No More HeroesNo More Heroes tells the story of Travis Touchdown, an anime fan who lives in the fictional town of Santa Destroy, California. After an unexpected turn of events, Travis finds himself at the bottom of an Assassins’ organization. Travis will have to prove himself worthy and defeat 10 other bloodthirsty killers – all with deep stories of their own – to make his way to the top of the assassins league.Released: January 22nd, 2008Genre: ActionDeveloper: Grasshopper ManufacturePublisher: UbisoftPlatform: Wii Exclusive

Nights: Journey Of Dreams

Released: December 18th, 2007
Genre: Action / 3D Platformer
Developer: Sega Studios
Publisher: Sega

As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven extraordinary worlds of Nightopia where the ocean resides in the sky and glass-formed cliffs overlook a castle of mirrors. When the “Nightmarens” from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare infiltrate the idyllic Nightopia, NiGHTS must defend the dream world to keep it safe for all dreamers. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams takes you in a voyage filled with courage, hope and inspiration.

Reviews

IGN: 6.5 out of 10
Gamespot: 7.5 out of 10
1UP: 7 out of 10
We Love Wii: 7 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

I have heard about the NiGHTS Into Dreams game back on the Sega Saturn. I’ve never managed to play it, but it seems NiGHTS Journey to Dreams gives some sort of insight on how the game is even back then. It’s quite a fun game to play for all ages, yet it has that short game feel to it.

In this game, you play two children, Helen and Will, inside their dreams who’ve had some issues with their parents. Both go through their dreams to settle what issues they do have along with destroying Wizeman alongside with NiGHTS. When playing as the children, the platform environment seems quite a bit unpolished as it can be easy to mess up every now and then. But when dualized with NiGHTS, the gameplay changes to a side-scrolled-like place with vertical movement to fly through rings and collect blue chips and dreamdrops.

Let’s start on some of the strong points of the game. Graphics and Sound are an intricate part of the game; both are impressive for today’s standards. The artwork done in the various worlds are very unique and show off the character’s personality and their heart throughout the game. The music in the game is what brings you into the game all the time. Sounds are very good and work in tandem with the different levels. Some of the level designs are also very unique to help give gameplay a nice edge along the way.

Speaking of gameplay, there are four different ways to control NiGHTS. You have the Wiimote by itself, Wiimote and Nunchuck, classic controller, and the GameCube controller. Playing with the Wiimote itself might get a little frustrating, so you may be better off with the other tree methods with an analog stick. With the Wiimote, you need to point it toward the screen and hold A for NiGHTS to fly. Tilting the Wiimote allows for acrobatic flying but it’s not essential to the game.
The story is fairly typical among most games, a hero fighting a villain to save the day. Although the dialogue is a little sketchy at times, it’s not terribly bad.

If your one of those people that just want to complete the game, more than likely you can complete it in about 5-6 hours total. But if you want to collect every bit of dreamdrop in the game, it may take you many, many hours to find every drop in the 5 worlds. There are a total of 60 strewn about the worlds, so collecting them all may become a tedious task for a few people. It is a fairly short game and I wish it could have been a bit longer, but it’s still enjoyable for everyone to play.
All-in-all, it’s great for the little ones, it’s not a bloody game like most others tend to be these days, and makes a great holiday gift. So if you have a Wii, give the game a try and see what you think, you might be surprised with what you find inside a child’s dream.

Ryan.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlods

Released: December 4th, 2007
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Publisher: D3 Publisher

Set in the Warlords universe, Puzzle Quest challenges gamers to create, develop and customize the ultimate hero to save the land of Etheria from the evil Lord Bane. In order to advance, players battle in turn-based, head-to-head “match-three” style puzzle games in one of three distinct gameplay modes: Single-player allows gamers to battle against the computer AI as they embark on over 150 challenging quests, Instant Action allows gamers to jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level-up characters without participating in quests, and Multiplayer allows gamers to battle live opponents via wireless connectivity. Victory will advance the player’s hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more – ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and providing endless hours of replayablity.

Reviews

IGN: 7 out of 10
Gamespot: 7.5 out of 10
1UP: –
We Love Wii: Currently Being Reviewed

The Golden Compass

Released: December 4th, 2007
Genre: Fantasy Action Adventure
Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Publisher: Sega

The Golden Compass promises to bring the beloved story to life through adventure and harrowing action sequences. As Lyra, players will evade dangers and traverse a magical landscape while uncovering the secret behind the disappearance of her friend and uncle; and as Iorek, the fearsome armored bear, players will smash through obstacles and enemies in order to protect Lyra along her way. Their travels will take them through a collection of unique locations, such as the port town Trollesund and a dark and foreboding research station in Bolvangar as well as areas not seen in the film.

Reviews

IGN: 3.5 out of 10
Gamespot: 4 out of 10
1UP: –
We Love Wii: –

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Released: December 3rd, 2007
Genre: 3D Fighting
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Atari

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 delivers an extreme 3D fighting experience, improving upon last year’s game with over 150 playable characters, enhanced fighting techniques, beautifully refined effects and shading techniques, making each character’s effects more realistic, and over 20 battle stages. This is the ultimate chapter in Budokai Tenkaichi series with over 20 new characters that have never been seen in any other DBZ video games such as Nail, King Cold and King Vegeta and battle stages that fans will love.

Reviews

IGN: 8 out of 10
Gamespot: —
GameSpy: 3.5 out of 5
We Love Wii: 9 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

Lets start with the graphics. Though to be honest, theres not a whole lot to say. The actual character models and back grounds don’t look a whole lot different from Tenkaichi 2. Though what does look different is probably the most appreciated. The powering up and the moves just look so much better now. The glow you see off of the beam attacks, and the fluttering of your aura just look spectacular. Now that they got that down, maybe next time they can just work on the character models. Not that they look bad but we can see better. There are some new stages which do look nice, though I was a little disappointed that there weren’t more. It was mostly the same stages with “Evening” or “Night” involved. Which would of been cooler had the stages slowly progressed in time during them as well. But they don’t.

Lets go to sound now. Voice acting great, enough said about that. Like in the previous, you can switch between the English and Japanese voice acting. The attacks sound great, everything sounds great. My one annoyance with the sound? We’re on game 6 of good DBZ fighting games. Sure tenkaichi 1 kind of sucked but we won’t go into that. But the SIXTH game none the less. Where is the original Japanese music?! Is it so hard to just leave that in for us who would like to maybe fight to something better than whatever it is they put into this? I mean, the music isn’t bad, but I’d rather play it to some original Japanese music as well. Thats all I have to say about the sound.

Lets go to controls now. I haven’t tried using a classic controller or the gamecube controller so I’m going to have to go off of what I used , which was the wiimote and nunchuck attachment. I found it to work very well, and it made it much easier to combo and pull off rush moves and beam clashes in my opinion. There is one thing I would like to maybe suggest to atari and other developers next time though. When I am pushing the D-pad, to pick which move I want. Don’t allow me to do anything else, except maybe move. There were a few small occasions, where I’d be holding the D-pad right, I’d see the icon in the corner to do my rush move. It would instruct me to quickly move the nunchuck and wiimote to my sides and then lift them up to power it up. But instead, I’d end up dashing towards my opponent and rightly receive my butt kicking from the NPC or other player. This was very few times but the few times it did happen it was very frustrating. Even so though, doing the moves made me feel like a nerd, but this isn’t an insult. I loved that. I found myself doing the most nerdy thing of all. Actually SAYING the moves while doing them. Pulling my hands down at my sides and going kaaa meee haa me! And I know, this is freaking weird, but It was fun! I know, weird having fun during a game but it felt right.

Now onto game play – beyond the controls. I bought this game, knowing full well that I was going to have to play every single fight over again, which I have done from the Japanese titles, like legend of the super saiyan, all the way to tenkaichi 2. Though I was delightfully surprised when I entered the story mode and.. it was shorter! they added more story mode parts that I hadn’t done, and had removed parts that I’d done about thirty thousand times to begin with. I suppose most people might see this as a minus, but I really liked it more. I Don’t need to fight super buu with Gotenks for the 30th time! I know Yamcha was killed by a saibamen. I don’t need to do this stuff again. So thank you , thank you so much for removing this stuff and just leaving in the important stuff. Another cool thing was instead of making you do ten fights against the villain, they allowed you to play a survival battle as the villain. I found myself playing Frieza instead, fighting Vegeta, then gohan, then piccolo, then vegeta, then goku. And it was so much nicer playing it that way and it felt so much more fun too. The story mode has also been fixed so you can’t just completely thrash it by over powering your characters, which felt nice as well.

