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[Kill the rabbit.]

1

TalkBack / REVIEWS: Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

« on: November 19, 2007, 10:37:39 AM »

Kill the rabbit.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14836

 Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is a strange and sad case. A sequel to last year's absurdly entertaining original, it takes almost every imaginative application of the Wii remote first demonstrated there and devolves it into something analogous to a baby shaking a rattle. The common complaint against the original was based on the unfortunate failings of the multiplayer side of the game that, more often than not, forced players to take turns rather than play simultaneously. RRR2 has done much to redress those concerns, but in the process, the fundamentals of the gameplay have been simplified to a stultifying degree. The tone and absurdity of the rabbid scenarios remain as wickedly amusing as ever, but the gameplay fails to deliver the same degree of freewheeling satisfaction and imagination. The game is certainly not a disaster, but in the already over-crowded mini-game market on the Wii, there's little that makes RRR2 deserve attention.    

Like the original, the game offers a basic setup to explain the game's premise: rabbids have invaded Earth with a fleet of flying submarines, and Rayman must save the world from them. The game opens quite promisingly with a beautiful rendered cut-scene that lays the whole thing out in three easy minutes. The tone is perfectly set with the rabbids' brain-dead looks unpredictably escalating into panicked yells and inexplicably random behavior. A scene of the rabbids in front of a giant TV playing random commercials and TV clips while watching in a slavish trance is a perfect encapsulation of the tonal and cultural send-ups that the game plays upon. The game's main menu screen is cleverly built around a mall corridor that dovetails perfectly with the deviously simple premise of deconstructing and satirizing modern culture.    

When you begin the game you'll have to guide Rayman on a series of "trips" through different continents to save the world. Each trip consists of six mini-games that must be completed before a region can be considered cleared. Every trip can be played in easy or normal difficulty setting, with three new mini-games swapped in for each difficulty. Once you beat a trip, all of the mini-games will be available to use in building your own custom trip. In a nod to complaints about the poorly designed multiplayer in the first Raving Rabbids, all the trips can be played either solo or with up to four players. Being able to play the main campaign with friends is a great addition to the game and impressively unifies the basic strength of the mini-game design. This is a game meant to be played with friends with reckless abandon.      

Unfortunately, the mini-games offered aren't nearly as entertaining as the premise that they're surrounded with. A disturbing majority of the fifty-plus mini-games are based around either shaking the Wii Remote or alternately shaking the Remote and Nunchuk (how many different games have you done that in by now?). One of the discrete charms of the original Rabbids game was the synchronicity between what players were asked to do with the Remote and what, consequently, happened in-game. If you were pulling worms from a tooth, you aimed at the worm with the Remote and pulled back. If you were guiding a marble through a maze, you titled the Remote to move the floor of the maze. If you were shooting carrot juice at frenzied rabbids, you pumped the juicer with the Nunchuk and fired the stream with the Remote's IR. It wasn't deep, but it made sense and was pleasantly rewarding in the brief sessions of gaming the title was designed around.    

The sequel's core gameplay offers a far less connected sense of motion control. In one sequence, based on television's The Office, you shake the Remote as vigorously as possible to make Rayman freak out while the boss is in another room. When the boss re-enters the room, you have to stop shaking the Remote to avoid being caught. In another game, Rayman must throw paper wads at a teacher in a classroom by shaking the Remote up and down. When the teacher turns around, players use the IR to point at another student to deflect the blame. In yet another game, you're asked to take turns hitting a rabbid on an operating table until he is unconscious. Each consequent hit makes the rabbid sleepier, and the player to score the hit that sends the rabbid to dreamland wins the game. While there are some timing constraints, each of these games rely solely on who can shake the Remote one way or another and, the longer you play each one, the more you'll start to realize how fundamentally disconnected your gestures are from what's happening in-game.    

There are a few other variations on motion control that hearken back to the original, including tilting the Remote to steer Rayman around a track during races. The same essential controls are used here, but tracks are now straightforward corridors with only mild curves and obstacles that tend to recycle every few seconds. Also returning are the on-rails shooter levels, unlocked at the end of each trip. Ubisoft Paris has taken a drastic turn with the art direction of the game here, opting to use actual video of real world environments as backdrops and layering the rabbids and their cartoonish vehicles in on top. This choice evokes the whimsy of older children's movies like Bedknobs & Broomsticks and The Muppet Movie with an endearing mix of the absurd bunnies and the real-life places where they have run amuck. Unfortunately, real world settings don't provide nearly the same level of environmental diversity as the 3-D rendered ones from the original. Instead of a constantly moving trip through an intricate level of blind corners and specifically designed geography, we're given bland walks in a straight line that quickly become formulaic. It's commendable that Ubisoft Paris was willing to take such a risk, but the result has needlessly weakened one of the best parts of the game.    

Raving Rabbids 2 was clearly designed around multiplayer, and it's here that the game performs best. Being able to jump in and play the game at any point with another player is a great feature, and the random Remote shaking at the heart of the game is never more fun than when you're competing against another person. It's not an entertainment that will last, however, as, even in multiplayer, the formula of shaking as fast as you can for some vague and random purpose quickly becomes pointless. It's fun for a few games, but after twenty minutes of seeing whose arm can waggle faster, most players will tire of the formula.    

Not all the mini-games are waggle-tastic dogs, however. One entertaining turn has players holding the Remotes to their mouths like a flute and then pushing the A, 1, or 2 buttons in time with on-screen prompts. Another happy invention is a Spider-Man-based game in which players chase a web-slinging rabbid, twisting their Remotes to line up their player with the air bound target to fire a missile. If you successfully knock the Spidey-rabbid out of the sky, you get to take his position and aim your web slinging with the same Remote twisting to avoid the missiles of other players.    

Graphically, RRR2 is a bright and colorful game with some amusingly exaggerated animations to match the crazy unpredictability of the core concept. Underneath the glib art style, however, the game is rife with low-res textures, simple character models, and disappointingly plain environments. The original game wasn't exactly a technical powerhouse, and this sequel seems like a step back from its predecessor. Sound design matches the goofy theme of the game, with lots of unhinged rabbid screams and yelps, and some lively background music to accompany each game. You'll notice some themes repeat a little too frequently, though, and, generally, there's little in the music that you'll remember after you've turned your Wii off and moved on to something else (save the infectious banjo riff that plays at the end of every mini-game).    

If you've played the original, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is a frustrating disappointment. It has done much to amend the multiplayer shortcomings of the first game and extended the absurdist hilarity of the rabbids to new territory. Unfortunately, the gameplay has been stripped of its modest nuance in favor of arbitrary Remote shaking and some tilt-steering around spartan racetracks. If you've never played a Rabbids game, you'll get a little more entertainment out of this one, if only for the pleasantly cheeky sense of humor. However, the repetitive and disconnected gameplay will eventually wear out even the most open-minded gamers. The inclusion of online leaderboards for each mini-game and an even more robust character customization feature can't do much to ameliorate the ridiculously repetitive gameplay. Coming out only a year after the original, RRR2 makes a good case against publishers rushing to release a sequel to a successful game on an annual basis. RRR2 has taken all the charm and thoughtful originality of the first game and reduced it to a catatonically simple formula that even the most ardent fan will find hard to enjoy for longer than a few hours.

Pros:
       

Multiplayer options are great

 

Online leaderboards

 

Sense of humor remains satisfying

       Cons:
       

Simplified controls are a repetitive chore

 

On-rails shooter levels are slow and predictable

 

You can see all there is to see in three hours

 

Graphics are a step back from the original

               Graphics:  6.0
       The game is bright and cheerful, with a varied set of backdrops, from an ice world to a mad scientist's laboratory. The character models are low on polygons, and the environments are overly sparse on further inspection, with low-res textures all around.

               Sound:  6.5
       There's a good amount of variety to the different background themes for each mini-game, but few possess any memorable charm. The rabbids, once again, have a very pleasing array of insane screams, but there's little else that really gives personality to the game environment. The tunes in the music-based rhythm game are anemic and lack the whacky variety (and quantity) of the original.

               Control:  5.0
       The game's true Achilles heel is its simplified control scheme. An alarming number of the mini-games are based around simply shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuk with abandon. Worse still, there is no intuitive connection between the player's Remote shakes and the resultant actions produced in-game. It might be fun for newcomers to Wii, but the formula is overly familiar and lacks the comparative grace of the original's suite of motion controls. The game represents a genuine step backward in the evolution of Wii controls.

                      Gameplay:  6.0
       There's enough basic charm to keep fans of the rabbids chugging through to unlock all the mini-games. Being able to play all the mini-games with up to four other players simultaneously is a great boon to the overall design, but the controls are so reductive and disjointed that it's hard to imagine many people finding any genuine entertainment value here.

 

       Lastability:  4.0
       There is less content here than the original, almost across the board. There are fewer mini-games, fewer on-rails shooter levels, and fewer songs for the music-based jukebox game. The enhanced multiplayer options are intended to make up for the reduced content, but the mini-games lack any genuine entertainment value. The addition of online leaderboards is a nice touch and might have been a bigger hook had the games actually been fun enough to inspire repeat plays.

 

       Final:  5.5
       Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is a painful disappointment. All of the imagination and creativity of the first game has been dumbed down to the point of stupefaction. The charmingly absurdist tone remain intact, but playing through the mini-games, in a group or by yourself, is a regressive experience. All too often, the gameplay comes back to simply shaking the Remote and/or Nunchuk with only the most random connection to what's happening on screen. Ubisoft has provided a good feature set for the game and has done an excellent job carving out the identity of the Rabbids. If only more attention had been spent polishing the gameplay, this game might have been a genuine winner. As it stands, it's one of the least entertaining mini-game collections on the Wii.      

[Everything old is new again.]

2

TalkBack / REVIEWS: FIFA 08

« on: November 06, 2007, 05:08:22 PM »

Everything old is new again.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14752

 Handheld gaming has too often been a backwater of diluted versions of console games that zealous gamers could take on the road with them. Now that the technology of handhelds has advanced to the level of the PSP and DS, publishers have been able to make a pretty penny by reviving an even wider array of console games and shoehorning them onto portables with a few new features. FIFA 08 embodies this paradigm, providing a feature-rich but slightly dumbed-down version of FIFA from the PSX/N64 days. It's a fast-paced, arcade-style take on the game of soccer that long-time FIFA fans and younger players will appreciate. At the same time, it's based on a core gameplay design that, in its day, was far from perfect, and, by today's standards, retains all the flaws of the original.    

The gameplay in FIFA is oriented horizontally in traditional television style with the goals at the far left and far right sides of the screen. All the action takes place on the top screen while the bottom screen is primarily used as a tactical map to show the positions of all the players on the field. Players can also call plays and change formations on the fly with some basic button prompts next to the map on the touch screen. If you've ever played an older FIFA game you'll know just what to expect: using tactics is generally less effective than sprinting up and down the field, randomly passing to the next open player and trying to get the ball close enough to the goal box to fire off a shot. There's a good range of juke moves and an array of more complex passing options, but you'll generally do just as well, if not better, holding down the sprint button and passing out of double teams to the next open player. While not the most immersive approach to soccer, it's definitely a generally entertaining version of the game that is ideally suited to the quick-hit sessions of portable gaming.    

The AI is generally easy enough to beat with a few basic passes or changes of direction, while on offense they rarely seem to employ any more complex tactics than the basic run and pass approach. On higher difficulty levels the computer's shots and passes are faster and more accurate and its defenders more adept at creating turnovers, but that's as far as it goes. Having a map of the whole screen is a nice idea that has been a part of recent console soccer games, and it sounds good in theory.  However, in practice it's pretty disorienting to check the bottom screen, figure out which blue or red dot is your player, analyze the soft spots in the defense, then glance back at the top screen to pull off a play. In most cases you'll have lost possession of the ball by the time you've figured it all out. Having the play calls on the touch screen is nice, but you rarely need to use set plays because basic passing and shooting is just as effective.    

The D-Pad and face buttons are your main control mechanisms.  While the controls are decently responsive, the button configuration is a little awkward and takes some gettting used to. Sprint has been mapped to the R button, the frequent use of which makes the physical process of holding the DS a little unwieldy. You'll be pressing and releasing the R button so much during a game that your DS will rock back and forth a bit each time.  It's a subtle but irritating choice for such a central technique that really should have been mapped to a face button instead. Another finger-fumbling choice is mapping both the tackle command and shoot command to the A button. As you're feverishly mashing on the A button on defense to regain possession of the ball, you'll wind up inadvertently firing off a shot after having won possession without even realizing it. It's a minor irritation but it happens in almost every game. Considering how small the players and ball are on screen, it can be really difficult to make out who's actually in possession when a defender is aggressively contesting the ball handler.         The touch screen is used primarily for free kicks, penalty shots, and menu navigation.  A stylus swipe is used to determine the speed and arch of a free kick and goalie kick, and you can pass the ball to a player during a throw-in by simply tapping on him.  Touch screen controls are really satisfying; seeing the angle of your stylus stroke translate into a ball actually bending through the air is an especially entertaining mechanic, but it's unfortunately used very sparsely and doesn't impact gameplay that much.    

FIFA 08 is the most fully-featured version of the sport on the DS, easily outstripping the feature set of the Wii version. Players wanting to jump into a basic season setup will be able to pick one of the hundreds of licensed teams available and set about dominating the pitch. Manager Mode is also available for players wanting to take their favorite teams from mediocrity to international dominance over the course of five years.  "Scenarios" is a variation on the typical challenge mode that has you hopping into historic or invented games and completing a given task, such as overcoming a certain number of goals on high difficulty with only a few minutes left in a game. While the default mode is pretty simple, you can download new scenarios from EA as well as create custom scenarios and trade them with your friends online.       Online play is generally stable and mostly lag-free, though it took several minutes to actually find opponents. Once connected, the action was fun, fast-paced, and reliable, but not without the odd random disconnection. For local multiplayer, FIFA 08 supports both single and multi-cart play with either a quick match or penalty shootout. There's also a neat bit of audio customization as players can record their own crowd chants with the DS's mic and have it play back during an actual game.  It doesn't fundamentally change the game, but it's always fun to hear your own personal phrases and slogans coming through the speakers during a big game.    

