Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first hour has a pleasingly uncomplicated pull. Ben 10: Alien Force puts you in side-view stages, sends enemies your way, and asks you to make the most of a brawler’s basic pleasures: land hits, string attacks together, and keep moving. If you came in wanting a cartoon tie-in that lets you get hands-on with its heroes instead of merely watching them trade quips, it understands the assignment.

Combat has more texture than blind mashing. Multiple attacks can be combined into special attacks, while chained combos let you clear enemies more quickly once the rhythm starts to click. That is the point where the game becomes more enjoyable: you stop treating every encounter as a pile of targets and start looking for efficient strings. It is still an accessible action game, not a demanding combo showcase, but that restraint suits the Nintendo DS and the show’s audience.

Ben’s ability to take Alien Force team forms is the headline, while Gwen and Kevin give the supporting cast practical roles in the fight. Gwen can create shields, and Kevin can absorb nearby materials. These powers help the trio feel like more than decorative companions. The frustration is that the overall structure remains a pretty direct brawler-platformer, so anyone craving elaborate exploration or a combat system with endless layers may reach its limits quickly. For a brisk licensed action game, though, its focus is a virtue.

Graphics

The game uses a 2D scrolling, side-view format, so you see Ben and the team moving across the screen as enemies approach from the same plane. That simple viewpoint is a comfortable fit for a handheld brawler: it keeps the action easy to parse and leaves the focus on character attacks, transformations, and close-range scuffles.

Story

This is a clean continuation-style setup for the Alien Force era. Five years after retiring the Omnitrix, Ben has to use it again because a new alien threat has emerged. It is a sensible excuse to put the watch back on his wrist and get the action underway without burying the game in setup.

Grandpa Max’s danger gives the conflict a personal target, while Gwen and Kevin join Ben in confronting the threat. That trio is the heart of the story material here. Fans of the series will appreciate that the game does not isolate Ben from the people most associated with this phase of the show.

Do not expect the premise to carry the experience on its own if you have no affection for Ben 10. The plot is functional, immediate, and clearly built to move you from one fight to the next. It works best as a familiar TV-world backdrop for the action, rather than as a reason to play a brawler you otherwise would not touch.

Overall Experience

Ben 10: Alien Force is at its best when you meet it on its own modest terms: a handheld action game where recognizable heroes, combos, and special attacks do the heavy lifting. It has a better chance of winning you over if you enjoy the show or are buying for a younger Ben 10 fan who wants direct, readable combat.

There is enough in the combat to reward learning how attacks chain together, and Gwen and Kevin keep the team dynamic from feeling entirely cosmetic. But the game is unlikely to convert someone who has already grown tired of linear brawling. Its payoff is the uncomplicated pleasure of inhabiting this version of the Ben 10 cast, not a major reinvention of the genre.

If this particular era of the series is your favorite, it is an easy game to give a chance. And if you want another adventure from the same corner of the franchise afterward, Ben 10: Alien Force – The Rise of Hex is a related game worth considering. For everyone else, this is a decent, focused rental-style brawler rather than an essential DS action pick.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10