After story mode theres the other features. Theres of course duel mode, which is a given if you’ve ever picked up any DBZ fighting title. Then there special missions, like in tenkaichi 2, but they’ve replaced korin with Android 17 and 18 instead working it like Dr. Gero’s lab. Sim dragon is kind of fun, and I enjoyed it even though its a bit bland. It made me get the idea that they might have a sort of career mode sometime soon in a coming DBZ title. The one thing that annoyed me though was the tournaments. I enjoyed the tournaments in tenkaichi 2, as I do in 3. But what annoyed me was the fact that you can’t PICK which tournament you want. You have to enter and exit until you get the tournament to open that you want to play. Then ontop of that, you can’t pick the difficulty, which was really annoying for me. Because to unlock certain things, you need to beat certain tournaments at certain levels. And the yamcha tournament is just downright cruel. He seems to enjoy either putting you with a character you completely suck at, or with a character that you can just whip the tournament with. Then there was the custom characters. What I did enjoy was the fact that once you unlocked a patora, you got to keep it. You could use it on more than one character, meaning you didn’t have to buy multiples just to put the same thing on a different character. What did annoy me though was that they only give you a maximum of 7 points to work with. Which usually means you’re only going to get about 3 patora on your character. A little more would of made fighting with customs a bit more interesting.

Now then, The online play. Now I’d love to comment on the online play. I haven’t exactly gotten to play it to its fullest though. The few fights I’ve done, were so lagged, that I couldn’t even correctly pull off a punch combo, much less any meaningful fighting. And then of course, I’m picking a character that I enjoy playing as, and have worked at making better (Fasha), while the few people I have fought online have picked, come on everyone guess it. SSJ4 Gogeta. And with this I am asking Nintendo, please put a limiter on their servers. Don’t allow Fusion characters, but do put a team battle option, to then allow fusions through the actual use of fusion.

Over all – I enjoyed this game very much. The attacks look so much better, and even though I looked like a nerd playing it, I had fun. If you love DBZ, you’re not even reading this and have already picked it up. But if you have the Wii, and just want some fast paced fighting, you might enjoy this as well.

Cruis’n

Released: November 27th, 2007
Genre: Racing
Developer: Midway San Diego
Publisher: Midway

An all new version of the classic Midway arcade racer, Cruis’n is coming exclusively to the Wii. Choose your ride from an impressive lineup of licensed cars and experience a rush of adrenaline as you race opponents through twelve different street circuits using the Wii Remote™ to steer and perform outrageous stunts. Win races and earn upgrades including: turbos, body kits, neon and nitrous, allowing you to create the ultimate ride.

Reviews

IGN: 3 out of 10
Gamespot: 2.5 out of 10
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: –

Ghost Squad

Released: November 20th, 2007
Genre: Rail Shooter
Developer: Sega-AM2
Publisher: Sega

The Ghost Squad is a Special Forces unit established in strict secrecy by the U.N. to combat terrorism and carry out special highly-classified missions without leaving a trace. As an elite member of the Ghost Squad, players will complete dangerous missions such as eliminating terrorist groups, releasing hostages, deactivating bombs, and even rescuing the US President when terrorists hijack Air Force One! Using the Wii Remote, players will utilize revolutionary selectable weapons including a high powered rifle, sub machine and shot gun, or even engage in hand-to-hand combat.

Reviews

IGN: 7.5 out of 10
Gamespot: –
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: 7.5 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

Ghost Squad for Wii is a remake of the light-gun arcade game of the same name. In the arcade version, you equip yourself with a massive light-gun battle rifle, and after choosing a costume and weapon, battle through three missions against generic terrorists and soldier types. It’s a lot of fun, and one of the best games of its type, and the Wii port is more or less faithful.

The game has three modes of play. First comes Arcade, which is basically an arcade-perfect port of the original game. Instead of the special battle rifle light gun, up to two players can play co-op using the Wiimote’s pointer function. It works well enough, and although the Wii pointer is never 100% flawless, you are able to execute shots without worry. The game begins by you selecting a costume (which has no real function besides cosmetics during cutscenes) and a weapon, which vary from battle rifles to magnums to shotguns. You can play the missions in any order, though they are numbered roughly in order of difficulty.

The core gameplay is straightforward. It’s an on-rails light gun game. Your character moves around the battlefield automatically in first person perspective, and using your trusty Wiimote, you gun down tons of thugs that pop out in every which way. For the most part, bad guys don’t put up much of a fight, but you’ll likely have to continue a few times in the beginning, as some of game’s suprises throw you for a loop. The action is as frantic as you’d expect. Punctuating each battle are simple tasks that you must complete, from surviving knife battles to disarming bombs to freeing hostages. These are completed with the Action Button, which used to be a second button on the rifle, but is delegated to a Wiimote button instead.

The game only has three stages, which is short even for an arcade. Even after continuing a few times, you can expect to complete the game in about 30 minutes or so. Of course, playing it once, you would miss a lot of the game. At several points in a given mission, you are given choices to branch off on one of several paths. Taking a different road each time can lead to a significantly different experience. In addition, each time you successfully complete a given mission, it will “level up”, which adds subtle changes, increases the difficulty, and gives you even more choices on your path. Plus, it’s an arcade game, so half the fun comes from competing with your friends (and in this case, the world) for the top spots on the high score chart. At the end of the game, your character will be given experience points, which you gain from completing tasks, scoring points and collecting levels. Earn enough, and you’ll rise in rank, giving you new costumes and guns to play with. There’s a lot of variety here, and those who are fans of the arcade game might have missed out on it before if their game center’s machine wasn’t equipped with the software to do it.

You also get the party mode, which lets up to four players play at once and introduces some interesting twists into the game’s missions. There’s also a practice mode, but it’s kindof throwaway… time you spend playing it will make you wish you were just blazing through arcade mode again and earning more experience.

The graphics of the game look more or less like the arcade did… about PS2 quality. Sometimes the textures can seem a little bland and dark, but it never distracts from the fun. The sound is servicable, and you even get a little click from the Wiimote speaker when you reload. The voice acting is as terribly cheesy as you’d expect, but at least it’s clear. Music is the generic techno variety, thumping and bumping with the sort of arcade-action feel that you want in a game like Ghost Squad. Another nice touch is that most of the indoor environments have a lot of stuff to shoot and break, with papers and furniture and fruit flying everywhere when the shootouts get exciting.

To speak on Wii hardware for a minute: I was never 100% pleased with the Wii’s pointer technology… it’s very tough (if not always possible) to get it calibrated properly. Thankfully, Ghost Squad is one of the few games that actually lets you do it in the options mode. The game suggests you maintain a 10-foot distance from the TV, but the Wii’s weak Sensor Bar somewhat prohibits that. Also, this game is probably the best one to play with the new Wii Zapper, since it allows you to reassign the buttons to get it close to the arcade feel. Assigning shoot to Z and action to B is a godsend.

The Verdict:

For fans of arcade games, or fans of games like Rayman or Wii Play looking for a more meaty light gun game to cut their teeth on, Ghost Squad is just what the doctor ordered. It’s fast, fun, great with a buddy and good for competitive gamers. The game has no real story, characters or variety, so if those are the sorts of things that compel you, it’s probably best that you avoid games like these.

However, if you’re looking to go gunslinging with your Wii, and have been disappointed with the partial offerings that have come so far, I can whole-heartedly recommend Ghost Squad. It’s an arcade favorite for good reason, it’s satisfying, goofy, and lots of fun.

The game is also bargain-priced, which makes it even easier to pick up. It’s also the only game I’d recommend using a Wii Zapper with.

Soulcalibur Legends

Released: November 20th, 2007
Genre: Action
Developer: Namco Bandai
Publisher: Namco Bandai

In Soulcalibur Legends, follow the 16th century exploits of Siegfried and Soulcalibur characters, new and old as they find themselves on a quest for ultimate power in order to save an empire from destruction. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as their weapons of choice, players perform moves and combos using orchestrated slashes and movements. Sword fighting capabilities are pushed to the limit as gamers unleash special attacks to crush scores of enemies and large bosses.

Reviews

IGN: –
Gamespot: –
1UP: 6 out of 10
We Love Wii: –

Trauma Center: New Blood

Released: November 20th, 2007
Genre: Medical Sim / Action
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus

Keep your hands steady and your mind focused for Trauma Center: New Blood, sequel to Trauma Center: Second Opinion. This time around there’s a lot more on the line, as every cut of the scalpel, every pinch of the forceps, each and every second that ticks by is of the absolute greatest importance. If you think it’s too much to handle alone, invite a friend to assist with the operation and work together to save patients from flat lining.

Reviews

IGN: 8.5 out of 10
Gamespot: 8 out of 10
1UP: 5 out of 10
We Love Wii: 8 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

Trauma Center is indeed one innovative franchise. Who would have imagined twenty years ago that we would currently be playing a game that simulates surgeries? Most people would think, and with some reason, that such a formula would never work because it has a need for extremely responsive and precise controls, and even short five years ago, having such controls seemed unlikely.

But Nintendo is an innovative company itself, and the creation of the Nintendo DS gave developers a massive amount of opportunities to build new games that wouldn’t be so fun if they were played using a regular control scheme, and Trauma Center was one of the best games created because of this gameplay revolution.

The series was born on the Nintendo DS and it made full use of the Stylus during a huge variety of surgeries, when the Wii was announced it was obvious that a sequel for the DS titles would be only a matter of time, and as soon as Nintendo’s new system was out so was the sequel, Second Opinion.