FIFA 08 offers a basic amount of visual detail, but much of the 3D presentation is muddy and indistinct. Outside of hair color, it can be hard to tell players apart from one another and animations can be choppy and hard to differentiate (especially given the small character models with the default camera angle). Stadium models are greatly simplified and crowds are indistinct checkerboards that fill out the background. There is a nice replay system that plays with a controllable touchscreen interface after goals or big plays, but the close-up makes the character models look blocky and even more polygonal than they do in the overhead view. There are basic weather effects like rain and snow, but they tend to flicker in and out during play and didn't have much of an impact on the game outside of slowing the movement speed of the players.    

FIFA 08 is a good rendition of a game design from a couple of generations ago that has been enhanced with a few modern tweaks, like online play and touchscreen controls. The gameplay might seem a little lacking in depth and strategy when compared to the 3D sports games most players are used to, but in terms of handheld gaming it provides a fun experience. There are some unfortunate choices in the button layout, and fans looking for gameplay that fully utilizes the DS' unique features might be disappointed.  However, if you're looking for a 1997-style game of pass-and-shoot soccer, you'll find exactly what you're looking for in FIFA 08.

Pros:
       

Great variety of modes

 

Touchscreen controls are a lot of fun

 

Impressive soundtrack

 

Recording your own spectator chants is very cool

       Cons:
       

Muddy graphics

 

Button layout can be awkward

 

Gameplay lacks any real depth

               Graphics:  6.0
       The character models and stadiums are low-polygon and indistinct. Animations can be choppy and make it tough to tell exactly what your player is doing on-screen. Thankfully, the crude 3D means a steady framrate.  The menus are slick and easy to navigate.

               Sound:  8.5
       There's terrific variety in the game's sound design, with a small bounty of licensed pop and rock songs, a fair sampling of commentator dialogue, and some respectable audience chants. The ability to record your own custom audience chant is a great little bonus. It all sounds washed out and tinny coming out of the DS's little speakers, though.

               Control:  7.0
       It's a basic and familiar layout. Having the shoot command mapped to the same button as tackle is an inconvenience, and having to hold the R button to make your player sprint is a bit awkward. Touchscreen controls work great, for the small set of commands that they're used for. Drawing the bending arc for a goalie kick always feels great.

                      Gameplay:  6.5
       It's an overly familiar game design that experienced FIFA players will be running circles around in a matter of minutes. There are options for more strategic play with an on-the-fly touchscreen play calling system, but you'll probably never have to dig that deep once you figure out the basics of beating the simple AI.

 

       Lastability:  8.5
       There's a surprising variety of modes to be had in FIFA 08.  Between the Manager mode, online play, and downloadable scenarios, there's a lot of value in the offing. Not everyone will be interested in getting all the depth out of the relatively simplistic gameplay, but fans of the quick pass-and-shoot approach will get their money's worth.

 

       Final:  7.0
       FIFA 08 is a good game with lots of different modes and a wealth of licensed content. It offers a basic and approachable rendition of what is, basically, the console version of the game from the PSX/N64 years. It's a dated approach, but one that is still relatively enjoyable in the brief sessions typical of handheld gaming. Some wonky choices with the button layout will make you grimace but the action is generally responsive and fast-paced. There's a simple and fun rendition of soccer in FIFA 08, but gamers looking for more depth and realism will probably get tired of the old-fashioned formula fairly quickly.      

[Zelda, Nintendogs bundles set to arrive after Thanksgiving.]

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TalkBack / New DS Lite Bundles On The Way

« on: October 31, 2007, 08:11:45 PM »

Zelda, Nintendogs bundles set to arrive after Thanksgiving.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14720

 Nintendo is preparing two new DS Lite bundles for the holiday shopping rush. According to a Sears "Black Friday" advertisement obtained by DSFanboy, Nintendo will roll out a metallic pink DS Lite with a copy of Nintendogs: Best Friends Edition for $149.99. Additionally, a Zelda-themed gold DS Lite bundle will also be available with Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the same price. The DS Lite in the Nintendogs bundle is shown in the ad with a paw print insignia in the lower right-hand corner of the lid, while the Zelda-themed DS Lite has a Triforce insignia in the same position.    

In the past, Nintendo has offered several different bundles with both the original DS and the DS Lite. Some of the included games have been Animal Crossing: Wild World, Mario Kart DS, and, most recently, Brain Age 2. There is no mention of how widely available the new bundles will be, nor how long each bundle will be available.

[Iwata promises expansion into new markets next year.]

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TalkBack / Wii Coming to China, South Korea in 2008

« on: October 29, 2007, 04:52:44 PM »

Iwata promises expansion into new markets next year.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14706

 With Nintendo riding high on the Wii’s continuing rise into the stratosphere, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently announced plans to further expand its hardware distribution into both China and South Korea. While Iwata referenced the huge demand for the Wii that has continued to outpace Nintendo's increased manufacturing plans, he seemed optimistic about expanding the Wii's reach in the new year. "Our responsibility now is to deliver as many consoles as we can to existing markets," Iwata said. "But next year, I think we can bring the Wii (to China)."    

The announcement is a significant one.  Piracy has long been a major concern of Nintendo, and China is among the most notorious countries in the world for selling pirated software. Nintendo has experimented with ways of entering into the Chinese market in year's past, most recently with the iQue Player , a controller that connected directly to TVs and could play N64 games from purchasable cards. Iwata made no specific mention of how Nintendo would attempt to position the Wii in the Chinese or South Korean marketplaces with regard to price or number of units planned for shipment.    

Expect more news in the coming months as Nintendo gears up for what could be a historic launch into uncharted waters.

[Have tetherball, will waggle.]

5

TalkBack / REVIEWS: EA Playground

« on: October 28, 2007, 07:30:35 PM »

Have tetherball, will waggle.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14696

 If you’re a Wii owner over the age of ten, you’ve probably gotten pretty sick of hearing other gamers call your system a kid's game machine. EA Canada, however, has embraced the stereotype and delivered a game aimed squarely at kid gamers. EA Playground is a colorful and cheery title set in a sprawling elementary schoolyard, filled with small chibi-children and some clever interpretations of traditional playground games. It offers a good variety of family-friendly fun that is perfectly geared towards younger gamers while still offering up just enough strategy and skill to keep parents entertained. It’s a game filled with simple and quick amusements that, while not without their shortcomings, provide a solid choice for gamers looking for some more family-friendly applications on their Wii.    

EA Playground starts you off in a schoolyard just after the recess bell has rung. The main single player game is loosely structured around players walking around the schoolyard and finding challenges in which to compete against their classmates. The goal here is to win stickers from your classmates, which, once collected, will establish you as king of the playground. You can also collect marbles, the game's most basic form of currency, to buy new abilities and stats specific to each of the seven main games. Marbles can be found by exploring the playground on your own or by competing against classmates in extra "dare" challenges, where conditions for victory are changed in various ways. In Dodgeball, for example, you may be challenged simply to dodge ten balls without being hit.    

EA Playground is controlled with just the Wii Remote and features a heavy focus on motion controls that are generally intuitive and fun, if not terribly deep. Most of the motions are limited to simple left, right, and upward strokes, all of which should be familiar to the average Wii owner. In Wall Ball (the game’s variation on handball), for instance, you’ll swing the Remote up to serve and then swipe to the left or right to hit the ball in the corresponding direction. If you swing a little early, your ball will angle a little more severely to the left, while if you wait until the last second to hit the ball, it will go mostly straight. It’s not quite as sensitive or varied as, say, tennis in Wii Sports, but it’s a well-suited level of depth for the 2-3 minute games you’ll be playing here.    

While the number of games isn’t overwhelming, there’s a good level of variety that makes each one feel unique and distinct from the others. In Slot Car Racing, you accelerate with the A button, use bonus items with the B button, and move left or right by rotating the Wii Remote in either direction (the remote is held pointer-style). The slot cars are fast to accelerate and can pick up a decent variety of attack power-ups (like a firecracker missle and thumbtacks) making the relatively quick races a frenetic and fun scramble for the finish line. There’s not all that much to do besides mash on the accelerator and angle for green boost arrows on the track, but the races are so quick and kinetic that you won’t have time to be bothered by the lack of depth. In Dart Shootout, the Remote is used to move an aiming cursor while you shoot targets and playground combatants in a standard on-rails shooter level. Hitting the A button will bring up a shield that can be used to block incoming darts, and reloading is performed with a quick shake of the Remote. These levels are strictly by-the-numbers shooting galleries, but the snappy pacing and the instantly intuitive controls make them fun to breeze through for the few minutes that they take to beat.    

The most entertaining game, and ironically the simplest one to control, is Paper Racers, a paper airplane flight game. Players hold the Remote between thumb and forefinger like an actual paper airplane and tilt to maneuver their planes through some tricky obstacle courses collecting speed-boosts and flying through different colored stars for points. It will feel more than a little ungainly for gamers that haven’t played a flight game with these controls already (similar to the "looseness" many players felt when playing through Excite Truck for the first time). Once you acclimate to the sensitivity, however, there’s a true sense of finesse and immersion to moving the little toy planes through tree branches and narrow nooks that feels truly responsive. The game is rather forgiving about moving players back into position if they ram into an obstacle (something younger players will probably appreciate), but perfectionists should be able to wring a fair amount of entertainment from the handful of courses on offer.      

Kicks is another fun surprise that has a little more depth and skill than the other games. It plays out as a hybrid of soccer and volleyball, with teams of two players kicking the ball back and forth without the ball touching the ground, then shooting it into the opposing team’s goal. There are options to fake shots, charge up a super shot, and headbutt the other team’s shot back into their own goal. The controls are responsive and simple, while the rules of the game reward attention to timing and some basic strategy that can lead to some tense shootouts, especially in multiplayer. Again, this isn’t a deep new sport calling out for its own game, but for a 2-3 minute mini-game, there’s a commendable level of balance and strategy beyond the standard Remote waggling.    

Other games available are Tetherball and Dodgeball. Each plays out just like you would expect, flicking the remote in time to throw a ball (or smack an incoming tetherball). Dodgeball is the only mini-game where you’re also required to move your player, handled with the remote’s D-pad. It’s clunky and not nearly as responsive as an analog stick, but the game provides you with dodge and deflect moves to compensate. It’s an imperfect solution, and it would have been sporting of EA to at least include the option to control the game with the Nunchuk’s analog stick, both in this mode and for moving around the larger playground hub-world. It’s not a deal breaker, but it will remind you just how vital analog control has become for 3-D gaming.    

The game sports the same agreeable pastels and cel-shaded visuals of My Sims, which is a great fit for the targeted family audiences. Textures are generally crisp and flourished with small scrawls that accentuate the hand-drawn feel of the game. Characters models are a little under-detailed, and populating the whole game world with squat chibi-people in hip kids' catalogue clothing can make it a little hard to tell characters apart. Some of the courses and environments can feel a little sparse or burdened with repeated objects that make the game feel like it was thrown together rather hastily. Still, the visuals will please your eye in spirit and execution more often than not. Music is bland but upbeat while successfully avoiding anything distractingly over-the-top or repetitious. EA Canada has also done a nice job setting aside some sound effects for the Wii Remote’s speaker. In Tetherball and Wall Ball, in particular, having a distinct audio cue in your hand every time you hit the ball can be an important aid in timing your swings properly.    

While there’s no Wi-Fi play, the game has a decently provisioned multiplayer mode. Kicks and Wall Ball make particularly amusing multiplayer games with their slightly more elaborate control options. You’ll be able to play any of the mini-games against up to four friends, or set up a "tourney" with a specific batch of mini-games and number of rounds. While there’s nothing that enhances the core gameplay in any significant way in the multiplayer, it will help fill out the playtime of the relatively short single-player mode (around six hours if you’re taking your time).    

Taken for what it is, EA Playground succeeds without breaking the mold. Gamers who bought the Wii for simple family fun should be pleased with the variety of games and family-friendly presentation. While none of the games are quite as deep and compulsive as Wii Sports, they’re entertaining enough on their own to keep players waggling through the short single-player mode.  If you’re looking for something with a little more depth and sophistication, EA Playground will undoubtedly be a disappointment. If, however, you have young kids or just want something fun and simple that will keep Wii Sports out of your Wii for a week or two, EA Playground is a good option.

Pros:
       

Simple and responsive controls

 

Colorful graphics

 

All the mini-games are varied and unique

       Cons:
       

Short single-player mode

 

Will be too "cute" for many people

 

Most of the games lack serious depth

               Graphics:  7.0
       EA Playground looks surprisingly pleasant. The cel-shaded style the game uses plays perfectly to the strengths of the Wii. A lot of the character models look really indistinct, and it would have been nice to see a greater amount of variety in the level design. Still, this is a convincing recreation of a playground for cartoon people.

               Sound:  7.5
       The music is a peppy mix of feel-good tunes and more frantic "competition" songs. EA has wisely chosen to background the music, which keeps the melodies from becoming grating or obnoxious (always a danger in games based on repetition). There is also good use made of the Wii Remote’s internal speaker.

               Control:  8.0
       You’ll be able to figure out how to play each game in thirty seconds or less. Gesture controls are responsive and intuitive, if frequently lacking in depth. It’s all perfectly married to the quick-hit design of the mini-games, built around spurts of simple and basically satisfying gameplay.

                      Gameplay:  7.0
       EA has done a commendable job of keeping all the games varied and unique. While there are only seven games to work through, you’ll never feel like one has recycled mechanics from any of the others. Many of the "dare" challenges are more filler than anything else; EA might have gone farther in fleshing these out with a little more imagination.

 

       Lastability:  5.0
       The game is short. An experienced gamer could easily cruise through the single player mode in a long afternoon. The multiplayer mode is basic fun, but it’s essentially a rehash of every challenge in the single player game and probably won’t hold anyone’s attention for more than an extra few hours. It’s a fun game while it lasts, but it doesn’t really last that long.

