Looking to the Future (and the present!)
I started this article decades ago before the New Year™ as a way of looking ahead. Then I was afflicted with the ebola virus and one of its chief side effects; bleeding. Needless to say, I learned to do nothing but slowly die. However, after having my body regenerated with radiation I decided to finish this article. It is no longer New Year™ themed and instead has no theme at all. Enjoy! Come and join me on this magical voyage in which I explore currently announced Wii releases which are on my radar. In the long run I may not buy most of these, but they’ve certainly got my attention. Also some of them are already out, but some quick thinking and editing allowed me to alter the article to fit my needs
House of the Dead: Overkill (Out now!)
I typically look forward to a game based on its substance and not its style, but Overkill is an exception. It just looks entertaining and for a light gun style shooter that’s really all you need isn’t it? With two player co-op and a new ability to perform melee attacks when zombies get close there’s little for me to do other than think of how fun this will be to play with a friend. However, is the amount of fun worth 50 bucks? These are the questions that hang on the lips of the world. Mad World (03/10/09)
The disembodied corpse of the former Clover Studios (developers of Okami) have has reformed and it’s making a game exclusively for the Wii. Honestly, that’s enough for me. I want the game already. It’s an over the top brawler that is entirely black and white except for the the color of blood (that’s red, in case you need clarification?). It’s exotic to look at, from awesome developers, and involves tearing random enemies in half while I hold them over my head. Sounds good to me.
Rune Factory: Frontier (03/16/09)
Before Rune Factory released on the DS I was incredibly apprehensive of the idea. It seemed like Natsume was just taking Harvest Moon and throwing in more crap to do that distracted me from farming. When I got my hands on the actual game, though, I was impressed with the new adventure they created. I felt like a normal guy running a farm in a fantasy world where monsters threatened everything. I ended up using farm funds to buy weapons and go hunting. It surprised me in more ways than one, certainly. Now the game is coming to the Wii and I’m interested in what Natsume has to offer here. Furthermore, a feature point on GameStop’s website claims, “Use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to do everything! Plow the land, shake hands with townsfolk to strengthen relationships, or even wave it around when you’re on a date with a girl.” I think you understand what “it” is. Plus the game seems to involve flying whales. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (03/31/09)
This is one of those games we’ve been waiting for since before the Wii even launched. In theory, this release is going to have it all; online play, DS connectivity (the game is even being released on the DS separately so you can transfer your character on the go), and, last but not least, love. Unfortunately, it is likely that the quality of the online experience will make or break this purchase.
The Conduit (05/19/09)
This gets the award for “game I would overlook if it was on the 360, but it looks shiny enough on the Wii to pay attention to.” The game looks solid in spite of its generic atmosphere and may be genuinely fun to play. The developer in question is working hard to perfect an online multiplayer experience on the Wii that doesn’t suck, too. Still, I find myself more interested in the title because I want to support High Voltage’s belief that a traditional type of game can excel on the Wii as long as it’s actually good. I hope they prove their point. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (07/14/09)
“Order of the Phoenix” was a Wii game released when the fifth Harry Potter movie came out. It was also on the 360 (and nicer looking) but using the wiimote as a wand made for a better experience on the Wii. The only problem the game actually had was the lack of a decent sized main quest. There were tons of random sidequests and stuff to clean up around Hogwarts, but that can only amuse you for so long without a real drive and end goal. Hopefully “Half Blood Prince” solves that problem especially given the extra development time since the movie was delayed.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (07/15/09)
I do not know anything about this, but the screenshots were neat and it’s from some guys who made “Odin Sphere” which I heard was “maybe awesome” from some other guys. Also it’s supposed to be an action RPGs and those are always at least sort of interesting! One game I am no longer interested in based on the minimal research I did for this article:
Rygar: The Battle of Argus (Out now!)
Rygar is an old timey NES game. Some people remember it fondly, I thought it sucked. However, there was a PS2 remake some six years ago that received favorable reviews. When I heard Rygar was on the way to the Wii I was interested, thinking that the Wii would get a decent third party action adventure title. However, this isn’t a brand new Rygar game. It’s a remake (which makes it a remake of a remake?) with some slightly enhanced graphics and modes. What does this mean? Well, it sounds like a PS2 game on the Wii with character art that has been changed for no apparent reason. Behold!
Look at the new model (on the right). He can’t even stay in frame, he’s so stupid.