If you are not familiar with the gameplay then allow me to explain it to you. In Trauma Center you will control a doctor that constantly has to perform surgeries, during them you will have to use a set of tools to save your patient from an impending death. As I have previously mentioned, having a responsive control scheme is necessary on a game like this and Trauma Center New Blood is a complete success regarding this specific area.

There are six different tools to use during the surgery, each one corresponds to a certain direction of the analog stick, to use them all you have to do is to push the stick into the desired direction and use the tool by pressing the A-Button. This quick access may seem a tad complicated once you start the game, but when you get to more critical missions you will be thanking the producers for allowing you to continue the procedure while switching from one object to another.

Speaking of critical missions, the game’s difficulty can be set by the player before all the missions – the only exceptions being the Challenge Missions where you can’t change the difficulty – so anybody must be able to enjoy the game. If you are too lazy and just want to finish the game just play it on the easiest difficulty and cruise through most missions, if you are the kind of player who has been looking for a real challenge and thinks that games are getting way too easy then the Extreme Mode will probably change your mind.

The missions are increasingly difficult which helps the learning curve and more unskilled players. By the end of each mission you will be awarded a number of points based on your actions during the full procedure and also a rank that varies from C to S. The scores can be sent to Nintendo via Wi-Fi, so that if you are a competitive player you will always have a good reason to come back and play some more.

New Blood doesn’t bring too many novelties when compared to its predecessor, it is basically the same game but with a bunch of new missions to be completed. This time around the characters start their careers on a small hospital located somewhere in Alaska, but as the storyline unfolds you will end up having to save the world from a dreadful disease called Stigma. The story involves so much drama, that you will feel like you are watching a medical series on TV.

This feeling is also perfectly captured by the game’s soundtrack. During bad moments of the procedure, such as when an unexpected illness is discovered during what seemed to be like a routine surgery the music automatically changes, setting a mood of urgency, it is up to you – as a doctor – to stay calm and keep focused on your ultimate goal.

Before each surgery you will have to watch scenes where the characters talk to each other and deal with their daily problems, although these scenes are interesting their presentation is lacking. All you will see are motionless character models appearing on the screen and saying something in front of a scenario that is also still. Despite the nice voice acting I can’t help thinking how it would be better had they produced some actual cutscenes.

Maybe the developers wouldn’t be able to put so much talking into one DVD had they made the cutscenes given the huge quantity of dialogues, but since the story isn’t the main factor of the game most people won’t feel too bothered by it. In fact, for some people this presentation may give the game a unique feel.

One of the best aspects of this game is that, despite the looming threat of this extremely harmful and crazy disease, you will also be performing a lot of surgeries on which you will have to deal with tumors, massive internal bleedings, organs transplants and other procedures that often happen in real life, but according to the producers despite the real diseases, the procedures that are present in the game are not based on the actual procedure used by a true doctor, however the game doesn’t lose its charm.

The graphics aren’t very detailed because there isn’t actually much to be shown. Since all you will be performing throughout the game are surgeries, all you will see is the patient’s body that obviously has a cartoony look since there aren’t many people who would buy a surgery game that has realistic graphics. The colors are well used and the organs can be quickly identified by most gamers.

The game also features a very nice Cooperative mode where you and a friend will be performing a surgery at the same time. During some surgeries you will clearly notice that the producers tried to make the Cooperative mode as enjoyable as possible, because from time to time you will come across a mission where you will need to perform two actions simultaneously, and with the assistance of a good friend they will seem less impossible. The Cooperative Mode is very nice especially when it is played on the harder difficulties, for some missions are way too easy when they are done by tow surgeons.

Finally, Trauma Center New Blood is not a franchise-changing game, it is pretty much the same as its predecessors. However, if you are a big fan of the series or if you have never played any of the previous titles it is definitely a must-have game. The most alluring factor is that, differently from a ton of other Wii games, Trauma Center is designed specifically for the system, it is one of the few true creative titles produced by third-parties, without a Wiimote and a Nunchuck, this game would be a major flop.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies

Released: November 20th, 2007
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Kuju Entertainment
Publisher: Sierra

Geometry Wars: Galaxies, the planet’s most addictively fast-paced arcade shooter, accelerates to warp speed this fall for Nintendo Wii and DS. Blast your way through all-new battle grids, develop your new Battle Drone and blast through relentless waves of enemies in first-ever Geometry Wars single-player campaign. Then join a friend for fast-paced multiplayer that’s out of this world.

Reviews

IGN: 8 out of 10
Gamespot: —
1up: 8.5 out of 10
We Love Wii: –

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

Released: November 15th, 2007
Genre: Party Game / Action
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Publisher: Ubisoft

They’ve invaded the world of Rayman, and now the insane Rabbids have a new objective: invade planet Earth! They have established their base at a shopping mall and begun training for their nastiest scheme yet. As part of this training, the Rabbids must carry out several missions around the globe to help them in an attempt to dominate the world. The Rabbids will also try to study human behavior by mimicking everything we do… but in the Rabbid sort of way, with no logic… of course.

Reviews

IGN: 6.3 out of 10
Gamespot: –
GameSpy: 3.5 out of 5
We Love Wii: 6.5 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

As a huge fan of the first Rayman Raving Rabbids, I was surprised to see how low GameSpot’s rate for this sequel was. I rented it first to see for myself, and I was very disappointed. In the first game, you had to play through the game alone before unlocking all the minigames. Now, in the sequel, you’re allowed to unlock minigames while playing with some friends, which is a great improvement, considering that playing in single-player mode in Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is very boring. It will take you maybe an hour or two before you’ve played all the minigames available. In the first RRR, all the Wiimote movements were well-used, but, for the most part in this sequel, the only thing you’ll have to do is shake the Wiimote crazily for a couple of seconds, and then the minigame will be over. For the minigames that use more complex controls, some are not well explained and you will have to learn while playing, and some minigames are just dull.

Also, the game is supposed to be based upon the fact that the Rabbids take over our world, so the scenery and minigames should be based on the continent they’re visiting, right? Well, most of the time, you won’t see the link between the continent you’re on and the minigames. Why are they playing with bumper cars on a building roof in South America? Why are they racing in shopping carts on top of a snowy mountain in Asia? And there are a lot of these. Plus, I’m still wondering why Rayman sounds like a Rabbid.

In the first RRR, the shooting games were great. In this sequel, they’re no fun. The scenery is good : they probably took pictures of real places in our world, and made the Rabbids invade this place and walk through it, making it look like they really are, for example, in New York. Unfortunately, the shooting games in RRR2 are not as fun as in the first one. In the first game, the controls in the shooting games were great, so I don’t understand why they decided to change them to weird controls that don’t work well. You shoot with B, which isn’t a problem, but instead of recharging your gun with a shake of the Nunchuk, you have to press A. Plus, you can’t even grab the bunnies and throw them anymore. They tend to put too many attacking Rabbids at the same time and it is hard to aim, too, so you’ll often get hit, considering you have no way to tell you are about to be out of ammo before they tell you to press A to recharge, and even so, there is a slight delay between the press of the button and the action. Fortunately, you can’t die. Finally, you will find that you stay way too long at the same place, and they are some moments where you can’t even shoot, and have to wait.

The Music minigames, however, are really worth playing, especially in multiplayer. You will play a song using the instrument you chose at the beginning. Some instruments are harder to play than others, but playing them is very intuitive, and you’ll get the hang of it the first time you’ll play. The game mechanics work great, and the movement detection is almost perfect – you may experience some times where the game detects two hits of the remote when you only did one, but it rarely happens. If you liked the music minigames in the first game, you’ll definitely love these.

However, most minigames are boring, especially in single-player mode. There are, though, some minigames that are really worth playing, but unfortunately, there are very few of them. Some minigames are only fun when you’re playing with friends, like the one where you have to carry an hamburger to a customer, or the one where you have to talk on the phone during a movie. The latter, however, is only truly enjoyable with many players: you can send text messages to other players by repeatedly pressing the A button, putting them in trouble, but for this to work, you have to play on the normal difficulty, and if there are COM left in the game, they will dial so fast you will have no hope of succeeding, unless they decided not to dial. Some minigames, like the baseball one, the music ones or the one where you have to play the flute to charm a snake, are great even if you play alone. Ubisoft tried to make the game more multiplayer-oriented, but the minigame selection lost most of its quality in the process. There are few minigames – 50 in fact -, and most of them are no fun at all, which means you’ll often play the same ones over and over again, and you’ll soon get tired to play them, even the best minigames.

The customization of your Rabbid’s outfit is a great addition. You can dress your Rabbid the way you want, selecting through a large variety of outfits. Unfortunately, unlocking the costumes taking a long time and require you to play the minigames a lot of times. You can also customize a trip of 6 minigames of your choice, which is a great idea, too.

The franchise has a lot of potential, so it’s sad that its quality is already lowering that much after only the second entry. I played the first Rayman Raving Rabbids for months, but I grew tired of its sequel after a few hours of playing. If you were a fan of the first one, you may try this one, but I strongly suggest to rent it first before buying it.