 

       Final:  7.0
       EA Playground is a good family game with an emphasis on simple controls and a fun art style. There’s not an overwhelming amount of content, but the game is wisely presented in short bursts of gameplay that spotlight the controls and variety in the best possible light. Experienced gamers will quickly tire of the game’s simple pleasures, but younger gamers or those looking for something simple and easy should really take to the game’s charms.      

[Nintendo’s VP of Marketing spills the beans on the past, present, and future of Wii.]

6

TalkBack / Kaplan Talks Smash Bros., Metroid, and More

« on: October 24, 2007, 07:34:34 PM »

Nintendo’s VP of Marketing spills the beans on the past, present, and future of Wii.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14669

 In a wide-ranging interview with MTV’s Stephen Totilo, Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo’s outgoing Vice President of Marketing for the U.S., spoke about the performance of Wii during its first year in the marketplace, and hinted at what lies in the future for Wii fans. Kaplan began by speaking about Nintendo’s belief it is expanding the consumer base for video games, "I think there continues to be a misconception that the audience has to be one very specific group. And I think historically that’s what video gaming companies have survived on." Kaplan avoided demographic breakdowns of Wii owners but was confident that, "the Wii is really owned by everybody."    

When asked if people in the "expanded audience" were buying games other than the pack-in Wii Sports, Kaplan was again confident, insisting that Wii Sports was an entry point to getting people interested in games of all kinds. Kaplan said that even more traditional game franchises like Zelda and Metroid had experienced some success in reaching out to casual gamer. "We have run into some alpha-moms that play ‘Metroid’, yes," said Kaplan. "We’ve run into some slightly younger women who are really into 'Metroid' and kind of proud of their work there."    

When asked about the comparative lack of marketing hype for Metroid Prime 3, when compared to word of mouth for Bioshock and Halo 3, Kaplan claimed this was part of a new strategy to more closely align promotional campaigns with a game’s release window. "We are trying a couple of different approaches and that is talking about products shortly before they are launched to really try to grab the attention of people at that moment," Kaplan admitted. "If you talk about something too early they can’t really go buy it." She was also insistent that Prime 3’s sales so far had exceeded Nintendo’s own expectations.    

When asked about the delay of Super Smash Bros. Brawl into February 2008, Kaplan avoided offering a specific reason, promising only that the extra development time would go towards ensuring the game’s high quality. "I think people will be thrilled with the end result," she promised. Kaplan also spoke about how the release of such a high profile title during the traditionally slow winter period might reflect a greater willingness to release games on a year-round cycle, rather than saving everything up for the holiday season. "I think we’re actually starting to look at the annual calendar differently," Kaplan offered. "I think a really good product can be a slam dunk anytime of the year."    

Kaplan was also greatly optimistic for the recently detailed WiiWare program. While she was unwilling to provide specific details of what games will be available for the North American service, she promised that the service would be robust when it launches. "A lot of products that (sic) are being looked at. The team is busy, busy, busy." When Totilo questioned Kaplan on storage options for Wii owners who might not have much remaining space in their consoles, Kaplan was guarded. "Hmmm, you just asked me a really good question," she said. Sadly, no new information was forthcoming, and Kaplan didn’t offer any new insights into Nintendo’s philosophy on managing downloaded content, instead giving the familiar reference to SD cards. "You’ll just have to use a lot of extra cards."    

For more of this great interview and a soon-to-be published second part of the conversation, make sure to check out MTV’s http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2007/10/22/nintendos-perrin-kaplan-on-apple-comparisons-the-companys-new-gaming-calendar-and-the-missing-september-surprise-part-1-of-2/" > Multiplayer Blog.

[Ubisoft is bringing back their unhinged rabbits for another batch of mayhem and absurdity.]

7

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

« on: October 22, 2007, 04:53:27 PM »

Ubisoft is bringing back their unhinged rabbits for another batch of mayhem and absurdity.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14657

 While shearing sheep and smacking rabbits in the head probably wasn’t quite what Nintendo had in mind when designing the Wii remote, there’s no arguing that last year’s Rayman Raving Rabbids pioneered some truly inventive new uses for a video game controller. Ubisoft Paris seems to have no great shortage of crazy ideas as they have been rushing to put together Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. Hoping to build on the variety of motion-powered animal hilarity, while also smoothing out the original’s lackluster multiplayer mode, RRR2 will bring back the funny bunnies to run amuck once again this November.    

One of the main points of criticism with the original Rabbids game was the lack of multiplayer games that allowed for simultaneous competition. Players were forced to take turns competing in the large majority of the multiplayer game that seemed to sap some of the participatory fun the game was designed around. With the sequel, Ubisoft Paris has paid special attention to enhancing the multiplayer component of the game to allow players to take each other on at the same time in a whole new batch of mini-games. In one game, you will hold the Wii remote flat in the palm of your hand and move it back and forth to keep an ever increasing stack of hamburgers balanced on a tray as your Rabbid delivers the meaty victuals to diners in a restaurant. If the stack of hamburgers starts to wobble too much, you can regain your balance by holding down the A button. The penalty is that you won’t be able to move again until you release the A button. To further complicate matters, other players can bump their rabbits into one another to try and knock the opposition’s hamburgers off the platter.    

In another game, players will recreate the famous boulder rolling sequence from Indiana Jones by “milking" the remote and Nunchuk back and forth to keep their rabbids running fast enough to avoid being crushed. The last bunny standing will win the challenge. Gamers growing a little tired of manners will be able to let their inner brute run wild in a game that has players shaking the remote to shake up a bottle of soda, then chugging the fizzy liquid to see who can produce the loudest burp. In a game with a more international bent (in line with the Rabbids new theme song, Daft Punk’s “Around The World"), players will take the part of a snake charmer. Players will hold the remote up to their mouths, with the IR portion facing away from the screen, then press the A, 1, and 2 buttons in time with on screen prompts to play a recorder to try and coax a reluctant snake from its pot.    

The original Rabbids’ on-rails shooting sequences have been completely overhauled for the sequel to try and incorporate more of the zaniness of the game’s real-life promotional videos into actual gameplay. Like the ads, the on-rails shooter levels will now take place against taped footage of real world locations with the animated rabbids and some basic environmental objects added on top. In keeping with the game's narrative thread of the rabbids trying to take over the world, players will be able to hunt down the rascally rabbits in a whole slew of real-life settings; from Brooklyn to the streets of Paris and beyond. To capture the footage, Ubisoft Paris used a video director to take a camera crew out and film a set path through each different environment, which the development team incorporated into the game engine, adding some new cartoonish objects and plenty of hiding bunnies to shoot down. The mode will play in a similar way to the original, with players using the remote’s IR function to guide a reticule around screen and fire plungers at any and all bunnies who step into the line of fire.    

For the many fans of the original, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 promises to offer a fresh new selection mini-game zaniness to plow through, both alone and with friends. It remains to be seen if the absurdist formula of the first game will hold up with a sequel arriving almost exactly one year after the original first hit shelves. If you’ve just got a craven need to smack some rabbids in the head, though, rest easy, as the game is set to release in North America on November 13. European gamers will get their hands on the rabbids a few days later on November 16, while fans in Australia can look forward to the game arriving sometime in November as well.

[Going through the motions.]

8

TalkBack / REVIEWS: FIFA 08

« on: October 14, 2007, 07:42:19 PM »

Going through the motions.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14617

 It’s ironic that the Wii has had such a spotty record when it comes to licensed sports games when its blockbuster system-selling game is a sports compilation. EA Sports has led the cavalcade of underperformers with a string of ports that have seen lots of fuss over motion controls but little attention to the guts of the game that those controls are interfacing with. From Madden to the just-released NBA Live, EA Sports has been spending lots of energy coming up with clever variants on simple gestures for Wii games, but they seem to have totally forgotten that the gestures really just activate a dusty old animation that’s only marginally evolved from older games. FIFA 08 is, arguably, one of the worst of the bunch, delivering a motion controlled slog that demonstrates the disconnect between the control interface and what’s happening in the game. The core of the game is quite similar to what you’ll find in this year’s PS2 version and is by no means a bad game. Even still, those expecting a revolutionary new way to experience the most exciting sport in the world will probably be disappointed.    

From the outset, the most striking thing about FIFA 08 is the changed camera angle that shows the action from a zoomed out, bird's-eye view similar to the point of view in Madden. Instead of following the on-screen action from left to right, the game is now vertically oriented. The change is compelling and greatly helps the passing game, making it easier to see passing lanes and keep track of the defense’s ebb and flow across the field. Although it’s essentially a cosmetic change of the default camera setting to a view that’s always been available in FIFA, it is an essential switch that enables the motion-based passing system that has been implemented in this year’s game.      

FIFA 08 allows players to pass in one of four general directions. Holding down the A button and swinging the Wii Remote left, right, up, or down will send the ball to the closest approximate player in any direction you choose. For a longer through pass, you hold down the B button and make the same motions. You can also forgo the gestures and just hit the D-pad to get the same results, or, for the regressively-inclined, hitting A or B with no motions will deliver the same old short pass and through pass to whomever the AI decides should get the ball. In theory, gesture based passing sounds great, but it ultimately frustrates the process because of FIFA’s detailed animation system. The controls are responsive enough, but it can often take a player sprinting with the ball a split second to reorient themselves and switch over to the passing animation, which makes a muck of trying to play on the fly. It’s a disappointing reminder that all the gesture controls in FIFA could just as easily be done with a button push and, frequently, would have been better-served by forgoing motion. There can be upwards of a full second delay between when you’ve made your motion and when your player goes through the appropriate animation to actually do what you told him to do. It might sound like a small concern in writing, but in the heat of a close match that delay can be maddening.    

Shooting fares a little bit better, with players uncorking a driven shot by yanking up on the Remote, while a downward gesture lets loose a more controlled finesse shot. Holding down the C button and swinging the remote up will deliver a soft lob kick to arch over a rushing goaltender. It’s a more simple gesture to pull off in the heat of an intense game and feels a little more responsive than the gesture-based passing controls, but it’s a shallow interface that doesn’t really take advantage of the Wii Remote's sensitivity. Defensively, the controls are much simpler and more rewarding. The B button is used for standing tackles, and a quick downward swipe delivers a slide tackle. It’s a responsive and straight-forward approach that, unlike the basic offensive controls, actually streamlines defensive play and enhances the experience in an entertaining way.    

Finally, there’s a whole fleet of gesture-based controls for jukes and more advanced player movement. These involve flipping the Remote or Nunchuk left, right, or downwards in conjunction with a push of the C button, in the hopes of pulling off dekes, slash moves, fakes, pull backs, and 360’s. The animations for each move are impressive, and stringing together a series of evasive moves can be key to driving the ball past defenders on higher difficulty settings. Even here, though, it’s painfully apparent that this system is a simple conversion of the PS2’s button-based design swapped out for waggle. With a quick series of button pushes, it's easy to see how this system could be timed out and effective against the defense, but with the added convolution of waggle it's a cumbersome drag that makes it prohibitively difficult to pull off more than one move at a time. That would be okay if the game had been rebalanced to compensate for the increased difficulty of stringing together evasive moves, but rarely will you be able to slip a defender with just one fake or 360. Only the most dogged players will ever break through and find a way to make the system usable.    

FIFA 08 has a decent variety of gameplay modes, but isn’t quite as fully featured as either the PS2 of Xbox360/PS3 versions of the game. You’ll be able to hit the pitch in Quick Play, Tournament/Season modes, and Custom Tournament. Sadly, the Be A Pro mode that lets you play through a whole tournament/season as the same player is absent from the Wii version. You’ll still have an impressively robust set of team management options during a tournament to satisfy the hardcore fans of sporting strategy, and this can make playing through a whole tournament a really rewarding experience. For a hardcore soccer enthusiast willing to roll with the gesture controls, there is a very respectable amount of longevity to be had from the game’s variety of game modes, slightly incomplete though they may be.    

From a visual standpoint, FIFA 08 is almost entirely a straight port from the PS2 version. Players have a decent amount of detail and the animations, as mentioned earlier, are convincing and lifelike. There’s a huge array of different stadiums for the voluminous number of teams available, but they’re mostly basic recreations of their real-life counterparts and are almost never featured during actual gameplay. EA Sports has, thankfully, added IR support for the menus, which is a big improvement over Madden. Even still, FIFA 08 does next to nothing to take advantage of the Wii’s extra processing power and delivers particularly underwhelming visuals.    

FIFA 08 features online play on the proprietary EA Nation infrastructure, eschewing Nintendo’s Wi-Fi service and the inconvenient friend codes associated with it. When you select to play online you can simply log on if you have a pre-existing account, or create a new account linked to an e-mail address. It’s a quick and easy process that is a lot more intuitive than what Nintendo has managed so far with their own online service. Network performance is also significantly improved from EA’s earlier online forays for Wii. We experienced occasional hitches during gameplay but nothing that was uncommon or seriously detrimental to the pace of the game. In general, all of the games we played ran smoothly and loaded quickly. As an added bonus, FIFA 08 supports online leagues, so players hoping to do more than play a few quick pick-up matches will be able to delve into online play at length.    

Family Play makes an appearance in FIFA 08 as well, offering less experienced gamers the option to control the game using only the Wii Remote. While the approach has worked adequately in other EA Sports titles, it fails to deliver anything remotely amusing in FIFA. Relying on the AI to move your player on the field in a soccer game is an exercise in frustration. Rather than running set plays, FIFA is based around players moving improvisationally in patterns that change on the fly, as well as stringing together multiple passes and long strings of juke moves. Almost all of that is stripped away in Family Play mode, and your granny or girlfriend will be left to ineffectually pass or shoot the ball while the more experienced player runs circles around them with his advanced abilities. Even against the AI, with the difficulty on the easiest setting, playing Family Play feels arbitrary and disjointed.    

