<s>
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
Factor	I-Application
is	O
a	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Treasure	O
and	O
Hitmaker	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
(	O
THQ	O
in	O
Europe	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
on	O
December	O
18	O
,	O
2003	O
in	O
Japan	O
;	O
August	O
18	O
,	O
2004	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
;	O
and	O
February	O
18	O
,	O
2005	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
Osamu	O
Tezuka	O
's	O
manga	O
and	O
anime	O
franchise	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
had	O
been	O
well	O
known	O
for	O
decades	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
was	O
delayed	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
premiere	O
of	O
the	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
TV	O
series	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Omega	O
Factor	O
is	O
a	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
game	I-Application
starring	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
,	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
of	O
the	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
media	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Omega	O
Factor	O
features	O
elements	O
from	O
Astro	B-Application
Boys	I-Application
different	O
incarnations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
robot	O
rights	O
,	O
Dr.	O
Tenma	O
's	O
ultimate	O
plan	O
for	O
Astro	O
and	O
the	O
robot	O
city	O
of	O
Robotonia	O
in	O
Antarctica	O
are	O
lifted	O
from	O
the	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
2003	O
TV	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
are	O
listed	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Omega	O
Factor	O
"	O
,	O
an	O
in-game	O
encyclopedia	O
of	O
the	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
fictional	O
universe	O
,	O
which	O
provides	O
a	O
detailed	O
character	O
biography	O
,	O
including	O
each	O
character	O
's	O
appearances	O
and	O
roles	O
in	O
Tezuka	O
's	O
works	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
Factor	I-Application
was	O
co-developed	O
for	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
by	O
Treasure	O
and	O
Hitmaker	O
produced	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
collaboration	O
between	O
game	O
publisher	O
Sega	O
and	O
Tezuka	O
Productions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
suggestion	O
by	O
Hitmaker	O
president	O
Mie	O
Kumagai	O
,	O
Sega	O
acquired	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
create	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
characters	O
of	O
manga	O
artist	O
Osamu	O
Tezuka	O
around	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
2003	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
TV	O
series	O
started	O
production	O
to	O
celebrate	O
the	O
in-universe	O
birthday	O
of	O
April	O
7	O
,	O
2003	O
of	O
the	O
titular	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
would	O
also	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
40th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
1963	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
anime	O
adaptation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Omega	O
Factor	O
was	O
developed	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
from	O
Sonic	O
Team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
long-time	O
fan	O
of	O
Treasure	O
's	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
on	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
,	O
Okano	O
was	O
eager	O
to	O
involve	O
the	O
studio	O
in	O
the	O
project	O
and	O
replicate	O
the	O
feeling	O
and	O
tone	O
of	O
these	O
earlier	O
releases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
meant	O
introducing	O
new	O
story	O
elements	O
while	O
maintaining	O
what	O
he	O
thought	O
late	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
author	O
Osamu	O
Tezuka	O
would	O
have	O
wanted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okano	O
intended	O
the	O
main	O
theme	O
to	O
be	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
cultivating	O
the	O
human	O
side	O
of	O
his	O
heart	O
by	O
meeting	O
these	O
other	O
characters	O
and	O
accumulating	O
impressions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Omega	O
Factor	O
was	O
chiefly	O
designed	O
and	O
programmed	O
by	O
Mitsuru	O
Yaida	O
,	O
who	O
notably	O
worked	O
on	O
Treasure	O
's	O
run	O
and	O
gun	O
shooter	O
Gunstar	B-Application
Heroes	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
's	O
limited	O
RAM	B-Architecture
and	O
video	O
RAM	B-Architecture
,	O
he	O
said	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
challenging	O
to	O
program	O
a	O
mechanic	O
which	O
allowed	O
switching	O
between	O
gameplay	O
and	O
menu	O
screens	O
while	O
maintaining	O
event	O
and	O
status	O
displays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Okano	O
said	O
that	O
Omega	O
Factor	O
ultimately	O
played	O
most	O
like	O
Gunstar	B-Application
Heroes	I-Application
but	O
recognized	O
similarities	O
with	O
Treasure	O
's	O
Alien	B-Application
Soldier	I-Application
,	O
including	O
how	O
that	O
game	O
's	O
composer	O
,	O
Norio	O
Hanzawa	O
,	O
also	O
contributed	O
to	O
Omega	O
Factors	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
Frank	O
Provo	O
stated	O
that	O
"[e]veryone,	O
regardless	O
of	O
age	O
,	O
simply	O
must	O
own	O
and	O
play	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
Factor	I-Application
–	O
because	O
it	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
on	O
the	O
Game	O
Boy	O
Advance.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publication	O
named	O
it	O
the	O
best	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
game	O
of	O
August	O
2004	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
overall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpy	O
writer	O
Benjamin	O
Turner	O
likewise	O
listed	O
it	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
games	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
Omega	O
Factor	O
has	O
more	O
seductively	O
detailed	O
visuals	O
than	O
any	O
other	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
named	O
this	O
their	O
38th	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
in	O
their	O
final	O
issue	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
captures	O
the	O
essence	O
of	O
Astro	B-Application
Boy	I-Application
perfectly	O
and	O
melds	O
it	O
with	O
developer	O
Treasure	O
's	O
trademark	O
brand	O
of	O
pulse-pounding	O
action.	O
"	O
</s>
