In order to enjoy to the fullest Astro Boy: Omega Factor we have to check three boxes:

- we have to be fans of Treasure games
- we have to be fans of Osamu Tezuka and his works
- we have to excuse limitations of the handheld

That's a lot to ask to anyone approaching the game, but when the planets align the experience more than makes up for the drawbacks.

Omega Factor is good looking, crisp and has phenomenal backgrounds, models and animation. Characters from said Tezuka works fill the game and add much subtlety and content to the worldbuilding, brought forwards with the so charming soundtrack; Metro City for example is one of the best first stage songs I've ever listened to and adds much to the side-scrolling action.

Talking about gameplay, Omega Factor tends to be repetitive and adds lots of enemies of screen, which sometimes make the game grind to a halt because of lag. Not only that, but the leveling system, while letting you optimize strategies, special attacks and buffs, essentially just lets you decide which ones you'd get first. I always felt like this sort of design makes certain skill point allocations better suited than others depending on what level you're on, compared to what you want to specialize in. The game also throws a lot of boss battles at you, which have spectacular set pieces but can be infuriating at times; still, it leads to a very fascinating ending and something more, of which I won't talk, since surprise is part of the fun.

In conclusion, Astro Boy: Omega Factor does a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong, but I think it adds to its charm. Considering the extremely positive experience I had with its story, I think this is the Astro Boy game that succeeded the most as a tie-in: it led me and many others into the franchise and made them hardcore Tezuka fans.

This is not something a tie-in usually has success with; to become timeless.

Unless you're a certain Shrek game with a still living and breathing competitive scene.