Chronos Twins DX (WiiWare) Review

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 by Corbie Dillard

Double the fun

Quick history lesson: Chronos Twins DX began life as a Game Boy Advance title that was later ported over to the DS. While the game saw release in the UK, it was unable to land a North American publisher – poor UK sales didn't help much. Thankfully, the game is now enjoying a well-deserved second chance on WiiWare and turns out to be quite a nice surprise and uniquely engaging WiiWare experience.

When it comes to the gameplay mechanics, there are few other games quite like it. Instead of controlling one character, you control two. Actually, it's the same character, but in both the past and present times. The game splits the screen so that you can monitor and manipulate both versions of your character at the same time. While they move in sync with one another, at least until such time as you split off and control only one at a time, both characters do fire independently. You have one button to make your past character fire and one for your present character. Many areas require nothing more than some slick platforming and shooting skills, whereas others require you to slide and solve tricky puzzles.

Control options are numerous as well. You can use the standard Wii Remote + Nunchuk combination, the most intuitive of the bunch, but the game also allows for the use of the Classic and Gamecube controllers. Perhaps it's the ability to hold the Nunchuk a little bit above the Wii Remote that makes the separate firing more intuitive, but no matter which control method you choose there will be a bit of a learning curve for controlling the two characters simultaneously.

You'll find yourself shooting away at various items and enemies, and you'll be given upgrades to your main weapon and assorted power-ups that will come in handy when it comes to some of the trickier hindrances the game tosses your way. Of course running, jumping, and sliding aren't the only moves at your disposal. At times you'll have to push items around in order to reach some of the trickier spots in certain levels. And if that wasn't enough, you'll have quite a number of boss fights to take on to further add challenge to the overall experience. It's this careful balance that keeps the game interesting and from becoming too repetitive as you play through it.

While the game itself presents some fairly challenging gameplay twists, the majority of the challenge comes from having to keep your eyes on both the top and bottom screens in order to traverse the many levels of the game. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but part of what makes the game so much fun to play is figuring out how to be in two places at the same time and how to navigate the many little differences you'll encounter throughout each level. The game does a nice job of offering up a very smooth and responsive control scheme, but it's going to take some practice in order to reach the end. Chronos Twins DX should take you several hours to play through, but expect the challenge to continually ramp up as you progress to the later areas of the game.

Since the game basically started out as a DS release, don't expect a lot of fancy 3D flare. While there's plenty of 3D elements, the game still makes use of a 2D playing field and tends to take a "less is more" visual approach. You'll find that the simple graphics are more than adequate for this type of game. There's plenty of colorful twists and some very nicely drawn bosses to liven things up. Considering the game is pretty much running in a constant split-screen mode, there's very little slowdown, if any, throughout the game, even when the action tends becomes intense. As long as you can keep in mind that this is a WiiWare title, you should find yourself quite satisfied with the presentation.

Much like the visuals, the game's audio package tends to stick to basics. There's plenty of upbeat music to carry the intensity of the game, and in all honesty, there's really not a bad track in the bunch. Even the sound effects are well done, even making use of the often-ignored Wii Remote speaker to give the game more of an audio personality. There's even some hefty bass for those who have a nice sound system hooked up.

Conclusion

While unfortunate that a lot of gamers missed out on the original GBA Chronos Twins, this DX version makes up for the wait. Not only does the game bring an interesting and unique gameplay mechanic to the table, it also manages to surround it with smooth controls and a lot of personality. The game might be a tad on the short side, but you're definitely in for a fun ride while it lasts. And at only 1,000 points you're getting a lot of game for your buck, which makes the experience even sweeter.

8/10

Scoring Policy

User Comments

1. longtimegamer 14 Jan 2010, 14:34 GMT

This is one I'll be getting sometime, I think.

2. Egg miester 14 Jan 2010, 14:35 GMT

wow first ign now you guys gave it an 8.0 maybe this game will be worth my time, it looked silly from the video on nintendo channel

3. Xkhaoz 14 Jan 2010, 14:43 GMT

Hmm, it has co-op? I'll get this. Sometime.

4. Roebuck 14 Jan 2010, 15:19 GMT

Seems like it could be fun, but the 1,000 points pricetag seems too steep

5. IlikeVideoGames 14 Jan 2010, 15:32 GMT

Game looks quite fun. It seems to me the WiiWare service has been picking up on the quality of games of late.

