Dream Trigger 3D (3DS Review) by Carl B.

Dream Trigger 3D
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Developer: Art Co
System: Nintendo 3DS
Release: May 10, 2011

May 16, 2011, by Carl B. - Released on May 10, 2011, Dream Trigger 3D is a completely original arcade style shooter from D3 Publisher, the studio behind Bangai-O Spirits on the Nintendo DS. Dream Trigger 3D features the most frantic and intense action on the Nintendo 3DS, but is there enough to this arcade shooter to warrant a $40 purchase?

Players take control of the "fixer of dreams" in Dream Trigger 3D, a being that enters the deepest corners of the human subconscious in order to eradicate the nightmares that reside there. The fixer of dreams takes on a multitude of different forms depending on what type of level players are in; the very first level of the game has the fixer take the form of a butterfly, while the fixer is a dolphin in water themed levels and an aiming reticule in futuristic levels.

2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
There are many different categories – known as Dreamscape Environments – that the 50 levels of Dream Trigger 3D fall into: Purity, Wrath, and Infinity, just to name a few. Every level in the game has the same end goal: defeat as many enemies as possible, try to collect all the power-ups, and defeat the level's boss. Each level of the game is hidden in the game's World Map mode, and the only way to unlock each level is to mode throughout the World Map, beating levels and finding main bosses.

Although it is an arcade shooter, Dream Trigger 3D plays unlike any shooter I've played before. The top screen displays the fixer of dreams in the dream world, and the bottom screen displays the Sonar and Rhythm Bar. Enemies will enter the dream world in the form of small blue spheres, and can only be destroyed once they become vulnerable. To do this, players must place Sonar Pings where the enemies are in the dream world by either pressing the A button or using the touch screen. I found that the latter of the two ways was the easiest, especially when things really get intense as players will be able to move around with the fixer of dreams on one side of the screen while they place Sonar Pings on the other side with the touch screen. Once an enemy becomes vulnerable, all players have to do is hover over it with the fixer and press the B button to shoot it. To shake things up, enemies will oftentimes appear at random spots, forcing players to keep on their Sonar. When enemies appear or become vulnerable, they'll shoot a bevy of projectiles into the area that do damage to the fixer if hit; there are a ton of projectiles flying all over the place when numerous enemies are on screen, making for a very intense situation.

2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
There are four types of collectables in the dream world, in the form of triangles: blue, yellow, red, and purple. Blue triangles simply increase the player's score for that particular level, while the others increase health, give unlimited shooting energy for a limited time, and make the fixer invincible for a short period, respectively. Even though a purple triangle awards the fixer invincibility, I preferred the red triangle since it allowed me to shoot endlessly for a short time – projectiles don't hurt the fixer while it's shooting, so the red triangle is essentially a better version of the purple one.

Dream Trigger 3D is an incredibly immersive game. The 3D effect is very deep, and the different Dreamscape Environments make the game feel really trippy with their varied colors and backgrounds. Art Co and D3 Publisher did a great job with using the 3D depth effect in other areas of the game, too, as it's easy to tell which power-ups are on the foreground or background. One fantastic touch they did with the game was in its soundtrack. Every tune in the game is a remix of classical music compositions that increases in speed and intensity the more players move around, place Sonar Pings, and attack enemies.

2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
Dream Trigger 3D's 50 World Map levels will take around five hours to fully complete, but for those that are into achievements, Dream Trigger 3D features 100 different challenges for players to complete. Some range from playing the game with headphones on to defeating a boss without being hit to placing Sonar Pings in the shape of a tic-tac-toe board. There is also a Free Play mode, a Time Attack mode, and a Versus Mode, but sadly there is no online multiplayer, online leaderboards, or single-card multiplayer.

The biggest complaint I have with my time with Dream Trigger 3D is the lack of accessibility. The game is very difficult – especially later on – but it doesn't really tell the player how to play the game. It took me 30 minutes to clear the first level because I had no clue what I was supposed to do, but once I got the hang of things the game became incredibly fun.

2D image of Nintendo 3DS game.
The Verdict

Sound
15/15 - A techno-styled soundtrack based off of classical music compositions. The music speeds up and slows down based on how players go through each level.

Graphics
15/20 - The visuals in Dream Trigger 3D are fairly simple, but the 3D effect is very deep and immersive. Varied colors and backgrounds in the multitude of Dreamscape Environments are trippy.

Appeal
19/25 - 50 World Map levels will take a good deal of time to complete, plus the 100 challenges for players to do. A lack of any type of online, whether it be multiplayer or leaderboards, is very disappointing.

Gameplay
34/40 - This arcade shooter is unlike any I've played before. The unique gameplay based off of setting Sonar Pings to reveal enemies gives Dream Trigger 3D a dynamic that very few, if any, arcade shooters possess.

Overall
83/100 - D3 Publisher and Art Co have put together a great product with Dream Trigger 3D. Its gameplay is so unique and immersive that the relative shortness of the title (about five hours) can be overlooked completely.