Wanna know something really, really funny? FO did eventually buy this game from EBGames, and while she was there she also bought a Boktai. Another really funny thing? I barely played Boktai, but I did spend a long time on this game.
CIMA is a fairly unique game which blends action with a unique way of solving puzzles. Throughout the game, you'll have to guide a group of colorful characters through numerous dungeons and puzzles. Although I'll say this - if you're looking for lots of brain teasing puzzles, you're looking in the wrong place. CIMA does have some tricky ones, but most of the puzzles involve placing people on certain tiles, hitting switches, or killing all the enemies to open up the next room, then doing one of those in the next room.
CIMA is mainly about fighting and escorting the other people to the stairs. And you'll be doing lots of that. There's enemies called "CIMA" (hence the name of the game) everywhere. The CIMA come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like turtles, some like totem poles, some look like kangaroos, and some like fish. And they're all out for human blood. Okay, they're not exactly out for the blood. Play the game if you want to know what it is they want. It's too complicated for me to explain.
Normally you'll play as Ark, a young man who just became a Gate Guardian. But sometimes members of the group will get split off, and you could be playing as a ten-year-old boy with a slingshot, and magician smacking stuff with his magic wand, or even a scalpel throwing doctor.
One of CIMA's problems is the bosses. Now, some are very interesting and fun to fight. Such as (my personal favorite) the giant bird-dragon, Faylar the bird-sorceror, and Falken's train form. And later in the game the bosses do get more and more interesting. But at the start, their patterns aren't much more than running around, attacking, then running around some more.
Oh yes, and at the final dungeon, you don't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating the boss Jean has to fight if you have no material and he's at his default stats. Hopefully you'll have about six materials from the last dungeon, just don't blow them all on somebody else. If you do and save, say hello to a game restart.
CIMA did a great job with character development. Even most of the jerks are likable. Vanrose is just a little high-headed , and Doug has every reason in the world to hate Ark and the Gate Guardians. The only characters I didn't like were Ivy and Diana. Ivy keeps nagging on Ark about the way he fights when all she does is follow Ark and do nothing else except get herself killed. As for Diana, Rick does so much to try to please her, only to get... well, play the game. I don't want to spoil anything.
The graphics are quite good. Many of the bosses are large and detailed (Bird Dragon). Whenever a character talks, a mugshot appears.
The music is actually pretty good for a Game Boy Advance game. Some of the boss fights are particuarly good, such as the Bird Dragon. Sound effects are just there.
Yeah, I know those two paragraphics were lacking. I'm not good at describing graphics and sound.
Overall, CIMA was an interesting experience. Not the best game I've ever played, but well worth the time I spent on it. I just wish the bosses and puzzles were a little more interesting.
7.5/10
Where are these lemmings going? The Super Nintendo Super Shire! Hop in line and follow them there!
