Topic: REVIEWS: Guinness World Records: The Videogame

[Chessa]

A party game without the party.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=17508

 The Guinness Book of World records, first published in 1955, has gone on to become the best-selling copyrighted series of all time. People all over the world have accomplished some amazing and unique feats in order to gain Guinness' recognition. Surely a Wii game based off the talents and success of people all around the world would be both fun and informational! Disappointingly, the game is neither.    

Players start a new game by selecting one of twelve generic-looking characters. Later on, players will have the option to change their clothes and appearance if they so wish. The game's main screen is similar to the map of Elite Beat Agents: a scrolling globe that players traverse. Scattered about the globe are landmarks which bounce when nearby, indicating the player can access the locale's mini-games. Each landmark contains three mini-games, two of which are locked. When the player completes a mini-game his or her performance is ranked in terms of "records". World record is first place, state record is second, and regional record is third. Coin amounts are awarded based on which record was broken, and can be used to unlock further mini-games or to purchase clothing and accessories for the player's character.    

Each mini-game implements a different motion control scheme, similar to that of Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Some require the Wii remote to be pointed at the screen while others control merely with waggle. The way a particular mini-game controls is demonstrated by an animated Wii remote before the game begins. Players must duplicate the presented actions in order to successfully complete the game. In general the motion controls are very responsive; only a few of the games require a minor learning curve.    

While there are a good amount of mini-games available, the game suffers from two primary downfalls: no solid connection to the Guinness records concept, and a lack of simultaneous multiplayer. The loss of identity in this particular title is simply astounding. Without the minute feed of random world records that slowly scrolls along the menu screen, the game would be nothing more than another collection of random games. At no point are the mini-games or their locales suggested to have any relevance to actual records. Furthermore, the featured multiplayer mode requires players to take turns to see who can net the highest score, rather than challenging the records simultaneously. Given that the game feels and plays like a party game, having players wait for their turn drastically slows down the experience and makes the game unenjoyable with more than one player.    

For a game based on Guinness World Records achieved by people worldwide, they are awfully hidden from view, serving little function in the game. The lack of identity and direction is unfulfilling, and while a select group of mini-games are entertaining and original, many of them feel generic and bland. But in the end, it's the lack of simultaneous multiplayer that makes the game nearly pointless.

Pros:
       

Good selection of games

 

Controls work well

       Cons:
       

No simultaneous multiplayer

 

Guinness franchise is never really established

 

Too many generic mini-games

               Graphics:  6.0
       Though bright and colorful, choppy textures drag down the game's presentation.

               Sound:  5.0
       The game's music and sound effects are generic and bland, doing little to make a game based on breaking world records feel epic or exciting.

               Control:  8.0
       While the mini-games' controls are very responsive and nearly flawless, the provided instructions for any given game are cryptic and uninformative, making simple games more complicated than they need to be. Navigating the excessive menus, with their unacceptably long loading times, is frustrating.

                      Gameplay:  7.0
       Even though the lack of simultaneous multiplayer is disappointing, the one player mode can still be fun at times. Original games based off of growing absurdly long nails, smashing watermelons with your head, and creating the longest burp are a few examples of mini-games that can be entertaining, even when playing alone.

 

       Lastability:  6.0
       After unlocking all the mini-games, there is little to come back to besides earning coins to purchase additional wardrobe pieces for the player's character.

 

       Final:  6.0
       Without any real sense of purpose, focus, or multiplayer, Guinness Book of World Records falls short in all categories. Long-time gamers will be numb from boredom and the more casual gamer will be stumped by the game's lack of meaning.