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2008

Released: November 13th, 2007
Genre: Wrestling
Developer: Yuke’s Media Creations
Publisher: THQ

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 lets players take the fight into their own hands with the debut of Superstar Fighting Styles. The game features eight unique styles, each having its own strategy and exclusive attributes. A brand new Struggle Submission System gives players intuitive and natural control over their WWE Superstars by using the game’s popular analog controls. Realism and strategy are at the forefront, as players now control the amount of pressure they apply to their opponents. In addition, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 features a significant Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) presence, including a variety of Superstars, arenas and weapons. The game is also packed with significant updates requested by fans, including new rosters, more environmental hotspots, a combined Season and General Manager Mode experience, improved out-of-ring action, enhanced online community support and much more.

Reviews

IGN: 7.5 out of 10
Gamespot: –
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: –

Mdeal Of Honor Heroes 2

Released: November 13th, 2007
Genre: Historic First-Person Shooter
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts

It’s June 6th, 1944, and the war is in your hands. Step into the boots of OSS Operative John Berg and infiltrate Normandy from behind enemy lines to undermine the Nazi regime. Choose to tackle all-new missions in traditional single player campaign or engage in massive, 32-player online, continuous-joining multiplayer battles where you can jump into the battle at any time.

Reviews

IGN: 8.4
Gamespot: —
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: –

We Love Wii Review

Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 for the Wii is not an innovative game. It does not introduce a single concept that has not been explored before in at least one other game on the Wii, so if you’re expecting the evolution of the Medal of Honor franchise, you may be a tad dissapointed. Your character is still an Allied super soldier of sorts, and he still walks through linear environments slaughtering Nazis from a first person view point. Nothing new there. What MoH:H2 does do, though, is introduce a fantastic new control scheme that makes obliterating armies of Nazi soldiers a breeze, not to mention that it splashes a fresh coat of paint over the stale concepts.

Control is really where MoH:H2 shines, although they are still not perfect. The Wii remote’s IR-sensor is used to point at the area of the screen at which you want to aim. You can set the horizontal and vertical sensitivity, as well as the size of the bounding box that determines how far you have to move the remote off to the side before your character will turn. Turn the settings all the way down and your kids (if you really want your kids playing an intense FPS) or gaming-impared relatives will be able to play the game easier, but experienced players will want to turn the settings almost all the way up for literally pixel perfect accuracy.

So the aiming is great. Movement is handled with the nunchuck. The analog stick moves around the environment, the C button sprints and the Z button does a light melee attack (both oddle during multiplayer only.) Tilting the nunchuck left or right will make the character tilt his body left or right to get a better view when zoomed in. Zooming is accomplished by hitting the A button, while shooting is mapped to B. The D-Pad crouches, reloads, and changes weapons depending on which direction you press, and it all feels pretty good, even though hitting up to reload can stretch your fingers a little. In the single player campaign, the only way to melee is to thrust both the nunchuck and the remote forward. This is spotty at best.

Other motion controls are implemented throughout the campaign, with varied results. When sniping, you must twist the remote left to right to zoom out or in. It’s kind of inconvenient at first, but it’s not too bad after a bit of practice. Grenade throwing requires that you aim at a certain part of the screen, hit B to lock the destination of the grenade in place, and then make a throwing motion with the remote to release the grenade. That can get slightly annoying because oftentimes the throwing motion will put your remote sensor off the screen, prompting a message telling you to point your remote back at the screen. Other motion controls include: turning the remote left and right to tune radios (fun for about 1 second,) twisting the nunchuck clockwise or counterclockwise to aim a mortar (very fun and cinematic feeling,) and moving the nunchuck in the described fashion while aiming at the screen with the remote to fire turret guns (pretty fun if pinpoint precision isn’t neccesary.)

The audio in Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is not fantastic or moving, but it is good enough to get your heart pumping during an already intense battle. The gunshots and whatnot are really the typical WW2 stuff, which is good enough for MoH.

So the single player campaign is fun and all, but there is actually a ton of extra content in MoH:H2 that makes it better than the sum of its parts. The biggest feature is of course the multiplayer, which supports a whopping 32 players online, but strangely no splitscreen play at all. The online play functions very smoothly for the most part, and with the Wii’s precision aiming, there’s usually no point in blaming your death on a bad frame rate or shoddy aiming. You’ll get a nice selection of weapons in multiplayer, and a decent selection of modes in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag. I usually stick to Team Deathmatch because I prefer the team based gameplay, and CTF seems to have an odd glitch. It seems that the person who grabs the flag is invincible while holding the flag, which is strange by itself. But the worst part is that the person holding the flag doesn’t have to return it to his base; he can just run around and enjoy being invincible. TDeathmatch and even regular Deathmatch are both fantastically addictive and well thought out considering that this is the Wii’s first huge online release. Oh, and no friend codes!

Other extras include the Arcade mode, which will be fun for anyone who loves light gun shooters or for those family members who can’t get a handle on the story mode. Arcade follows the same story as the story mode, but I found it to be less fun overall because of the fact that you have less control and that reloading in Arcade mode sucks. You have to point the remote off the screen, which basically translates to flailing your arms around for a second or two in order to get the game to recognize the fact that your cursor is no longer on the screen. It’s still a fun diversion though. Finally, there are medals that you can earn during the single player portions of the game, which function sort of like achievements on 360 games (only there is no point tally.) It’s a pretty fun system, but I can’t see anybody really striving to get them all.

Oh, and there’s one other small issue that annoyed me. The game came up with a message informing me that my batteries were running low, pausing the game in the process. I didn’t have any replacements for the batteries, so I decided to keep playing on those batteries. A message came up about (I’m just estimating) every 5 minutes informing me that I was running out of batteries, and yet I was still playing. This message is really annoying in multiplayer, when it will pause your game every 5 minutes or so and make you cannon fodder for the second it takes you to hit the A button and dismiss the message. I’m not upset about the fact that they warn you of low battery, though. I’m upset about the fact that I’ve been playing on those “low” batteries for about 2 weeks now, and they still haven’t run out. Clearly, they weren’t too low.

Overall, MoH:H2 is a great bargain. It comes with a fun but derivative single player campaign, an arcade mode that is surprisingly long, and some very well executed deathmatch style multiplayer, all held aloft by overall great controls. FPS fans, don’t miss your chance to see the next evolution of shooter controls, even if the concepts aren’t quite up to snuff with the innovative controls.

Resident Evil: The Unbrella Chronicles

Released: November 13th, 2007
Genre: Survival Horror / Rail Shooter
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is a brand new game in the Resident Evil franchise, with familiar locales from the entire series. This action/shooter hybrid reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3 as well as new never-before-seen locations, such as Umbrella’s stronghold. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles combines first-person, light-gun style combat with interactive pathways, multiple weapons and new enemies to create an entirely new Resident Evil experience that could only be delivered on the Wii.

Reviews

IGN: 7.9 out of 10
GameSpot: –
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: 7.5 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

There’s no doubt about it. The Resident Evil series has been the pinnacle of survival horror and horror action adventure for the last few years. The series features great atmosphere, gameplay that improves as the series goes on, and a surprisingly detailed storyline that’s worthy of getting into. Not surprisingly, Capcom has decided to make a Wii-exclusive release that is part of the main Resident Evil series in the form of “Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles”. While this was good news to many, there were quite a few people who turned away from the game when it was announced because of the fact that it was an on-rails shooter which is a genre that is quickly dying because of the fact that their home, the arcade is losing popularity and the standards for console gaming are usually too high for them. Now, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is finally released and thankfully, it is a fun and likable game that manages to avoid many of the problems that on-rails shooters have and is a must have for Resident Evil fans but unfortunately, it still doesn’t manage to be a top tier Wii game.

Most likely, many die hard Resident Evil fans will be buying the game because of the story. The game isn’t exactly a separate Resident Evil game on its own, but what it does is summarize (very basically) Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. So basically, it’s a return trip to the past for fans of Resident Evil, although they will be a bit disappointed as many of the games’ notable areas and characters like Barry Burton have been taken away in the final version of The Umbrella Chronicles because the scenarios for each game only cover the bare basics. The game does make up for it by introducing extra scenarios which detail events that happen to various characters like Rebbecca Chambers and Albert Wesker that were never revealed in the other three games so most likely, that’s what fans will be looking forward to the most. To top it all off, there’s also an original scenario known as Umbrella’s End which details the end of the company that has been giving fans trouble all these years which is Umbrella and reunites Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, the original team that was in the first Resident Evil. While newcomers may be too busy shooting the zombie masses to care for the story, the extra scenarios which smooth out some of the rough edges of the entire series are sure to please the fans.

Of course, a game needs good gameplay to succeed no matter how much it fleshes out the story on an already successful series and luckily, even with the on-rails restrictions, the gameplay in The Umbrella Chronicles still manages to have enough depth to differentiate itself from other generic arcade light gun shooters that this game draws a bit of inspiration from.

