Play Astro Boy: Omega Factor Online

Summary

Astro Boy: Omega Factor lets you control the iconic robot hero as he punches, kicks, and fires his signature laser across vibrant side‑scrolling stages. Each enemy you defeat fills an EX gauge that unlocks high‑power lasers, charging dashes, or screen‑clearing guns, while rocket‑powered flight lets you reach hidden areas and secret upgrades. Every character you encounter is added to the titular Omega Factor, a soul‑like collection that grants points to boost health, strength, or flight speed, turning the roster of over 40 foes into a progression system.

The game was a tight‑knit collaboration between Treasure and Hitmaker, overseen by Sega and Tezuka Productions. Director Tetsu “Tez” Okano, a veteran of 2D action, steered the project with a ten‑person team, while programmer Mitsuru Yaida—known for Gunstar Heroes—focused on fluid dash mechanics and the tricky GBA memory juggling required for seamless menu‑game transitions. The title pays homage to Treasure’s own classics, sprinkling nods to Gunstar Heroes and Alien Soldier, and even re‑balanced level layouts and added a third difficulty for the Western release.

Critics hailed the game as a visual feast, calling its sprite work and background animation a "technical marvel" that set a new bar for the handheld. Scores hovered in the mid‑80s on aggregate sites, and despite occasional complaints about repetitive shooter stages, reviewers agreed that the blend of Astro’s classic charm with Treasure’s pulse‑pounding action makes Omega Factor a standout GBA experience.

Storyline

Astro Boy: Omega Factor (often just called Omega Factor) splits its narrative into two distinct episodes, Birth and Rebirth. In Birth, the young robot with human emotions battles through a disaster‑riddled Metro City, a plasma‑oozing power plant, and swarms of hammer‑wielding bats while meeting more than 50 characters from Osamu Tezuka’s universe—including Atlas, Dr. O'Shay, Zoran, and Dr. Tenma—to learn about tenderness, justice, evil, and courage. The episode ends with the orbital weapon Death Mask destroying the robots, allowing Sharaku to seize Earth. Rebirth sees Astro revived by a being called Phoenix, granting him the power to travel forward and backward in time to stop Death Mask and protect robot rights, a theme borrowed from the 2003 Astro Boy TV series and the Antarctic city of Robotonia. The story also weaves in a Marine Express‑style time‑travel plot, a journey to the lost continent of Mu, and a subplot about Duke Red’s daughter and the Death Mask platform, all chronicled in the in‑game Omega Factor encyclopedia.