Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle (3DS) Review

The controls are your worst enemy.

Over the past year, I have become more and more interested in toy collecting and Lego building. One day, at the local toy store, I came across a set of toys that captured my attention. These toys were called Tenkai Knights, and they looked like the offspring of Legos and Gundam model kits. To this day I still haven’t bought one, but I am intrigued with the way you build them, with movable, Logo-like parts. So, when the opportunity came to review the new 3DS game, I took it; and so my pain begins.

Tenkai Knights is the newest video game/anime/toy cash-in, and boy does it feel like it. The outlandish story involves some kids who visit an antique store and end up fighting an alien war on another world. This story is told through static anime still-frames with text and limited spoken dialogue. It felt like a generic Transformers Prime rip-off, with only a fraction of the charm.

Super boring robots.

MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: 3DS
Multiplayer: Up to 4-players

If they can stay awake after the opening story, players are introduced to the mechanics of the game itself, and by introduced I mean thrown into. The game play of Tenkai Knights is played on a 2D plain/arena. Each arena has a lower level and some floating platforms. The playing field is populated by robots that are called The Corrupted, and players take them out using weak, strong, or special attacks. Some of the weapons the Knights employ consist of swords, spears and arrow blasters. The game also makes use of a horrible lock-on system, which could harm more than help. As I played through the missions, I quickly understood that this game was very much a grind of the most terrible kind. The mission layouts are the same thing over and over again, and it’s not even fun from the very first mission.

Outside of the boring story missions and bland level designs, the worst thing about this title is the controls themselves. Simply put, this game is a clunk-fest. It feels archaic and inconsistent. Controlling the Tenkai Knights is about as fun as playing Street Fighter using an Atari 2600 joystick; sure it can be done, but boy is it a pain in the ass. I also get that these are basically mechs I am controlling, but so many other games did it better. I actually have to think back to pre-Super Mario Bros. era in order for me to find a game, that’s controls are just as horribly executed.

Choose your punishment.

However, not everything in this game is complete garbage; there is a customization feature. This allows the tormented player to change some of the parts of the Knights. Being able to change the Knight’s weapons, shields, and back boosters is kind of neat, and makes me wish that I was playing with the physical toys and not this abomination.

Simply put, Tenkai Knights Brave Battle is a horribly conceived piece of shovel-ware of the lowest caliber. If you love your children, don’t buy it! If you love yourself, don’t buy it! However, if you are a hardcore collector of Tenkai Knights and you must own the game, you should never open it; just place it in a secure safe, protecting all of mankind from such interactive vomit.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Being able to customize your knight
Bad
  • Horrible controls
  • Terrible level designs
  • A grind-fest that isn't fun
1.5
Detestable
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