I’m a big fan of mystery games and I review several of them every year. Guilty Party caught my eye as it was a multi-player mystery game that appeared to offer a light hearted story while combining Mario Party‘s mini game/board game feel with Blue Toad Murder Files. Savy gamers might recognize Wideload Games as the creators of Stubbs the Zombie and Hail to the Chimp. The former was neither a critical nor a financial success, but the latter received positive reviews from both DHGF staffers Matt Yeager and J. Rose. Having played neither title, I decided to take the review duties on this, simply due to a cinematic for the game I saw that made me laugh, along with the aforementioned love of mystery games. The question is, did the game keep me laughing throughout… or was I ready to snap the Wiimote in two by the end of it?

Let’s Review

1. Story

Guilty Partyis divided into eight chapters (Seven known at the beginning and the finale is unlocked as a surprise after you beat the rest) starring the Dickens Detective Agency. The entire agency is made of three generations of the Dickens’ family, led by the Commodore who has just announced he is going to retire and leave the agency to one of the other members. At the same time, this news triggers a massive crime spree by the Commodore’s arch-nemesis, Mr. Valentine. Said crime spree starts with the kidnapping of the Commodore’s own wife and eventually includes the murder of a flautist, the kidnapping of a singing manatee, setting a cruise ship adrift directly into the path of an iceberg and more. The Dickens Detective Agency must solve all the crimes, leading up to the eventual unmasking and capture of Mr. Valentine himself.

There are six playable characters (seven once you beat Story Mode), each of which has their own distinct personality, though this is only really shown in the very first opening cinematic and then everything goes to two-dimensional “stop the bad guy in each scenario” for each. Each character is also a parody of a famous detective or crimefighter. You’ve got a Sam Spade/Harvey Bullock gumshoe, a redheaded FBI agent, a little kid super hero wannabe, an elderly Miss Marple with the kung fu of Charlie Chan, a Samuel L Jackson version of Shaft who is FLAAAAMING, and an adopted Asian school girl who is the only straightlaced (sane) one of the bunch.

There are humorous bits sprinkled throughout the game, but only in the cinematics. The core board game style antics are relatively boring and monotonous. As such, you’re playing FOR the cut scenes, and since that’s such a small part of the game, it’s a bit of a letdown that the rest of the game is dull by comparison. As well, the last case in the game has you exposing who Mr. Valentine is, but honestly, you should know who it is almost right away since it was that obvious. I was pretty disappointed about how transparent it was, and I hated the last case because it meant I had to go through all the rigmarole instead of being able to skip directly to the accusation part of the game. The ending was also a huge letdown, and instead of being funny or a nice wrap-up, it gets a bit surreal (not in a good way) and then just plunges directly into stupid with no real plot threads resolved and a dance party as out of place an inappropriate as the one in Transformers: The Movie over Ultra Magnus’ corpse.

Guilty Party is definitely geared for an age group of 9-12. Older gamers will find the cut scenes equally amusing, but they’ll also find the four and a half hours it takes to unlock everything pretty dull and the end of the game lackluster.

Story Rating: Decent

2. Graphics

I was really impressed with the character models provided here. Although every character in the game is an original creation and not related to some other Disney product, they all looked and felt like Disney characters. Kid Riddle felt like he was from The Incredibles while his mother reminded me of an adult Kim Possible. I also loved the design of Mr. Valentine. That’s one cool looking bad guy! The cut scenes are almost Pixar movie quality, and again, these are the highlight of the game.

The actual board game aspect of the game leaves something to be desired however. The animation of walking between rooms is a bit wonky and the rooms themselves are a bit dull and nondescript. Sure, a bedroom has beds and posters, but it is rather detail-less. Think a high end PSX game rather than a late generation Wii title.

Mini Game graphics are hit or miss. The ones featuring character models look great, while other ones, like hitting metal squares with a hammer, are lacking in terms of visual quality. Still, for the most part, the game looks pretty good, and it’s actually better looking than the PS3 equivalent of this in Blue Toad Murder Files, and those games are in high definition. That’s something, isn’t it?

Graphics Rating: Enjoyable

3. Sound

The voice acting in Guilty Party is top notch. Outside of the cut scenes, each character only has a few lines that they will repeat (or say through your Wiimote) until they drive you nuts, but every character is well acted. When you factor in the fact that there are several dozen characters that have voice acting in this game, and all of them are nicely done, you can’t help but be impressed.

The music, however, tended to annoy me. You have a single “theme song” track when you are in the menu sections of the game, and a single track per board game level that loops repeatedly. All these tracks start to grate after a while, and I definitely was looking for a way to mute the music but not the voice acting.

Sound effects are a nice mix. Whether it’s the sound of walking up stairs or dusting for fingerprints on a giant safe, Guilty Party offers a large array of different effects, all of which sound highly realistic.

Due to the quality of the sound and cinematics in Guilty Party, I found myself wishing this was a Disney cartoon series rather than a video game. Especially when we see the next section…

Sound Rating: Enjoyable

4. Control and Gameplay

Like a lot of third party games, the Wiimote controls in Guilty Party leave a lot to be desired. Some mini games, such as shooting rockets at boxes falling from Mr. Valentine’s blimp or trying to keep a pair of eyes from touching your opponents, are nigh unplayable due to the controls being akin to driving a tank or just being flat out unresponsive. There are other games, like trying to pull clues out of a stack of books, that are equally difficulty to pull off, because some of the clues are paper thin and the game won’t go for the clue, but the large books on either side. With this game I eventually had to get right up to the screen and move ever so slightly, hoping that this would be the time the game would actually notice the single clue I needed before time ran out. If this was frustrating for me, imagine how it would be for the small children this game is geared for.

A good chunk of the puzzles are certainly playable, but they tend to be rather dull. Move a stack of money from one hand to another while batting away the hand of a thief is a common game, as is “bad music,” where you hold your Wiimote like a sax and play a two chord version of Guitar Hero. None of the mini games are especially fun or interesting and the control issues with a lot of them left me cold.

The game unfolds like this: You pick a character, you pick a mystery to play and then you are transported to the level, which can be anything from a building to a cruise ship. On your turn, you have a set number of tokens given to your character (default is four) and tokens can then be used to move to any other room on the board, investigate a clue, or interrogate a suspect. Each of these actions requires a single token, and the latter two generally involve a mini-game needing to be played to get the actual clue. After getting said clue, it is added to your notebook and once you have either all the clues, or an accurate description of the suspect, you can accuse a suspect.

Accusations take one of two forms. In the early levels, it’s like Clue, where you just give the four clues showing the suspect’s height, body shape, gender and hair length. No two suspects will have the exact same of these characteristics, so once you have the description locked in, you’ll have only one possible person that it could be. With later levels, you’ll instead have to prove everyone but the accused is innocent, which is achieved by using clues and statements from your cluebook. So if the accused says “How do you know that fat judge didn’t do it,” you would provide the clue showing it could only have been done by a thin person, or a clue that shows the judge had a rock solid alibi. Repeat until the accused is the only one left.

The game also has a turn limit (default is thirty), so you have to accurately accuse the correct suspect before this limit is reached or it is game over. Of course, I never had a game last more than ten turns, so you’re never in danger of this happening.

There are also “Savvy Cards” which offer a degree of different effects. These range from moving for free, unlocking doors, getting one to three free tokens, getting a testimony from a suspect without playing a mini-game (my favorite) and more. Mr. Valentine can play several of these as well, so look out!

The most annoying part is that even after you have all the clues you need, you might still have to explore. A lot of the clues are actually pretty useless and some won’t be accepted as acceptable ones for accusing, even if they come out and say “IT’S A MAN,” on the clue.

With some serious Wiimote detection issues, some games that are outright dull and a pretty monotonous feel to the game, I can definitely say the gameplay needed some more fine tuning. I found myself swearing at the controls and the slow moving nature of the game towards the end, and it’s for kids! That’s never a good sign.

Control and Gameplay Rating: Mediocre

5. Replayability

Story Mode has virtually no replayability as each level will always have the same culprit and will unfold almost exactly the same. If you try and play it with friends (up to four people can play Guilty Party at once), whoever has already beaten the game has a very unfair advantage. This is where Party Mode and the Game Room come in.

Party Mode lets you play any one of the levels you have already beat in Story Mode, but it remixes things. This means you’ll have different mini games to play and a different culprit. It’s all randomized, meaning you can play these levels over and over again, with only the board staying as a constant. You also have three options for Party Mode – Single Player, Cooperative Mode and Competitive Mode. Single Player is self explanatory, Cooperative Mode plays just like the levels in Story Mode and Competitive Mode is merely a race to see who solves the case first. There’s not much difference here, but the remixing helps to stave off boredom for a while.

Game Room is simply all the unlocked Minigames (and a few challenges), and is locked until you beat some things in Party Mode. I barely touched this, to be honest, because of my dislike for most of the mini-games.

So there’s a nice amount of replayability to Guilty Party, but to get to it you have to play the four and a half hours of Story Mode, which actually feels like double or triple that. By the time you have everything unlocked, you really won’t want to have much to do with Guilty Party for a long time.