6. vherub 14 Jan 2010, 15:54 GMT

how does two player work?

7. pixelman 14 Jan 2010, 16:03 GMT

Great review Corbie. Getting this ASAP!

8. V8 Ninja 14 Jan 2010, 16:07 GMT

Might have just convinced me to spend my points on this instead of waiting for Cave Story.

9. LEGEND MARIOID 14 Jan 2010, 16:34 GMT

Pretty much and insta-download. Perfect for the DS, but wiiware will more than do. Interesting revw

10. Stargazer 14 Jan 2010, 16:39 GMT

This is a great game, but it's pretty challenging. It does save pretty often and it keeps you going thanks to solid gameplay and frequent item / skill upgrades, but it's not a casual brain-dead action game by any means.

11. Shiryu 14 Jan 2010, 17:41 GMT

Will buy this one for sure.

12. Stuffgamer1 14 Jan 2010, 17:44 GMT

So this IS a remake? I've been confused about whether this was the same game from the previous European release or a sequel for some time, now. I actually prefer the former, as I'm generally against the idea of playing the sequel to a game I've never played (I've done it in some cases, but try to limit the idea when possible).

13. Yasume 14 Jan 2010, 17:56 GMT

2x an 8/10? I'm getting this on day 1.

14. Crunc 14 Jan 2010, 18:21 GMT

I'd be a lot more interested in this as a DSiWare title. Wouldn't releasing it that way make a lost of sense, especially since it apparently already exists!

15. KeeperBvK 14 Jan 2010, 18:42 GMT

Just like Stuffgamer I'm confused about whether this is all new or all new or part new and part old. This bit of information lacks way too often in reviews around here even though it shouldn't be too hard to add and is pretty essential IMO.

16. Swerd_Murd 14 Jan 2010, 18:56 GMT

DSiWare's already getting Dark Void Zero--this totally works for me. New platforming is never bad!

17. KDR_11k 14 Jan 2010, 19:16 GMT

Interesting how high the grades are that DX is getting considering the DS original got critically panned...

18. Stuffgamer1 14 Jan 2010, 19:45 GMT

@KDR_11k: Perhaps it's a good study on how release format and pricing structure affect people's opinions on games? I haven't seen any of the reviews for the original, of course (it wasn't released in America, after all), so I'm just theorizing here. Maybe they fixed some problems reviewers had with the original game. I dunno.

19. Corbie 14 Jan 2010, 20:21 GMT

You really gotta stick with this game. The first time I began playing it, I honestly was thinking it was going to end up getting a 3 or 4. But after about 30 minutes with it, you finally begin to understand what the game is about and how to play it. Then it really gets fun.

And yes, this is basically a remake of the DS version.

20. KeeperBvK 14 Jan 2010, 20:51 GMT

"And yes, this is basically a remake of the DS version."

And what exactly is the "basically" part about it?

21. odd69 14 Jan 2010, 21:20 GMT

I figured this was going to be good. It seems like a good platformer.

22. Dragoon 14 Jan 2010, 21:21 GMT

Is this related to Chrono Trigger in any way?

23. vakama94 14 Jan 2010, 21:38 GMT

glad it turned out to be good, now i have to get a points card to download this game

24. Corbie 14 Jan 2010, 21:40 GMT

No, this is not related to Chrono Trigger in any shape or form.

25. WolfRamHeart 14 Jan 2010, 21:44 GMT

Good review Corbie. I'm really glad they finally decided to bring this game to WiiWare since the original never got a chance to debut in North America. It has a really unique and creative concept with the split-screen platforming and puzzles. While it seems like a perfect fit for the DS or DSiWare, I imagine it would probably be too distracting to keep turning your attention from one screen to the other in a game as fast paced as this one. It is a worthy addition to the growing WiiWare library and hopefully we will see a sequel to this game someday.

26. Arkia 14 Jan 2010, 21:44 GMT

@24: Lies, they clearly both have to do with time travel (sort of)

So I'll probably end up downloading later today.

27. Karotean 14 Jan 2010, 23:13 GMT

This DX vesion has the same levels that DS version but:
-they are in 3D but playability is in 2D,
-new effects
-new musics
-new intro
-new difficult levels.
(but the file above says that is for 2 player, this is a mistake, can anyone of the staff change this, of course CTDX dosn´t have co-op mode)

AND PLEASE THERE ARE MORE GAMES THAT CHRONO TRIGGER SAGA...

