.  There are six different tracks that can be switched on the fly during game play with a quick press of the + button.  Each  of the game's eight characters have a couple of phrases they will spout after a match depending on whether you win or lose.  There is no difference between these characters in Gravitronix and they're just to give you an idea of which gravity platform belongs to whom.  The developers have said that these characters will feature prominently in future games so there is more chance to flesh them out in the future, but you have none of that in Gravitronix.

Overall the game is a solid first effort from Medaverse Studios and if you're into fast paced, arcade style action you'll find some enjoyment in this game.  The amount you'll get will vary depending on whether you're playing alone or with friends and how forgiving you are to tough A.I. opponents.  Gravitronix does have a very nice asking price, at only 500 Nintendo Points so it's definitely worth checking out.  There's nothing else like it on the service.

Final Score: 3/5 Average

Review copy of game provided by Medaverse Studios.

Gravitronix Playing Tips

Have you picked up Gravitronix on WiiWare and need some tips to get to the expert levels of the game?  Well here you go, straight from the developers themselves. 

Single Projectile Techniques

The following advanced techniques can be done with only a single projectile. We’ll cover these first as they contrast with techniques that involve multiple projectiles.

Repel Beam Aiming
The repel beam is one of the most useful tools in the arsenal of a skilled Gravitronix player. It allows the most rapid turnaround of an incoming attack while requiring very little downtime for the player. Attempting to constantly repel incoming attacks in random directions will often do more harm to you than good. Thus, it’s vital that you learn how to properly aim with the repel beam.

The repel beam will immediately cancel all momentum on a projectile and apply a new vector. This vector depends upon two factors: the position of your gravity platform relative to the projectile and the timing of your button press.

The repel beam fires in a half-circle, with the point of origin being on your gravity platform itself. If a projectile is to the left of your gravity platform when it is struck by the repel beam, it will be redirected to the left. At what angle it will be deflected will be determined by the position it was to the point of origin.

By a general rule, the closer you allow a projectile to get to your shield pieces before repelling it, the more shallow the angle of repulsion will be. By waiting until the last possible moment before repelling, you can send shallow shots into adjacent territories. This will require a good deal of timing to perfect.

Alternatively, you can aim the projectile for any other location on the arena. This relies upon having good precision with the twisting controls and having enough time to line up your shot.

Sweeping

One of the more devious techniques to use on adjacent opponents, “sweeping” involves avoiding the use of the repel beam and instead using the push beam to gently sweep a projectile into an adjacent territory.

To sweep successfully, you’ll need to be ready for an incoming projectile heading for the edge of your territory. Fire and hold your push beam while approaching the edge of your territory. If done correctly, the projectile will enter your push beam and will have its course altered just enough to crash into the territory adjacent to yours. Be aware that, while doing this, the remainder of your territory is vulnerable.

Orbiting

A difficult but useful technique in Gravitronix is orbiting. Orbiting only works on the sphere and pyramid, but can be a good way to throw a surprise attack at an opponent.

Orbiting tends to happen completely by accident while firing the capture beam. If the projectile enters the force of the capture beam perpendicular to the force of the beam, there’s a good chance the projectile will orbit the center of your capture beam for a period of time, so long as you continue to hold the capture beam.
You can use orbiting to your advantage by releasing the projectile at just the right moment and sending it at an enemy territory.

Cube Accelerating

The cube has quite a few uses in Gravitronix, but it’s slow speed balances it out. Fortunately, you can use the push beam to apply additional force to the cube even after you’ve fired it or repelled it.

After firing or repelling the cube, simply continue to hold the push beam and you will apply additional speed to the cube as it leaves your territory. This is especially useful when trying to hasten the departure of a charged cube from your territory and into the territory of an opponent.

Wall Bouncing

If there are dead zones in a match, you can use them to your advantage by bouncing projectiles off of them and into your opponents’ territories.  Although not technically a multiple projectile technique, wall bouncing is best done when you know you’ll have another projectile to send at your opponent just as the wall-bounced projectile is arriving in their territory.

Multiple Projectile Advanced Techniques

Cube Distraction

Placing pressure on your opponents is key to success in Gravitronix. The cube has the unique distinction of being able to apply that pressure with a 3-5 second delay, giving you plenty of time to capture another projectile and fire it when it will arrive in the enemy territory at the exact same time as the cube.  Ideally, you should send the cube at one end of an enemy territory and send your second attack at the other end. If you’re about to become the victim of this technique, try to distract your opponent with an attack of your own or strike the cube with another projectile to disrupt his/her plan.

Cube Ricochet

Due to the cube’s immense mass, it’s possible to ricochet projectiles off of it and into an adjacent territory.  I advise that you wait until the cube is not spinning so that the angle of the shot will be more predictable.

Nudging

Your gravity platform will move slower while it’s carrying a captured projectile, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make use of the captured projectile as either a shield or to push a projectile into an adjacent territory.  While nudging, be careful that a projectile doesn’t get stuck between your captured projectile and your shield pieces. The result will be disastrous.