Replayability Rating: Above Average

6. Balance

There are four difficulty settings in Guilty Party, all of which save Novice must be unlocked by playing through Story Mode. The only real difference between the settings is the time limit. The fact that only the time limit changes on higher difficulty actually shows some development mistakes by Wide Load as there are some puzzles that are nearly impossible for a child to do on these levels, and even an adult such as myself who grew up with button mashers like Track and Field or various Shoot ‘Em Ups can barely get past them. It’s a generic time limit for each difficulty setting, yet some mini-games are such that they are designed in such a way that there is a minimum time that they can be beaten in. As such, it will probably not surprise you to learn that these two overlap on occasion, giving you a mini game that can only be done on “Super Sleuth” or “Diabolical” through a miracle like having the answer right there in front of you the second the puzzle starts up. You can compound this issue further with the fact several puzzles either have a poor description of what you should be doing and/or the wonky controls and Wiimote detection issues, and the end result is a poorly balanced game. On the opposite end of the spectrum is “Novice”, which gives you such a large time limit that the only way you can lose is through the aforementioned poor controls of certain games. Ugh.

Much like with the gameplay issues, Guilty Party could have used some better balancing. Just cutting a time limit isn’t a proper increase of challenge, and sometimes, due to the length of a mini game, the time limit makes things almost impossible on higher levels. Again, poorly done here.

Balance Rating: Poor

7. Originality

Guilty Party is basically Mario Party, meets Clue – two games that have especially been played out to the point of being a cliché. The combination of the two is a nice touch, however, but the game never really feels like its own entity. The characters are fun, but I feel the characters and story might have been better served in something more akin to a point and click adventure game than a board game. The Wii has a ton of mini-game collections already and Guilty Party does little to stand out from the pack.

Originality Rating: Poor

8. Addictiveness

I admit that the first two or three levels of Guilty Party had me amused, and I enjoyed the game for what it was, even if it brought back memories of every other mini game/board game collection out there. Yes, even Pac-Man Fever. By the end, I was just glad to have beaten the game and was thankful I never had to play it again. Control issues, wonky balance, and a lackluster ending killed the optimism I went into the game with.

That being said, I definitely enjoyed the game more than I have other Mario Party style games, especially the single player mode. Most games of this nature are excruciatingly to play by oneself. Guilty Party however, had moments of fun and amusement, which definitely is a plus in its favour. I can’t really say I had a hard time putting the controller down, but I can say it was better than most game of its ilk – especially on the Wii.

Addictiveness Rating: Decent

9. Appeal Factor

I know I’ve been hard on Guilty Party in some respects, but as long as you can get around the control and balance issues, this would be a fun game for a family to play. They’d best be served doing it in Story Mode, since Party Mode lacks the cinematics and plot and thus will be far less interesting to the tykes and parents alike. It’s definitely a game that is best in small doses, so if you have a lot of friends that you game with in person rather than online, Guilty Party might be a nice addition to your collection. For kids and families, this might be worth your $39.99. Other gamers should probably pass.

Appeal Factor: Decent

10. Miscellaneous

At the end of the day, I liked the Dickens Detective Agency, as hamfisted as every race, age group, and gender was into the family. It’s a cute idea and the end result was better than most of the mini-game collections out there for the Wii. I’d still rather play the second Rayman Raving Rabbids over this, but when all is said and done, I think Wide Load games has made a rather decent game that should hopefully find an audience.

Miscellaneous Rating: Decent

The Scores
Story: Decent
Graphics: Enjoyable
Sound: Enjoyable
Control and Gameplay: Mediocre
Replayability: Above Average
Balance: Poor
Originality: Poor
Addictiveness: Decent
Appeal Factor: Decent
Miscellaneous: Decent

FINAL SCORE: DECENT GAME!

Short Attention Span Summary
Disney Guilty Party doesn’t really bring anything new to either the board game or the mini-game compilation genres, but what’s here is mildly fun for the family. Story Mode is roughly four and a half hours long, and although the ending can be seen coming a mile away (and it’s a stinker), there’s something inherently charming about this Mario Party meets Clue mash up.
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Story/Modes

Much like Voltaire’s Candide, UFO Interactive’s Wii game Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games is the story of a naïve young person entering into the cruel adult world. Surrounded on all sides by grotesque figures trying to entice the main protagonist into sin, the player must navigate a hellish world of uncaring adults, Dr. Moreauesque human/animal hybrids, and Sisyphean labor while trying to maintain a sense of right and wrong. After being cast out from home, the hero seeks to find enjoyment at the titular rodent themed restaurant and arcade. Faced with poverty in the face of unrestrained capitalistic excess, the protagonist is drafted into child labor by a mouse headed creature. This animal figure, which likely represents shyness and wisdom as per the shamanistic tradition, is known as Chuck E. Cheese. Whether this is his real name, or even if Chuck E. Cheese is an individual or a title, is an unanswered mystery.

Mr. Cheese drags the main character into a kitchen and forces him to make pizzas to order in a so-called game titled Pizza Mania. The orders are relayed through illustrations of the required ingredient, instead of in writing. This makes one ponder exactly how young the average indentured pizza cook is. After throwing the proper ingredients on to a series of pies, the hero is given a number of “tokens” equal to the number of pizzas made. Whether or not this breaks child labor and minimum wage laws is also unknown and warrants further research.

Tokens in hand, the hero figure either assembles a other series of pizzas or heads over to the arcade. The arcade is the main arena in Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games’ metaphysical battle. Eighteen games of various genres and styles await the protagonist, each brighter and louder than the next. This blaring, glowing edifice to frivolity is initially limited to a handful of games, with the majority revealed only through the capricious spinning of the Lucky Wheel. Like the Wheel of Fortune in a tarot deck, the Lucky Wheel can unlock happiness, in the form of new games, or cause endless frustration as it continually hits games that are already available. Once every game in the arcade is unlocked, the Lucky Wheel is rendered useless, a map to the place you already are.

The other sixteen games in the arcade vary widely in meaning and worth. Alley Roller is the slight variation on classic Ski Ball, a dependable and well traveled path. There are few surprises to be had when playing Alley Roller and fewer disappointments. Select a lane, cock back your arm, and throw the ball towards the holes. Alley Roller’s lone divergence from Ski Ball orthodoxy is the arcane glow that emanates from a select hole each round. These glowing holes have extra value, communicated in points, when the ball enters them. The significance of this is unknown and unexplored by the game’s narrative, leading me to suspect it is simply a McGuffin, glowing as brightly as the briefcase in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

Basket Ball is an abstraction of the classic American game of basketball, miniaturized to only allow for one player. The player competes against the court itself, a simple hoop a few feet away. Instead of using the skill or reflexes of the player, the game of Basket Ball tosses the balls around randomly, often ignoring the player’s input. One possible interpretation of this phenomenon is that the makers of the game wanted to relay the futility of competition in the face of the void. What value is there to points in a cold, cruel world?

My research tells me that there is a popular game called Galaga that is normally available for play in the physical realm’s Chuck E. Cheese pizza and gaming establishments. Much like that game, Galaxy Shooter is the story of a lone pilot defending his planet from alien invaders in the black abyss of space, facing a wall of murderous enemies with only his own skill to depend on. The differences are small but notable. In Galaxy Shooter, the space craft is a mechanical representation of the ever present rodent overlord, Chuck E. Cheese. The alien space craft move more quickly and shoot even more aggressively as well. The result is a game in which death is swift and inevitable. Nothing can stop the onslaught from beyond the stars, which calls to mind H.P. Loveraft’s terrifying mythos.

The classic fraternity house game air hockey is a highly abstract form of ice hockey, with the two teams of players reduced to one player on each side, the hockey sticks rendered as knobbed paddles. Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games features a variation even further removed from the frigid rinks of Canada and Phoenix. This form of Air Hockey is controlled with the control pad on the Wiimote and is seemingly rigged to the player’s advantage. By acting as little as possible, the player can cause the game to defeat itself. I am reminded of Franz Kafka’s In the Penal Colony, in which an equally malevolent machine destroys its creator and itself. The implications of this game bring to mind the Industrial Revolution and man’s own insignificance in the face of the rise of machines. There is a slightly Luddite theme to much of Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games, but this is the most blatant example by far.

The game Smash a Munch demands a bit of exposition. In the Chuck E. Cheese universe, Mr. Munch is a purple pizza eating monster. The symbolism of this figure is open to much interpretation. Unlike the rest of the cast, Mr. Munch does not have a species, being labeled only as “monster.” Coupled with his unnatural color, purple, and huge appetite, it is not too difficult to imagine that Mr. Munch was created to be a symbol of the unrestrained id. The character he replaced, Crusty the Cat, symbolized magic and mystery and independence, which could be seen as more in line with the super-ego. This shift towards the darker impulses of man, gluttony being a sin in most religions, makes Mr. Munch the most obvious source of temptation in the Chuck E. Cheese canon, a Satanic nemesis figure. The game he stars in is one of rage and wanton destruction, hinting that Mr. Munch may have more than gluttony on his mind. The player must swing the Wiimote each time Mr. Munch’s head appears from one of the holes on the game board. Speed and precise timing are key here, since there is no aiming required. There is a point bonus for successfully quelling the beast Munch in succession. Maintaining the protagonist’s innocence in the face of such greed and wrath is part of the balancing act the narrative demands.

Connect the Stars is a strange game. On one hand, it encourages the player to seek patterns in the stars, finding images in the heavens. This is a strong allusion to the ancient art of astrology. On the other hand, the stars must be connected in a specific order and within a short timeframe, which reminds one of the science of astronomy. One interpretation could be that Connect the Stars is about treading the path between faith and science, trying not to tip one way or the other. Another might be that Connect the Stars is an analogy for growing up, that the act of codifying the heavens is a step towards being a grownup.

