Nintendo have finally released some original games to their online store. Having a couple of hours and $18 spare, I decided to check it out by buying Star Soldier R, because I have always been a sucker for 2D shooter games.

While the game looks good and plays well, I cannot say that it was worth the money. The big problem is that there is just not enough of it. Instead of several large levels that you might see in a traditional shooter, Star Soldier R has only 2. The challenge is to score as many points as possible in 2 or 5 minutes (depending on the mode). This could have worked if there were a variety of levels to play in, but you always start from the same place, shooting the same enemies. On top of that, the power-ups are pretty unimaginative.

All this makes the game feel more like a demo than a full game – it gives you a short taste of fun then cruelly shuts you down just as you feel you are getting somewhere. As it stands, Star Soldier R is just not good value even at its reduced price of 800 points.

Not really recommended.