EA Sports has added a small collection of three mini-games specific to the Wii called Footii Party. Using your Mii’s, players will be able to compete with up to four players in foosball, juggling, and penalty shot mini-games. In the foosball mini-game, you control your players by spinning the Wii Remote while changing their position up or down with either the D-pad or analog stick on the Nunchuk. It’s a surprisingly simple and intuitive interface that works quite well and is easily the most satisfying mini-game in the bunch. If there were a few more features built around the foosball, like tournaments or specific skill challenges, it’s easy to imagine this mode becoming a fan favorite. The juggling mini-game is a simple rhythm game that has you pushing buttons or gesturing with the Remote in time with a shrinking circle icon pulled straight out of Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan. It’s also fairly satisfying, if shallow, but doesn’t have enough options to really become addictive. The final game has you swinging the remote to take penalty kicks at targets distributed around a goal box. Swinging the remote in different directions results in a kick to the corresponding location of the goalie box. It’s a nice idea in concept, but the gesture recognition is rather spotty, making the game a lot less fun that it might otherwise have been. The Footii Party games are an excellent idea to make the game more appealing to an audience less inclined to play a sports sim, but with only three games, and only one basic mode to play in each game, there just isn’t enough content here to keep someone interested for very long.    

It’s nice to see EA Sports aggressively pursuing Wii owners with a solid slate of games, and not skimping with online play and Wii-specific bonus content. At the same time, it’s a thoroughly underwhelming experience to realize that the core game design in FIFA 08 is very much unchanged from what it has been in previous years, on older hardware. To be clear, that’s not a bad thing, it’s just disappointing, and doubly so when you realize that many of the gesture-based controls applied to the old game design are just stand-ins for button presses that unnecessarily complicate the experience. Wii Sports demonstrated just how much depth can be wrung out of the simplest of mechanics like swinging the Remote. FIFA 08’s approach is almost the opposite, offering a huge variety of gestures that only superficially interact with the game. FIFA is a solid game, but this Wii port makes it harder than it should be to enjoy the strengths of the core design. For those willing to put in the time and effort to fully master the motion controls, there’s some decent fun to be had here, but you have to wonder whether it’s worth the effort when playing this game on another console would provide just as much enjoyment without all the hassles.

Pros:
       

Online play is solid

 

Default camera setting makes passing much easier

 

Decent variety of game types

 

Foosball is a pretty fun mini-game

       Cons:
       

PS2 graphics

 

Gesture controls suck the fun out of the game

 

Be A Pro mode is missing

 

Family Play doesn’t work well with soccer

 

The core game was designed for a traditional controller

               Graphics:  6.0
       This is, more or less, a straight port of the PS2 game. The visuals are acceptable, and it’s nice to see so many different stadiums in the game. The player animations are all fairly lifelike and detailed, especially when seen from the zoomed out default camera. But player models are blocky and awkward up close, and the colors in the game seem dull and lifeless.

               Sound:  8.0
       Call it personal preference, but I loved the euro-rock soundtrack, packed to the gills with indie fare for the continental set. The in-game commentary is pleasantly cheeky and can be very derisive when you’re not performing up to snuff, but it will start to repeat a little too much as you dig deeper into the game. The crowd noises are disappointingly anemic and don’t do much to energize the game atmosphere.

               Control:  5.0
       The game’s greatest weakness comes from its greatest ambition of trying to incorporate gesture control into every aspect of the gameplay. It’s fine in theory, but timing it with the lengthy player animations can be a frustrating chore, while trying to remember all of the basic variants on waggling left or right can really take you out of the kinetic experience of an intense soccer match. This is ultimately just a port of a button-based game with some very imaginative, but ineffective, waggle tacked on.

                      Gameplay:  6.0
       There’s a relatively deep approach to strategy and changing formations and plays on the fly, and the core gameplay scales well from the easiest to the most difficult settings. FIFA has always had its own distinct core gameplay, and partisans of EA’s approach should be instantly familiar with most of what’s available in the game. Unfortunately, the motion controls make it frustratingly difficult to really get the most out of what the game has to offer.

 

       Lastability:  8.0
       With online leagues and dozens of tournaments to win, a dedicated soccer fan could find lots of content here to stay occupied for months and months. Whether or not any committed soccer fans will actually be willing to spend that much time waggling about with the unresponsive controls is unlikely. The absence of Be A Pro mode is also regrettable, even if it’s not exactly a deal breaker.

 

       Final:  6.0
       FIFA 08 is a prime example of how the application of motion controls can make a good game worse. For games that have evolved over a long period of time around a core concept that is tuned for button-based controls, the addition of Remote waving is totally disruptive. If you play FIFA on lower difficulty settings as just a game of passing and shooting there’s a decent amount of fun to be had, but trying to play with the advanced motion controls to take advantage of the game’s deeper strategic elements is a drag. You can teach yourself how to do it eventually, but the rewards for doing so aren’t ultimately worth it.      

[EA’s mini-game collection wants to take your inner child on the road.]

9

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: EA Playground

« on: October 08, 2007, 03:49:06 PM »

EA’s mini-game collection wants to take your inner child on the road.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14552

 Video games have come a long way over the last thirty years (give or take). It can be easy to slip away into worlds of fantasy, political intrigue, or complex military tactics, but this Fall EA Canada wants to prove that nothing is more fun than a simple schoolyard game. EA Playground is a collection of straightforward games most players will remember having played in their formative elementary school years. Developed in conjunction with a waggle-enhanced Wii version, the DS game will feature nine familiar playground classics like dodgeball, hopscotch, and a spitball contest. EA Playground is aiming to keep your inner child entertained with a bevy of unique controls and multiplayer options to keep you amused until Mom calls you in for dinner.    

EA Playground’s collection of featured recess favorites is loosely organized around a young elementary school student wandering through a schoolyard and entering into various games with other students. Winning each given mini-game challenge will yield specific stickers or marbles which can be used to unlock additional games and challenges to help you achieve the vaunted title of Playground King. Many of the games are shared with the Wii version, including Dodgeball, Kicks (a variation on volleyball played only with the feet), Hoops (a basketball shootout), and bug hunting. In addition there are five games unique to the DS version, designed specifically for the portable experience. These are Hopscotch, RC Racers (an overhead racing game featuring tiny remote controlled cars), Skate and Stretch (a rhythm-based game that has players connecting dots in-time to do tricks), Spitballs, and Trampoline.    

EA hopes to match the casual and approachable design of the game’s content with a similarly intuitive control setup that takes advantage of the DS’s unique input possibilities. Dodgeball, for instance, is controlled entirely with the stylus. The player’s team appears on the bottom screen and the opposing team is on the top screen. Players will point to a spot on the court where their characters will move (think Animal Crossing: Wild World or Zelda: Phantom Hourglass) and then tap the “throw zone" to hurl the ball at the other team. A well-timed tap can be used to swat away an in-coming ball and bring back a previously knocked-out teammate. In Spitballs, players use the stylus to move an FPS-style aiming reticule around screen and then blow into the microphone to fire a spitball at enemies. For Skate and Stretch, you’ll watch your character on a halfpipe where each time he or she shoots into the air, a series of numbered dots appear on the touchscreen. You’ll have to connect all the dots in numerical order before your character lands to avoid a nasty wipeout. The more tricks your character pulls off, the more numbers will be required to land each successive trick.    

Visually, the DS version will look fairly similar to the Wii version, sporting the same chibi-esque art style that is more than a little reminiscent of the just-released My Sims. EA Playground will support up to four players in a local multiplayer mode, but requires each player to have their own cartridge. There are no plans to support Wi-Fi play. Sorry kids, you’ll have to keep your friend codes in your pockets for this one.  There won’t be any added DS/Wii connectivity for zealous playground pro’s who happen to pick up both versions of the game.    

Make sure to finish your homework early because EA Playground ships in just a few weeks. Expect to conquer the playground in North America on October 22, and in Europe on November 2.

[Pardon me, is that a Bandicoot on your back?]

10

TalkBack / REVIEWS: Crash of the Titans

« on: October 07, 2007, 08:22:53 PM »

Pardon me, is that a Bandicoot on your back?
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14537

 Crash of the Titans is a surprising game. The Crash Bandicoot series has done more than enough to earn itself a dubious reputation over the past several years with some lackluster kart-racing games and a couple of limp mini-game blowouts. Even when the original Crash Bandicoot was released on the PlayStation back in 1996, it was hard to take seriously as anything less than a mascot-exploitation platformer constructed at the behest of some nefarious marketing department. Still, the series has quietly persisted as one of the best-selling names in video games, which brings us to the present installment. For all the recent baggage the series has accumulated, Crash of the Titans is an entertaining action platformer, designed with imagination and some impressive twists on the standard brawler that easily put it shoulder to shoulder with the very best games in the series. It’s a title geared directly towards younger players, so more experienced gamers might not find as much here to enjoy, but for what it is, Crash is a remarkable return to form for the Bandicoot.    

Like its predecessors, Crash is constructed as a linear platformer and brawler, though here the brawler elements take precedence over the platforming. In contrast to your average 3D Mario game, there’s little to no exploration, and you won’t even be able to manually control the camera. Instead, players move through each level down a single path, hemmed in on each side, and fight through a series of arena battles with a clever array of mutant animals that are interspersed with light platforming sequences. What’s specifically new to this Crash game is the ability to hijack a number of the bigger mutant bad guys that you’ll come across. With Crash in control of these bigger beasts, players will be able to lay waste to smaller enemies and bash obtrusive environmental objects blocking the path forward.    

Combat in the game is greatly streamlined, with a few special moves unlocked later in the game. Crash can do his trademark floating spin when players shake the Wii remote while he’s in the air. It’s a simple application of waggle, but it feels appropriate, especially during sequences where you’ll have to glide Crash over a long series of gaps by floating a great distance. Constantly shaking the remote to keep up the dizzying spin is a pleasing, if shallow, addition to what has otherwise become an over-familiar gameplay element. It’s not a revolutionary re-imagining; it just makes an old idea a little more fun than it might otherwise have been.    

The only other area of the game to use motion controls is for special attacks when riding one of the game's jack-able beasts. Here, Crash can unleash a variety of different attacks by shaking the Wii Remote or moving it and the Nunchuk up and down in conjunction. These motions don’t add too much to the game, but it generally feels a bit fresher than the button mashing combo required in versions of the game on other systems. When you’re watching a giant mutated bat shoot out little whirlwinds by viciously flapping his wings, it feels fundamentally pleasing to have to flap your own arms to trigger the attack. There is frequently a 1-2 second lag between when you make your motion and when the game executes the corresponding attack. While this is partly by design to make players think more strategically about how and when they try to pull off some of the game’s more brutal attacks, it also highlights the fact that all the motion controls in the game aren’t specifically calibrated to take advantage of the Wii Remote; they’re substitutes for a button press.    

Another area where Crash demonstrates some interesting new twists is the necessity of pulling off extended combos to take down bigger enemies. All but the weakest enemies will have a kind of energy bar above their heads, consisting of a line of white stars. The more damage Crash does to the enemies, the more stars will turn green. When all the stars are green, the enemy will become stunned and Crash will be able to "jack" them. What’s unique is that if Crash stops attacking before the star meter is filled all the way up, the enemy will start regaining health (a sort of inversion of Halo’s regenerating shields). This basically means that players will have to learn to combo and attack in long strings of melee moves, you won’t be able to conservatively "nickel and dime" health away from enemies by sneaking in a cheap shot every now and again. It’s an idea that’s never fully exploited in the game because the default difficulty is predictably forgiving, but it’s a fantastically unique approach to brawling that could definitely shake up the entire genre of brawlers and action games.    

Crash of the Titans looks very nice on the Wii. While it’s essentially an upgrade of the PlayStation 2 version of the game, Radical has definitely taken advantage of the Wii’s added power to flesh out the color palette and bump up texture resolution for a number of the game’s assets. To be clear, they haven’t leveraged the system’s strengths in the same spectacular way that Metroid Prime 3 and Mario Galaxy have, but they’ve noticeably added a layer of graphical sheen that is appreciated. More importantly, the art direction of the game is robustly implemented in an ever-increasing series of whacky and detailed levels that will be impressive on any system. The game looks like a kind of Tim Burton tropical fantasy with looping tendrils and exaggerated angles crammed into the game's  twenty-some levels. It’s all implemented in a really impressive, hand-drawn style that looks like a series of moving panels from a children’s storybook. It’s not an entirely original approach, but it’s a convincing and detailed one that should win you over by the end.    

To complement the look of the game, Radical and Sierra have done a great job implementing the game’s audio, from the kooky Danny Elfman-esque score to the surprising variety of enemy voice samples in the game. Indeed, you’ll hear enemies talking to each other as you approach them, sometimes about nothing at all, and sometimes in reverential fear of the Bandicoot. It’s all very reminiscent of the Grunt chatter from the Halo series, but no less entertaining. Voice acting in the game’s cut-scenes is also impressive, featuring appropriately exaggerated performances to match the nonsensically cartoonish story. The writing is also surprisingly sophisticated, adding some clever asides and loads of effective irony to help keep adults engaged in what is, admittedly, a story aimed squarely at kids.    

Crash of the Titans is a satisfying platform brawler that should easily please younger gamers while providing enough action and humor to keep older gamers interested. Experienced gamers will be able to whip through the game’s single player mode in 8-10 hours. There’s a two-player co-op mode too, but it doesn’t add too much to the experience, though it might be fun to play with a younger friend or relative for an hour or two. Crash definitely comes out of the paradigm of last-gen game design, but it takes ideas from the best games and implements them in a unique way that freshens up the formula in some small but satisfying ways. It won’t hold your attention for too long, and once you’re done with the game you probably won’t have much incentive to revisit it. For what it is, though, Crash of the Titans is a solid and amusing take on a familiar genre of games that should be at least basically entertaining for most fans.

Pros:
       

Colorful and detailed graphics

 

Simple but satisfying action

 

An imaginative and exaggerated mix of enemy types

 

Hijack mechanic keeps the gameplay fresh and varied

 

A great game for younger gamers

       Cons:
       

You could beat the game in a day or two

 

There is some irritating lag for motion-controlled attacks

 

The concept sticks pretty close to predictable genre conventions

               Graphics:  7.0
       The pleasingly Burton-esque presentation and warm, hand-drawn look is a good match for the cartoonish story. There are some nice graphical extras to take advantage of the Wii’s added power, but, flourishes aside, this is basically a very nice looking PS2 game. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the Wii can certainly be pushed much farther than it is here.

