Jesus Christ this game is a masterpiece. Didn’t expect Phoenix & Black Jack to show up cause I’m clearly unfamiliar with the manga but yeah. You can feel Tezuka's classic touch, primarily his message about life's universal value, how it permeates thru the organic, the technological, and even the stars.

Treasure delivers on all fronts in terms of game development. The leveling up system felt fair and challenging at the same time (wish I didn't level up my shot meter so much early on lol). there's lots of variation in the 7-8 levels as well, ranging from Gunstar Heroes-ish beat 'em up sections to horizontal shooter segments. There's even times where the stage setting changes basic gameplay functions, like the level with altered gravity. The only drawback was the blue Knight dueling bit, which felt unfairly punishing/annoying (I hate that the A button timing had to be SO exact, and Astro Boy dies in one hit wtf). There's also too much ambiguity and confusion on what to do next during the second replay half of the game, but that's a fairly minor quip.

Overall the music, visuals, and dialogue sections are beautifully made. Feels like Treasure put tons of thoughtfulness and detailed effort into making a faithful, robust tribute to Tezuka's work. Everything meshes together for an absolutely astonishing experience.