Spirit Hunters Inc – New Videos and Hands!

I’ll just be honest and say this is the closest I’ll ever come to being a Ghostbuster.

Spirit Hunters Inc is a really cool, Pokemonesque AR RPG made by the dudes over at Sydney based studio Nnooo (pronounced NOOOOOOOOOOOO!). You may know Nnooo from previous games like Pop which showed up on Wiiware, DSiWare and the iPod and iPhone and escapeVektor on Wiiware (also coming to the 3DS eShop and Vita). We got some hands on time with it and it was a lot of fun and something you guys should check out!

Spirit Hunters Inc is a DSiWare title, using the inbuilt cameras to scan the world around you, and you, being a Spirit Hunter and all, must find and defeat the spirits hidden within! The game uses augmented reality in a really cool and unique way. “But Shiggy!” you ask, “where are the cards to make the spirits come out?” Well here’s the thing, not all augmented reality games need cards! This one uses the surroundings, like having different lights and scenery affect which spirits you’ll encounter. So being in the dark you may encounter one spirit, but then going out into the sun you’ll encounter something different! I really liked this idea, as it encourages people of all ages to go outside and find different places to search. The light and dark mechanic reminds me of  the GBA game Boktai, which I loved, so seeing a similar mechanic has me all sorts of excited.  It also comes in two flavours and as much as I don’t want to compare this gem of a game with Pokemon, the two versions work in a similar way. Shadows and Light are the two versions available with 96 spirits across both versions, with the ability to gain all of them through challenges and more.

Before you rush into the world and fight spirits, you need abilities to tackle these dangerous foes. There are all sorts of abilities you can use in different categories, such as light, ice, fire and more. Each one is used in a different way using the touch screen; some abilities may require you to draw a line across the enemy to cause a slash, or drawing a circle can cause an enemy to be stunned momentarily to inflict damage. All abilities and elements have advantages and disadvantages, weaknesses and strengths. So before you rush into battle, you’ve got to make sure you’re prepared for any challenge. Once you’re geared up, time to head out into the field and get ready to search for those ghouls!

This is where it gets to be a lot of fun. So going out searching for spirits, you scan areas until you see a puff of smoke – that’s your time to strike! Tapping the screen sennds you into battle mode, ready to tackle your challenge. Starting a battle, you select abilities down the bottom and then use them to weaken and capture the spirit. But they don’t stay still, you got to chase the little guys! They might run away off screen, so with a quick turn of your body and the DSi/3DS, you can continue the fight. It was quite funny seeing people clearly in the midst of a fight, spinning and looking up and down chasing a spirit! But don’t fear, we’ve been told that even if you can’t do the crazy spins and turns, the spirit will eventually come back on your screen (especially good if you’re on a bus or train). There is something fun and infectious though about really getting in and chasing a spirit until it’s defeated, even if you do look a bit silly!

So eventually, after I had been given a run through of how the game works by the lovely and Scottish Bruce, it was my time to shine. He gave me some tips and abilities, then let me have at it. I grabbed the 3DS and slowly scanned the area, with meters going off and me keeping an ever vigilant eye out on the scene, ready to pounce at a moments notice. Eventually…THERE’S SOME SMOKE! I quickly tap it and am sent into battle. Bruce sees and suggests I use more light based attacks, I’m inclined to agree and set off picking light strikes and lasers to obliterate this fiend. Dodging, ducking and weaving, I attack the spirit more and more. It runs off the screen and I give chase. I turn and look and turn some more and eventually I find the scoundrel and I slice it a few more times and before I know it…I’ve won! Bruce congratulates me and I’m taken to a post results screen where I gain experience and ghoulders (the game’s currency). Experience helps you level up and the ghoulders allow you to buy more abilities. I would have loved to have kept going and played more but I didn’t want to hog the system and handed it over.

Nnooo have taken a really cool idea and brought it to fruition in such an awesome way. This is something that I’m very interested in and the best part is it’s out in just over a month! Spirit Hunters Inc Shadows/Light come out November 22nd for DSi/3DS for 800 Nintendo Points. Definetly check this one out!