Zubo

- Reviewed on 3DS -

Zubo released on October 3rd, 2008. 

An extremely underrated gem, Zubo is a rhythm based, action title that was released for the Nintendo DS.

Developed by EA Bright Light, this game takes you on a journey in turn-based combat that is filled chock full of amazing music! 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

The story of Zubo begins when you (the protagonist) are mysteriously summoned into the world of Zubalon. 

You can choose between a boy or a girl and can give them a custom name. 

You can also buy different outfits as you progress in each individual world.

There are a total of five different worlds, each with their own unique map layout. 

These worlds also have many different themes around them.

For example, in the first world you will be venturing through a Horror Land, Fairytale Land, Pop Land, Swamp Land, and more. 

These varieties of lands are everywhere in each overall world. 

You are greeted by the tutorial Zubo (Zubos being the inhabitants of Zubalon), named Zubo 1. 

He will be your guide that you can endlessly go back to for help throughout the game by clicking his blue icon. 

Shortly after, you meet your first three Zubos, who will eventually tag along and fight with you forever after you finish the tutorial-based combat / gameplay. 

This brings me to the core gameplay itself. As stated earlier, Zubo is a rhythm-based game. You take turns against the evil beings known as Zombos.

Zombos are actually evil versions of the Zubo characters you will meet / recruit later in the game. 

They can also reappear later on and give you a harder challenge by their levels being increased (or decreased if in teams and such). 

When it's your turn, you can choose one of four moves to fight with. 

Each move requires a certain amount of Power Pills. The fourth move (that requires three power pills) is a unique, special move exclusive to each Zubo in the game. 

You can rearrange the other three moves for any Zubo you want in the Zubo select menu (later in the game, past the Swamp portion). 

Tapping the outlines of the animation in perfect timing will grant damage. 

Each move is also timed perfectly by the developers with the music in that specific level. 

Performing moves perfectly can also grant you a Lucky Streak and allow you to go again before your opponent does. 

You can recruit and have any three Zubos at a time in your adventure, but definitely be aware that there are three different classes of Zubos (similar to element types in Pokémon games). 

These three classes of Zubos are...

    - Yellow Fighters 

    - Green Defenders

    - Pink Performers

Fighters are good against Performers, Performers are good against Defenders, and Defenders are good against Fighters. 

Keep that in mind as it makes a ton of difference (but not required to have one Zubo for each class on your team... just preference). 

Zubo has quite the fascinating concept for combat that is oddly addicting and more fun as you unlock more Zubos / moves.  

My biggest upset with this game however is the daunting reliance on the DS's stylus. You must use this in order to do everything in the game!

You have to drag the stylus around to move, fight, select, and more. You can also use the microphone to interact with certain objects too. 

Besides the movement and its reliance of the stylus (which can be difficult for people with big hands), Zubo is such a fun and enjoyable time. 

Talking to and recruiting the 55 different Zubos is a lot of fun and was / is the main reason I continued playing. There are lots of stereotypical Zubos, but also many references to pop culture icons. 

There are other activities to do in Zubo besides fighting, like playing rhythm based minigames, popping things for money, and more.

Money in Zubo are these cute Yellow Music Symbols that can be used to buy health items, costumes, buffs, experience, and more, in the holographic shops around Zubalon.

Pros: 

    - Lots of Zubos to Find / Recruit

    - Outstanding Soundtrack

    - Fun and Addicting Combat

    - Customization

    - Good Story for Each World (and their individual Quests) 

Cons:

    - Heavy Reliance on the Stylus (Resulting in Irritating Movement)

    - Frame Rate Drops 

My Rating for Zubo (on 3DS):

4 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.