Cowboy Jasper takes the standard childhood trope of wanting to be a cowboy and distills it down to a more pure form: cattle roping. The aim of the game is to lasso each of the charging cows with a well timed throw. Jasper T. Jowls, star of this game and the next, is a hound dog. With his sleepy gaze and drooping features, he initially seems to be a slothful figure, a symbol of laziness. This contrasts deeply with the nature of his games, which are among the faster paced in the arcade as well as the true nature of hound dogs. Hounds are hard working dogs, relied upon to do demanding work for their masters. Perhaps the jovial figure of Jasper is more akin to the Budai, a smiling figure of transcendence. Either way, I suspect that Cowboy Jasper’s simple gameplay is an adult statement on the relative simplicity of childhood in relation to adulthood.

Jasper’s second game is Jasper’s Racing. This motorcycle racing game is based on a unique sense of priorities as it relates to motorcycling. Instead of racing other bikes or dodging the dreaded cagers in SUVs, Jasper must navigate a highway littered with soda cans and oil slicks. This can only be interpreted as a statement on the environment, given the high gas mileage vehicle Jasper rides and the use of litter as an antagonist. The purpose of this game might be to remind the protagonist, and the player, that no amount of speed can outrun the problems of modern life and that caution must be exercised at all times. Also, there is a subtle bit of wishful engineering, since Jasper’s motorcycle has windshield wipers, a rare, but not unheard of, feature.

The second appearance of the frightful Mr. Munch is in Mr. Munch’s Target Practice. This is a simple shooting gallery, like those found at carnivals and galas. Targets with various point values, extra ammunition, and the heads of Mr. and Mrs. Munch traverse across the screen horizontally. Shooting Mr. Munch’s head nets the player additional points, but shooting the head of Mrs. Munch causes a penalty. It is not adequately explained if Mrs. Munch is the wife or mother of Mr. Munch. Either way, it is quite telling that in a game named after him, Mr. Munch encourages the player to shoot at him and not the female figure in his life. Whether this is an example of classic Oedipal tendencies, a virgin/whore complex, or some sort of self loathing is unknown. One theory is that Mrs. Munch is actually Mr. Munch’s female side, perhaps even a drag persona. This would explain his rewarding of those who destroy his masculine image and protect his feminine visage.

The game Photo Hunt is an anomalous activity. While such games are not common in physical world Chuck E. Cheese locations, they are very common in bars. This piece of the adult world intruding into the theoretically safe haven of childhood is like the film splicing antics of Tyler Durden in Fight Club, only more insidious. The game is deceptive in its concept: find the differences between two images. What makes this deceptive is how difficult it can be to properly select the different area. The game makes it difficult to choose an area you think is different from the original, inspiring distrust in the game, the controller, and even in one’s own self. Could this game be preparation for the use of psychedelic drugs? One can only wonder…

Balloon Alphabet is a strange spelling game. Like a less macabre Hangman, letters are scattered about and the player must choose which ones to use to form the word that the accompanying image illustrates. Some of the images are unusual, as are the words. I have never, outside of academic pursuits, used the term XMAS, which is illustrated with a tree in the game. This game focuses the player’s vocabulary on a smaller, simpler set of words, as in the classic 1984. Another attempt at mind control seems par for the course as the protagonist journeys towards enlightenment.

Pattern recognition is arguably the most key element of human intellect. It is the part of the mind that gives humanity art and science, as well as celebrity faces on overcooked Lay’s Potato Chips. The game known only as Matching is built on the buttress of human pattern recognition. Cards with matching images are revealed, then hidden. The player must flip the cards and match the images in order to make them disappear. Doing this repeatedly empties the board, which is then refilled with even more cards. Such a piling on effect is reminiscent of the daily work grind most adults endure. Nothing stays done and achievement is usually only meant with an increase in responsibility at the expense of peace of mind. By enduring the constant process of trial and error, eventual success, and new challenge, the protagonist is shown the world of adults, particularly his distant father.

Numerology is an ancient path to knowledge and power. The various disciplines, like isopsephy and alchemy, have wielded tremendous influence throughout the ages and people are still fascinated by numbers, as evidenced by films like The Number 23. Counting 1234 is a game in which the player must count the number of Chuck E. Cheese character’s heads on the screen as quickly as possible. Tapping into the traditions of numerology is yet another temptation laid out before the protagonist as he, or she, journeys towards enlightenment.

The final game is especially noteworthy. Dancing Queen With Helen is a truly harrowing experience and is not to be taken lightly. Helen Henny is the only female character in the Chuck E. Cheese universe, and the only bird. The chicken totem is particularly potent, possessing the ability to learn quickly, to absorb new ideas and energy. The chicken is a fertility symbol, doubly strong since Helen is the lone feminine figure, aside from Mr. Munch’s hidden self. As well, the chicken is a spirit of creativity, which leads directly into Dancing Queen. Despite being named for a well known song by ABBA, the Dancing Queen With Helen game only has one piece of music attached to it, a beguiling siren song. This song is composed of synthesized beats and a strangely voice like sound that seems to sing in a pleasant form of gibberish. Overwhelmingly upbeat and positive, the song lays the foundation for a simple rhythm game. As the song plays, commands move across the screen and pass through a circle. Enter the command as it passes through the circle and points are awarded. This makes the enchanting Helen Henny dance, her limbs moving like a Shrinky Dink in the microwave oven. This dance is surely a primitive fertility ritual, performed here to entrance the young protagonist and drag him into adolescence. This muddies Helen’s role. She is as much, if not more, of a temptation then Mr. Munch, but her attributes are much more positive. In a sense, she is the door through which the protagonist must travel in order to become an adult. Her relationship with the rodent king is unknown.

Each of the eighteen games, save Pizza Mania, rewards the player with tickets. The ticket is a completely different form of currency than the token. The ticket initially seems to be the more valuable form of currency, since they can be exchanged for prizes. Strangely, as prizes are acquired, the relationship between the token and the ticket changes. Many of the prizes increase the amount of tickets awarded by the games, thus making tokens more valuable. At first, a token is only worth between one and five tickets, but tokens can eventually be worth dozens of tickets.

The ostensible reason for the protagonist to play the games in the arcade is to earn tickets so that prizes can be acquired. These prizes are stored in the hero’s room at home and can be viewed there. The ruthless acquisition of prizes is in itself a pitfall, because to acquire all the prizes is to lose all meaning. With all of the toys collected, the game itself loses its value. This is the great struggle of Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games.

Story/Modes: Bad

Graphics

Since the late 90’s, Chuck E. Cheese has undergone a transmogrification from a rat carnival barker into a skateboarding young mouse. This leads further credence to the whispers that Mr. Cheese is actually a league of lookalikes and not a unique individual or that the current Chuck is not the original, but likely a descendant. Either way, the entire look of Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games is informed by the same sort of bland, solid color vector art as the restaurant chain is. All of the game’s animation is unconvincing and strange, like a warped piece of paper blown against a fence in the wind. Many of the games are affected negatively by the poor animation, notably Galaxy Shooter and Jasper’s Racing.

A special mention must be made of the character designs available for the protagonist. They vary in race and gender, a normally admirable trait. Sadly, the Asian character is rendered as the worst sort of mid-20th century Chinese stereotype, from his Fu Manchu hat to his squinty eyes. It goes without saying that this is the worst sort of image to put forth, particularly in a game aimed at children. Perhaps it was done out of irony, but if so, the target audience will likely not get the joke. Such a reprehensible representation of any ethnic group is quite disconcerting.

Graphics: Bad

Sound

Much of the game’s soundtrack is filled with an agonizingly upbeat, vaguely techno soundtrack. The music reminded me of the NES. Not the classic tunes of Goonies II or Super Mario Bros. 3 so much as the musical score of Skate or Die 2. Choosing to create a soundtrack to a modern game in the style of a half remembered NES game is quite a daring artistic choice, one which the developers jumped into with both feet. The lack of voice acting is probably for the best, seeing as how the only Asian character in the game was an offensive stereotype.

Sounds: Very Bad

Control and Gameplay

With eighteen different games to control, plus a map to navigate and a bedroom to interact with, it would be a true marvel of game design if everything controlled flawlessly. Luckily, Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games does not dare scale those dizzying heights. Instead, the games in the arcade have controls that vary between almost playable and watching while waving your arms about. If each and every game controlled perfectly, the chance to teach children an important lesson about disappointment would have been lost. By making the experience scattershot and random, the player is prepared for a life of disappointment and misery, fitting well into the game’s Candide motif.

Another interesting touch the game has is the way Chuck E. Cheese himself interrupts the various games in order to congratulate the player. This positive reinforcement more often than not disrupts the flow of the game being played and prevents the player from getting into a groove or otherwise transcending the humdrum world of the arcade. Like a barking dog or a car alarm, the mouse master shakes the player from the dream of gaming bliss. This is a feature more games should feature in the future. No more perfect scores or speed runs! Only constant and cloying positive feedback after every minor achievement will do!

Control/Gameplay: Pretty Poor

Replayability

Each game only offers a scant amount of tickets with each play, and surely the player will want to acquire each and every one of the fabulous prizes available. How else would one fill their imaginary bedroom with loot? On top of having to play each game scads of times, particularly Pizza Mania, the player will likely want to hang out in the bedroom and interact with the awesome prizes they have won. Things are surely the reason to anything, no?

In addition to the scintillating prizes, there is a trophy room to fill with trophies. The trophies are earned through insane amounts of playing the arcade games. After they are earned, the trophies appear in the trophy room, where they can be admired. The best way to impress new friends would be to invite them over to your home, so that you may show them all of the prizes you have earned. Just when they think that you could not be more radical, pop over to the trophy room and nonchalantly show them the fake digital trophies you won playing almost air hockey. Everyone will think you are super cool.

