Game Review Series Volume 4

It’s winter again and the kids are back in school but that does not mean that the fun has to be over. Last year was no short on good Wii releases but, none of them gives you that “fun in the sun feeling” in the same way as Nintendo’s, “Wii Sports: Resort”. "Wii Sports Resort" is the sequel to the 2006 pack-in, release, "Wii Sports". Where "Wii Sports" was used to get Wii owners open to the idea of using a Wii Remote and Nunchuck, the sequel, also serves a purpose. In June, we saw the release of the "Motion Plus" accessory. This device plugs into the bottom of the Wii Remote and allows for 1:1 (pronounced 1 to 1) control. Every copy of "Resort" includes a "Wii Motion Plus" device.



At first look, one might wonder why they should pick up this game. Compared to the five games offered in Wii Sports, the Resort version features 12 games, two of which (bowling and golf), are enhanced revisions from the first game. Swordplay, Wake boarding, Frisbee, Archery, Basketball, Table Tennis, Power Cruising, Canoeing, Cycling and Air Sports are the new entries. Wow, that was a mouthful!

Each game is pretty much self-explanatory but better, each game features alternate versions and or variations. Upon starting the game you are introduced to a three-minute video of how to install and handle your "Wii Motion Plus" device. Speaking of Motion Plus; the device is the true star of the game. None of the events in Resort can be played without one. As I said earlier, each game does not need to be deeply explained. What I will do is tell you about the games I enjoyed the most and how well they use the Motion Plus accessory. First off "The game works!" This is absolutely, one of the best examples of what the Motion Plus can do. If you think you have experienced everything Wii motion controls can offer, think again! Since seeing this game back in 2008 I have always wanted to play the Archery mode. Obviously it’s the first game I played.




Normally when you think of archery in a video game you would expect something of a first person shooter setup. That is very far from what you get in "Resort". In this mode you hold the Wii Remote vertical like a bow and you use the Nunchuck to draw back the arrow, while holding down the "Z" button. To release the arrow, you simply release the "Z" Button. In this game you do have a targeting reticule but the IR Pointer at the tip of the remote does not control it. To best describe targeting, you have a "targeting circle" that you have to align with the bulls-eye. Unlike a traditional reticule, you will not get a spot on shot. Instead, you have to rely on your whit and your eyes (like in real archery) to estimate where your arrow will land.

I had a great time with this game. The challenge of working with the "targeting circle" and angling my arrow against the wind was pretty amazing. I loved the overall feel of the setup. I am also pretty amazed how accurately the Wii Remote (with Motion Plus) can be used to aim at something on the screen. You normally don't see that level of targeting control unless it’s through the remote's infrared pointer. It really shows how versatile the Wii Remote is.




Another game I had a lot of fun with was “Power Cruising”. In this game you hold the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in your hands horizontally, like a big handlebar. The “A” button is used to accelerate and you turn the controller parts left and right together to turn in the desired direction. The goal of the game is to drive your jet ski to the many checkpoints within the allotted time, until you reach the end of the course. You also have a meter beside your Mii character. That bar shows you how much boost power you have. In order to use your boost, you simply rotate the controller parts forward like a motorcycle handle. The beautiful part about Power Cruising is the feeling of being behind a fast moving vehicle. By holding the controller properly for this certain game, your mind is allowed to imagine and be apart of the scenery created by this game. In essence, that has always been the beauty of the Wii. You hold the controller in different ways to ”bring” you into the game.

“Air Sports” is another game that shows off the sensitivity of the Motion Plus accessory. This game is very simple but just like all of the other resort games, there is a lot of fun to be had from this game. Air Sports is divided into three parts; skydiving, island flyover and dogfight. In “Island flyover” you hold the Wii Remote in its native position. Your plane automatically accelerates, the “B” button can be used to stop your propeller and the “A” button allows for you to shoot out pellets, which allow for you to pop balloons. Every slight movement is measured by the Motion Plus add on. To turn your plane, you simply move the Wii remote in the way you would a toy airplane. You can twirl the remote 360 degrees to do a barrel roll or just do two quick 90 degree turns to reach the same effect. You can also thrust your remote forward for a quick speed boost. Movement seems very natural to the point that many “core” Nintendo gamers that play this game will ask their selves, “Where’s my Star Fox Wii game?”



Another great part about “Island Flyover” is the ability to explore WuHu Island, the home of your Mii characters. While “Wii Sports Resort” might not be packing in the polygons arena, the game is nothing less than beautiful. Once again Nintendo shows that they are the masters of turning something simple into something beautiful. Every part of WuHu Island is crafted in fine detail and flying your plane around it and exploring the island is an experience that no Wii owner should miss out on. I almost wish that Nintendo will use the island setup again and create an adventure game just for the Mii characters.