The controls are actually rather simple. There aren’t really many complications and there don’t need to be. For the most part, you basically aim and shoot zombies and other mutated creatures, and maybe throw a grenade once in a while if things get a bit too crowded.The game also throws a variety of small enemies at you like bees, crows, and leeches which is where close range combat is used. Usually, those enemies are only beatable by using a knife which is done by holding down the A button and slashing your Wii Remote around everywhere. The game also uses a “counterattack” system which is used when a zombie gets a hold of you. If they do get a hold of you and are about to sink their teeth into your warm and delicious flesh, you still have a chance of resisting them by waving the Wii Remote or Nunchuk around. This is also used in certain cutscenes if you get ambushed, except instead of waving the Wii Remote or Nunchuk around, you usually need to press buttons instead.

While the control scheme and basic overview of the gameplay are simple, Capcom did add a neat touch to all the shooting. In order to add some precision to all the shooting, many enemies have a certain weak spot and if you shoot them in the right spot, it could result in a critical hit which either destroys the enemy right there, or deals lots of extra damage. While it is hard to hit these precision points because they are so small and sometimes our hands are really shaky, hitting them and delivering instant kills where the enemies’ heads are blown off is strangely satisfying. Delivering critical hits also helps in getting a better overall ranking in the stage so it is a nice addition indeed.

That’s pretty much all you do. It’s simple but fun, and it brings Nintendo’s whole “pick up and play” concept to a more mature audience. New gamers will have fun shooting zombies with all their weapons while hardcore gamers looking for more of a challenge can try their best to aim for critical hits. Like I said earlier, the game is simple, although, the simplicity does leave a bit to be desired as people who are used to having other moves in games like first person shooters such as strafing or doing occasional puzzles will occasionally get bored as the only new things that get introduced are new weapons so it’s basically a shoot em’ up style game from start to finish which can either be a blessing or a curse depending on the player.

The Resident Evil series has always boasted an incredibly good presentation and some pretty nice graphics and while The Umbrella Chronicles does a good job when it comes down to atmosphere, it is a total letdown in terms of graphical quality. At many times (usually during gameplay), the game looks considerably worse than the already relatively old Resident Evil 4 and has some messy and ugly looking textures. The lighting effects of the flashlight that is used sometimes during the game also look a bit ugly as the edges of the light are a bit jagged. Capcom also seems to have gotten lazy when it came to the Resident Evil 3 parts of the game as instead of faithfully recreating the game’s environments, they instead decided to recycle the environments of Resident Evil: Outbreak which may disappoint fans who were looking forward to visiting familiar places like the Clock Tower. The Umbrella Chronicles does do a good job on quite a few aspects of the presentation though. Like I said earlier, the game is still very atmospheric. Traveling through the dark subway stations of Raccoon City or a dark hallway only to find yourself ambushed by a Crimson Head (a zombie with enhanced agility and strength) is made all the much more exciting because of the eerie and moody feeling that the environment gives thanks to some particularly nice lighting effects. The enemies themselves are rather detailed too even though some of the zombies are re-used in later parts of the game.

While the graphics are technically a huge letdown as it never seems to make full use of the Wii’s hardware, the presentation is still excellent as it offers the same dark and moody atmosphere and situations that we’ve come to expect from the series.

In terms of music and sound effects, the game is pretty good. Some tracks are very silent and have a very creepy effect and add to the atmosphere but for the most part, there are now more fast-paced tracks which you would usually not see in an Resident Evil game, but The Umbrella Chronicles has more action than the average RE game so it doesn’t detract from the experience too much. At times, the fast-paced music is used in very slow and creepy placed and at those times, the music just doesn’t fit and can be painful to listen too.

The voice acting in the game is surprisingly good as the voice actors put quite a bit of enthusiasm into their work, however, the decent voice acting is pretty much ruined by an abysmal script. Terrible lines and some grammatical errors make it seem like the voice work is wasted on pathetic dialogue. The zombies thankfully have some pretty nice moans and squeals and the dogs that run after you do have some pretty menacing growls which do help.

The replay value and length was probably the issue that most people were worried about. Most on-rails shooters in the arcade last only 1-2 hours without many other gameplay modes and since The Umbrella Chronicles is an on-rails shooter, people feared that it would only last for a little while. Thankfully however, that is not the case as The Umbrella Chronicles is actually a solid and lengthy game which lasted me 15 hours on my first playthrough which may not be as impressive as other more notable games, but is still quite decent. Perfectionists will also be able to get in a few more hours with the game after finishing once as there is some replay value. All the weapons you get from shotguns to rocket launchers can be upgraded and customized and it takes quite a few playthroughs in order to maximize each weapon to its full potential. The game also features a ranking system. If you complete a stage and do a really good job on it (destroying as many objects as you see, delivering a large number of critical hits, collecting all the files, etc.) then you get a higher ranking so people who want to get the most time out of the game will play stages again and again in order to get the highest “S” ranking on each stage. These extra features can bring the length of this game to over 20 hours which is pretty impressive given this game’s genre of choice.

Overall, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is a fun game that is worth a buy to the average Wii gamer and especially hardcore Resident Evil fans. Its simple control scheme makes it an ideal game for a more mature audience that isn’t quite adept at some of the more difficult games out there, and the extra scenarios detailing events that were never seen before are sure to please fans. However, the game has a lot of faults ranging from the graphics to the music and even the whole simplicity of the game’s controls but regardless, it’s still worth at least a rent to see if you’ll like it!

Super Mario Galaxy

Released: November 12th, 2007
Genre: 3D Platformer
Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Publisher: Nintendo

The ultimate Nintendo hero is taking the ultimate step … out into space. Join Mario as he ushers in a new era of video games, defying gravity across all the planets in the galaxy. When some creature escapes into space with Princess Peach, Mario gives chase, exploring bizarre planets all across the galaxy. Mario, Peach and enemies new and old are here. Players run, jump and battle enemies as they explore all the planets in the galaxy. Since this game makes full use of all the features of the Wii Remote, players have to do all kinds of things to succeed: pressing buttons, swinging the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and even pointing at and dragging things with the pointer. Since he’s in space, Mario can perform mind-bending jumps unlike anything he’s done before. He’ll also have a wealth of new moves that are all based around tilting, pointing and shaking the Wii Remote. Shake, tilt and point! Mario takes advantage of all the unique aspects of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller, unleashing new moves as players shake the controller and even point at and drag items with the pointer.

Reviews

IGN: 9.7 out of 10
Gamespot: 9.5 out of 10
GameSpy: 5 out of 5
We Love Wii: 10 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

It’s a challenge familiar to developers around the world. How do you create a sequel in a hugely popular and iconic series that actually takes a significant step forward, without losing what made the series great in the first place? Thankfully, Nintendo found a solution, and it can be summed up in this one-line, Hollywood-style pitch: “It’s Mario, but in space.” Thankfully, what could have – in the hands of a lesser development team – been a desperate gambit to inject some new life into the series has turned out to be the complete opposite. Setting this game in space has given Nintendo free rein to throw traditional level designs out the window, and to focus solely on fun and challenge. In short, Nintendo has redefined the genre, and has done it with style and vivacity.

In a refreshing break from the norm, the game opens with Mario down on his luck. It seems his last (little-known) adventure – Mario Gets Loaded – ended in a major downer. The kind of downer where you wake up in the gutter, brown bottle in hand, with three days of vomit-caked stubble. Nah, just kidding – it’s the usual fare. Mario is on his way to Peach’s castle when Bowser, at the head of an armada of ships, pulls Peach’s entire castle out of the ground (again) and whisks it away to the centre of the Universe. Cue another Mario rescue mission.

The difference this time, however, is that Mario soon befriends the Lumas, a race of celestial star-shaped beings, who take him to their towering, multi-tiered spaceship/observatory. Using this as a base, Mario must rescue Power Stars and Grand Stars from a whole series of solar systems (where each orbiting location is – confusingly enough – called a ‘Galaxy’). As in Super Mario 64, as he collects more Power Stars, more galaxies become available, while the Grand Stars – earned by defeating the boss in each solar system, are used to power up the spaceship. Collect them all and the ship will have enough power to journey to the centre of the Universe to rescue Peach. Or, as Rosalina, the ship’s mysterious leader calls her, Mario’s “special one.”

As you might expect, it’s an excuse for the action, but the familiar hub system works wonderfully well, and you’ll always have a host of missions to choose from at any one time. While many of the galaxies have a number of stars to be found, there are a heap of one-shots as well, and it all adds up to a dizzying array of gameplay. Indeed, it’s this flexibility in overall structure that has allowed Nintendo to really have fun with every level. Forget the regimented eight red coins and 100 gold coins missions of previous games – in Super Mario Galaxy every star is distinct, and any concept, no matter how quirky, can be turned into a level. The result is level design that’s often a joyous departure from the norm and gratifyingly eclectic.