Unfortunately, all of your super cool new friends cannot play the game with you. Because it is such an intensely personal quest for self discovery and actualization, there is no multiplayer mode in Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games. If your fellows want to take the journey through the game and reach enlightenment, they must purchase their own copy of the game. Who would want to play a Party Game with other people, anyway? What kind of party has more than one person attending it?

Replayability: Very Bad

Balance

The economic model of Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games guarantees that it will not be completed quickly. The only way to get ahead is by spending tickets to buy items that increase ticket output from games. Tickets can only be earned from playing games. Games require tokens to play them. Tokens can only be earned by toiling in the pizza kitchen under the watchful eye of Pasqually the Singing Chef. This economy rewards labor with demands for more labor. The cycle is endless.

To make matters worse, each game is poorly explained in the game, making success very hit or miss. Certain games, like Cowboy Jasper, are so hard that the tickets they spew out seem paltry. Other games, like Matching, are beyond easy, spooling out tickets like a loose slot machine. The difficulty levels of the games simply cannot be compared to one another directly.

Balance: Bad

Originality

When I purchased my Wii, it came with Wii Sports, an excellent mini game compilation. I also purchased Wii Play, a largely mediocre mini game compilation. I have reviewed several other Wii games that were made up of smaller games, each more dreadful than the last. None of those games touched the existential turmoil this game inspires inside of me.

What sets this game apart from the huddled masses of party games for the Wii are its setting and single player only status. By setting the game in the dark, beer sloshed innards of Chuck E. Cheese’s, the game has achieved a level of subtext and ennui hereto unseen in a Wii game, save Baroque. By forcing the player to experience all of this by themselves, without the release valve of another player, the game forces the player to take all of its content in without diffusion.

Originality: Dreadful

Addictiveness

While I made my way through Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games, I was faced with several distractions. I was invited out to a movie and on a shopping trip. People called me on the phone, wanting to talk about nothing at all. My friend Ryan wanted me to watch wrestling with him and eat Jimmy John’s sandwiches. A weak man would have given in to each and every one of these distractions in order to escape the steely gaze of Mr. Cheese. I am a weak man.

I found myself pulling away from the game in order to do the most menial and unnecessary of tasks, wrapping myself in the mundane world. Am I a coward or is this a truly terrible game? Only the universe knows for sure.

Addictiveness: Dreadful

Appeal Factor

There are three sorts of people who I can see this game appealing to. First, there are children. Children are mostly naïve and ignorant of the evils of man. They are blank slates that only know what they want, not what they need. Children will feast on anything you call pizza, no matter how dubious the title, and play most anything you call a game. With its brightly colored packaging, low price point, and connection to precious birthday memories, there will certainly be a number of children type people who will badger the taller people that drive them about into purchasing this game. While I suspect the subtleties will go over their heads, I have a feeling the feelings of ennui and boredom will not.

The second group of potential buyers are those seeking to appease child type humans. Not able to discern the wheat from the chaff, an admittedly difficult task when the Wii is involved, they will buy this as a gift. Blissfully unaware of the potential trauma they have inflicted on the children they claim to care for, these adults will smile beatifically and feel good about themselves for buying the child a video game. Novelty is a powerful marketing tool.

The third group is of a peculiar sort. These people enjoy seeing humanoid animals. They enjoy this so much that they collect drawings and videos of human/animal hybrids and some even dress as these creatures. Among their number, there are some who take the scientific analysis of human/animal hybrids seriously enough to create anatomically correct sketches of these theoretical chimeras. While I am not one to judge, I do find this group fascinating and may have to do a more in depth study of them in the future. Because Chuck E. Cheese’s features anthropomorphic animal suits and is more accessible than Disney World or Disney Land for the majority of Americans, many in this group have a particular attachment to Chuck E. Cheese and his cohorts. I do not know if they have drawn any anatomically correct illustrations of him.

Appeal Factor: Bad

Miscellaneous

Under the heading of miscellanea, I must put a question. Do you want to explore the depths of innocence and corruption? Do you want to experience the loneliness of childhood again? Do you lack the ability to discern between quality and thriftiness? Yes, I know that was actually three questions, but they all lead to the same place. Can you put a price tag on enlightenment and spiritual discovery? If you can, is that price more or less than twenty American bucks? With only your metaphysical wellbeing and wholeness in balance, the question is, can you afford not to play Chuck E. Cheese’s Party Games?

Miscellaneous: Bad

The Scores
Story: Bad
Graphics: Bad
Sound: Very Bad
Control and Gameplay: Pretty Poor
Replayability: Very Bad
Balance: Bad
Originality: Dreadful
Addictiveness: Dreadful
Appeal Factor: Bad
Miscellaneous: Bad
FINAL SCORE: VERY BAD GAME!

Short Attention Span Summary
There are many good games in the world, games that you can play and have fun with and go back to in a few years and enjoy every bit as much as you did the first time. Games like that are pretty much the reason people play video games. This is not one of those games. This is the kind of game that makes you wonder why you bought a Wii instead of a 3DO. I could have spent this week playing Mad Dog McCree, dang it! Instead I played this, a game so bad I think it might have caused me to have a mild psychological breakdown. Avoid at all costs.
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I’m not really sure why I was chosen to review Wipeout the Game. It might be because I proudly proclaimed to be an acquaintance of Patrick the barely legal lawyer, one of this season’s contestants. It is also possible that it could have something to do the first person to admit to liking “Wipeout” the show on the super secret writers’ forum.

C’mon, what’s not to like? It combines the basic elements of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “American Gladiators” into one family friendly package of Schadenfreude.

And now, you can play it at home without the risk of horrible injuries. Is Wipeout the Game like mastering the big balls or more like cracking your ribs on the Scary-Go-Round?

Let’s find out!

Wipeout offers two modes of play – “Play the Show” and “Challenge Mode”. The former can accommodate one to four players, while the latter is single player only.

With “Play the Show” you select your character from one of four classes and run him/her through the four rounds of the television show. The first round is the Qualifier, a multi-part obstacle course which is run one player at a time, one part at a time. The second round is the sweeper where all players are on screen at the same time standing on separate pedestals jumping and/or ducking to avoid a sweeper arm. The third round is Road to the Final, a free-for-all; all the players are onscreen at the same time fighting the same obstacle, often while dizzy. The final round is the Wipeout Zone, which is like the Qualifier with more drama.

Unlike the television show, there are only four contestants competing (no matter how many of them are human) and there are no eliminations. In lieu of these eliminations, the previous rounds offer each player a time score which translates into “Bonus Time” for the Wipeout Zone.

Also, when your character isn’t on the screen you can launch objects at the other players in order to cause them to wipeout.

Challenge mode offers a collection of single player obstacle courses. If you do well, you can unlock more obstacle course and trophies and the like.

Graphically, the game is fairly pleasing. The characters have a nice, cartoony vibe and the Johns and Jill look like caricatures of themselves. In the good way that is. The obstacles all look like they should and the show’s strange little background details all seem to be present.

Aurally, the game is also true to the show. John, Jill and John provide their own voices, provide running commentary, and the show’s theme song is present in all its quirky glory.

That’s not to say that the presentation is not without its problems. There are some major detection issues. Occasionally walls and platforms can be jumped through, or characters will be knocked over despite not quite hitting an obstacle. The camera is fixed in a wide shot. Most of the time this is a good thing, but on the Scary-Go-Round it can mean that you won’t be able to see any hint of your character for the majority of the obstacle. The audio problems are noticeable, too. It is easy to find commonplace gaming gripes like repetitive play-by-play, but Wipeout will also do strange things like having two of the commentators speaking at once, or having the commentators repeat the beginning of a line of dialogue right after delivering that line.

Despite some collision detection problems, the game controls fairly well. Wipeout has kept things simple. Move with the joystick, jump with A, and duck with B. That is all you need to know to play every single obstacle/mini-game/what-have-you.

All in all, it makes the game feel like a throwback. Wipeout’s play is evocative of an NES or Atari era game. The game is mastered solely through hand-eye coordination, timing and familiarity with the obstacles. Although, dumb luck also plays its hand. Occasionally wonky physics will send your character flying upwards into the air instead of wiping out. I have completed some courses with relative ease by tripping over an obstacle, flying onwards and upwards and crashing headfirst through the goal.

This throwback feel is aided by character selection. Characters are broken up into small, medium, large and special categories. Small guys are faster and weaker, fat guys are slower but stronger., medium guys are in the medium. The special category is reserved for the characters like the hosts of the show, who play like super-charged mediums.

The game prevents frustration by placing a three try limit on each stunt. This is a good thing as some stunts seems downright impossible If you fail miserably each time, at least you get to see your avatar rag doll around the screen in a grotesque manner. Even the worst performance in the first three rounds only results in a lack of Bonus Time for the final obstacle. As such, one never feels mathematically eliminated from winning the game.

Plus, doing well doesn’t seem to matter much in the grand scheme of things. Win, place, show or fail three things are unlocked every time you play a show. (Up until the final two characters, that is.) These things include new characters and new outfits for characters.

All in all, Wipeout is a decent party game. It doesn’t offer a lot of stuff to do in single player mode, but can afford you a good amount of fun if you have three drunk friends over to your house.

The Scores:

Modes: Mediocre
Graphics: Enjoyable
Sound: Mediocre
Control/Gameplay: Enjoyable
Replayability: Decent
Balance: Good
Originality: Decent
Addictiveness: Mediocre
Appeal: Above Average
Miscellaneous: Good
Final Score: Above Average Game

Short Attention Span Summary
Listen, Wipeout the Game isn‘t going to re-invent the wheel. It has a number of glitches and is severely limited in gameplay options. That being said, the game can provide stupid good fun. This is particularly true when played with friends or family, especially if the friends are drunk and the family is under ten years old. Children are like tiny drunken adults.