               Sound:  8.0
       The voice-acting is surprisingly high-quality and really adds pizzazz to the outrageous story. There’s a robust variety of throw-away one-liners in-game that will keep you giggling as you’re beating up some of the games lesser rodent life. The music is convincingly atmospheric and matches the storybook vibe of the visuals, but the melodies are mostly forgettable and derivative. The quality is high, but the originality of the compositions are lacking.

               Control:  7.0
       The simple control setup is perfectly suited to the Wii’s streamlined approach to button layout. It’s simple but effective implementation that most players will become familiar with in a matter of minutes. Gesture controls are kept to a minimum but are generally a simple pleasure where they are implemented. There is a noticeable lag in some of the gestures that can be frustrating and belays the fact that the gestures are essentially place-holders for a button push.

                      Gameplay:  7.0
       Crash is a traditional mix of brawler and platformer that you’ll probably have played several times already, in one incarnation or another, in years past. The addition of animal jacking adds a needed dose of freshness and variety to the combat while the unique combo system is a great new twist that adds some unexpected strategy to the mix. The platforming bits are generally well-placed and help break up the combat and keep things from getting too repetitive.

 

       Lastability:  5.5
       An experienced gamer will be able to blaze through this game in a day or two, but younger players will probably get a lot more mileage out of the bigger arena battles and platforming. Multiplayer co-op is a nice thought, but it doesn’t really do much to change up the simple formula of the single player game. There are some extra unlockables, like concept art and extra skins for Crash, but nothing that will capture your imagination over the long term.

 

       Final:  7.0
       Crash of the Titans is a quality action platformer that should surprise players with a couple of new techniques applied to an overly familiar genre. There’s nothing revolutionary in the mix of jumping and punching, but everything’s been balanced in a satisfying way that will keep players happily plugging through to the end. This isn’t the new gen hotness that you bought your Wii to play, but it’s a satisfying retro bon-bon that will keep younger gamers happy for a decent amount of time.      

[Move along, this isn’t a hint about the 2D Metroid you’ve been looking for.]

11

TalkBack / Retro: Dread Reference in Prime 3 Just a 'Coincidence'

« on: September 27, 2007, 06:57:58 PM »

Move along, this isn’t a hint about the 2D Metroid you’ve been looking for.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14487

 Metroid fans everywhere have been abuzz for the last several weeks with the tantalizing tease of the fabled Metroid Dread game found tucked away in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Meticulous players quickly found an out-of-the way computer panel in the second half of Prime 3 that offered the following tease: “Experiment status report update. Metroid project ‘Dread’ is nearing the final stages of completion." Metroid Dread, of course, is an infamous name to Internet rumormongers, which allegedly appeared on some early E3 documents in 2005 and was reported on in an issue of Game Informer as being a new 2D Metroid installment. Since then, speculation has run amok as to whether or not the game actually existed and whether or not Nintendo would ever confirm the title. Many assumed that the Dread reference in Prime 3 was all but confirmation that Dread is real.    

Retro Studios' Mark Pacini, director of Prime 3, told MTV’s Multiplayer Blog that the reference had nothing to do with the over-rumored DS game. “It’s not what you think it means," Pacini said.  “It was something that was overlooked and wasn’t in any way indicating anything about the handheld game. We know no information about the handheld games." Pacini went on to explain that the mention of Dread was actually a reference to a narrative thread contained in an earlier version of Prime 3 that Retro eventually chose to take out. The fact that the scan-able object remained in the game was an oversight, and “a complete and utter coincidence," according to Pacini.    

Earlier this month, UK games site CVG reported on a statement to them from an unnamed source at Nintendo claiming, “Nintendo is not making the 2D Metroid at this time." While these statements may still prove a little porous for many die-hard believers, those looking for a 2D Metroid fix may have to content themselves with the Virtual Console for a good while yet.

[The ambitious studio will now be known as Platinum Games.]

12

TalkBack / SEEDS Announces Merger, New Name

« on: September 27, 2007, 06:51:40 PM »

The ambitious studio will now be known as Platinum Games.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14486

 Earlier this year, the dream team developers from Capcom’s shuttered Clover Studios joined forces to create SEEDS, an ambitiously independent development studio.  Atsushi Inaba (Viewtiful Joe), Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil), and Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry) formed the 51-person company with a mandate to “create entertainment products with a new, fresh feeling." Today SEEDS announced, via their official website, that they will be merging with an entity known as ODD Corporation, and that the resulting company will henceforth be known as Platinum Games.    

Not much is known about the ODD Corporation at this time, but, as many gamers know, the credits of the founding members of SEEDS include some of the most influential games of the last ten years. During their tenure at Clover Studios, the SEEDS team developed an impressive number of critical sensations including Okami for the PlayStation 2 and Viewtiful Joe on GameCube.  With the announcement of a new business partner and a new, more accessible name, we can hopefully look forward to the newly minted Platinum Games announcing an actual game sometime soon.    

The merger will become official as of October 1, 2007.

[Everyone’s favorite Bandicoot learns some new moves.]

13

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Crash of the Titans

« on: September 27, 2007, 05:18:00 AM »

Everyone’s favorite Bandicoot learns some new moves.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14482

 In the days of conspicuously mustachioed plumbers and unnaturally fast hedgehogs, it was common knowledge that the best way to sell a console was through an absurdly cute mascot. As those days began to wane, Sony commissioned the invention of something called a Bandicoot to use as the family-friendly face of its still young Playstation console. The resulting creation, Crash Bandicoot, has seen his fair share of highs and lows, from appreciable popularity in the early years as a nimble platformer, to a dubious turn in a recently released mini-game collection for the DS, Crash Boom Bang! Like any good mascot, Crash is once again gearing for a comeback in a whole new game with a developer new to series. Radical Games has implemented some pronounced changes to the Crash formula in hopes of bringing the sly bandicoot name back to prominence with their latest incarnation, Crash Of The Titans.    

While Crash Of The Titans will retain some platforming elements of the previous games, Radical has added a new brawler component to freshen up the core gameplay. Central to the game is the system of “attack and jack," in which Crash, after sufficiently beating up an enemy, can take possession of them and use their specific attack powers to progress. There are fifteen different enemies that Crash will be able to take control of, encompassing an imaginatively dreamy mash-up of animals with names like Scorporilla, Parafox, and Shellephant. Crash will use his basic melee attack to stun the enemy and then whip out his trusty wooden Aku Aku mask, a familiar item for returning fans, and hop on the back of the enemy and use their abilities to navigate various environmental puzzles in the level.    

The controls of Crash are simple and straightforward, while still promising to take advantage of the Wii controller’s unique features to add something special. Players move Crash with the Nunchuk’s analog stick and jump with the A button on the Wii remote. The B button can be used for Crash’s basic melee attack, and hitting B three times in a row will unleash an irony-laden “Norris Roundhouse." Crash’s familiar tornado-like spin jump can be executed by spinning the Wii remote while jumping. When controlling different enemy creatures, players will be able to take advantage of the Wii remote’s IR functionality to target specific objects in the level with projectile attacks. Some stronger enemies will use gesture-based controls to execute powerful area attacks,  such as the above-mentioned Scorporilla, who can raise a series of spikes from the ground with a swift raising of the Wii remote and Nunchuk. Players will also be able to use the Wii remote’s IR function to pick up “mojo" orbs floating around a level, not unlike the mechanic of picking up star fragments in Super Mario Galaxy.    

While the game will have plenty of old school platforming action hopping across chasms and elevated ledges, a new series of environmental puzzles promise to take advantage of the “jack and attack" feature of the game. A typical level may have a large obstacle that can only be broken down by taking control of a larger enemy, while some gates will have target-based locks that can only be opened by creatures with projectile attacks. The catch, however, is that Crash will not be able to simply take control of every enemy he encounters. Rather, there is a progression of enemy types, from small to large, that Crash must go through before being able to successfully stun some of the game’s bigger baddies. To further spice up the mix, two player co-op will be available for those interested in brawling through the game with a friend.    

It’s been a long time since Crash has been able to stand side by side with his old school mascot colleagues. While the method of exploiting a furry animal spokesman to sell video game wares may be well past its expiration date, a good action platformer is always in style and Radical Games hopes to bring Crash Bandicoot back in style. Crash Of The Titans is set to release next week, October 2, 2007.

[Nintendo’s Senior PR Director won’t be making the move to San Francisco this fall.]

14

TalkBack / Beth Llewelyn Leaving Nintendo

« on: September 26, 2007, 05:56:59 PM »

Nintendo’s Senior PR Director won’t be making the move to San Francisco this fall.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14480

 Beth Llewelyn, Nintendo’s Senior Director of Public Relations, confirmed today that she will be leaving the company at the end of this week. In an e-mail to Gamespot, Llewelyn  wrote, “after nearly 12 years with Nintendo, I will be leaving the company at the end of this week."  She further elaborated on what the immediate future holds in store for her.   “I’ll be taking some time off to be a full-time mom for a bit. My four year-old daughter and one year-old son won’t know what to do with Mommy around!"    

Earlier this year, Nintendo of America announced it would be relocating its public relations and marketing staff from Redmond, Washington to Redwood City and New York City in an effort to be closer to major gaming media and retailer centers. Subsequently, rumors began to fly that many of NOA’s most familiar faces, including George Harrison, Perrin Kaplan, and Llewelyn, would elect to leave the company and remain in the Seattle area with their families rather than make the transition. Llewelyn’s announcement comes less than two weeks after George Harrison, Nintendo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications, confirmed that  he would be leaving Nintendo as well.    

Llewelyn’s last day with the company will be Friday, September 28.

[It’s time to hit the pitch in EA’s latest soccer evolution for Wii.]

15

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: FIFA 08

« on: September 19, 2007, 08:56:54 PM »

It’s time to hit the pitch in EA’s latest soccer evolution for Wii.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14436

 Never one to miss an opportunity, EA is gearing up to bring the most popular sport on earth to one of the fastest selling consoles in the history of video games. FIFA 08, developed specifically for Wii by EA Canada, brings a whole new feature set to the series, as well as some exclusive gameplay modes, that promises to be a compelling package.    

While FIFA 08 will use the PS2’s FIFA engine for it’s core, the game has been significantly reconceptualized to make maximum use of the Wii Remote. Players will initially notice the camera has been re-centered to follow the action from a birds-eye view very similar to the Madden and NHL series’ default cameras instead of the more traditional sideways TV-style presentation of the past. EA Canada has done their best to translate all of the complex control options of previous FIFA games into the Wii version and the control breakdown is robust. Players move with the Nunchuk’s analog stick and shoot the ball with an upward swipe of the Wii Remote. The faster the remote is swiped upwards, the harder the ball will be kicked.    

After flirting with gesture controls, EA has decided to map passes to button presses. The A button executes a short pass and the B button will deliver a through pass. Players can throw the ball in from out of bounds by simultaneously raising the remote and Nunchuk above their head and making a throwing motion. Players sprint by holding the Z button and can make specific directional passes by tapping the d-pad. Holding the C button and hitting B will execute a lob pass while holding C and hitting the A button twice will perform a one-two pass. If you want to kick an arching chip shot you hold down C again and make the kicking motion with the remote to try and finesse the ball into the goal.    

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, buckle up because there’s even more controls for hardcore simulation junkies. Players can do a header by slamming the Wii remote downwards, while special juke moves can be performed by holding down the C button and flicking the remote left of right.  On defense holding B down will trigger a tackle, and slamming the remote down while holding B will perform a slide tackle. The A button is used to switch players. If that sounds a little overwhelming, there is a Soccer Academy mode that will take players through 30 different tutorial mini-games to practice the controls and learn some of the basics of the game.    

FIFA 08 will also use Mii’s for a special party mode called Footii Party, hosted by a Mii version of the game’s coverboy Ronaldinho. Footii Party will offer 3 distinct party games: table soccer (more commonly known as foosball to the pub crawlers in the audience), Juggling, and Kick It. In Table Soccer, Players will use the Wii remote to control the rotating sticks that spin their little foosball players. The orientation and speed of the spin will kick the tiny plastic ball around the table in a straight-forward adaptation of the frat house gaming staple. Juggling will have players flicking the Wii Remote in time to keep a soccer ball in the air for as long as possible. Competing players will be able to toss trick balls and spins at the juggling player to try and throw them off. Kick It, meanwhile, is a take on the traditional shoot-out that allows up to three different players to take turns trying to kick a goal past another player who is tasked with goaltending duties.    

Also making the transition to FIFA 08 are EA Family Play mode and Online play. In Family Play, players not interested in learning all the intricate ins and outs of the game’s controls can play with the Wii Remote alone, using simple gestures to control passing, shooting, and tackling while the game AI handles all the nitty-gritty of player movement and strategy. Best of all, players will be able to play against each other regardless of whether they are in Family Play or the traditional control scheme, meaning Grandma might steal a game or two from you if you’re not careful. For online, EA will support up to four players, two per side. It remains unclear whether the game will take advantage of Nintendo’s own Wi-Fi service or, like Madden 08, use EA’s own EA Nation network.    

As always, EA will jam the game to the gills with licensed teams, leagues, and players. The game will include more than 570 officially licensed teams and a staggering player roster well over 14,000.    

So just how well will it all come together? Footies around the world will have to wait just a little a while longer to find out, EA is scheduled to release FIFA 08 on October 9, 2007.

[Free Radical’s David Doak discusses the possibility.]

16

TalkBack / TimeSplitters 4 bound for Wii?

« on: September 18, 2007, 04:13:32 PM »

Free Radical’s David Doak discusses the possibility.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14426

 In the massive build-up of anticipation surrounding the release of Halo 3 next week, it’s easy to forget that FPS gaming on consoles was originally kicked into hyperdrive on the Nintendo 64 with Rare’s 007 Goldeneye. David Doak, one of the original team members on Goldeneye, has since moved on to Free Radical, the company responsible for the popular TimeSplitters series. In a recent interview with Game Informer Online promoting the upcoming release of Haze for PlayStation 3, Doak discussed the possibilities of bringing future Free Radical games to Wii, including the next iteration in the TimeSplitters series.    