Of course, the main reason the level design is so interesting is the simple fact that the game’s set in space, so there’s no context required for each level, nor do different sections even need to be linked. Simply beat one section then zoom through the air to the next one. It’s liberating, and somewhat counter-intuitively, not at all disjointed, largely thanks to the underlying Mario-ness of both the gameplay and the visual design.

Indeed, Super Mario Galaxy is very much built on the foundation of the previous games. All of Mario’s moves are present and accounted for – the triple jump, the u-turn jump, wall jumps, the backflip and butt stomp, you’re just using them in environments that range from familiar to wildly different. Many of the galaxies, for instance, are comprised of a series of planetoids with their own gravity. Simply being able to run all the way around a planet’s surface, and jump from planet to planet gives this game a completely new outlook on the concept of what a platformer can be. Puzzles and challenges in this brave new world are often self-contained, bite-sized nuggets of gameplay to beat then move on.

Other sections are presented from side-on; 2D challenges where Mario must climb a sheer wall, using wall jumps and tornados for height, or where gravity changes dynamically, again altering the way you explore and interact with the environment. Still other levels see Mario grappling from point to point through space, or running through an environment where platforms are snapped in ahead of him, or where the world only exists in roaming spotlights surrounded by an inky black void. Then there are the many and varied boss and mini-boss encounters, which are never anything less than a joy to play… even if they are generally a little on the easy side.

It’s a design tour de force, and so intuitive that you’ll breeze through the first seven or eight hours, with the challenge only stepping up after that. Along the way Mario will also swim and fly, and transform into different variations, such as Spring Mario and Ice Mario. There are just so many little nuggets of invention to be relished in this title. A couple of rooms in the game, for instance, see Mario running up the walls and across the ceiling, following a pattern of notes which bang out a classic Mario tune.

While Super Mario Galaxy can be finished with 60 stars, it’s the other 60 that will prove to be the real challenge in this game. Not only are there a huge number of hidden stars to find, but Nintendo has also included a number of tweaked challenges, in the form of ‘Prankster Comets’ which move from galaxy to galaxy. You may have to beat a level with faster moving enemies and platforms, beat a mini-boss with only one life, race a mirror Mario to the finish line, or simply beat a level within a time limit. They’re a fantastic inclusion, and you’d be surprised how much more challenging levels become with modifiers. Then there are the Trial Galaxies and the role certain staple characters play in the game, but you can discover those yourselves.

This is a game with countless styles of challenges – the old school mixed irresistibly with the new, where it feels like there’s a fresh concept, or a fresh take on an old concept around every corner. It’s almost embarrassing how many new ideas and inventive touches Nintendo’s EAD Tokyo team has managed to pack into the one game. Embarrassing for other developers that is.

It’s also embarrassing how effortlessly the camera system works. For a game that’s constantly playing with your orientation and the layout of its spaces, it’s amazing that a largely automated camera system is so seamless. Indeed, it’s very rare that you can’t see what you need to see, with only a couple of hiccoughs when swimming and flying.

The controls have been very cleverly implemented. Motion sensing, for instance, has only been used where it will enhance the feel of the game. A flick of the wrist to spin Mario on the spot, for instance, gives the controls a gratifyingly tactile touch. Whether you’re flicking to send a Goomba spinning away on its head (which can then be followed up with a gorgeously animated punt kick), flicking at the apex of a jump for a little more height, flicking to send Mario spinning around a wandering vine, or flicking at a star jump point to send Mario careening through space to a new area, it feels natural and necessary. The game also makes great use of the Wiimote’s infrared capabilities, with the pointer used to latch on to grapple points in the sky, to aim cannons, to pull Mario back and vault him from Sling Pods, and, of course, for collecting Star Bits. It’s all effortlessly intuitive.

While Super Mario Galaxy doesn’t have the eight red coins or 100 coins missions (well, not in every level at least), it’s every bit a collect ‘em up. In fact, the collection component is more compelling and integral than ever, thanks to a couple of smart decisions. First of all, coins are tied into Mario’s health. Most of the time he’ll only have three health segments, so nabbing a coin or two whenever you take a hit is paramount. Secondly, the world is full of Star Bits! These bit-sized nuggets of snacky happiness are collected by running over them, or – more likely – moving your on-screen pointer over them. There’s something so innately satisfying about hoovering up every Star Bit you can find with the Wiimote, and Star Bits can be used in a number of ways, such as shooting them at (some) enemies to stun them and feeding hungry Lumas to open up new planets and galaxies. Oh, and apparently they taste like honey. In a deft touch, EAD Tokyo even gives you some control over your collecting. Headbop a Goomba, for instance, and you’ll get a coin, whereas using the spin attack then punt will net you Star Bits. Nice.

Super Mario Galaxy is far and away the prettiest game on the Wii, and a serious wake up call for most other developers making games for this system. It’s bursting at the seams with life and colour, with the many bosses and mini-bosses in particular a real visual highlight. Ranging from a planetoid dwarfing mech to a giant purple-furred mole with a spiked turtle shell helmet that ploughs through the earth in his pursuit of you, EAD Tokyo has outdone itself. Bowser has never looked better either; imposing and weighty, his crop of rich red hair waving as he moves. He looks so good, in fact, that we’ll forgive Nintendo for rinsing and repeating your encounters with him.

Mario, also, has never looked better, and the game worlds are littered with visual touches both small and large, from the excellent enemy animations through to epic settings, such as a world where Mario is navigating a series of moving platforms that are arrayed around a spiralling mass of water being sucked into a black hole. It’s simply stunning.

The way the visuals are utilised is a huge part of the game’s visual appeal too. The way Mario flies in to each level, and the frequent soaring boosts between areas are just a great way to show off the game’s visual style. Whether you’re being shot from the bottom of the sea, up and out across a gorgeous tropical vista, or you’re rocketing just above the lava covered surface of a planet, jets of red hot magma arcing back and forth above you, it’s a real showcase for the system and for the visual design. Not only that, it’s also a clear statement by Nintendo. The frequent, breathtaking flights are reflective of the freedom in the game, of the way the company has cast off the shackles of the platform genre to offer something new and exhilarating.

The soundtrack is pretty damn good too, running from classic remixes and old school melodies through to more orchestral arrangements. A couple of scores are less interesting than others – one in particular sounded like it had been pulled straight from an awards show, its strings and flutes sitting somewhere between ’sweeping’ and ‘muzak’. Still, it’s clear that the team has had fun with the soundtrack. One section sees Mario running atop a ball (think Super Mario Ball), and the faster he moves, the faster the music plays.

If we absolutely had to find faults with this game, we’d say that (as mentioned earlier) the camera isn’t as seamless when swimming and flying as it is when on or above land. It’s a small quibble though, and when you consider that you’re often swimming around small globes of water, understandable. We’d also say that while the game generally does a good job educating the player (whether through instruction, or more subtle game design, such as putting a butt stompable stone near an enemy that can only be knocked out of its hidey hole with a butt stomp), we don’t remember seeing any explanation of many of Mario’s core abilities like triple jumps, backflips and long jumps. For anyone who has played a 3D Mario game before that’s fine, but newcomers may need to consult the manual. See? Pretty damn hard to find flaws.

Rapturous. There is simply no better word to describe this game. It’s a joy to play from start to finish; jam-packed full of both inventive new ideas and nods to Mario past, with a difficulty curve that climbs slowly and steadily. Rest assured – you won’t have any trouble beating Bowser, but finding all 120 stars will be a challenge for even the most hardened gamers. Not only is this the best game on Wii, it’s also the best platformer ever made.

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

Released: November 6th, 2007
Genre: Sports Party Game / Olympic Sports
Developer: Sega Sports
Publisher: Sega

Two of the biggest icons in the entertainment industry, Mario and Sonic, are joining forces to star in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Developed exclusively for the Wii video game system and the Nintendo DS system, this momentous agreement marks the first time these two renowned stars have appeared together in a game. Featuring an all-star cast of characters from the amazing worlds of both Mario and Sonic, players will be able to compete as or against a range of familiar characters including Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi, Tails and more.

Reviews

IGN: 7.9 out of 10
Gamespot: 6 out of 10
1UP: 6 out of 10
We Love Wii: 6 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

For almost twenty years the rivalry between Mario and Sonic has grown to the point where gamers have been waiting for the two to face off in the arena. The opportunity has finally come for Mario and Sonic to face off, though it is not nearly the way people had thought it would happen.

Mario, Sonic, and friends are for the first time competing for the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games located in Beijing. The types of games range from the standard 100m race to the obscure Table Tennis. Controls range dramatically between each game, and some of these games just do not work at all. A few mini games such as Skeet, a clay shooting game, work very well, but others, such as the Javelin Throw, give poor instructions and almost never work properly. The bad severely outweighs the good games in Mario and Sonic, but for those that loved Wii Sports, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games might have enough to offer in what good games there are.

There are three main modes in the game; Single Match (a single round of any one competition), Circuit (a competition with three different events), and Mission Mode (events with specific goals to accomplish). New mini games are unlocked by winning in Circuit mode. After gaining enough first place’s in Circuit mode you will unlock new mini games to play in Single Matches and Mission mode. A bonus to this is that Single Matches and Circuit mode are both playable with up to four players, which increases your odds that at least one person will win overall.