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To some, the developer and publisher attached to this game (and combination thereof) don’t seem to be particularly auspicious ones. Image Epoch was the same developer behind Sands of Destruction (which Alex did not look kindly upon) and the Luminous Arc games (which received mixed reviews and tend to be viewed as middle of the line SRPGs), and Ignition was the publisher who released Lux-Pain (infamous for its subpar localization) stateside.

Let’s see how this game stacks up.

Arc Rise Fantasia is situated in the Meridian Empire, which has been plagued by Feldragons, creatures that explode when killed (and poison the area they perish in). Upon discovering that hordes of them are headed for the capital, the Empire sends a fleet to deal with them. Among those sent is the mercenary L’Arc, who becomes injured and separated from the rest of his group after defeating a Feldragon. Just as the Feldragon is about to explode, a girl named Ryfia steps in to neutralize the explosion and heal L’Arc’s wounds. From there, they discover they’re linked in a significant way and that parts of the world are increasingly becoming crystallized, and it’s up to them to find the cause and stop it. It doesn’t really tread any ground other JRPGs haven’t (and manages to hit a number of common cliches), and the characters basically fall into archetypes – brash swordsman, softspoken naive healing girl, tomboyish childhood friend, and so on. However, it does manage to throw in couple of twists along the way.

There are also skits akin to those seen in the Tales series that are activated by various conditions, such as plot advancement or wearing certain outfits. These help flesh out the characters and their relationships to each other, and they’re generally amusing to watch. The localization was handled better than in Lux-Pain, though it’s dry and somewhat stiff at times. However, the voice acting is cringe inducing, at least at first – the scene where L’Arc and Ryfia first meet was kind of hard to take seriously. After a while, my ears adapted, and it sounded as though the voice actors improved a little later in the game, though it’s far from the best voice acting ever. Most of the characters lack affect and don’t properly convey the emotion called for by the situation.

As an Easter Egg for those who have played the Luminous Arc games, little references to them were sprinkled in this game. A whole village of the little creatures known as Kopin that serve as LA’s mascot make an appearance. In addition, there’s costumes of various LA characters for the ARF characters to don (you’ve got to love those acronyms), as well as a cameo in the arena. Even L’Arc’s name seems as though it could be interpreted as a homage to LA.

The character models look decent and animate fine, and spell animations (especially the Rogress animations) are suitably flashy. However, in large and busy areas, movement would drag a bit at some points. There’s also popups – as you enter or walk around in an area, people magically appear where there was no one before, which looks odd. The anime styled character portraits are expressive enough, but portraits and models for NPCs seem to recur often between (and even within) towns. There’s a couple of CGI cutscenes, but they’re rather scant, so the majority of story cutscenes are depicted through in-game graphics. The transition is a bit jarring, but they still serve their purpose. When you walk into shops and most houses, it turns into a still background with a character portrait of the person inside, so there’s no running around in and pillaging of houses. That’s a bit of an odd design choice, but it ultimately doesn’t impact gameplay much. Characters can also don outfits they find or are given, though it only shows in their status screen portrait and in the skit pertaining to them (if any); in battle and regular plot scenes, they’re in their standard attire. Weapons do change appearance depending on which one is equipped, though. The music sets the mood, but it’s not something I’d be listening to outside of the context of the game.

You can either use the Wiimote and Nunchuck, Classic Controller, or a Gamecube controller. They’re not too divergent from each other, and you can easily switch among them and they’re all viable, though I ended up using the Classic Controller Pro most often. However, if you switch from one controller type to the other after you start the game, you have to go to the system menu and manually select what you’re now using. The buttons will still respond if you don’t do this, but the onscreen prompts will reflect the control scheme currently selected. Whenever you’re near something that can be examined further, some text (or question marks) will appear on the top right corner of the screen. There are also no random battles, but instead visible enemies roaming the areas.

You can have up to three characters (and in some parts a guest character that’s AI controlled) in the active party, and they all share one Action Point (AP) gauge. AP determines how many and which actions you can perform in a round during battle. Each turn you can have everyone act, or you can have just one person act. Each action costs a different amount of AP. As characters battle, their Skill Points (SP) gauge builds. When it’s build enough, they can execute Excel Acts, which are special abilities that can come in the form of attacks or magic that consume both AP and a percentage of the SP gauge. L’Arc also acquires an exclusive ability called Rogress, which are this game’s form of summons. Using it requires all Rogress Points (RP) and a large chunk of AP. You can also sync attacks, either with one character or the whole party, by choosing to use the same move on the same enemy in concession. This inflicts more damage. However, the enemy can do the same to your party as well.

The magic system can seem confusing as first, but once you untangle all the details and put them into practice, it’ll seem a lot simpler. Basically, each character has an orb, into which gems are set. In order to use magic, you have to upgrade the orb at a workshop so that it has enough slots and set gems in them. You can also increase the level for a certain element, the amount of MP (in this game, the number of times a character can cast spells of each level) the character has at his/her disposal , and have shards assembled into gems. All this costs Device Points (DP) as well as Rico (the game’s currency). Magic comes in eight elements, which all have opposites: fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, dark, and ice. The first four are the basic elements and can combine to form the other four – ice results from water and earth, lightning from water and wind, light from fire and wind, and dark from fire and earth. Fire opposes water, wind opposes earth, lightning opposes dark, and light opposes ice. Gems come in the four basic elements, and how you place them has different effects. Placing two of the same element and level adjacent to each other grants access to higher level spells of that element, while doing so with two compatible elements will grant you access to a different element. Conversely, placing two gems of opposing elements next to each other will cause them to dampen each other’s power.

Once you beat the game, there’s no New Game+, nor are there any alternate endings, so there’s little incentive to begin another new file. However, loading a clear save file will take you to before the final boss battle, and you can roam around most everywhere except one-time places (so no retrieving missables). As encouragement to load the clear save and meander about, a bonus dungeon becomes available, and you can fight more powerful enemies in preparation for it. There’s also trying to finish the Monster Book, though again, you can’t go back to retrieve any missable entries, and you don’t get anything for completing it. Beyond that, there’s not much else to pick up the game again for once you’ve beaten it, unless you wanted to play the minigames or go to the arena.

Admittedly, I wasn’t all that impressed with this game at first, even though I tend to eat up JRPGs. However, as I played more and things picked up, it grew on me. While it wouldn’t make any top lists, and it doesn’t do anything revolutionary, it was enjoyable enough to play through. At times I did have to grind for money to update everyone’s equipment, but I never really felt the need to do so for levels. I was generally able to get through most boss battles in one try, with a couple of exceptions, notably Paula and Luna – that duo did take a few tries, but I eventually managed to defeat them without gaining more levels. Even during grinding, the battle system didn’t get too monotonous.

The Wii is not exactly bustling with JRPGs, leaving those who own just a Wii and a hankering for JRPGs with not many options, so that could entice some to give this a second look. That, along with the fact that the price point is a bit lower than some other games for the Wii, could help move some copies. That being said, there was also little advertising leading up to the release of this game, so it’s not likely many people have heard of it. As a result, some may not want to take a chance on something they’re unfamiliar with.

The Scores
Story: Above Average
Graphics: Above Average
Sound: Decent
Control and Gameplay: Good
Replayability: Poor
Balance: Decent
Originality: Below Average
Addictiveness: Above Average
Appeal Factor: Mediocre
Miscellaneous: Decent
FINAL SCORE: DECENT GAME

Short Attention Span Summary:
Arc Rise Fantasia comes with the the usual JRPG trimmings (both good and bad), it lasts a decent amount of time without dragging excessively, and the battle system is actually fun to play through. However, it doesn’t break any new ground, hits a number of RPG cliches, has shaky voice acting, and once you’ve beaten it, there’s not much reason to pick this up. Still, it’s not a bad choice if you’re in the mood for a JRPG.
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Although younger or more casual gamers might know High Voltage as the makers of The Conduit, older gamers know that they have a history reached back to the 16-Bit era and have made games that are as diverse in genres as they are in quality. They’ve made some below average games like Evasive Space and Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, some games that received a “thumbs in the middle” from our staff (Such as both Matt and Joel’s reviews of The Conduit and some games we were positive about like Gyrostarr and NBA Inside Drive 2004. Right there, you have two shmups, a first person shooter, an adventure game, and a sports title. You can also throw in a second adventure game and one of the best platformers I have ever played if you include my own reviews of Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law and The Haunted Mansion. Finally, you can also throw in a multiplayer action RPG/Beat ‘Em series with the Hunter: The Reckoning franchise, which are agrubaly the best titles ever put out by the company. If anything it shows that High Voltage likes to make a variety of different games.

Which of course brings us to Tournament of Legends, a 3D fighting game for the Nintendo Wii. Now there aren’t a lot of fight games for the Wii unless you count those on the Virtual Console (and you really need a fight stick for those…). The best of the lot is of course, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, and the worst is Soul Calibur Legends, and then somewhere between the two you have Super Smash Bros. Brawl, TMNT: Smash Up and Castlevania: Judgement. Other than that, there really isn’t much for the system. So has High Voltage filled a niche that the Wii desperately needed filled, or has the Sammy Sega curse struck again, giving us yet another crappy title from a now crappy publisher?

Let’s Review

1. Story

Basically you have ten characters that were wronged in their existence somehow and now, with the help of the god of fate are having a big tournament with the final battle being against Thanatos, God of Death. If you beat him, you get to be the new God of Death. Each of the ten characters (and two unlockable characters, including Thanatos himself) have their own stories to tell.