Flint and Tinder

Quite possibly the most risky but enjoyable technique to pull off in Gravitronix, the “flint and tinder” involves charging a cube, pushing it at an opponent’s territory and then detonating the cube with a second projectile before they can capture the cube (which would neutralize the explosive charge) or detonate it themselves.

This is an INCREDIBLY risky maneuver as a wary enemy player or stray projectile could detonate the cube before it leaves your territory, but if timed correctly, it is one of the most devastating attacks in the game and can damage an entire shield wall of an opponent in a quarter territory.

V-Shots

A “V-Shot” is done by capturing a projectile, waiting until another projectile is incoming (a non-cube) and then quickly firing the first projectile at an opponent and then hitting the 2nd projectile at them with the repel beam.  I wouldn’t recommend this one until you’re comfortable with the control scheme, as it’s easy to mess up and get hit by the incoming projectile or, if one of the projectiles is charged, have them collide and detonate near your shield pieces.

Y-Shots

Much like the V-Shot, the “Y-Shot” is intended to send two attacks at your opponent at once. Unlike the V-Shot, the Y-Shot involves using another projectile mid-arena to create this effect. You’ll probably want to use either a sphere or pyramid with 2-3 speed marks to create the right effect.  Although the pyramid arcs after being fired from capture, it will NOT arc if it strikes another projectile before it arcs, meaning you can use it to start a Y-Shot all the same.

Nintendo Download: Week of October 12th

What Goes Up Must Come Downloadable

You can’t change the laws of gravity, but with this week’s lineup of downloadable games from Nintendo, you can give your fun quotient a high-flying boost. An exciting new Nintendo DSiWare™ release delivers lightning-fast pinball thrills with a mythological twist, while a vintage battle game brings classic action and intrigue to the Virtual Console™. On WiiWare™, you’ll be mesmerized by a gravity-defying battle game with rich multi-player options. Take your pick and prepare for lift-off.

Nintendo DSiWare

Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™

Description: Pinball takes on mythological proportions in this Nintendo DSiWare exclusive. Choose from two modes of play (Regular Game or Daily Game) and begin your journey to becoming a pinball champion. Conquer mythic quests, collect gifts from the 12 Olympians, and push your skills to the limit by facing Medusa, the Sirens and more. Your portable pinball table will give you a quick adrenaline rush as you watch the steel ball fly through ramps and carom off bumpers all over the playing field. Rack up combo points, open specific game modes and enlist the Oracle for some help. Will you accept Zeus’s challenge?

Virtual Console

Final Fight™ 2
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™

Description: It’s been several years since peace settled in Metro City. With Cody and Jessica on vacation and Guy resuming his training out of town, everything seems to be in order. But Haggar is feeling uneasy after learning that Mad Gear was not completely destroyed. Once again, the Mad Gear Gang has emerged, and this time they want revenge. They’ve kidnapped Guy’s master, Genryusai, and Genryusai’s daughter, Rena. Now Haggar must travel the globe in search of Genryusai and Rena. Hopefully, with the help of Maki and Carlos, the reign of the Mad Gear Gang will be destroyed.

WiiWare

Gravitronix
Publisher: Medaverse Studios
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points

Description: It’s time to claim your rightful place as the champion of the Gravitronix arena, but get ready to deal with up to seven other players who are all shooting for the same title. Vanquish your opponents with four different projectiles and the powerful beams of your gravity platform. Intercept attacks and take careful aim at exposed vulnerabilities. Deflect incoming projectiles or capture and charge them with energy for devastating explosive attacks. Team up with a friend and battle through campaign mode, or recruit up to eight players on a single Wii™ system in versus mode for an all-out battle. Customize your matches with a variety of different options, such as flooding the arena with projectiles or making the game insanely fast. No matter how you like to play, grab your friends and have a blast.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi™ Shop and the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Source: Nintendo PR Email

Gravitronix Soundtrack Available For Free

This just came across my inbox and I had to let you all know.  The guys at Medaverse Studios have made the soundtrack available for download, free of charge.  Just head on over to their website and you can pick up all six songs available now.  The music was composed by a fine, young gentleman from out west by the name of Brian H. Kim.  You can check out his website here. 

I've listened to them and they're pretty good.  Don't forget that the game comes out on Monday and will be available for 500 Nintendo Points.

Gravitronix Release Date Announced, Again!

For those of you that were disappointed by the announcement that Gravitronix would not release this past Monday, have no fear.  Word just came across my inbox that Gravitronix will now be available this coming Monday, October 12th for 500 Wii Points.  The paper work has been filed and things are ready to go.  Check back here next Wednesday for the review.

Gravitronix Release Pushed

Gravitronix, the action packed WiiWare game from Medaverse Studios, was scheduled to come out Monday, October 5th.  We've just received word that due to some unforseen circumstances the game's release has been pushed back. 

