Radiohammer feels more comfortable on the 3DS

Radiohammer isn’t a new game. It originally appeared on Android and iOS devices in 2014 and gradually grew into something more substantial. It began with only one DJ, after all, and has constantly evolved into something bigger. Yet, there will probably be people who look at the mobile version of the game and consider the 3DS release superior.

There’s a level of precision present in the world 3DS port that the iOS and Android apps lack. Radiohammer is a rhythm game, and such titles benefit from buttons. You want a level of accuracy that sometimes touch screens are unable to provide. Having both directional pad and action buttons assigned to the two rows of opponents and presents means you’ll always hit the high notes. Especially since you could only use the action buttons or d-pad to play the game. Personally, I like to use the left button to get presents and the “X” and “B” buttons for the upper and lower lanes.

The speaker positioning helps too. With many mobile devices, the speakers are positioned on the back or bottom of the device. Getting headphones out for a game you might only play for 5-15 minutes is a chore. Especially when song snippets last about a minute at most. The frog facing speakers are far more accommodating on the 3DS.

It has an extra DJ too, which is a big deal when the original game only has 3 playable characters. Chaos Code’s Celia is there with her own story mode, which is appreciated for people familiar with the 2D fighter. And for those who aren’t, it’s nice to know the story mode has someone else to control once you’ve followed July Ann, MC Wayne, and Simply Lita’s stories. The only downside is being forced to play through each DJ’s story to unlock this exclusive character.

Radiohammer on the 3DS isn’t perfect. It’s $5.99 on the handheld, as opposed to $2.99 on mobile devices. It’s also more limited at the moment. There are about 50 songs in the 3DS version of the game, compared to 70 on Android and iOS. There have also been hints that DJ Numi will join the cast of the other game. A distinct disparity is apparent, even before you get into the crisper visuals of the mobile port.

But I still believe that many people are going to prefer the 3DS version of Radiohammer. The ease of play, inclusion of Celia, and ability to really pick up and go without sacrificing audio, are all going to pull people to the port.