For the sake of the review I will use Narcia the Gorgon as my control character. Her story is that she was the most beautiful woman in ancient Greece and the love of Poseidon, god of the sea. However another god was jealous and turned her into the snake woman you see in the game. Now, this story mirrors that of Medusa, who was considered the most beautiful priestess of Athena in all of Greece and who was RAPED by Poseidon in Athena’s main temple. Then Athena cursed Medusa for losing her virginity by turning her into a snake-woman (Gorgon is the actual term) and eventually sent Perseus to kill her. Nice way to reward your faithful, Athena. It’s obvious that Narcia is supposed to be Medusa, but why the game didn’t actually call her that is beyond me. The funny thing is that in Narcia’s ending the game accidentally calls her Medusa twice. That’s some bad editing right there and is a good foreshadowing of what I think about the rest of the game. Anyway, if you win with Narcia, you get to see that she becomes the new god of death and she restores herself to her original form, but finds Poseidon has moved on to a new lover and is no longer interested in her, even with her newfound god powers. She then spends the rest of eternity having to watch Poseidon get it on with other women. Wow, that’s a pretty cruel story to reward a gamer with, and for those that know the TRUE story of Medusa, it’s more than a bit unsettling to see this version. Other characters get an O’Henry ending as well, making this one of the least enjoyable games to actual beat in terms of rewards for your accomplishment.

I do like that each character has their own storyline and although there is nothing great here, it’s decent fare. I just wish there weren’t so many errors (like accidentally calling Narcia Medusa twice) in the story bits or have Thanatos look human in the cut scenes but have a bird head in the actual game itself. If you just play for the sake of playing, it’s acceptable, but if you pay attention to plot holes or outright errors, you will probably be irked like I was.

Story Rating: Decent

2. Graphics

The backgrounds in ToL are detailed and diverse. In Kara’s stage, for example, the sleeping frost dragon is pretty cool looking. Character designs on the other hand… Well, they’re original, I’ll give them that, along with points for having different characters from multiple mythologies, but the designs are some of the lamest I’ve seen in a fighting game since Battle Monsters for the Sega Saturn. The best looking are Kara and Narcia, but characters like Volcanus, Akki and Juptier are just plain awful. Thanatos also has to be the least intimidating end boss ever in terms of looks/design. Things also get weird as when armour flies off your character, it lands on the screen looking like unidentifiable blobs. It took me a few battles to figure out what it was supposed to be.

Cut scenes are actually done with still art from what appear to be comic book panels. Even odder, I would swear the artwork is done by Rob Liefield. That’s not meant to be bad or good, but it really looks like his style. His name isn’t in the credits, but neither is a specific artist for the cut scenes, so I have no idea who did it and neither the press release nor the website for the game says who it is. Still, the art is very striking and it looks much better than the actual game itself. Even then though it’s usually just the same three or four pieces of art for each character used repeatedly with narrator voice overs. There was so much potential here, but it felt sloppy and rushed at the end.

Graphics Rating: Below Average

3. Sound

Back to Narcia as the control character. She is meant to be Greek. However she has a French accent. A very THICK French accent. At first I was like, “Well, maybe it is supposed to be a snake thing, like hissing or something.” Nope. It’s French. How do I know this? Because even the subtitles for her have a French accent such as “Ze” for “The” and other common Frenglish words that are used to show the speaker in question is talking in English with a French accent. Then one of her taunts is directly from Monty Python and the Holy Grail‘s French Taunter, which would be awesome if SHE WASN’T SUPPOSD TO BE GREEK. Thanatos also suffers from this strange malady of Grecian based characters speaking with a French accent. Even weird for Narcia, she is supposed to be obsessed with Poseidon yet a lot of her dialogue is about hating men or rocking people’s worlds.

Other characters have equally serviceable voice acting. The goddess of fate is by far the best out of the lot, but as the narrator, she damn well needs to be. The others can be a bit weird. But that’s more because of the dialogue than the actual talents of the cast. Let’s call it a push.

Sound Rating: Mediocre

4. Control and Gameplay

In 2007, Soul Calibur Legends won our worst game of the year award. Sadly I have to say that it still plays better than Tournament of Legends which is a horribly unresponsive mess that boils down to just randomly flailing both your arms and occasionally pushing a button.

Let’s start with the general controls. The nunchuk controls your left arm and the Wiimote controls your right. You have two different attacks with your right arm depending on if you shake it up and down or side to side. The problem is that most of the time the game can’t tell which you are doing. As well, the nunchuk seems to only do your attack half the time. All of that is like a bed of roses compared to actually moving your character which involves the control stick. Characters are exceptionally sluggish and slow to respond. Even the characters marked as “fast” move like molasses and god knows it is pretty damn hard to move your characters forward. Often they just stay in place. A double tap of the stick is the most successful way to move a character forward, but that’s a charge attack and 99% of the time those are countered by the computer. In fact, much of the game is just waiting for your opponent to come to you (or vice versa) or hitting them with the limited range attacks you have at your disposal.

At first I thought it was just bad Wiimote controls, but this game plays just as horribly with the Classic Controller. I was shocked at how god awful and nigh unplayable the game was. My battles ended up with me just flailing my arms every which way and still beating the game. There is no skill involved – it’s just hoping to god the game notices your movements and the responds accordingly.

Each character has three special attacks and a magic power that they can use, but again, the game only accepts your commands half the time and then half of that it’s not the right one anyway. It’s neat that you can change weapons and enchantments by beating opponents, but who cares when the game is barely playable?

Finally there are the battles themselves. Instead of being the best two out of three rounds like in most fighting games, you have to either knock your opponent out three times in the course of three ninety second rounds, or at least knock them down more than they did you. Another option for winning is if your opponent doesn’t make the “referee’s” count, which only goes to seven instead of ten. Odd. Equally odd is that when an opponent is down you can follow Wiimote commands to gain health and magic power back but once again, the game rarely recognizes one’s movements. You can move your Wiimote and Nunchuk until you are blue in the face in the direction shown on the screen and it may not accept it.

There are two other weird things. The first is that between rounds you can earn health and armour back. You get health by spinning the control stick and armour by shaking the Wiimote. You have to do these both at the same time and even after beating the game with all ten characters and the two unlockables I am still at a loss for what armour actually does besides fly off your body. The second weird thing is that occasionally you’ll get a quick time event in the middle of a round, like a Kraken attack you or a horde of centaurs charging you. You have to move the Wiimote and nunchuk in the directions shown on the screen BUT ONCE AGAIN, the game rarely registers your actual input so expect to take damage.

Simply put, the game is nigh unplayable. You can barely move, you can barely attack and the game only registers half of your attacks and movements. I’d knock off points for the insanity of adding QTE’s to a FIGHTING GAME and how long the game is due to being a best three of five instead of two out of three falls, but honestly, the game is so flippin’ horrible in every way, I don’t think there are any points left to knock off. Tournament of Legends is easily the worst fighting game I’ve played in a long time and that includes dreck like the most recent King of Fighters title.

Control and Gameplay Rating: Worthless

5. Replayability

There are only a dozen possible characters, which is pretty low for a fighting game. Something like Castlevania Judgement dealt with that by having an action/platformer mode in addition to the fighting game. Oh, and characters people already know and love. ToL has…nothing! It’s just the fighting game in Story and Versus mode. That’s it. Then there are only three actual types of characters: big, medium and little and all the characters in each category play exactly the same, especially when you unlock all the weapons and enchantments and you know which ones work best. You can pretty much get all there is to be had in ToL in a few hours and god knows you don’t want to inflict it on friends, but if you do, that’s a little more playtime to be had before you trade it in to Gamestop.

Replayability: Mediocre

6. Balance

As you can probably tell from the rest of the review, balance is one thing this game lacks. All the characters blur into one another, especially since you can swap out weapons and magic. There are only three styles of characters, which gets old quickly and the AI for the computer is all but nonexistent. The computer stands there most of the time and the only time you get hit is whether either A) you charge the opponent or B) you walk up to it or vice versa and the game doesn’t acknowledge your attacks or blocks, allowing you to get hit. Thanatos is the only character with any real AI and even then it’s not so much that he is a challenge but rather he does a lot of damage and gets an unbelievable amount of magic and special attack energy compared to the other characters. He’s rather like the Eternal Champion in Eternal Champions save that he only has one form and is far easier to beat.

With no real challenge even with the broken controls and lack of controller detection from the game, it’s not hard to see why this game’s as shallow as its character roster.

Balance Rating: Bad

7. Originality

The entire premise of the game is the same as Eternal Champions. It has the same amount of characters too. However Deep Water’s game was a classic and the character designs from that 16 bit title are actually more interesting and original than what we have here in this 2010 release. Also, that game had overkills. This has…ugh, quick time events. I’ll admit that’s something different to throw into a fighting game, but even if the controls worked properly, it would still be an annoyance rather than a neat twist. Other than that, Tournament of Champions is as generic as it gets. Really High Voltage, can’t you just make a fourth Hunter: The Reckoning? PLEASE?

Originality Rating: Bad

8. Addictiveness

Let’s just leave it at this. My first time through story mode I kept asking, “Is it done yet? Is it done yet?” and sighing with each new battle I had to engage in. Then when I beat Thanatos (on my first try…), I realized I had nine more characters to beat the game with as well as trying to unlock the Skeleton Warrior (who shows up completely at random) and Thanatos. I was not a happy lad, that’s for sure.

