Lots of Baggage –
Aero Porter is the second game of the Guild01 compilation. Liberation Maiden was released by Suda51 a few weeks ago and now Aero Porter is the latest game by Yoot Saito, most famous for creating Seaman on Dreamcast.
Aero Porter is an airport baggage sim and gameplay is somewhat difficult to explain. Using only the shoulder buttons, the player controls the vertical movement of packages by raising or lowering disc shaped conveyer belts containing the baggage of airport passengers. The goal is to load the proper bags on each corresponding plane as quickly as possible. For example, the red bags go on the red plane and the blue bags go on the blue plane.
The gameplay is simple but quickly becomes hectic.
Aero Porter is a simple game at its core but the difficulty quickly ramps up and goes from enjoyable to frustrating. Later levels introduce multiple tiers of conveyer belts, throws bombs into the mix, and VIP packages must take priority over standard bags. And all this must be done while keeping an eye on power consumption. But in order to see the conveyer belts, you must turn on the lights which suck more power. Then if you run out of power, a new power supply much be purchased and dropped all the way to the lower level. However, the only way to get money is to is perform well enough so your customers are happy and the airport grows. Aero Porter’s difficulty spikes can be brutal, making multi-tasking and quick reaction times the most important elements to success.
Not only is the gameplay straightforward, so is the presentation. However, it works to the game’s advantage. The simple black and white design makes the colored packages and planes stand out and easy identifiable even when using peripheral vision but the game does not even use the 3D effect. Sound design is also basic but fits this type of game very well and the built-in tutorial will bring players up to speed on this unique game design.
Bombs sometimes appear in luggage.
In time, the player will grow the size of the airport and can even design a plane that can be swapped via Streetpass. It is pretty much a useless feature but could potentially yield some reward if dedicated players link up.
Aero Porter is a surprisingly fun and different game concept but ultimately suffers from lack of lasting appeal. This game is best played in five minute spurts by gamers who enjoy micromanaging and a stiff challenge. But the $5 asking price is worth the cost of admission for 3DS owners looking for something with a little more quirk.
Not As Good As: other 3DS eShop games
Better Than: dealing with the TSA
Also Try: Odama (GC), Flight Control (WP7)