Specifically, Doak said that early stages of development have officially begun on TimeSplitters 4. “It is in development, but it’s not at a stage that would look like development if we showed it to someone," Said Doak.  “We’re looking at engine things that we might need to tweak for it and deciding what are the features that we really want it to have." Doak went on to acknowledge the sequel will continue in the heavily satirical vein of the first three games, spoofing both movies and video games. A small sampling of the humor was forthcoming in Free Radical’s release of the series trademark monkey placed in the center of a blood-red COG symbol made famous by Epic Studios' Xbox 360 game Gears Of War.    

Moving on to the topic of Wii development, Doak said, “I think it’s a good thing to do, and I think we want to put [TimeSplitters 4] on the Wii." While the game is still without a publisher and remains in a preliminary stage of development, Doak seems convinced that the TimeSplitters style of gameplay can be adapted to the motion controls made possible by the Wii Remote. On the subject of developing games based around motion controls, Doak was critical of using too many gesture controls just for the sake of being ambitious. “It’s better to make a game that’s enjoyable to play than a game that’s got features that don’t work."    

As a parting tease for Nintendo fans, Doak  touched on the subject of a remake of Free Radical's 2004 psychic-action game, Second Sight. “If you want to start a petition for remaking Second Sight on Wii, I’d like to see that as well." These days, it’s certainly not unusual for developers to opine about bringing versions of their games to Wii, but given Free Radical’s track record and past support of Nintendo consoles, these preliminary thoughts could well translate into something more than rumor and speculation.    

For the complete transcript of the interview, including some discussion of Doak’s thoughts on Metroid Prime 3, be sure to check out Game Informer’s website.

[One last trip through a scanner darkly.]

17

TalkBack / REVIEWS: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

« on: September 17, 2007, 08:54:06 PM »

One last trip through a scanner darkly.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14420

 It’s all but impossible to find a game quite like any in the Metroid Prime series. Admittedly, the developers have cobbled together a wide variety of specific, and frequently not very subtle, influences from other games (think Myst, Half Life, System Shock, Marathon, Doom, Zelda…). While the specific elements of any given Prime game may be easy to trace down through the annals of gaming history, the cumulative impact has always been a profoundly singular one. Now comes the third and final installment in the Prime trilogy, and much has changed since the original Prime descended from the heavens like Kubrick’s (and Clarke’s) mysterious monolith for the gaming apes to marvel at. Does it still hold the same other-worldly elegance and rapturous immersion of its predecessors?    

Retro Studios has made some significant changes to the Prime formula to adapt it to Wii, and while some gamers may be apprehensive about it, there can be no doubt that Prime 3 is the gameplay pinnacle of the series. In tone, theme, and execution, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption outstrips its 3D predecessors in almost every way imaginable. This is the most accessible, most exhausting, and most brilliantly hypnotic game in the series and a reminder of all the different ways games have of deserving our attention, above and beyond the staid point and shoot mechanics that have predominated first-person gaming experiences throughout the years. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a definitive first-person gaming experience that is unmatched by any game, on any platform.    

The most dramatic changes to the Prime formula will be apparent from the very beginning. Players wake up in the cockpit of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran’s ship after a brief opening dream sequence. In order to progress, you’ll have to figure out a basic environmental puzzle using the Wii Remote as if it were your very own hand. The cockpit is filled with buttons and flashing panels to interact with, all of which require actual physical movement of some sort to operate. It may seem like a minor evolution to physically aim Samus’s finger at one of several different buttons to bring up a status screen, but it’s a thoroughly beguiling experience.    

The gestures effectively act as a subconscious umbilical cord that shatters the mystical fourth wall of gaming, and it helps to underscore the epic nature of the feats you will have accomplished by the time you reach the journey’s end. What starts as a simple button push lays the foundation for the operation of massive weapons, ancient artifacts, and levers that ultimately unlock some of this universe’s most profound mysteries. More importantly, it underscores the core precept of the game by forcing you to view your interface primarily as a contextual problem-solving tool rather than a blunt instrument of laser-powered destruction. Combat remains an important component of the game, but you won’t get very far in Prime 3 just shooting stuff.    

Once you get out of your space ship and begin the game in earnest, you’ll be treated to a lengthy and startlingly linear prologue that has been designed to ease players into the new control scheme. While this may be an off-putting change of pace for long-time fans of the Prime series, it will likely prove to be an irresistible hook for fans who had little patience for the lock-on aiming and methodical puzzle-solving of the previous games. Instead of abandoning players on a disorienting alien planet with no real directive or strongly-framed story, Prime 3 puts you in the middle of a massive planetary invasion filled with a marauding fleet of space pirates. Everything you do for the first hour or two is directly tied into a major battle that will determine the fate of the planet you’re standing on. Don’t panic, though; it’s still handled in a very "Metroid" kind of way. Fetching energy cells from one room and delivering them to a generator somewhere else still miraculously unlocks a door or powers a conspicuously useful piece of machinery.    

After the stirring prologue, the game eases back into the heavily immersive puzzle-solving and exploration elements that have defined the series since the beginning. I won’t spoil how or why the narrative suddenly shifts from intense battle with Space Pirates to traditional exploration on a series of mysterious alien worlds, but rest assured you’ll be learning about long-dead civilizations and scanning strange alien installations soon enough. In both combat and exploration, the new Wii control scheme is a brilliant addition to the series, adding a significant layer of interactivity to the game world while streamlining many of the more cumbersome aspects of the lock-on movement system.    

Retro’s use of the Wii Remote’s IR function and free-look should serve as irrevocable proof that first person games can be done better on Wii than any other console, past or current. On the advanced setting, the aiming-cursor glides speedily across the screen in a seamless way, adding a pleasurable sense of accuracy to combat. Likewise, the ability to independently aim while still locked on to an enemy complements the old style of Metroid combat beautifully. In past Prime games, shootouts were all about rhythm and timing, knowing how many shots you could get off before you would have to jump out of the way. Introducing aiming to the "shooting and jumping" mix helps enliven the combat and makes up for the sometimes limpid enemy AI. It’s true that regular enemies in Prime 3 have relatively simple AI routines that become predictable over time (and over multiple encounters required by the game’s re-traversal). Even still, combining the nimble jumping/dodging abilities of Samus with the free-aiming is an amusing enough puzzle in and of itself. You probably won’t spend much time wondering about the AI when just hitting an enemy is so immediately rewarding.    

The game has been streamlined in other areas, with beam-switching converted into a stacking system that upgrades the strength of your basic charge beam. Visors can be switched by holding down the minus button and aiming at one of three on-screen wedges that corresponds to the specific visor you want. Hitting down on the D-pad will fire off a homing missile, and the C button switches Samus into morph ball mode. Samus can also enter Corruption mode for brief periods of time by holding down the Plus key on the remote. Staying in Corruption mode eats away Samus’s health and is limited to one energy tank’s worth, but it adds a nice strategic element to enemy encounters. You can clear out the enemies from one or two rooms with relative ease, but how much energy will that ultimately leave you to get where you’re going? This won’t seem like much of an issue playing on the default Normal difficulty, but on Veteran (and above) it becomes a much more immediate part of your play strategy.    

And then there’s scanning. While Prime 3 has some intriguing cut-scenes with dramatic voice-acting (a series first), the bulk of the story will begin to piece itself together as you scan for lore on computer panels, ancient hieroglyphics, and alien data terminals. Initially, it seems like a cumbersome process with nothing more rewarding than some anecdotal tidbits about a specific person or planet. Over time, however, the cumulative impact of all these little puzzle pieces fitting together to contextualize the deeper importance of your mission (especially entries that give you the point of view of the other side in some of the many battles you will have fought earlier in the game) becomes genuinely addictive. The need to scan to find these lore entries dovetails perfectly into the overarching structure of the player defining the depth of their play experience through direct interaction. Admittedly, it’s not a sophisticated layer of interaction, switching to another view and hitting the Z button to scan a glowing red or blue icon. It does, however, reinforce that core gameplay precept that the world you are in is filled with secrets, and it is your job to uncover them.    

Metroid Prime 3 is also one of the most beautiful games ever made, on any system. It may not have all the technical underpinnings of games running on more powerful hardware, but it perfectly exploits the Wii’s capabilities to express a world that is instantly believable and enthralling. Human faces may look a little dodgy, but you will be hard-pressed to move through any of the game’s over-flowing environments and doubt that they could have been real, functioning worlds independent of your place in them. The subdued color pallet and over-the-top bloom lighting add an ethereal gloss that brings out a ghostly desolation. There are brief but annoying load times waiting for some blast doors to open while the game streams in data for the next area, but you’ll forget about the inconvenience as soon as the door pops open and another visual marvel is available for your explorations.    

One big area where Prime 3 stumbles a bit is in the presentation of its story, especially towards the end of the game. Retro Studios should be given credit for adding voice acting and some action-heavy set-pieces to help frame the story. It’s a broad attempt to be cinematic, but cut-scenes are put together with simple edits and basic camera angles that, quite honestly, hearken back to the crude attempts at filmic story-telling from the PS1/N64 days. The decision to use all in-game assets for cut-scenes also frequently shows environments and character models from unflattering angles that help to break the atmospheric spell of the gameplay. The characters all have relatively unexpressive faces that can’t add any layer of emotion or immediacy to the stilted camera angles. While the attempt to broaden the scope and approach to narrative in the games is a commendable one, it doesn’t come together nearly as well as the rest of the game.    

Another quibble one could pick with the game is with the ending. By all accounts, the writers at Retro have crammed the game full of archetypal characters and story arcs that flirt with mythic elements: a war for survival between competing civilizations, a mysterious energy source that is slowly corrupting our protagonist, evil henchmen who are ultimately in over their heads, and the Galactic Federation that may or may not have the purest of intentions. As the ending to a trilogy of games, Retro dives right into the meat of the story with bravura, but all of the elements introduced never really pay off. The way the story winds to a conclusion lacks any serious twists and utterly fails to make some of the more elemental themes resonate in any visceral way. The story told in the snippets of scanned lore and data entries is as compelling as it’s ever been, but it’s also frequently tangential to the main storyline of discovering the true nature of phazon and why it’s corrupting Samus. Not that the game needs a huge cinematic finish, but when the first half of the game features so much action-heavy flair and dialogue infused cut-scenes, it feels weak and inconclusive to finish in such a predictable way.      

As a sheer gameplay experience, however, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption ripples with life. It doesn’t offer mindless escapism; it demands you actively engage in the world you are placed in. It rewards curiosity, exploration, and careful thought applied to the obstacles in front of you. It gives gamers a visceral and subconsciously intuitive interface that will draw you into a more tactile experience than you are likely to ever have experienced. Even while the story fails to match the sublime depths of the gameplay design, Prime 3 is a beautiful game, an artistic monolith that consumes the player with possibilities. While the answers aren’t always as thrilling as the questions, the fact that a game exists capable of providing the kind of haunted examination and reflection that Prime 3 does is a feat of the highest magnitude in the medium. I’m done with Corruption, but it will be in my dreams for a good while yet.

Pros:
       

Unsurpassed first person controls

 

Some of the most beautiful environments in gaming

 

Gameplay tells the story

 

Voice-acting adds a new layer to the story-telling

 

Environmental motion controls are varied and fantastically satisfying

       Cons:
       

Some cutscenes are unflattering to the in-game assets

 

Some people may be let down by the ending

 

Some ancillary controls (map, turning speed) are a little clunky

               Graphics:  9.5
       One of the best looking games ever made. Retro has meticulously put together some of the most believable and atmospheric game environments that I have ever seen. Here is a sprawling galaxy with an astounding level of detail, HDR lighting, particle effects, all in progressive scan and widescreen without the slightest hint of slowdown. There are some bungled and unflattering cut-scenes, but, otherwise, the art and implementation of Prime 3 is magical.

               Sound:  9.0
       A stunning mix of old and new themes balanced against an amazingly deep range of ambient atmospheric sounds. The sound design is the glue that pulls the art and gameplay together into a thoroughly believable universe. Voice acting is generally of high quality and adds a new layer of depth and believability to the story. Some of the tracks with a more dynamic range sound noticeably compressed and downright shrill, but even these are modest technical quibbles.

               Control:  9.5
       Proof that there is, in general, no better way to control a first person game than with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Sure, the turning speed is a bit chunky, and hitting the 1 button to bring up the Map screen is an inconvenience, but those are happy sacrifices. The ease and precision of aiming combined with the surprisingly diverse set of interactive motion controls for environmental objects (not to mention the brilliant grapple beam) are amazingly executed.

                      Gameplay: 10.0
       A fantastically paced adventure that seamlessly combines adventure, shooter, RPG, and puzzle elements into one of the most engaging and intuitive gameplay experience possible in a video game. The streamlined mission structure keeps the plot moving forward at a steady pace, while the free-roaming world allows for all the exploration a diehard could want.

 

       Lastability:  9.0
       A good 15-20 hours of unsurpassed gameplay, with two additional difficulty modes and a full set of achievement points and nifty bonuses to unlock. Add in time to get 100% of the items and scans and the number rises significantly.

 

       Final:  9.5
       Corruption is a simply brilliant experience. It has evolved in some substantial ways from its predecessors, but it still manages to deliver the same unique and deeply engrossing gameplay experience. There are some technical issues, but these are easy to overlook when the game offers such a rich and varied experience. In almost every element of its construction, Metroid Prime 3 is a wonderfully balanced and enthralling piece of work. If you care about video games, you owe it to yourself and the medium to experience this game.      

[Ubisoft delivers the Wii’s first outer-space toddler training simulator.]

18

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Cosmic Family

« on: August 30, 2007, 05:09:36 PM »

Ubisoft delivers the Wii’s first outer-space toddler training simulator.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14321

 What four year-old hasn’t wanted to live on a space ship and mess around with a motley collection of animals? This fall, Ubisoft hopes to make every kindergartener’s dreams come true in vivid fashion with Cosmic Family, a game that seeks to bridge the gap between primary education and the irresistible call of video game hi-jinks. The game will take advantage of the Wii Remote’s IR functionality to offer an exploratory point-and-click style adventure for curious children that will provide simple lessons in counting, colors, shapes, the alphabet, and basic object interactivity.    