About the only enjoyment I got was seeing each character’s beginning and ending, and even those were a bit lackluster. This was one game that felt like I had played it for days when it was only hours. Time flies when you are having fun and time was crawling here so…

Addictiveness Rating: Bad

9. Appeal Factor

You don’t really have a lot of fighting game options on the Wii unless you download classics from the VC AND own a fight stick or have imported the awesome Neo*Geo controller for the system from Japan. Besides, CV:J and TvC are superior games in every way, so why wouldn’t you get one of those. In the press release Sega sent, it talks about how it’s only $29.95. Well Castlevania: Judgement is only $19.98 right now and it’s a much better game. Hell, even if you hated CV:J (and there are many who do), you’d still like it better than this game. You can get a used version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom for $34.99 from EBGamestop, and that’s only five bucks more than this, so why WOULDN’T you do that?

Bottom line, the only people that will enjoy this are long time High Voltage fans or Sega apologists. This is simply a poorly made game in nearly every way possible.

Appeal Factor: Bad

10. Miscellaneous

A budget game is only a good deal if it is a well made game. This is not. A good example of an excellent budget title for the Wii is oh, Sakura Wars, So Long My Love. It has the same MSRP as Tournament of Legends. It’s our front runner for GOTY right now AND it was a GOTY candidate (and winner) when it originally came out in Japan. Oh, it’s also a Sega published title back in Japan but because the US branch of Sega is so fundamentally screwed up, they sat on this game for over half a decade and gave us crap like Shadow the Hedgehog until Nippon Ichi finally brought it over for us. Tournament of Legends is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with Sammy Sega right now. Expensive shovelware has become the norm instead of the exception while awesome games like Valkyria Chronicles or Bayonetta have become so rare that gamers so hug them close to their torsos as they are reminders of what Sega used to be rather than what it now is. Tournament of Legends is not one of those games.

Miscellaneous Rating: Bad

The Scores
Story: Decent
Graphics: Below Average
Sound: Mediocre
Control and Gameplay: Worthless
Replayability: Mediocre
Balance: Bad
Originality: Bad
Addictiveness: Bad
Appeal Factor: Bad
Miscellaneous: Bad
FINAL SCORE: PRETTY POOR GAME!

Short Attention Span Summary
Tournaments of Legends is obviously meant to recapture the glory days of Sega fighters like Eternal Champions. Unfortunately it instead recaptures the horror of Acclaim fighters like Battle Monsters or Ravenloft: Iron and Blood. The game features graphics that would be more at place on the N64 or PSX, and the controls are so unresponsive and dysfunctional that even if you are such an awesome fighting gamer that you can perfect Nightmare Geese, you’ll find that this game comes down to blind luck and insane flailing. Even then, you’ll find the game easy to beat due no a near lack of AI from your opponents. There are no extra features or unlockables save for two more characters. In short, this is a huge waste of your money and a far cry from High Voltage’s glory days as the developer of the Hunter: The Reckoning series.

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I love Treasure. They’ve given me so many great games over the years. Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun, Gradius V, Bangai-O, Gunstar Heroes and of course my favourite video game of all time, Guardian Heroes. They are one of my favourite developers of all time, along with Black Isle Studio and Quest and they have a pretty solid track record…

…except for sequels. Treasure almost never makes a sequel to one of their games (Gradius V doesn’t count as it is the first and only Gradius game they made) , but when they do, they tend to be pretty awful. Take Advance Guardian Heroes for example. I was excited beyond verbal description for that game and so were many others. The end result however, was one of the worst games of 2004 and to say that most gamers felt it killed and raped (yes, in that order) the spirit of the original game is an understatement. There is still a lot of hate for that game and you can see it emanate from gamers just by mentioning the title.

Which of course brings us to Sin and Punishment 2. That’s right – this is a sequel to an old N64 game from 2000 that was only released in Japan. It finally saw a North American release in 2007 on the Virtual Console as the first import title for the Wii’s library of retrogames, and it ended up winning “Best Downloadable Game” from us in that same year. It’s an awesome game to say the least. So when Star Successor was announced gamers were excited for a new Treasure game, but also hesitant as the taste of Advance Guardian Heroes was still in many a mouth six years later. So how did S&P2 turn out? Was it a victim of sequel-it is, or could this be the game to finally win over North American games to rail shooters where Dead Space Extraction and Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles failed miserably?

Let’s Review

1. Story

Shooters aren’t known for having much in the way of story. There isn’t a lot of depth or explanation to them outside of the manual that comes with them. In a lot of ways S&P 2 follows this pattern. To realy understand what is going on you need to have played the first S&P and then read the manual for this game. Otherwise you’re only getting a fraction of what the game is about. You’ll know a bunch of bad guys are after the female character but you won’t really know why or the full gist if what is going on. This will perplex and confuse people who don’t play a lot of shooters, but Treasure is uncaring about your pain here as they are when you are being eviscerated by fiendish thingies and swarms of oncoming fire.

Basically you have a war between inner and outer space. Outer space has been a synthetic human known as Kachi to infiltrate humanity. However Kachi has lost her memory and soon encounters Isa Jo, a half outer space/half inner space being who is the son of the main character in the first S&P. Because she is effective innocent, due to memory loss, Isa refuses to kill her. This in turn pisses off the rulers of inner space, known as “The Creators,” so they decide to kill both of them. That’s when the game starts.

From there, you go through seven stages (and level 0), filled with multiple bosses and occasionally a bit of story, although you never get any real in-depth plot or detailed characterization. It’s a bare minimum designed to explain why you are moving from one stage to the next, and nothing more. Most shooter fans will just be happy to have ANY story told in the video game itself, but people used to a little more expository commentary will be disappointed here.

Story Rating: Mediocre

2. Graphics

You know, most Treasure games have been simply beautiful in the past. Every one that I can think of is amongst the best looking games of their console generation. S&P 2 however is exceptionally ugly. There, I said it. Sin and Punishment 2 looks like a N64 game, not something from this generation. Character models are blocky and sometimes hideous, enemies lack a lot of detail, backgrounds have very little to them. The game simply looks like a decent, and only decent, title from about ten years ago. It certainly doesn’t look like a top line A level title like Nintendo has been pushing it. What’s worse is that games like Gradius V that Treasure made six years ago look better than this.

Even worse, the game is prone to a bit of slowdown at times, which is a shame and something that shouldn’t be happening on a next gen system. Systems have enough power to prevent that and considering S&P2 is a rail shooter, there’s really no excuse for this. I love Treasure, but this is an ugly game and it almost feels like they’ve been sitting on this since the N64 generation and just pulled it out of moth balls rather than make a new game from scratch.

Graphics Rating: Poor

3. Sound

I absolutely adore the soundtrack to this game and whoever scored this deserves a raise. It’s no Guardian Heroes (I have that score burned to a CD in my car), but each track is fast-paced, frantic, and fun. I actually would have preferred a CD pack-in to the Virtual Console points this came with. Sound effects are excellent as well. There is a lot of variation with all the effects. Each monster or obstacle makes their own sounds, but they do all explode the same. It’s a great job across the board and it’s nice to see this Treasure hallmark stay intact.

Voice acting is hit or miss however. While Isa and Katcha’s actors do a great job throughout the game, some of the other speaking roles, such as the Nebulox aren’t so good. Now this may very well have to do with to do with the stilted dialogue written for them rather than a lack of talent in their own right, but it still doesn’t come across very well. Aside from these small 9and rare) niggling issues with the voice acting Star Successor is an auditory feat for your ears and I’m sure there will be times I’ll be playing the game if for no reason other than to hear the soundtrack.

Sound Rating: Great

4. Control and Gameplay

My real complaint with the first Sin and Punishment was that the N64 controller wasn’t a very good choice for the game, if only because it made it rather hard to move your character and the reticle in tandem. This is corrected (and then some) with the Wiimote and Nunchuk, and you use the analog stick to move your character and just point your Wiimote at the screen ala a light gun game. It works brilliantly and this is one of the few times on the Wii where the Wiimote option is actually superior to the Classic Controller or Game Cube controller options.

S&P2 is a rail shooter, which means the game is constantly moving and you are more or less along for the ride. You can move your characters within the confines of the screen and aim your weapon anywhere as well, but make no mistakes, the game is constantly moving, and so then, are you. You have no control over the camera angles, but don’t think of this as a bad thing. It simply means you’ll be able to concentrate on dodging and aiming. There are a few times where things can hit you from off screen or vice versa, but they are rare and inconsequential in the scheme of things.

The game is fairly simple in concept. You shoot things dead and occasionally get coins, medals and health boxes for your effort. Meanwhile enemies are trying to reduce your health to 0. When you die, you start from the last checkpoint you hit and after you beat a level, you can start from there the next time you play using level select. You have a normal shot and a charge shot, but no other power ups or weapons. You do have a melee attack however which can be used to fling projectiles back at an opponent, or in the case of a particular boss, is the only real way to damage them.

Each character also plays differently. For example, Kachi has an auto-lock on feature and she will home in on the first opponent you click on. This is great in early levels, but can be a pain in later ones. Isa however has to lock manually, but you have more control over who you attack and when. As well, both characters have a different charge shot. Isa’s shot is a massive explosion that damages anything (except you) that is in contact with the explosion. Katcha on the other hand has a homing weapon that can hit eight different opponents as once…as long as you lock on to more than one. This allows the game to feel completely different when you play as one character over the other and you’ll need to have different strategies on hand to succeed.

Like most Treasure shooters, the gameplay in Sin and Punishment 2 is flawless and it really sets a standard for how awesome an old school shooter can be with Wii controls.

