Topic: Spore Hero Impressions

I've been playing Spore Hero recently and it is a surprisingly decent game, considering I was expecting it to be shovelware a little bit. I can give a laundry list of flaws, like the simple combat system, the overuse of waggle, and an overall lack of depth. However, like MySims before it, the game has a ton of charm.

Collecting random whatsits is actually quite enjoyable as are some of the quest (although others can be quite competitive). Spore Hero has plenty of problems. Numerous ones in fact, but the overall design and charm make the game compelling enough to play through. The creature editor is a blast to mess around with, the story and dialog puts a smile on my face and the get-a-new-body-part-to-reach-new-area gameplay is quite addicting.

I don't recommend it for everyone as the waggle based controls can get frustrating, especially in the dancing minigames. The lack of online play or even Wiiconnect24 trading with friends is also a bit of a buzzkill. I have no prior Spore experience so I can't compare it to the PC version. I do know Spore Hero skews a little young in challenge and atmosphere. The visuals are great though, with a style very reminiscent of the Rayman series. If you have kids that would be interested in such a title buy this for them and play it yourself sometimes. However, if your the type who loves the MySims series, consider this a must buy.

Your thoughts...

By the reviews I read it would fit well for younger or casual players while having a high production value. I am going to lend it and also check out the DS version aswell.

I've played more of Spore Hero since my last post. Still quite enjoyble but more frustrating moments have arrived. The game doesn't give you much sense of direction. That's not too big of a problem as the game tends to focus a lot on general exploration. What is a problem though is the lack of a competent map, which only labels the quest you've found and the quest you completed without giving you any idea how to get where you need to go. If this frustrates me, I'd hate to see what it does to it's intended audience. I shall perservere as there is plenty more ground to cover.

I will be getting it in a few days. I'll post my impressions then. But I saw the video on the Nintendo Channel and it definitely looked as if the game used waggle like crazy.

It does and that is a pretty big issue. I wish the combat was more strategic, maybe even turn-based. Like most publishers, EA treats casual audiences as stupid/retarded and gameplay always suffers due to that executive mindset. That said, I was quite surprised with the amount of fun I had with the overall product. If you hate all things waggle then you should likely steer clear and the good moments may not out way the bad for you.

Got the game today. I haven't gotten far (still in the first level). I agree that the waggle was unnecesary, but I can see myself enjoying the character creation (in the Beauty and the Beast mission, I wish I could have created something sick, just to see how the cutscene would play out XD ).