Aside from the 12 different games and their multiple variations, “Wii Sports Resort” also includes an achievement system. You can do certain things within the game and gain recognition for them. Different types of icons represent the different achievements and you can compare your accomplishments with that of your friends and family. The only thing that seems to be missing from this game is an online component. You can use the Mii characters that you collect from the separate “Check Mii Out” channel but as for a direct online mode between the game disc and the “Nintendo WiFi Connection” service, there is none.



If you are a Wii owner I definitely recommend this game for you. If you are not a Wii owner, I still recommend this game for you. There is something simply magical about “Wii Sports Resort” and its use of the “Motion Plus” accessory. This game takes things back to the core of what video games are about. The ability to imagine, to experience and to enjoy having fun with the people close to you is what gaming is about. “Wii Sports Resort” will be a game that will stay in the hearts of people for years to come.

Game Review Series Volume 3

Note: The pictures provided, DO NOT, do this game justice. If you really want to see how beautiful this game looks, go find a high quality Youtube clip to watch go better, GO play the game!



Its been almost two years in the making and it's FINALLY here. I'm talking about the long awaited Wii game from High Voltage Studios, The Conduit. The Conduit is not just any first person shooter, many Wii owners might consider this game to be the "golden child" of Wii games. When High Voltage first started this project, they set out to deliver a game that would give Wii owners a "hardcore" experience similar to that found on the X-Box 360 and PlayStation 3. Did they deliver? Yes!



The game has two major modes, a single player mode and a online only, multiplayer mode. In the single player mode you play as Agent Ford. I will do my best to not reveal much of the story but it involves the traditional alien invasion gimmick. What makes this game different than other "aliens taking over the world stories", are the government conspiracies that take place in the background. There are a few twist and you will spend some time trying to figure out who is friend or foe. Overall the story is a bit short with just nine levels but pretty enjoyable if you take it for what it is.



During the story you come into possession of a item called the "All Seeing Eye" (ASE for short). The ASE serves its purpose as the puzzle element of the game. To be honest this feature is hardly used outside the following; secret room with weapons, invisible mines, hacking into computers and unlocking doors. There are times where the use of this device seems logical and even interesting. The down part is, there are a lot of times where the ASE becomes very annoying. There were many times where I found myself in the middle of a gun fight, only to have the ASE start beeping because of some invisible mine. This forces you to choose to finish off enemies or take a few hits and focus on disabling the mine. Doing the latter becomes increasingly more frustrating when there are spawning points for more enemies to appear.



While there are also a nice variety of weapons, you find yourself reloading a lot and ammunition in some levels is scarce. There were times where I even found myself running and punching enemies, just to survive. I have to admit that some of the weapons were a joy to play with and while I did end up punching a lot of enemies, there was something slightly gratifying about it. Weapons are divided into three main types, Human, Trust (think futuristic human) and Drudge (alien weapons). Human weapons of course use bullets while Trust weapons use plasma energy and Drudge weapons use bio mass. Eventually as you play, you will begin to figure out which weapons are right for certain situations.



When it comes to controls, there is no shooter like The Conduit. Almost every aspect of the game is fully customizable. You can change actions to different button, change how fast you run, how fast you turn and even the placement of items on the heads up display (HUD) and how transparent they are. If you purchase this game and find yourself not liking the default controls, feel free to play around with the options. You would be hard pressed to find something that does not work for you!



Aside form the gameplay and controls The Conduit is BEAUTIFUL! High Voltage set out to make this game visually comparable to anything found on the 360 and PS3 and with the help of their Quantum 3 engine, they succeeded. This game features such effects like bloom lighting, reflections, interactive water, HDR imaging, detailed and animated textures as well as bump mapping. The textures are so detailed that I often times found myself walking extremely close to a wall just to look at them. Things like tiles and wood and metals, textures do not pixelate, no matter how close you are. Granted there were a few things that really didn't match up with the rest of the game (i.e. the city backdrop image) but aside from that the game looks like your playing a early 360 title in standard definition and that's saying a lot.



While playing, you will come across a lot of unlockables and the game even features an achievements system. There is special developer artwork as well as special codes that will serve as reasons for players to keep moving forward. The final part of this game, the multiplayer mode is a little slice of WiFi heaven on Earth. All of your settings form the single player mode can be used in this one. You can play against 11 other people (total of 12 per room) with Wii Speak voice chat supported. There are three main categories of games, Team Reaper, Team Objective and Free For All. You can also play all three types in a friends match, regional or worldwide match. Within the three main multiplayer types are sub games such a ASE football where a player tries to hold onto the ASE for as long as he or she can without being killed. Bounty Hunter is another mode in which each player is given a target. Players are deducted points for killing a player, but gain points for offing their target while defending yourself from your hunter has no effect on your score. Overall the WiFi mode in this game is one of the best experiences I have had on the Wii.



