P.N.03 (Nintendo GameCube, 2003)

No matter how much I look at a game system’s library, there are always a few games that seem to pop up out of nowhere. When looking at potential games for my Gamecube, I noticed a game called P.N.03. I have never heard about it before. I admit that my knowledge of the GameCube’s library isn’t as adept as the PlayStation 2’s or Xbox’s, but I thought I saw most of the games available for it. Since my curiosity was peaked and someone was selling one in decent condition for a decent price, I thought I would pick it up. Though not really a stand out game (which might explain why I never heard of it) it offered enough to keep me playing.

Visually, P.N.03 is running about average. The backgrounds are adequately detailed, but the levels look very much alike. It is a very sterile environment, but considering it takes place on a different planet and in the future, that doesn’t seem too far fetched. Sadly, the enemies took the same design cues from the levels and look pretty generic. You fight mostly robotic enemies, but their designs are uninspired and repetitive. Fortunately, the female protagonist is modeled well and is nice to look at. Her outfits are skintight, but are as detailed as everything else in the game. For people who like to ogle rendered female bodies, she will not disappoint.

Sound wise, P.N.03 is average. The music has a futuristic, spacey, techno sound that is unremarkable, but does add to the ambience. Most of the effects are you shooting your palm rays and the resulting explosions of vanquished enemies. You are not going to be blown away by the sounds, but they do their job, which isn’t a bad thing.

P.N.03 does add a little twist when it comes to game play. Most of your defensive tactics comprise of dodging enemy fire by moving left or right. You can also utilize cover. It does take a little time to get used to this control scheme, but it does work well once you get it down. Along with the level and enemy design, the game is pretty repetitious and can be tedious. Since everything looks the same, you really don’t get much of a sense of progress. Earning enough points to purchase better equipment is and feels like a chore. You will be putting in quite a bit of time if you want to buy everything in the game.

P.N.03, by all intents and purposes, is unremarkable. Nothing really makes it stand out. It is a decent game that will provide some enjoyment. Once I put it away and move on to my other games in my library, I am sure P.N.03 won’t pop into my head unless I am browsing through my spreadsheet where I cataloged all my games.

You play as Vanessa Schneider, a beautiful mercenary for hire with a mysterious past. She's called in to take care of an off-world colony overrun by a Computer Arms Management System (or CAMS) gone completely haywire. Shooting ensues. More shooting. Dodging. Shooting. Shooting. Some more shooting. And a little more shooting on top of all of that. Plus, there's shooting.

After each mission, you will receive a Ranking, which is based the number of enemies you've killed, number of points you've earned, number of rooms you've cleared without being hit by the enemy, your max combo, and how long it took you to complete the mission. After Mission 11 (the last stage in the game), you'll be given a final, overall Ranking.

For better or worse, there's really not a whole lot more to P.N.03. Vanessa runs through the various environments, which are usually lacking in any type of interactive elements whatsoever and repetitive as crazy, and battles with (mostly non-moving) robots. The controls in the game are poor, sluggish, and pretty unresponsive. Vanessa is supposed to move fast and be as agile as a dancer, but.. she isn't.

The awkward and unresponsive controls do not mix well with the fast-paced battles. You'll usually get hit by a bullet before you ever get a chance to dodge it! For whatever reason, Capcom has designed the game so that Vanessa can only shoot when she's not moving -- which leaves you vulnerable to enemy fire. It's incredibly lame, and just stupid, in my opinion.

Overall, I was greatly disappointed with this game, and I highly recommend that you RENT IT. It's not worth buying.

I have been waiting for a very long time to play this beautiful game, and for the most part I am not too dissappointed. In fact, the only real complaint I have outside of the fact that i thought Gamecube games were crisp (it's a little bit grainier than I'd expected it to be), are the controls. Not very convenient and a bit hard to get used to, but worth the trouble. If you are a lover of shooters like I am, you should enjoy this game.

A final note: since i am not GC savvy, I started on easy to get used to the controls and gameplay, but you might want to try a more difficult level because on easy, there's a LOT of space in between enemies. HUGE levels . . . few battles. I bet this is solved in harder levels which I have yet to try.

All-in-all, a beautiful and sexy shooter that I am enjoying plenty. Too bad this never came to PS2, and I'd love to see it made on PSP, but it's sales were likely too light for a system redo.

P.N.03 is not for everyone, because it's a very different kind of game. It plays like a third-person arcade shooter but with tank-like controls for the main character. You can't shoot while moving, and the gameplay is mostly about timing and acrobatics; dodge enemy fire, attack, and chain combos. It almost feels like controlling a character from the Matrix or Equilibrium films.

P.N.03 isn't like a lot of shooter games where you can just rush in and blast through stages. But once you get used to the controls and odd way of playing, it's very fun and addicting. There are lots of things to unlock and many stages to complete. The cutscenes are humorous and blessedly short.

There are a few downsides to the game. The areas all look pretty similar and are very linear, with some backtracking involved. The music is ambient techno; a couple tracks are great but most of it is generic and repetitive. Some of the unlockables are too expensive, yet are required to progress properly, forcing you to go back and complete training missions to earn more points.

Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone looking for an oddball GameCube game to add to their library.

It's ok game pretty much knew what I was getting when I read other reviews and got info from a friend a while back. I mean you can only shoot random robots and stare at a girls ass for so long until you start to get bored. I think a sequel should come out for the Wii with a more in depth story and environment.