28. Corbie 14 Jan 2010, 23:14 GMT

Yeah and a block falls occasionally, so I guess it's related to Tetris as well.

29. Corbie 15 Jan 2010, 02:04 GMT

This game is single-player only. Someone made a mistake on the game page level. It's been fixed now.

30. SandMan 15 Jan 2010, 05:02 GMT

0_o
I bought this game for the sole reason of it having a multiplayer mode! DX
I wish I had read post 27 before making the purchase. Well, there goes $10 down the drain...

31. Corbie 15 Jan 2010, 08:26 GMT

I don't believe I mentioned a multi-player mode in the review anywhere.

32. 7.Alejandro_Talavera 15 Jan 2010, 09:31 GMT

So, this is the only release available in America, right?

33. Stuffgamer1 15 Jan 2010, 20:30 GMT

Yeah, the earlier releases of Chronos Twins never released in the Americas.

I'm happy it's a remake and not a sequel; not that I can afford it right now, but I'll try to make a point to download it eventually.

34. Aronos 15 Jan 2010, 23:41 GMT

Alright, after beating the game several times, I will write some thoughts on the game and some other things I've noticed.

GOOD THINGS
The game is pure classic platforming/puzzles/uniqueness.
The difficulty is a nice steady curve and ramps up accordingly.
The graphics are nice, but could be a little better, but who cares when you are more concerned with two screens and lots of stuff attacking you.
The music/SFX are really good and fit the style/atmosphere.
Even though it was short, you still have multiple difficulties and stuff to add replayability.
The "Slide" ability. Many games don't have one, but this one does!

NOT SO GOOD
A few times, your character can fall through blocks or move semi-through them, unless you are on it completely.
I also agree that they shouldn't use the curser/pointer for the menues, when it would just be much quicker to use a D-Pad.
Where's the pause options? Did they just omit it, or forget to add one in? First game I've ever played that didn't have a "Pause".

EXTRA THINGS NOT THAT IMPORTANT
You can't jump and shoot upwards at the same time.
You can't shoot downward. (Though you don't really need too, I guess.)
The game states you can use a GC controller, yet when you start the game up, you must have a classic controller plugged in, or a nunchuk or you can't start the game. (After which, you can.)
In "Normal" mode, you can't switch and replay levels, like you can in the other difficulties.

OVER ALL SCORE
(Grade not precise, but somewhere around that which is given.)

Graphics: B
Music/Sounds: A-
Gameplay: A
Lasting Appeal: B+
Originality: A-
Accessability/Learning Curve: B+

FINAL THOUGHTS
Even though there are some small annoyances, the gameplay and creativeness themselves make up more than any tiny ticks. If you love challenging, platforming, puzzle, multi-tasking games, than pay the measly $10, and help support more games like this!

35. Stuffgamer1 16 Jan 2010, 00:02 GMT

@Aronos: Yikes, some of that list is quite unappealing indeed! No pause? Seriously? So what, they think it's okay to just have you hit the Home button? Falling through platfroms...stage select that doesn't work on all difficulties...what the heck? Very concerning...

36. DarkEdi 16 Jan 2010, 14:46 GMT

I postule Aronos to Nintendo Life new reviewer!!!

37. Aronos 16 Jan 2010, 17:14 GMT

@DarkEdi: Thank you, but I really only do these small reviews to help other people who are curious about the game, and to provide other opinions from different perspectives.
But, I wouldn't mind reviewing for Nintendo Life

38. KrazyKain 16 Jan 2010, 19:57 GMT

I did not enjoy the ds version of this

39. SandMan 17 Jan 2010, 21:00 GMT

@ Everyone complaining about no pause button:

Remember that little blue button in the middle of your Wii Remote? It has a purpose you know...

40. Xkhaoz 18 Jan 2010, 13:23 GMT

Well, they released the original DS game of this on DSiWare for 500 points. I might get that then get this if I like it.

41. Doskias 18 Jan 2010, 15:33 GMT

Man, I've been waiting for this game ever since IGN wrote up a preview on the GBA game, ages ago. As for people upset about the 1000 points it'll cost you, I think a ten dollar pricetag for a game that we would've paid thirty bucks for on GBA or DS seems pretty sweet.