If you are still trying to decide on whether to purchase this game or not, do it! Personally I cant seem to pry myself away from the multiplayer mode. The game is beautiful to look at and plays like a charm. It may be lacking in certain small areas but more than makes up for that by creating a very solid first person shooter experience. The Conduit is a must have in any Wii owner's library!

Game Review Series Volume 2

--Lace up Your Wrestling Boots and Grab Your Wii Remotes--
Sunday, November 16, 2008

It's that time of year again! Yes I'm talking about another "SmackDown! Vs. RAW" game.




Before you continue to read this, just take note that all opinions are based upon the Wii Version of the game...



I received my copy of "WWE SmackDown Vs. RAW 2009" yesterday and I have to honestly say that, I'm...mostly pleased. The controls are way better than last years game. The setup while it does not stray too much from last years game has some major improvements. You still swing the Wii remote to do a basic attack. A swing in any direction while holding the "A" button will perform a light grapple while a swing with "B" will perform an "interactive grapple". Interactive grapples are improved from last years game. In last years game the formula would be similar to "B + swing...lets say down, would equal knocking your opponent on the floor and then, you are cued to do punch motions to do, multiple punches on your opponent". In this years' game not only can you flick in a vertical or horizontal motion to activate a move but now you can twist the remote. For example, you start a match with a few swings then decide to do an interactive grapple, now you're presented with a few options. For the sake of the example we will say up, which would be a power slam, down would be a low blow and twist will be another move. Twist moves are normally used to perform moves like a quick twist of fate or a 180 degree move in a body slam.



Sadly, there are not many games on Wii that make use of the twist control of the Wii Remote. Just adding that level of control in this game is a breath of fresh air and something that I thank THQ for. Another major addition is the "action" button. Players will no longer automatically pick up a weapon when they walk near it. That helps a lot when you are in a traditional match and you don't want to pick up the weapon, your cheating opponent placed in the ring. While there are good control additions to this game there are still some issues. The lack of a run button still bugs me. Also pausing the game is more of a chore, to much so that I tend to use the "Home" button to pause my game rather than doing the tedious pressing of "+" and "-". To give THQ some advice, this could be solved by allowing "Plus" to be the pause button and "Minus" to be the run button. Something as simple as that will do this game a world of good.




Graphically, I will have to say that the game is a mixed bag. I have seen better character models on GameCube and that is not a compliment, it's tough love. The Wii, the GameCube successor is technically two times more powerful than the GameCube and yet, while the models do look good, they still have a PlayStation 2 look to them. If you need a visual reference of why I'm fussing about this, check out http://gamecube.ign.com and look at the pictures of "WWE Day of Reckoning 2" and then open a new tab and go to http://wii.ign.com and look at the pictures for "WWE SmackDown! Vs. RAW 2009". It is a crying shame that a GameCube game published by the same company back in 2005 has better looking character models than a Wii game published in 2008, especially since the coding language for both systems are almost identical. If you have the better option of having two televisions and both games, you will receive a shocking look at what I am talking about.

Hopefully, THQ will beef up the game in the graphics department in next years installment. As for now, the graphics do their job and it's not a total mess. I'm very tempted to talk about the audience but for the sake of time I'll just say that THQ should switch from a 3-D audience and use high res, pre rendered animations. If THQ needs any lessons, they should contact Capcom and ask for their "Resident Evil Zero" team to give them some pointers. The story on the other hand is where this game shines.

I will do my best not to ruin too much but I want to talk about how much I love the attention to detail in presentation. First off, each "show" (which is usually a cut scene followed by your match and maybe another cut scene depending on the situation) starts off with the traditional fireworks and theme song that you would normally see and hear every Monday, Tuesday and Friday night. While some things are slightly dated (that being WWE's fault), the feeling is very authentic. Wrestler intros are now interactive. You can (for the most part) do their signature poses, high five audience members or tick them off while entering the ring. Another interesting thing that THQ added was a new camera angle when you're outside the ring. Instead of the camera being over head, it's now beside the character, giving you a "in your face" view of the action that the show usually has. My favorite addition is the end of show logo and copyright info that appears at the end of every "show" in the game. Granted it feels like you just watched and episode of "RAW, ECW or SmackDown!" that had only one match and a promo, but it still feels like a show.



