Spectrobes - hands-on

To further set itself apart from the leading critter-collector, Spectrobes employs a real-time 3D battle arena instead of turn-based scraps. You can freely roam around a small area and either attack with your main guy or one of your two fightin' Spectrobes. The two brought into battle follow your movements exactly; physical attacks are activated by tapping the L or R buttons (the monster on your right fights with R, for example). Holding A charges a meter that, once full, unlocks more powerful moves for your group. The biggest attack we saw comes when you charge up the meter then hit L and R simultaneously to execute a screen-busting megamove - its effectiveness is also determined by how well your Spectrobes have been treated, plus how compatible they are with each other.

The biggest and baddest monsters you can get are the Stroke 3 Spectrobes. While the name doesn't mean a thing at all, it does represent the highest of three forms you'll encounter throughout the game. Stroke 1s are your typical creatures, smaller and basic in their overall attributes. Then come the Stroke 2s, which have a bit more stature and powers available. The final mode, Stroke 3, can be ordered around independently and target specific monsters in battle. You'll also be able to choose from a list of moves instead of just tapping L and R for simple attacks. This opens the door to combo attacks and chess-like moves where you order a high-defense Spectrobe to block incoming attacks while you launch long range projectiles from a safe, guarded distance. The in-game battles won't all be this involved, and we're sure you can get by with the most basic of strategies, but it's nice to see a kids' game attempt to have a certain degree of depth.