Astro Boy is the upcoming third-person action game that puts you in control of the classic anime and manga star from the '60s and '70s, and it is in the midst of a revival thanks to a new wave of games and anime. The latest part of the happy juggernaut is Astro Boy for the PlayStation 2, an action game developed by Sonic Team that drops you into the tiny robot's colorful universe. While the game isn't due in the US until later this year, it recently hit the streets in Japan, and we've gotten our hands on it to bring you our impressions of the foreign release.

　　The game opens with an animated sequence from the new cartoon series that fills you in on Astro Boy's humble beginnings. Shortly thereafter you'll take control of the tiny robot, named Tetsuwan Atom, and will slowly start familiarizing yourself with his many abilities. When you start the game you'll just be able to punch your foes, but as you go through the early levels you'll start to earn upgrades for Tetsuwan's various systems, such as the power of flight and his mighty finger laser.

　　Your time in the game will be divided into flight and ground sequences that will vary depending on the mission. So far the game seems pretty linear. You'll interact with some familiar faces like Dr. Ochanomizu, Tetsuwan's creator, or assorted robots who'll clue you in to events that require your attention. You'll travel to the different locations via portals you'll find in the main city, which acts as a hub. When your batteries are low you can head back to Dr. Ochanomizu's house for some maintenance.

　　The control in the game is solid for both types of gameplay. You'll move Tetsuwan around with the left analog stick, jump with the X button, and punch with the square button. Once you earn your finger laser, the circle button will shoot it. The square button is one of three context-sensitive buttons you'll see in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, whose use will vary with the situation. Taking flight is as easy as jumping twice or pushing up with the right analog stick. When you're in the air, the game feels a bit like Zone of the Enders, and the game's lock-on feature makes attacking enemies a breeze.

　　The graphics in the game are looking good, albeit rough around the edges. The game nails the look of the anime with stylized visuals and sparsely detailed character models that match their 2D counterparts. You'll find some graphical flourishes such as specular highlights, lighting, particle effects, and filters on hand to tie everything together. The look of the game seems to work well, although the frame rate can take some hits in the larger areas, and the camera can be a bit of a pain.

　　The audio we've heard is solid although very, very Japanese in its aesthetics. The music is a little game-showy and doesn't always map to the onscreen action. On the other hand, the voice works well as do the sound effects.

　　At first blush, Astro Boy is looking like a solid little game that's true to the classic franchise. The gameplay is smart and does a good job of re-creating Tetsuwan's unique abilities and having them work well in a game setting. The graphics, while not as polished as we'd like, nail the look of the series and definitely bring the world you'll be adventuring in to life. The game's Q3 2004 US release is allowing Sonic Team the time to make some tweaks before Astro Boy hits our shores. In addition to the expected changes in language and voice, the game will feature new sound effects and music to keep it in line with the US cartoon. The images in the dialogue boxes are also being tweaked, and a new map feature is being added to let you keep track of your position.