There are twelve characters (six from the Mario universe and six from the Sonic universe), so there are plenty of choices to find the perfect character for you. It is also possible to play as a Mii that you have created which would have neutral stats. If you are not using a Mii there are four categories that Mario and Sonic characters fall under; speed, skill, power, and all-around. With plenty of characters and events it is almost absolute that there will be a few games that you would enjoy.

Besides the sometimes sketchy game play, Mario and Sonic looks great. SEGA seems to have taken no exceptions when it comes to the graphics in this game, everything looks great. Screen shots do very little justice when showing off Mario and Sonic as most are of poor quality. The sound is also something not to be looked over, the music is great. But other than the music, the game is still held back by the horrid voice acting. The same voice overs are used constantly which puts a huge damper on the overall quality of the game.

Overall Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games is a quality title that just doesn’t make a great attempt at bringing together these two great mascots. If it wasn’t for Mario and Sonic this game would not be worth the $50, and even with them it is a close call. With a price drop this game would definitely be something of value, but at this point is overpriced. If you are or know someone that loved Wii Sports, this may be the perfect game for them, otherwise it is not necessarily worth a second glance.

Batallion Wars 2

Released: November 6th, 2007
Genre: Real-Time Strategy / Third-Person Tactical Shooter
Developer: Kuju Entertainment
Publisher: Nintendo

Tricked into believing that the Solar Empire is developing a devastating super-weapon, Commander Pierce and Colonel Windsor of the Anglo Isles launch a pre-emptive strike on the Coral Atolls. The world is once again at war. Drive tanks, command ships, pilot planes and direct your troops into the heart of the action in the return of the popular tactical action game for Wii.

Reviews

IGN: 8 out of 10
Gamespot: 7.5 out of 10
GameSpy: 4 out of 5
We Love Wii: 8.5 out of 10

We Love Wii Review

Battalion Wars is definitely not your average war game. While most games that put you in the middle of a huge battlefield out there are gory and extremely violent, Battalion Wars stays away from this formula. Instead of presenting a realistic battle that takes place on one of the World Wars, it takes you to a different world where cartoony characters will try to find a way to defeat their enemies.

This series is kind of a console version of Advance Wars, a popular Gameboy Advance game. However, the original series is completely focused on the strategy part of the war, meanwhile Battalion Wars is more of a combat-based game, yet there are some strategy features that add a lot to the whole experience and make this game stand out from the other games that belong to the same genre.

If you are not familiar with the series, you must know that in this game you become the commander of a small battalion that needs to overcome the toughest challenges in order to protect its country from enemy soldiers. While commanding your battalion you will be able to control any of the units you have at your disposal. If your battalion is composed of a bunch of grunts, some bazooka vets and two air vehicles, you can simply choose which of those units you feel like controlling, the rest of the battalion will just follow you wherever you go.

The storyline is very interesting but some may find it complicated to understand since during your campaign you will have lots of flashback mission. The main reason for those missions to take place is that the main story happens on a two-hundred-year spam. One of the coolest factors that this storyline has added to the game is that you will get to play with all available armies. For example, during one of your first missions you will have to recover a base that has been captured by the enemy when you are finished with this campaign you will have to play as the enemy and defend your country from the attacks of the empire you had just invaded.

There are five different armies, the Solar Empire, the Anglo Isles, the Xylvanians, the Tundran Territories and the Western Frontier. Another nice feature is that each one of those armies are allusions to actual countries. The Western Frontier makes some clear references to the Americans and the Anglo Isles, an Empire whose prowess is its navy , clearly represent England. You can figure out the other by yourself. Besides, while their units are basically the same they look completely different, every single army has its own design characteristics which shows how careful the developers were with the graphical part of the game.

The gameplay presented is unique. As I have previously mentioned you can control naval, air and ground units, and during your battles you will have to be really cautious when sending them into battle since each different kind of unit has its weaknesses. When you encounter a battalion composed by many anti-air grunts you will need to keep your bombers and fighters away from that area until you destroy all of them, otherwise you will probably lose those air units. Knowing the unit’s good and bad match-ups is extremely necessary in order to finish the game.

During the battles you can quickly switch from one unit to the other by selecting its correspondent icon on the screen and pressing the A-button. To make your army attack you simply have to lock into an enemy unit and press the A-button, you can also assign orders as Wait, Follow and Defend. But all this switching can get a little bit confusing during the hardest missions, because there are some many different options that you will often be confused as to what to do.

Controlling grunts is nice and simple all you have to do is move the control stick to make them run, and point the Wiimote at the screen to aim their weapons, on a gameplay that’s similar to the one presented in Metroid Prime 3. However, there are some moves, such as rolling and jumping, that can only be performed using Nunchuck movements, and as we all know by now, they aren’t responsible. Controlling ground vehicles such as battlestations, light tanks and anti-air vehicles in not a joy, from time to time you will find yourself struggling to determine to which direction you need to move the control stick in order to make the vehicle advance properly. Sometimes you can also get stuck between two different vehicles and you will be unable to get out of such awful situation. Fortunately the same doesn’t apply for naval and air units.

The game presents over twenty different missions. The first ones don’t present any kind of challenge whatsoever, because they are more like tutorial missions which is bad because I think they should have added a tutorial mode that’s separated from the regular adventure so that the first few missions would be more compelling and hard. But as you advance you will start having some problems. The game is around twenty-hours long, but you can play it for much longer because by the end of each mission you will be awarded points based on your technique, speed and power, those points will lead you to different ranks, the highest being S, and when you get S-ranks on all the missions from a campaign you unlock some cool extras, thereby there is always a good reason to come back and play some more.

Another cool feature is the online mode where you can face opponents from all over the world on three different kinds of matches. Skirmish, where you have to kill as many enemy units as possible within the time limit, Assault, where one player defends the base while the other tries to capture the flag and cooperative – which is my favorite – where you and your partner have to work together in order to beat enemy CPUs. There are also some unlockable online levels, you will gain access to them as you play more online games. The online experience is smooth and there is no lag at all. But overall it feels shallow because there are no leaderboards and the Friend Codes are still present.

Another small shortcoming is that there are only four online cooperative missions, I think the Kuju Entertainment team should have added the campaign missions on the online mode, it would be much better and compelling. Speaking of cooperative, I can’t understand why there isn’t any kind of multiplayer support – Wi-Fi aside. The only reasonable explanation would be that the Wii’s hardware would never support two players sharing the same screen especially on this game where there are many characters moving on the screen simultaneously, so I’m not taking points off the game because of that.

The graphics are very nice, there are some cool blur effects especially on naval missions. Everything looks absolutely fantastic, the character models are beautiful and cartoony, the battles have an impressive flow and there are no frame-rate drops despite all the movement and action that takes place. The art work is impressive as each one of the empires has different types of buildings, bases, units and soldiers. The amount of distinct landscapes is also amazing, you will battle on green fields, deserts, canyons, war-torn valleys, glaciers and towns. The cutscenes are breathtaking, they are by far the most astonishing footage on the Wii.

The sound effects are very close to real, explosions, guns fire and many other different sounds have been perfectly brought to the game. The soundtrack is composed of epic songs that match the war mood of the game with perfection and some sad themes that make you think of the bad aspect of so big battles. The voice acting is also remarkable.

Overall, Battalion Wars II is a must-have game for almost every Wii owner especially the ones who played and liked the first version of the game, however if never felt attracted by the series then this game won’t change your mind because it plays the same way as its predecessor did. With the addition of the online multiplayer mode – a feature that was blatantly lacking on the first game – the experience has improved a lot, although I must say there is still room for this series to grow. Some gameplay issues aside, Battalion Wars II is the definitive Wii war game.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Released: November 6th, 2007
Genre: Platformer / Action-Adventure
Developer: Traveller’s Tales
Publisher: LucasArts

From the Trade Federation’s “negotiations” with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace to the space battle above Endor in Return of the Jedi, The Complete Saga allows players to kick some brick through 36 Story Mode levels, including Episode II’s newly added high-speed pursuit of bounty hunter Zam Wessell. Traveller’s Tales has revamped levels from the original LEGO Star Wars to match the gameplay evolutions found in LEGO Star Wars II, and Prequel Trilogy characters can now be mixed and matched with those from the Original Trilogy � more than 160 in all.

Reviews

IGN: 8 out of 10
Gamespot: 7 out of 10
GameSpy: 4.5 out of 5
We Love Wii: –

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Released: November 5th, 2007
Genre: Tactical Role-Playing Game
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo

Three years have passed since the great war that ended in the death of Mad King Ashnard. His country of Daein suffers under the rule of the war’s victors. Now, a small band of freedom fighters struggle to end the long, dark night of Daein’s oppression.

