I hereby admit to a peculiar attraction to P.N.03. The game feels kind of rushed - it would probably have benefited from some more time in development - but at it's core, there is true satisfaction in trying to master this bastard of a game. Let's not forget that it was one of the "Capcom 4" for the GC, along with hardcore gem Viewtiful Joe. True, P.N.03 borders on pure pain sometimes, as I feel that the reward of the game is not really in proportion to the controls or the general design (you are not as free as you would like, yet nor as restricted as the gameplay would perhaps need you to be). It's good, but could've been fantastic. Personally I also quite enjoyed the little story of it, it was non-obtrusive and appropriately nonsensical, and fit the minimalist nature of the game well. And all those great robot designs!

Actually, I spent a couple of months hunting down PN03 because I desperately wanted to play it since I first heard tell of it. Of course I had heard of all its faults well before playing it and when I finally got my hands on it for $10 I think I got a bit more than what I payed.

PN03 is an old school game to be honest, and most people just don't get it, either that or they just can't recognize it as an old school game. ITs a very basic shoot 'em up that is terribly repetative, but fun for a few hours. The graphics aren't the best by today's standards but thats not the point.

The reason I say the game is old school deals with its gameplay (which is shallow) and its story (which is shallow). To learn the story you actually have to read the manual (OMG NOT THE MANUAL! I haven't had to do that since Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past!) but as you play you learn very little about the world in which you play. However, there is always just enough of a shadow cast infront of you that entices you to press forward to see what happens. In fact, the ending isn't the best but it fits the game perfectly I find and leaves plenty of room for a sequal.

PN03 is a game that did a lot of things more half assed than anything and if it had a sequal that finished, fixed, and polished what was PN03 it would be incredibly fun.

I would have to give a nod to PN03 for being an old school game that definately got lost in the fray and the ratings (though deserving).

I tried this game many moons ago when it initally came out and just picked up a copy of it last week. I really enjoy it for what it is, and your absolutely right Mike when you say it's an 'old-school' game. The 'story', and the way its presented, echoes shades of 'Bionic Commando' for me, another Capcom title. The gameplay itself is simple and straightforward and in a way, that's kind of refreshing every now and then: not every game needs to be a complex experience.

I personally consider the game to be the modern evolution of the shmup. And I think it may have been designed that way, seeing how stiff the joystick control is when it comes to turning. The character, enemy, and enviromental design was excellent. Bosses were quite interesting, especially the rolling spider boss. I was personally let down by the seeming lack of production values in the menus. The game has so much style, it just never made it into the interface in any major way. It's largest glaring issue is repeditiveness. Not so much in gameplay as one expects in any shmup or shooter, but in level design. You are often forced to revisit the same levels multiple times, and it becomes apparent there is a general lack of content. The "story" is not unlike that of a shmup either, nearly non-existant. It seemed like a concept that was half done and capcom decided it was time to profit from it so it was rushed to market. Six more months or so of time and it could have been remembered in GameCube "Top 25" lists.

What struck me the most is most reviews I saw the reviewer never seemed to realise that it was a shooter. They reviewed it as an action game. Five minutes in the hands of any seasoned gamer and it should be clear that it's a shooter. It would be great to see a sequel, possibly including some traditional 3rd person shooter and adventure elements.

It's no River City Ransom cult classic, but it was sad to see such a decent game fail so badly. I caved while waiting and paid $40 IIRC. Not quite worth it, but an interesting game worth revisiting none the less.

Wow, the article makes it sound like torture. I think one's enjoyment of it comes down to this: Can you get a handle of the controls? If you can you can make vanessa seem to effortlessly glide through levels. If not it's hours of pain. I'd once again compare it to a shmup it that fashion, they suck until you gain some mastery over them.

I tried playing my friend's copy and since I hadn't played it in some time. I saw the pain most people see when playing. If you button mash or just suck at the game you almost can't enjoy it.

Got it and love it. Currently loaning it to a friend though... I may have to pry it from his cold dead hands to get it back though. :P

best $15 ive ever spent

I played PN03 when it came out and once again a couple of years ago. It's a beautiful game blending action with grace. Why have a character jump when they can spin out of the way? Cinematic, Matrix-like moves whilst still feeling connected to the character's response. The only downside was that it was very short and quite repetitive.

It was too Japanese and unusual for the market when released, so sank without trace.

Out of all the games I've played, it's one of the few I look back on with great admiration.

I bought the game fairly cheap when it first came out, and it felt to me like it was meant to be a rhythm game but lacked the funding to get that far in development so it turned into a generic shooter. Although the production design for it was top notch, far better looking than it had any right to be which makes it feel like such a curious creation. You want to like it more than it will allow and yet there are reasons to stand by it. If the developers hadn't had their funding obviously cut for this game it'd be interesting to see just how far it would have gotten.