Scurge: Hive (Nintendo Game Boy Advance, 2006)

I'd say that most gamers have never heard of Orbital Media despite the developer having made two amazing games for the GBA and DS within a very short period. That other game is Juka and the Monophonic Menace, by the way, but I'll get to reviewing that in the near future. Scurge: Hive is a sci-fi themed isometric action game that's sort of a cross between Metroid and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. There's a lot of challenge to be found here, everything looks/sounds great, and the game is fairly lengthy, all of which add up to a fine time indeed.

As Jenosa Arma, an intergalactic bounty hunter, you're sent to to a deep space lab to find out why communication has gone silent. Next thing you know, your ship becomes infected (and infested) by assorted alien life forms that need a good butt-kicking. Initially, you start out blasting away with relish, leveling up quickly and thinking the game will be a breeze. That lasts about two minutes upon which you're infected with an alien virus and the game takes on a survival aspect that will keep you in constant motion.

Once you're infected, a viral meter constantly ticks away the longer you're in the poison environment. This forces you to dispatch enemies quickly while trying to locate keys and important items as the story unfolds. Speaking of story, it's told very nicely through cinematic sequences that are pretty striking for the GBA. Sure, it's a 2D game, but right from the start, you're pulled in by the rich colors and impressive soundtrack. Jenosa's flowing red hair is a great touch, making her sexy yet tough as nails. If you like strong female leads in your games, you'll be into what's here right from the start.

During the game, you'll end up facing off against a wide array of aliens, from bugs to robots and every so often, a huge, room-filling boss. these battles in particular take patience and careful shooting to survive with pre-battle saving a must. Save points clear up any infection and refill your health, but the save points are generally placed far enough apart that you have to work hard to get to them before your health is in danger. Your prototype battle gauntlets and space suit eventually pack quite a wallop, but prepare to be smacked about a bit by fast-moving baddies in nearly every area.

That Metroid influence mentioned earlier is here, particularly in the way you collect gear and upgrades, growing in skills as the game progresses. Some of the boss fights definitely feel like they belong in the Metroid canon, yet the game never feels like a cheap rip-off of the classic franchise or its sequels. If anything, this could be a spiritual successor to Samus' 2D roots, as the game is often just as much fun and challenging to play as those classics.

the differences between the GBA and DS versions are superficial. I own both and they look and play very much the same. Both use the same control setup and while that second screen comes in handy on the DS for checking out your stats, it's also accessible on the GBA with a simple button press. I think there are a few visual enhancements on the DS version, but both look fantastic overall with a wide range of locales using a distinctive art style.

Caveats would be some really tricky battles and the occasional backtracking that puts you in rooms with respawning enemies, but that's "old school" gaming for you, right? Given the super cheap price point you can find this one at, it's a definite buy if you're into trying something new.

It's a shame that "Scurge: Hive" receives so many comparisons to Metroid (including the one in the title of this review) because the game really stands on its own as one of the best gaming experiences available on Gameboy Advance. The game follows Jenosa Arma, a bounty hunter contracted by the government to retrieve data from a botched biotech facility. As Jenosa battles through the infected creatures that have overrun the complex, she comes to learn that a sinister intelligence may be behind the entire scheme.

"Scurge: Hive" is easy enough that it should appeal to the casual gamer, but challenging enough that it never gets boring. In addition to keeping track of health and your weapon's energy, players also have to watch the game's "infection counter." If Jenosa's biosuit ever gets too overwhelmed (her infection counter reaches 100%) she begins to lose health — fast! Many of the most climactic points of the game hinge on finding a balance between achieving objectives and battling the clock against infection.

Overall, a fun game from developer Orbital Media. Players can only hope that they release more material in the future.

Thanks for reading. If you found this review helpful, please vote "yes" at the bottom of this entry. Happy gaming!

The game stars a female character who wears a special suit that covers her body but not her face or her long red hair. The game story has a cross feel of the movie Alien and the movie The Thing.
A planet that has been experimenting on a life form with dangerous capabilities looses communication. Apparently the life form have overrun the base, turning machines, organisms (humans, etc) and energy sources into monsters. The main female character is apparently some kind of bounty hunter who is willing to go to the base and work on eliminating the infestation while collecting as much data as possible.
The game works with various weapons and gadgets that help progress in the game. There is also a gauge of the infestation growing in your character. If it reaches 100%, your character will begin to lose health (quickly). This is an interesting challenge added in the game. However, sometimes it does get annoying when you are thinking of the next area to progress in the game with, but have to go back to a health pad/save point to remove the infestation again.
I have played the game for about an hour. So for it seems to be well done and worth purchasing, especially on Ebay where the price is probably five dollars or less (WITH shipping) then at the store.

The game feels too familiar storywise. I mean, aliens taking over a planet, infecting everything in sight is quite original. <in case it wasn't obvious, i was being sarcastic>

But, don't throw it in the trash because it is worth playing. It's playthrough is quite linear (you won't get lost) but that means no sidequests (well so far. I've played a little over 3 bosses). This game is a great game to pass the time. The story involves a suit keeping in control a contamination in the player's body.
This contamination can go up to 100%, drain your hp to 0, then game over.

The save points reset the contamination to 1%. But, the contamination never stops increasing. This keeps you on your toes and never bored. So, let's say you're in a line behind 25 or so people. Then pick this game up, and just trying to survive will help you pass the time.

great graphics for a gba game, interesting enemies, good overall presentation values, I hate the infection timer, I hate how it is so hard to shoot in the direction you want to...overall, the negatives outweigh the positives, in my opinion, others my like it