Cosmic Family tells the story of Mom and Dad Cosmic and their precocious and inquisitive three children who all happen to live together on a space ship. The entire game takes place inside the five floors of the space ship in which the children will be able to poke and prod anything and everything on a simple journey of discovery.  The space ship will also feature a large collection of exotic and imaginative animals for the player’s inspecting pleasure. The game can be played in Adventure Mode, a treasure hunt of sorts, in which kids are given simple tasks to complete around the spaceship, and rewarded accordingly. Players will also be able to play in Direct Access mode, where they can freely roam around the spaceship engaging in any activity or task that strikes their fancy.    

The game will be powered by more than 300 interactive animations and sounds that will teach youngsters a basic cause and effect triggered by poking (or pointing, as it were) at various environmental objects. The game will also feature over twenty mini-games for players to amuse themselves, all while continuing to sharpen their observation, memory, reflex, and logic skills in the colorfully cartoonish environment.  Players will be tasked with a diverse group of chores including piloting the space ship, watering plants, brushing some animal’s teeth,  and helping some other character get dressed. Additionally, the game will feature three difficulty settings to accommodate the various capacities of both very young children and their older, more coordinated siblings.    

It remains to be seen how successfully Ubisoft can pull their ambitiously simple title together, but gamers with families or younger siblings will want to keep their eyes open for Cosmic Family this Fall. We’ve seen games approach art, blockbuster entertainment, sports, and clever puzzles, but can the medium also credibly bring edu-tainment to the mass market audience?    

Answers should be just around the corner as Cosmic Family is scheduled to ship September 18, 2007.

19

TalkBack / RE:REVIEWS: Madden NFL 08

« on: August 27, 2007, 08:23:30 PM »

TripleX - You've got some really interesting ideas and I think it highlights a fact that a lot of football videogames have been able to skirt with the old tried and true chessboard style presentation: football isn't one cohessive game it's a bunch of mini-battles at every different player position on field. There' inherent possibility in the Wii remote to make these individual face-offs dramatic and compelling in ways not possible with a regular controller. Football on Wii should be fundamentally different than it's ever been before. If the controls are more immersive and physical doesn't the POV necessarily have to follow suit and become more focused and closely aligned to the action?

Anyway, Madden 08 is still a fun game, it's just not an optimal Wii experience just yet. I'll look forward to next year's edition with great interest : )

20

TalkBack / RE:REVIEWS: Madden NFL 08

« on: August 20, 2007, 05:11:27 PM »

TJ Spyke: Create-A-Team isn't in Madden 08 on Wii. It sucks if that's your thing, but the game still has a really robust set of features and different modes. Trust me, franchise mode and making a few superstar profiles to try out a few different positions will be more than enough to keep you busy.

Darknight06: I definitely think there's a great Madden game in the Wii's future. The console hasn't even been out a year yet and EA is already 2 iterations in. Hopefully they'll revamp the entire game design, camera angles, and AI for next year. There are stll so many different possibilities to explore...

The Omen: I play on All-Pro. I normally play on Madden on other consoles, but it's a little too unforgiving when trying to compensate for the motion controls. Also, I don't think 6.5 is an unfavorable score at all. Madden 08 is a good game, it's better than 07 which makes it the best football game you can get for Wii. But there's also a tremendous amount of room to grow and it's not fair to our readers to over-hype a game that's still caught in the transitional backwash of transitioning to a totally new way of making games for a completely unprecedented console. Maybe it's good business from EA's perspective to keep pushing out yearly iterations of Madden but it's not my place to review their business acumen, all I can look at is the game. Anyway, I'm glad you're having fun with the game I've definitely had some fun with it too. Check me out online sometime, I'm on the west coast servers "mplmiket".

[The best football game on Wii, redux.]

21

TalkBack / REVIEWS: Madden NFL 08

« on: August 20, 2007, 02:55:32 AM »

The best football game on Wii, redux.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14247

 The game of football is an extraordinary combination of complex tactics and intensely focused violence. Players have a dauntingly small window of time to coordinate and execute a play that will have been planned and practiced for weeks or months. For the most part, football video games have favored the strategic elements, offering a wealth of plays, audibles, and hot routes to tinker with, while settling into a comfortably chess-like perspective capturing all the action from a bird’s eye view. Last year’s Madden NFL 07 for Wii represented a rare breakthrough for the visceral side of the equation, offering a full suite of gesture controls to connect players to the physical side of the sport in a more direct way. Arriving a brisk 10 months later, Madden NFL 08 comes with some added control refinements, a huge increase in mini-games, a new mom-friendly "Family Play" control option, and online play. It’s a robust package that trumps last year’s game in many ways, but also reveals some glaring issues with EA’s approach to motion-controlled football that, ultimately, make Madden NFL 08 feel a lot less engaging that it should be.    

Madden 08 is packed full of gesture controls, most of which will be familiar to fans who played last year’s version. Many of the motion controls work brilliantly. Pulling up on the Wii Remote hikes the ball, and throwing it forward again passes the ball to the highlighted receiver. Moving the remote faster delivers a bullet pass and easing up a bit will trigger a nice soft lob. Mapping the hike to motion input, in particular, gives a powerfully subconscious underscore to the physical involvement you have in every play. Similarly, the throwing motion really feels great in action and is especially rewarding to see variations in pass speed based on your action. It’s a subtle but powerful effect that carries over some of the intuitive charms of Wii Sports.    

As the ball carrier, you will have even more motion controls at your disposal. Moving the Nunchuk left or right will juke in the appropriate direction. Moving the Wii Remote left or right will, likewise, throw a stiff arm in the corresponding direction. A quick shove forward will trigger a power move, a simplification from last year’s more cumbersome system of moving both remote and Nunchuk forward. Power moves have an added layer of differentiation this year, with big beefy players tucking the ball down and bowling right over defenders, while speedy agility-based players will perform an extra nimble slip move. When in the grasp of a defender, players can drum the remote up and down to push forward for an extra yard or two.    

There’s a definite learning curve to playing with motion controls, especially for experienced Madden players. It can feel a little bit like rubbing your belly and tapping your head, with hiking, passing, catching, juking, and finally drumming the controller over the course of a typical 3-4 second play. None of the moves are particularly hard to execute; it’s the necessity of remembering what everything does and then doing it with split-second timing that takes some practice. Defense is, largely, a mish-mash of the same basic motions. Tackling is handled by a quick push forward of the Wii remote for a hit up high. Pushing the Nunchuk and remote forward in tandem will deliver a tackle targeted at the ball carrier's legs, good for taking on a big hulking running back with a waify corner or safety. If you’re playing as a defensive lineman, left and right moves on the remote trigger swim or rip moves (depending on the situation) in either direction. Slamming the remote down will have a pass defender swat down a pass, and moving the remote and Nunchuk upwards in unison will go for an interception.    

Defense is a lot more chaotic than offense, and you will frequently feel an added layer of distance between you and what is happening on screen, thanks to the motion controls. If you begin as a lineman rushing the QB, you’ll be holding B down for a speed burst, waving left and right to swim your way past the blocker, and then suddenly switching to another player and immediately having to shove the remote forward to tackle the ball handler. It’s not that the actions are hard to do, but that the visceral difference of moving the remote left, right, or forward in the split second required to finish a play feels arbitrary and almost negligible. To further confuse the issue, your player will always be heading from the top of the screen to the bottom while on defense (an age-old Madden tradition) and it feels remarkably counter-intuitive to be holding down on the analog stick while pushing the remote forward only to trigger a tackle animation that moves your character downwards on screen. It’s a bit like having inverted aim turned on in an FPS, assuming you’re not used to the good old "up is down" convention.    

While it’s hard not to admire the enthusiasm and commitment to motion controls in Madden 08, it is not a perfect system. It’s tempting to say that the game might have been better served by forgoing some of the motion controls in favor of button pushes, but the deeper issue is really how the game as a whole is presented. Specifically, much of the game takes place in a zoomed out, or semi-zoomed out, perspective where all the elaborate gesture controls ultimately account for a tiny change in animation for the players on-screen. What feels initially new and fun in the beginning will begin to feel forced and unnecessary with prolonged play. Indeed, Madden 08 is a game that could, just as easily, be played with a GameCube controller and wouldn’t suffer too greatly from the transition.    

Superstar Mode is where the game shows the most promise to be something remarkable and only possible on the Wii. In Superstar Mode, you’ll create your own player and guide him through the NFL combine, draft day, interviews, IQ tests, practice, and actual games, progressively building his stats and skills, over the course of a full career. During games your control is limited to your created character, and you won’t even be able to pick plays because the computer does all the in-game coaching for you. If you’re playing halfback and it’s a passing play, you’ll have to simply pass block and hope to buy enough time for the computer AI to hit the open receiver. If you’re playing as a defensive lineman, you’ll play whole games down in the trenches perfecting your swim move. Since you won’t be able to switch to other players in Superstar Mode, the game is played up-close with a camera zoomed in on your character. Playing the game from this perspective comes the closest to realizing how football on Wii could revolutionize the way the game is played. Being able to see the detailed moves your player makes in concert with each gesture of your controller makes the motion controls feel natural and superior to the old style of play, none of which comes across effectively in the zoomed out, traditional mode of play.    

True, you won’t get to be the hero of every play, but you will feel a lot more in control of the action and be in a better position to appreciate all of the subtle nuances and strategic choices inherent in the motion controls. While this mode feels a little tedious on other consoles, where you’re limited to simple button pushes, the motion controls unlock a dizzying wealth of possibilities, and hopefully this will be an area that EA continues to evolve and tailor more specifically for the Wii remote in the future. Imagine the possibilities of multiplayer where every player has his or her own position and unique moves. Mastering a position and learning to play that position in concert with other players, either online or in split screen, could truly push the experience of Madden on Wii into territory simply not possible on any other console.    

The game looks better than it’s PS2 and GameCube brethren, but only marginally so, with an added depth to colors, crisper textures, and a fluid animation system that looks impressive enough. The underlying AI in the game, however, is strictly last-gen, and if you’ve got any amount of Madden experience you’ll have figured out how to pick apart the computer in a couple of hours or less. It’s hard to overestimate just how disappointing it is to play a version of Madden with so many fresh ideas and not have a more robust way of using them. For all the exciting possibilities inherent in the motion controls, the game doesn’t do anything special to showcase them outside of shoe-horning them into a glossy port of the PS2 game.    

Playbooks have been streamlined here as well, defaulting to generic play types like "Short Pass"  or "Outside Run." You can still back out a level and choose your own plays based on actual formations, but it’s an extra layer of hassle to go through on each and every play, especially considering that higher difficulty levels require a very specific deployment of every formation and player combination at your disposal to counter the computer. Good luck playing Veteran without being able to differentiate 4-3 from 3-4 on defense.    

Family Play is a nice gesture towards making the game more accessible for people not already indoctrinated in the modes and methods of video game football. Players will be able to play whole games using only the Wii remote, with the AI controlling character movement while players control key actions like passing, juking, and tackling. It’s a terrific idea in theory, and will probably make the game a lot more palatable to girlfriends and grandpas around the world. But the AI controlling your character is unremarkable and will back players into some unnecessarily stupid situations like QB’s getting hung up on a lineman or not attempting to roll away from blitzers. In other words, it might convince new players to give Madden 08 a try but probably won’t have them coming back for more.    

Online play is a welcome addition that has the great promise of providing relief from the tired old AI routines of yesteryear. EA has chosen to forego Nintendo’s Wi-Fi service in favor of their own EA Nation servers which, thankfully, don’t require friend codes. All you need to do is fill out a brief registration form associated with an e-mail address and you’ll be ready to go. The options are fairly straight-forward, offering only one-on-one matches. You can play a quick match and let the game’s match-making system find you an opponent, or you can enter a lobby and search available players based on their bandwidths and ratings. You can also peruse leader boards in a number of categories. As of now, the system is rather underwhelming and, in some instances, unplayable with nasty lag that can be a second or more (I played on a DSL line with a 384 Kbps upload speed). If you think pushing buttons with lag is a confounding experience, just wait until you have to waggle 4-5 times in a row to make sure the game registers your passing motion during a nasty hitch. It can also be a hassle finding an opponent with a strong connection who won’t have dropped out by the coin toss. In some instances I’ve spent over ten minutes popping in and out of lobbies before actually making it to kick-off. While online performance on Wii is definitely an evolving creature, and EA has already acknowledged some problems with Madden 08, its performance at present probably won’t hold your attention over the long-term.    

Madden NFL 08 is a tough game to rate. There’s much in the game done right, and it’s obvious that EA is really invested in getting the most out of the Wii’s unique controller. The problem is that they haven’t invested nearly as much time in the game that exists underneath the control scheme. The AI, the playbooks, and the presentation are still inexorably rooted in the PS2 design that might have been compelling four years ago but which is now really starting to show its age. For all the creativity of the motion controls, it becomes painfully apparent that this Madden engine was originally designed for button pushing and not arm waving. There’s definitely fun to be had with Madden NFL 08. Online, a wealth of mini-games, and the user-friendly Family Play mode are all welcome additions, but none of them really change the basic fact that this is an old game with a shiny new coat of paint on it. Madden NFL 08 is a marginally better game than last year’s, but it’s still got a long way to go to fully realize the potential hinted at with the motion controls.

Pros:
       

Motion controls work great on offense

 

Player animations are impressive

 

Superstar Mode is fantastic with motion controls

 

Family Play mode is a big help for new-comers

       Cons:
       

Lackluster presentation

 

AI is predictable

 

Defualt camera doesn't always work with the gesture inputs, especially on defense

 

Online isn't up to snuff just yet

 

You could just as easily play this game with a GameCube controller

               Graphics:  7.0
       There are some nice Wii-specific flourishes with crisper textures, brighter colors, and some impressively varied player animations. Character models are generic, and stadiums, while accurately replicated, are all empty and hard to differentiate during gameplay. This is basically the PS2 engine with some extra cherries on top.

               Sound:  7.0
       Madden and Al Michaels offer passable commentary that seems a little more smoothly integrated into the game than in years past. The generic rock and hip hop tracks that play in all the menu screens are insipid and make the whole package feel like an overgrown marketing exploit instead of an actual game. Hiking noises coming out of the Wii Remote speaker are a nice touch.