They expect an announcement will be made on Monday as to what the new release date will be.  We'll keep you informed when we hear something. 

Source: PR Email

Gravitronix Gameplay Videos

New gameplay videos from Gravitronix, coming to WiiWare on Monday. 

Gravitronix Screens and a Quick Q&A

Jesse Lowther, Lead Designer at Medaverse Studios, passed along a bunch of screens from their first WiiWare game, Gravitronix. He also answered a few quick questions for us that hopefully give you a bit of background on them and the game. You can check out additional screens at our Flickr page.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and Medaverse Studios?

My name is Jesse Lowther, lead designer of Gravitronix. Medaverse was an independent gaming news site that made the leap to game development when WiiWare appeared on the horizon.

Where did the inspiration for Gravitronix come from?

It was our desire to create a game that would resonate with groups of friends that truly inspired Gravitronix. We had been playing multiplayer versus games together for years and wanted to deliver a similar experience in our first game.

I've seen videos explaining exactly how to play the game. Has it been difficult to explain the game to people?

Gravitronix is one of those games that needs to be played to truly be understood, so yes, it has been difficult explaining exactly how it's played. The "How to Play" trailer was made to better communicate not only how to play but hopefully the value people will get for their 500 points.

What can we expect during the campaign? Can you tell us a little about that?

The campaign will take you through 21 matches of Gravitronix with increasing levels of difficulty and varying game setups. For example, the "Firestorm" match will have you (and a friend, if one is around to play) battling against three enemy territories with projectile explosions at three times their normal size. You'll have to do your best to ensure that explosions don't happen anywhere near your territory if you hope to survive. The final levels become very difficult, leading up to the ultimate challenge which will have players fighting for their lives against some of the most impossible odds Gravitronix has to offer. Bottom line, when you finally beat the last level, odds are you'll jump up and cheer.

I want to thank Jesse for passing along these screens and answering some questions for us.  You can look for Gravitronix to be available for download on Monday, October 5th, and we'll have a review posted later in that week.

Gravitronix Debuts on WiiWare Soon

Dover, NH – September 28th, 2009 - Medaverse Studios is proud to announce the release of Gravitronix for the WiiWare™ download service on October 5th for 500 Wii Points™ in North America!

Gravitronix is an action/battle game in which players play as a “Gravity Platform” on the circumference of a circular arena. The object of the game is to defend your territory on the arena while assaulting enemy territories using only your wits, the projectiles that spawn in the arena and the two powerful beams of your Gravity Platform.

Each territory is lined with a wall of shield pieces when the game begins. Each shield piece will take three hits before being destroyed. If a projectile exits the arena through a territory, the territory and the players in it are defeated. The last territory standing is the winner.

Players can play with either the Wii Remote™ or Nunchuk™ controller. Twist your controller to move your Gravity Platform within your territory. Press the A or C button to push projectiles away and the B or Z button to capture projectiles and take aim at your opponents. Each of the four projectiles has different properties, such as arcing 90 degrees when fired from capture or creating a huge explosion when charged with energy.

Gravitronix is easy to learn but a challenge to master, and is designed to appeal to gamers of all levels. From players picking up a controller for the first time to veteran gamers who live for intense, heated battles with their friends, Gravitronix offers something for everyone.

Features:

Pick up and Play with a High Skill Ceiling - Anyone can pick up a controller and be enjoying Gravitronix in minutes, but only the most dedicated of players will be able to master all the tricks and secrets the Gravitronix arena has to offer.

Action-Based Gameplay with Strong Strategic Elements - Gravitronix offers a highly kinetic game experience with an arena constantly in motion with projectiles. In the midst of the battle, players can form and break alliances as they conspire against each other.

1-2 Player Campaign mode - Play cooperatively through 21 levels of increasing difficulty. Learn to play Gravitronix with 10 normal levels, then work your way through 11 challenge levels for a shot at the ultimate challenge itself.

1-8 Player Versus Mode - Up to eight players can play together on a single Wii console, with four players holding Wii Remotes and four holding Nunchuks.

Six Special Versus Modes - Six special versus modes, including “Hot Potatoes”, “Sudden Death” and “The Flood”.

Two Arena Configurations - Players can choose to divide the circular arena into 180° halves or 90° quarters, with up to four players per 180° territory or two players per 90° territory. Play in any number of team configurations with up to eight players, with optional COM players to fill in the other territories.

Over 40 Game Customizations - Players can customize the game with over 40 different game options. Players can change the speed of the projectiles, the explosion radius of each projectile type, the number of hits shield pieces take, the number of each projectile type that will appear in the arena (up to 30), and many more.

Five Music Tracks - Players can choose between five unique music tracks mid-game by pressing the “+” button to cycle to the next song.

Eight Selectable Characters - Select from one of eight eccentric characters to represent you on screen.

North American Language Support - Gravitronix supports English, French and Spanish as in-game languages.

Source: PR Email