The final part of this review is the Nintendo WiFi mode. It's pretty standard. All the match types are playable, with up to four players max. One player per system. You can have "Friend Matches" in which you can play against someone in your friends roster (after receiving that person's 12 digit friend code). Random matches can also be played and you are also ranked. There are also two leader boards, one for your friends and a worldwide board. THQ has announced downloadable content for this game but at this time I do not see anything in any of the WiFi menus showing any proof of this. It is more likely that the downloadable content will be hosted from the Wii's "Shop Channel"

In the end, with the exception of the flaws stated, the overall package of this game is a great one. I am having a total blast playing this game! if you own a Wii and are a wrestling fan, this is definitely a pickup. If you own multiple gaming platforms, I would still say pick this game up. The motion controls and overall feel still makes this game a great party game to play when you have friends or family over.

After review note...

Sorry to say that THQ's plans for downloadable content on the Wii version was eventually scrubbed. A very shameful move if you asked me, considering that Guitar Hero, Rockband, Mega Man 9 and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (WiiWare) and Samba De Amigo, all support Downloadable content. Maybe we will see the inclusion of DLC in "SmackDown vs. Raw 2010".

Game Review Series Volume 1

Welcome to a new blogging series I am starting. Aside from my traditional blogs about life I will be bringing to you a series of game reviews. This first one is about the Wii game, "Red Steel" I typed this review back in 2007 for a different site but its one that I am proud of. I hope you enjoy and look out for my other reviews.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red Steel: Aim and Shoot
...Now You Can Play a FPS, Gangsta Style
By Lightning Kid
February 17, 2007




For many years, the first person shooter has been played with either a "keyboard & mouse" combination or a "control stick and buttons" combination. While those play styles have worked for the respective P.C. and game console shooters, one game dares to make a difference. Enter, Red Steel, one of Nintendo Wii's first, FPS (first person shooter) games. Red Steel uses the innovative 'Wii remote' and 'Nunchuck' attachment combo to immerse the gamer into the action. To shoot, just aim the Wii remote at where you want to fire and press the "B" trigger button to fire your weapon. To throw a grenade, push down on the directional pad and do a throwing motion with the nunchuck. Players may also roll a grenade using a rolling-toss motion. If you need cover, simply aim at a table with the Wii Remote and fling your 'nunchuck' hand upwards to toss the table up. Once the table is up, you can duck using the "Z" button (also on the nunchuck) and fire at your enemies while being covered.



As if shooting was not enough, Ubisoft decided to insert unique sword fighting battles. The controls are fairly simple, Swing the Wii remote like you normally would a sword and the Nunchuck acts as a parrying blade which you can use to defend against attacks. While all of this will certainly get a player active, the game suffer from minor control glitches. First off, the shooting, while it does allow you to turn your hand side ways and shoot "gangsta style", has a bit of flaws in its aiming. The aiming is a bit slow and your hand most be a bit steady. besides the slowness, aiming is actually more precise than in your standard first person shooter. Secondly, sword fighting is not exactly "one to one". Don't expect swipe to the left and you character to do the same. Instead the game generalizes your attacks into the following commands, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and stab (thrust forward). Besides the generic attacks, sometimes the Nunchuck blocking is not as responsive as needed for an intense sword fight.



At the beginning of the game your character, only referred to as "Scott San" is on a date with his fiance, while on the date, Scott is meeting his fiance's (Miyu) father (Sato San), for the first time. Before Scott can even say hello to Sato Sama. Sato is attacked by a rival Yakuza gang and Miyu is kidnapped. Now it is up to Scott to save Miyu and stop the rival Yakuza gang before they gain power in Japan. The first few levels start off in Los Angeles where Scott is basically gathering what information he can for Sato. After the first levels you are then sent to Japan and the story develops even further. You meet a dojo master and his assistant who will teach you more sword attacks, and an American bar owner (The bar is in Japan) with his bodyguard who will help you practice your gun techniques. The characters are not too deep but not too shallow. You will remember them by the end of the game and that says a lot about the story.



Graphically, this is one of the better Wii games. While this is an early title and has no reflection on the full graphical power of the Wii console, the game still stands out. The neon setting in Japan's more 'urban' areas are beautiful. The environments are fully destructible, glass and reflection effects look beautiful. The game is not "Hi-Def" per say but, it does support Wide screen ratio and 480p. If you have a standard definition television, the game will simply add the black bars to the top and bottom of the screen. Red Steel is no run and gun game and you will find your self doing more duck and cover as well as building strategy but, with that said, the game is amazingly fun. If you are still not sure about this game. I will advise you to rent the game first and please, give the controls some time, getting used to. Red Steel is a game that is the beginning of what is to come with, shooters on Wii.