               Control:  6.0
       Parts of the motion controls work brilliantly. Hiking and passing feel great, while busting jukes and pulling off power moves can be really satisfying in the right situations. Pulling off all the motion-based moves in the short window of time given to you during each play makes it a little to too tough to remember what does what. Defense is a jumbled mess, and EA has unforgivably left out IR controls for Menu screens, forcing you to scroll up and down with the d-pad.

                      Gameplay:  6.5
       If you’ve played a Madden game in the last five years you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into with Madden 08. The AI routines, playbooks, and move sets are mostly unchanged from past offerings. The motion controls do help freshen up the formula, but after a few hours you’ll start to feel a disappointing sense of déjà vu.

 

       Lastability:  8.0
       You could easily spend 30-40 hours each in both the Franchise Mode and the Superstar Mode, assuming you won’t mind putting up with the mildly predictable gameplay. Online is a nice addition, but lag and problems getting into a game make it hard to enjoy at present. Mini-games and Family Play will give some added life to the game with friends and family who, otherwise, would never have dreamed of playing a Madden game.

 

       Final:  6.5
       Madden 08 is caught in the generational cross-currents, a second iteration on a console that’s only ten months old. Its ambitions towards revolutionizing how football games are played is sometimes quite rewarding, but just as often totally frustrating. The underlying game to which the motion controls have been applied is wholly underwhelming and very last-gen. Playing Superstar Mode with full motion controls hints at some great things to come, but the present experience is ultimately over-familiar and getting dangerously close to its expiration date.      

[Can this year’s version take golf to the next level?]

22

TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08

« on: August 13, 2007, 05:19:14 PM »

Can this year’s version take golf to the next level?
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=14224

 There are few games more instantly suitable for the unique capabilities of the Wii Remote than golf. Since the revolutionary controller was first revealed almost two years ago, fans of the proverbial “good walk ruined" have been eagerly hoping that someone would translate the finesse and intensity of the sport to Wii. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, the series’ first Wii iteration, got off to a good start but wasn’t quite as immersive or revolutionary as diehard duffers were hoping for. Now, a speedy five months later, EA is preparing to release Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 for Wii promising to improve on Tiger  07 in almost every way.    

The key for any golf game on Wii is the motion controls and Tiger Woods 08 promises a number of subtle but significant improvements to its core swing controls. The basic swing mechanic works exactly as you would expect it to, hold the Wii Remote like a golf club, swing it back, and then drive it forward again to send your ball on its fateful course towards the fairway. New for this year’s game is added sensitivity for the speed and overall strength of your swing that aims to add a new layer of nuance and strategy for seasoned-players. The harder and faster you swing the remote, the farther your ball will travel.    

EA has also worked on making the hook and slice mechanics more responsive in Tiger Woods 08. Players can twist the Wii Remote to the left or right before beginning their swing to affect the angle of the club head during the swing. Keeping the remote at that angle throughout a complete swing will deliver either a slice or hook, allowing experienced players even more options for approaching some of the game's most demanding courses. Players again will use the remote’s IR function to move an aiming cursor around each hole in order to choose a target for every shot.    

The putting game also promises some new additions, giving players a timed preview putt option when on the green. Players will be allowed to take a few “practice" putts while a timer runs down in order to get a better feel for how the ball will behave on the green. Once the timer runs out, Players will have to take their putt for real. Another new upgrade for Tiger Woods 08 is the confidence system. The game will take your character’s overall strengths and weaknesses, the shot’s degree of difficulty, and your past performances on similar shots into account, then translate all of that into a confidence rating. The higher your character’s confidence the easier it will be to ace the shot, while a lower rating will make it tougher to hit the ball just right.    

Tiger Woods will come with a full compliment of game modes, including quick play, career mode, multiplayer, and lots of Wii-centric mini-games. Unlike EA’s other Wii sports titles for this Fall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 won’t support WiFi play.    

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is set to ship in North America on August 28.

[Microsoft’s software development kit allows designers to build games for the Wii Remote.]

23

TalkBack / Wii Remote To Be Supported By XNA

« on: August 09, 2007, 07:21:58 PM »

Microsoft’s software development kit allows designers to build games for the Wii Remote.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14206

 Hot on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement that their first party IP Viva Pinata would be making an appearance on DS, the Redmond-based software behemoth demoed an extension for it’s proprietary software development kit, XNA, that adds support for Nintendo’s Wii Remote as an input device.  The extension, which was released in March, is known as Managed Library for Nintendo's Wiimote and was coded by Brian Peek.    

Speaking for Microsoft at a seminar hosted by Assembly, an organization that sponsors seasonal festivals to promote education and networking events for game designers, Chad Z. Hower presented a demo of how to build a game on XNA, which used the Wii Remote as the controller. Hower’s demo was relatively basic, featuring only a simple stick figure to demonstrate the ease of the interface. While XNA can be used to develop software on the Xbox 360 platform, the console's lack of Bluetooth support, which the Wii Remote uses for communication, means that XNA programmers wanting to incorporate Wii Remote support into their games are limited to PC development.    

The veracity of Nintendo’s claim to create a home console where the big idea can win out over the big budget is still up for debate, but few can now argue that the tools are out of reach for someone who wants to give it a try. Which leaves us with one question: anyone have any big ideas?

[Weekly sales figures show Nintendo sailing strong.]

24

TalkBack / Nintendo Owns Another Week In Japanese Console Sales

« on: August 09, 2007, 06:40:44 PM »

Weekly sales figures show Nintendo sailing strong.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14205

 Weekly Japanese sales figures from Media Create indicate that Nintendo’s stranglehold on console sales is continuing strong through the otherwise slow days of summer. For the week of July 30 through August 5, the DS Lite sits head and shoulders above other hardware offerings accounting for half of all consoles sold with 135,729 units taken home by Japanese gamers. The Wii brings up the second spot with 61,498 units sold.    

Sony’s PSP ranks in third place with 33,886 consoles sold for the week. The DS Lite and PSP combined to account for 62% of all units sold for the week. While Wii has been stealing more headlines in the popular press around the world, these sales figure reconfirm the strongest area of market expansion in Japan is still firmly rooted in the handheld space with home consoles coming in a clear second.    

The PS3 and PS2 round out the top 5 with 24,289 units and 12,784 units sold for the week. Xbox360 sold 2,691 consoles.

[Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…]

25

TalkBack / REVIEWS: Escape From Bug Island

« on: August 08, 2007, 08:39:01 PM »

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14199

 Escape From Bug Island is ostensibly a story about unrequited love and hacking giant preying mantises into pieces with a machete. Originally given the more morbid and self-serious name Necro-nesia when it was released in Japan as a Wii launch game, the US version has quietly undergone a brand overhaul into a tongue-in-cheek horror game. It’s a clever brand of marketing that actually brings out some of the more evocative psychological overtones of your character stumbling through the palpably moist fog, smashing vaguely vaginal insects with a stick while trying to save a wholly asexual female character. An athletic mind might even argue that the game’s story elements almost work as schlocky psycho-sexual b-movie metaphors that might be at home in some of David Lynch’s or Daria Argento’s lesser films.    

But then again, why bother? The game is so thoroughly incomplete, unrewarding, and cheaply made that all the intellectual posturing in the world couldn’t make 10 hours spent hacking your way through its plodding murk a worthwhile experience. The game is amazingly simple and straight-forward in a way that recalls some of the very first 3D action-adventure games of the mid- to late ‘90’s. Levels are empty vacuums with a handful of stiff enemy encounters and some entirely unnecessary item fetching. All of this leads to an arcane end-level scoreboard, informing you that it took 24 minutes to find a lead pipe and kill twenty vampire moths, before loading you into the next level to clumsily navigate around in the metaphorical fog.    

Players use the nunchuk’s analog stick to move their player with the all-too-familiar tank controls from old Resident Evil and Tomb Raider games. Your character can only move forward, and if you want to change direction you have to first rotate him. It’s not quite as frustrating as it might have been, since the camera trails you from behind ala Resident Evil 4, but it’s still an awkward operation trying to figure out where you’re going when you first have to do the basic arithmetic of figuring out which direction you’re pointing in and how many degrees to the right or left you need to turn (and then cross-referencing it with the mini-map). It’s not an overly difficult operation, but it’s a cumbersome and unnecessary approach that most modern games have happily done away with.    

The motion controls are easily the game’s most frustrating feature, even as they held the most conceptual promise. To attack with the game’s various melee weapons, you simply hold the B button and swing the Wii Remote up and down. The attacks don’t match your arm movements in the same way that Wii Sports miraculously tracks your smallest twitches and fidgets. Instead you’ll have to complete a full up and down motion before your character even begins the attack animation, giving a palpable and frustrating delay between you and the action onscreen. To compound the frustration, the game’s attack animations are long and can’t be interrupted by another attack command, making players feel even more disconnected from the game.    

You can enter first-person mode by pressing the A button and pointing the Wii Remote at the screen to survey the environment and launch projectile weapons like rocks and little tiny sandbags (no comment) at enemies or environmental objects that need some jarring loose. To toss rocks, you keep the A button held down, then hold down the B button to lock the aiming cursor in place, and finally make a throwing motion with the Wii Remote. While the whole mechanic sounds like a terrific way to enhance the interactivity of the environments (if a little awkward in the amount of coordinated button presses it requires), it flounders in execution. The game is awful at centering your point-of-view when you first switch over, making it too cumbersome and time-consuming to effectively set up during combat. That is, except for the few times you’re required to fight a giant gorilla by tossing rocks at his head – not fun. Like the melee combat, there’s no variation in how far and fast the rocks travel based on your motion (the tutorial claims there is, but it’s negligible in reality), and the whole process feels like an overly complicated button push instead of a truly interactive gameplay advancement.    

There are a few fun mini-games, like shaking the remote and nunchuk back and forth to shake swarming bugs off. There are some sequences where you’re asked to cross narrow logs and keep your balance by twisting the remote to keep an arrow centered on a balance meter. These help to break up the hack and slash monotony, but sadly, they never evolve into any more useful gameplay mechanics.    

The game is largely underwhelming from a visual standpoint. This would have been an ugly Gamecube game, and it’s all the more disappointing to see something so crude and unoptimized on the Wii. The low-res textures, recycled environments, and blocky polygonal character models all belie how little effort has gone into making the game visually appealing. The budget tech can’t be saved by the art team either, as the enemy designs and character models are plainly adorned in simple primary colors with all the style of a J.C. Penny Sunday circular. The insect models have some intricately designed organic patterns that stand out against the otherwise drab and blurry canvas into which they’re thrown, but given the small number of enemies the game has on offer, even these will grow tiresome by the time you get around to finishing the campaign.    

Another bizarre quirk of the game is (SPOILER ALERT) the fact that half way through, around the four hour mark, you are sent back to the first level and told to replay the whole game again. You read that right; once you get through half the game, you’ve essentially seen most of the playable area the game has to offer. Admittedly, several levels have a fair amount of newly unlocked area to explore the second time around, and there are a few secret level bonuses tucked away in previously inaccessible parts of the terrain. Even still, it feels like an insubstantial and cheap way to pad the fact that there wasn’t time or money enough to build more than nine basic environments. It might not have been such a disappointing experience if there was more to do than kill bugs with better weapons and unlock a few hidden boxes here and there, but retreading the same ground twice is particularly fruitless.    

Escape From Bug Island is ultimately a hollow experience that can’t even deliver on its admittedly hokey premise with some mindless bug-bashing fun. The controls are awkward, methodical, and frustrating, while the visuals are a big step back, even by the standards of last generation’s hardware. Moving around the levels is a disappointingly monotonous experience of hammering the Wii Remote up and down while trying to find some arbitrary key or artifact to miraculously unlock the path to the next area. Even at a budget price, this game fails to deliver any genuinely redeeming qualities. If there’s a glimmer of promise in the campy and subversive elements of the story, it is buried underneath a mountain of outdated gameplay and bland environments. Play at your own risk.

Pros:
       

Enough Jungian iconography to fuel a thesis

 

Controls have some truly inventive ideas

 

Budget price

       Cons:
       

Horribly implemented controls

 

Levels are empty and repetitive

 

You could get RE4 for the same price

 

All of those Jungian references were probably accidental

 

Game recycles levels in the second half

               Graphics:  4.5
       The game is a bland and blurry jumble with no distinctive flair. Environments are recycled greens and browns with no distinguishing characteristics, while the character models are blocky and stiffly animated marionettes. This would have looked unimpressive on last-gen hardware and is doubly unimpressive on Wii.

               Sound:  5.0
       There is a nice tune that plays during save screens. Otherwise, the game is mostly dominated by ambient sound effects and environmental noise, all of which are effective but grow tiresome because there is no real music to embellish or contrast them.

               Control:  3.5
       There are some terrific ideas in the control scheme, but none of them really work. Motions aren’t used here as tools to deepen the gameplay experiences; they’re crudely implemented as substitutes for button pushes, and they make it that much harder to get into the experience. This is the exact opposite of what gamers should expect from an adventure experience on Wii.

                      Gameplay:  4.0
       Smash fifteen Lizard Women with a stick, find the key to a locked suitcase, end the level. Hopefully you liked the first four hours, because the next four hours set you right back at the beginning again and have you redo the whole thing a second time just in case you missed an extra mango or preying mantis nest. Does anyone want this?

 

       Lastability:  4.5
       If you’re going to play through the whole thing you’ll get a good 8-10 hours. The few boss fights that are sprinkled in will take a little repetition and figuring out, while getting your bearings in some of the more intricate levels requires some blind exploration and backtracking.

 

       Final:  4.0
       Don’t accept the game’s title as a noun but, rather, as the imperative advice that it is. Escape indeed. Video games are fun, they empower the user with intuitive and rewarding controls, they offer interesting and beautiful visuals to get swept up in, and they reward us with a sense of discovery. Escape From Bug Island gives us the opposite experience in each case: it’s tedious and plodding, the controls are so stiff and unresponsive they engender helpless disconnection, the visuals are plain and ordinary, and exploration rewards us only with more confusion and monotony. Avoid this game.