The DS is not a system known for first-person shooters, primarily because the
DS' controls are not a natural fit for shooters. In spite of this limitation,
shooters are occasionally released for the DS, one of which is Moon. Moon uses a
control scheme that's been employed for DS shooters before, and its a scheme
that works reasonably well. The touch screen is used to control facing and
turning, with the D-pad controlling movement, and the Left Trigger used to fire
weapons. If you haven't played a game which employs a similar control scheme
before it will take a little time for you to get used to it, but once you do it
will prove to be relatively easy to use. There will be times when you don't
quite have the stylus in the right spot to make a critical quick turn while
under attack and occasional hand cramps are not unheard of, but for the most
part the control scheme works well enough.
In Moon, a mysterious hatch is located on the lunar surface and it's obvious
that it's not of human origin. Investigating what lies below falls onto the
shoulders of Major Kane, and you'll be playing the part of the Major as he
descends below the lunar surface. What you'll find is an extensive alien base,
but it hasn't been left unguarded. If you can survive the onslaught of robot
attackers, you'll be able to glean information about the history and purpose of
the base from computer terminals you'll find here and there.
Your robotic enemies will be pretty persistent, but don't expect any
sophisticated attacks or tactics from your enemies. The gameplay is more akin to
old school shooters than to today's more sophisticated first-person shooter, and
you shouldn't be surprised if you occasionally have thoughts of Doom while
playing the game. There's not a large variety of enemies in the game, so some
feelings of repetition inevitably set in, even though this isn't a very long
game as far as shooters go. Some variety is added into the gameplay in the form
of vehicular missions and in the use of a remote-controlled droid that can be
used to access areas too small for you to enter yourself. The game also includes
hidden rooms to discover, but their locations are inevitably betrayed by the
game's map which shows the location of every room on the current level that
you're on.
The repetitive nature of the gameplay and the levels can make it a little
tough to sit down with it for long sessions, and once you complete the game
there's no compelling reason to replay it and there's no multiplayer to help
extend the game's life. However, in spite of this the game is still
recommendable. It's a competent enough first-person shooter on a system that's
lacking many first-person shooters, and if you play it in short doses while
you're on the go, it can provide a fun distraction.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
75%. Moon won't eclipse console shooters, but it's
not that bad for a DS shooter.