Reviews

IGN: 8 out of 10
Gamespot: —
1UP: 9 out of 10
We Love Wii: –

The Simpsons Game

Released: October 30th, 2007
Genre: Action-Adventure / Platformer
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Publisher: Electronic Arts

The Simpsons Game features a hilarious, sprawling, and mind-busting storyline crafted by the TV show’s Emmy Award-winning writers. The action-comedy also features the full cast of voice actors from the TV show who reprise their roles for the game. In The Simpsons Game, Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa use exciting, all-new powers to save the world from rising chaos.

Reviews

IGN: 7.0 out of 10
Gamespot: 6.5 out of 10
1UP: 3.5 out of 5
We Love Wii: –

High School Musical: Sing It!

Released: October 30th, 2007
Genre: Music / Puzzle
Developer: A2M
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

Get those vocal cords ready! Based on the phenomenally successful Disney Channel original movie “High School Musical,” Disney’s High School Musical: Sing It! features songs, sets and characters from the original film. this karaoke video game allows fans to interact with the movies’ stars for the first time on any gaming console. With 30 songs to choose from, along with 30 minutes of “High School Musical” bonus footage and cast interviews, High School Musical: Sing It! will be the karaoke game of choice for fans, kids, tweens and families.

Reviews

IGN: 6.6 out of 10
Gamespot: —
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: –

Manhunt 2

Released: October 29th, 2007
Genre: Survival Horror / Modern Action-Adventure / Psych
Developer: Rockstar Toronto
Publisher: Rockstar Games

An experiment at a secret research facility has gone catastrophically wrong. The Pickman Project will stop at nothing to hunt you down and stop the truth from getting out. Demented screams echo around the dank Dixmor asylum that has caged you for the last six years. They took your life. Time to take it back.

Reviews

IGN: 7.7 out of 10
Gamespot: 7 out of 10
1UP: 4 out of 10
We Love Wii: 77

Eric: 7/10

Well it’s not as scary or intense as the first, but it still satisifies, to a point. The executions are great, but wish on both versions there was more to be seen. Other games have more gore and violence then this so i was quite dissapointed when i played to find it wasnt was i thought. However, i like the Wii version better because doing the moves yourself, well with a controller, but still life like, makes it quite enjoyable. Rockstar games has produced many games like this, but less violent, i think if the gaming systems had allowed the adults only rating this game would have done a lot better. I was not going to buy it for that reason, but who can turn down killing in such grusome ways. I definately think that Rockstar should put out more games like this, maybe in a different genre, like scifi or more horror, but if you like to kill people in cooler ways than Splinter Cell this game is for you. The story is lacking a bit, but makes up for it in the gameplay. The graphics are not the best in the world, but the gameplay makes the game, in my opinion. Rent it, buy it, just get it.

Yannick: 7/10

this game is fun for those who like to kill and be part of an actual action. for the wii it is a full out murder fest but make sure to tell everyone to stand back or they might get hit. like the game explains before playing you could hit someone or something so make sure everyone and everything is out of the way before you begin. i give this game a 20 because it could have more action and thrill but it is overall a good game to have so i recommend getting it for wii. in my opinion though the makers could have went a little further with the whole gore and murdering but if you are sqeemish about blood it isn’t all that bad.

Mike: 8/10

First off the graphics look horrible on the Wii. Putting this game next to Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, or Twilight Princess would be a death sentence (no pun intended). I’ve always had a problem with Rockstar’s graphic engine. You might figure that the game would look way better then the first because of the period of time between them, but it appears that its the exact same engine. The characters are poorly animated, details, they are jaggy, it’s almost as ugly as the N64 days. Some of the areas are pretty good looking, although the “naughty shop” at the begining of the game really isn’t that naughty. Every execution is cencored so that you can’t tell what’s going on at all. You just get a vague idea from the cries of pain. Although there is a sense of horror in not seeing the executions, but it looses it’s horror pretty quickly.

Alex: 7/10

What seperates the Wii version from the rest is the control scheme. Although the over all controls haven’t changed much since the first game (another thing that could have been updated). All of the executions are done but moving the Wiimote in a certain direction. Which is cool….if you could actually see what’s going on. However the controls are pretty basic. It’s really not as deep as the other stealth games on the market. In fact Manhunt 2 can’t compare to Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell with depth of controls and variety of game play. The balance of difficulty swings pretty hard. Basically if you mess up Manhunt 2 doesn’t back down. But with the some what questionable control scheme, with it’s poor response time and bad camera angles, you’re sure to get sacked.

Final Score: 29

Guitar Hero lll: Legends Of Rock

Released: October 28th, 2007
Genre: Rhythm / Music
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Activision

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock drops you into the spotlight of the largest and most legendary rock concert ever. The star-studded soundtrack includes master tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse and Pearl Jam, with added songs as made legendary by Kiss, Alice Cooper and Heart. Now drop that air guitar, tune your exclusive new Les Paul Guitar Controller and shred the night away with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Reviews

IGN: 8.6 out of 10
Gamespot: 8 out of 10
1UP: 9 out of 10
We Love Wii: –

Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros’ Treasure

Released: October 23th, 2007
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure is an innovative, full-length puzzle adventure game that utilises the unique control mechanics of the Wii Remote and challenges gamers to “play differently.” Players will explore a variety of wondrous environments and stages, solving puzzles and interacting with the world in search of a legendary pirate ship and the ultimate pursuit of becoming the greatest pirate the world has ever seen.

Reviews

IGN: 9 out of 10
Gamespot: 8.5 out of 10
1UP: 9 out of 10
We Love Wii: –

Naruto: Clash Of The Ninja Revolutions

Released: October 23rd, 2007
Genre: 3D Fighting
Developer: Tomy
Publisher: D3

NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution is an original Wii game exclusive to the North American Market and will include characters that have never been featured in the Clash of Ninja game series. The game will follow the storyline of the television series and will take advantage of the Wii Remote in fast-paced ninja action for up to four players in nine different gameplay modes. The next generation in NARUTO games will also include all new character animations, new interactive environments and special mini-games created exclusively for the Wii Remote.

Reviews

IGN: 8.4 out of 10
Gamespot: 6 out of 10
1UP: 8.7 out of 10
We Love Wii: –

Namco Museum Remix

Released: October 23rd, 2007
Genre: Action Compilation
Developer: Namco Bandai Games
Publisher: Namco

Namco Museum Remix recreates classic games with fresh new graphics, gameplay and introduces innovative, new Pac-Man elements to arcade classics! Roll through uncharted territories in Pac’n Roll Remix, zip around the track in Rally-X Remix or fend off menacing invaders in Galaga Remix. Players will also get their nostalgia fix with the complete, original versions of classics like Galaxian, Dig Dug, Xevious and more.

Reviews

IGN: 5 out of 10
Gamespot: —
GameSpy: 2.5 out of 5
We Love Wii: –

EA Playground

Released: October 22nd, 2007
Genre: Party Game / Minigames / Action
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts

EA Playground features games that are easy to pick-up-and-play by fully capitalizing on the unique control mechanics of both the Wii and the Nintendo DS. Swing the Wii remote to excel in tetherball, blow into the Nintendo DS mic to fire spitballs or battle your friends and family in dodgeball. Every game brings its own twist to the controls for the ultimate, all-ages, party game.

Reviews

IGN: 6.6 out of 10
Gamespot: 6.5 out of 10
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: –

The Legend Of Spyro: The Eternal Night

Released: October 18th, 2007
Genre: 3D Platformers / Action
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Sierra Entertainment

The Legend continues in the second installment of the trilogy, in which Spyro must continue to uncover the immense power within himself and prevent the release of an untold evil. Embark on a treacherous, combat-driven quest as Spyro unleashes devastating fury attacks, upgradeable breaths and ground-to-air melee combos in a frenzied battle with hordes of menacing enemies and bone-chilling bosses. Explore immense puzzle-filled environments as you seek to unlock the ancient prophesy and unleash the True Dragon within!

Reviews

IGN: –
GameSpot: –
GameSpy: –
We Love Wii: –

Mercury Meltdown Revolution

Released: October 16th, 2007
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Ignition Entertainment
Publisher: Ignition Entertainment

Mercury Meltdown is a brain-teasing puzzle game that challenges players to immerse themselves in a colorful world of sci-fi machines, crazy characters and bubbling test tubes. Players take control of a liquid mercury ‘blob’, guiding it around traps, door switches, spikes, moving floors and other hazardous elements in order to complete the level. Featuring over 200 thought-provoking levels more than any previous Mercury title.

Reviews

IGN: 7.5 out of 10
Gamespot: 8.5 out of 10
GameSpy: 4 out of 5
We Love Wii: –

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis

Released: October 16th, 2007
Genre: Table Tennis
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Publisher: Rockstar

No guns, no violence, just straight up ping pong from the studio that brought us such games as Midnight Club and Red Dead Revolver. Rockstar San Diego’s game takes advantage of the Xbox 360’s graphic power and technology to capture the intensity, speed and excitement of Table Tennis.

Reviews

IGN: 7.8 out of 10
Gamespot: 6.5 out of 10
GameSpy: 3 out of 5
We Love Wii: –