Control and Gameplay Rating: Unparalleled

5. Replayability

Since both characters play pretty differently from each other you can switch between the two to keep the game feeling fresh. You also have the ability for two player co-op, which makes the game even more fun, as well as more insane, than just single player mode. There are no real rewards, per say, for beating the game. This is an old school shooter, which means the reward is a high score and the knowledge that you’ve gotten better as a gamer. This is enough for myself, especially since I was weaned on Treasure, but younger gamers might find the lack of extras, especially as a full MSRP price tag, to be alarming, especially with how hard the game is compared to other releases from this console generation. Factor in the difficulty and sadly a lot of today’s gamers will play this until they finally beat it and then trade it in, or just quit out of frustration before they even get to the end.

The only replay value here is to try the other character or to play with your friends. This won’t be enough for modern or younger gamers, but for people who remember when shooters were THE genre of genres, it’s all you need.

Replayability Rating: Above Average

6. Balance

Okay, this is a big warning. Sin and Punishment on Easy is probably harder than most, of the games you have played before. Shoot ‘em ups are designed to be balls to the walls hard and this is no exception. If you thought either of the Ninja Gaiden remakes were hard, you will more than likely die several times on the prologue stage (0). I’m considered to be especially good at this genre and the first time I played, I made it up to the end of stage three before I died for the first time. Which from all accounts in talking to other gamers, is pretty good. I’m not going to lie – with the amount of enemies and firepower thrown at you in this game, if you haven’t played a shooter, a rail shooter, or a Treasure game before, you should probably play this on Easy. This is not a knock on your ability – it’s simply letting you know you are in for a world of sheer pain.

With that said, there is a noticeable difference between all three difficulty levels, and the game is kind enough to give you a level select option so you don’t have to start from the beginning each time you play like in a lot of shooters, but make no mistake, even easy will reduce most gamers to a ball of tears and profanity. Really, the only way to get through this game is to have exceptional hand-to-eye coordination and a decent amount of experience in this genre. It’s a well balanced game, and everything follows set patterns, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Reflexes and memorization will go a long way here.

Balance Rating: Above Average

7. Originality

Rail shooters have come back into prominence with the rise of the Nintendo Wii, but the Sin and Punishment series really stands out due to its unique gameplay. It’s very similar to thePanzer Dragoon games in terms of basic gameplay mechanics, but it’s has its differences. I do have to admit as much as I love treasure, I’ll take Panzer Dragoon over Sin and Punishment any day.

I will say that S&P 2 plays almost exactly like the first game, Successor of the Earth, but with a new and improved reticle aiming function through the Wii’s infra-red. The game will feel a lot fresher to those who haven’t played the original on the Virtual Console, or to those who haven’t imported the original. For those of us that have played through S&P1 multiple times, it really is a new coat of paint on an old house. Hell, even the visuals look pretty old. Think of S&P2 as Tecmo Super Bowl to Tecmo Bowl. It’s been a decade or so since the original game’s release so S&P2 does stand out from the pack, especially the other rail shooters on the Wii, but not enough that it feels like a shining beacon of innovation. Which it isn’t.

Originality Rating: Above Average

8> Addictiveness

I know a lot of people give up and pout when a game is “too hard,” but that makes me try all the harder, even if it is just to clear the level I’m currently on. I’ve always loved Treasure titles(Yes, even Silhouette Mirage) , and especially their shooters. My staff here at DHGF have learned not to get me started on Ikaruga and its awesomeness. So with that in mind, it probably comes as no surprise that when I got the game, I just bunkered down and beat it in a few hours, then started over and played with Isa this time.

Shoot ‘em ups are easily the hardest genre in gaming and Treasure makes some of the best ever released, so part of my sticking with a game like S&P2 is simply to say I beat it. You know, anyone can beat a turn based RPG if they put enough time into it. But a shoot ‘em up? That takes dexterity, skill, and a little memorization. So beating a game like this gives me a bigger sense of pride or accomplishment than say, oh Breath of Fire . This is what keeps me glued to a shooter. Then factor in an amazing engine and some really fun gameplay, and you have a title that I know I’ll be coming back to for years to come.

Addictiveness Rating: Great

9. Appeal Factor

This is truly the weak point of S&P2. We’ve seen over the past few years that neither rail shooters nor shoot ‘em ups sell very well, regardless of the system they are on. The current generation of North American gamers just don’t care about them, which is a shame as I absolutely love them. Factor in S&P2′s insane challenge level, even on Easy, and you have a game that is, quite simply, not for everyone.

At the same time Nintendo of America is really pushing this game and not to diss the parent company of my day job provider, NoA has done a great job creating a large sect of gamers that will suck down any first or second party Nintendo title. Look at how anything with a Mario or Link game sells, regardless of quality. Hell, I know this first hand from my experience with Pokémon. This means that S&P2 should sell better than other Wii rail shooters, but it also means that several gamers might feel betrayed once they put this in, since it is hard, merciless, kind of ugly, and a rail shooter. Notice Nintendo has kept some of those things from the general public.

As much as I love S&P2, I have to be a critic first and thus I can’t deny this game is only for a small niche of Wii owners. It’s definitely a game I enjoyed my time with, but when I look around at most other gamers I come in contact with, I also know my tastes are in the minority compared to people who like third person action games or first person shooters.

Appeal Factor Rating: Mediocre

10. Miscellaneous

I was kind of shocked to see S&P2 hit with a full MSRP of $49.99, especially in the wake of dismal sales for other rail shooters that carried a stronger brand name here in North America. I was also a bit put out by the pre-order offer of 500 Nintendo points that came when you pre-ordered the game. It would have made more sense to offer say, a free download of the first S&P. However that’s not how Nintendo does business. You see, they know that S&P 1 is the most expensive game on the Virtual Console and their hope is that if you like S&P2, you’ll spend the money on S&P1, which again, is the most expensive game you can buy on the Virtual Console. Instead of get a lip service token of 500 points that nets you a crappy DSi title, or a potentially really good NES game.

Look, even Treasure’s best release this decade, Gradius V, wasn’t at a full $49.99 when it came out. Konami knew better. And trust me, S&P2 is half the game Gradius V is. So to see that at $49.99 in an age where shoot ‘em ups simply can’t sustain that price tag or strong sale numbers, it’s a shame Nintendo went this route instead of offering it as a lower MSRP like they did with Endless Ocean 2, in order to get it into the hands of as many gamers as possible, and thus hopefully cause a surge in shoot ‘em up and rail shooter popularity. As a gamer, I’m disappointed Nintendo didn’t try to do this for S&P2, but from a business standpoint it makes sense in a sad sort of way.
So thumbs in the middle here, as S&P2 is a game I enjoyed, but it’s not a game for everyone and Nintendo didn’t try to make this a more enticing offer to North American gamers, which will inevitably hurt the sales down the road, especially since NoA takes forever to drop the price on their games.

Miscellaneous Rating: Mediocre

The Scores
Story: Mediocre
Graphics: Poor
Sound: Great
Control and Gameplay: Unparalleled
Replayability: Above Average
Balance: Above Aveage
Originality: Above Average
Addictiveness: Great
Appeal Factor: Mediocre
Miscellaneous: Mediocre
FINAL SCORE: ENJOYABLE GAME!

Short Attention Span Summary
As much as I enjoyed my time with Sin and Punishment 2, I can’t deny it is in the lower tier of Treasure developed games. I mean, it’s not Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun, Guardian Heroes, Gunstar Heroes or Bangai-O by any stretch of the imagination. However it is better than Bangai-O Spirits, Stretch Panic, Silhouette Mirage, or Tiny Toons Adventures. It’s a fast paced rail shooter, guaranteed to delight fans of that genre, or people like myself who love everything Treasure puts out that isn’t named Advance Guardian Heroes. For everyone else, it’s definitely buyer beware as the game is exceedingly cruel, even on the “Easy” difficulty setting, it’s not very pretty to look at, and gamers just don’t seem to enjoy rail shooters anymore as the sales for Dead Space: Extraction and Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles have shown. The gameplay however is some of the best you will find on the Wii, and that in itself is reason to try it, even if it’s not something you’re going to purchase. My best advice is to download the first S&P from the Virtual Console and if you like it and feel you’d pay two to three times that for a sequel, than run on down to your local game store and pick this up.

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What a strange journey pirates have had in the media in the last fifteen yarrrrs. A few decades ago, pirates had become laughable, a bad idea that no one wanted to see. Films like Cutthroat Island cemented that opinion. Then, slowly, they started making a comeback. Wonderfully ludicrous things like International Talk Like a Pirate day (September 19th) helped pave the way, and a certain movie series based on an amusement park ride have helped put pirates right back on the entertainment map. They are played more for comic adventure than high-seas drama, but sometimes you need a good swashbuckling. Majesco has stepped up to fill that void on the Wii, releasing the appropriately named Pirates Plundarrr. Hoist the mainsail, me hearties, let’s review.

1. Story/Modes:
Let me put this right out there-if you are looking for an epic story full of twists and betrayals, you’ve come to the wrong place. Pirates Plundarrr gets all of the betrayal out of the way in the first act of the game, before you’ve even swung a cutlass. It seems that Cap’n Rudebelly, a former friend of yours, has cheated you out of the Scepter of Power. It’s time to grab the crew and chase down his cheating hide, with an eye towards making him walk the plank. Pirates Plundarrr is a series of mostly side-scrolling areas that you will be chasing Rudebelly through, fighting off the monsters he raises with the Scepter. Once you have made some progress, you will open up your ship as a location so that you can swap weapons and outfits, and also duel other players. A large part of the fun in this game is the four-player local co-op. You can’t take it online even though that would have been great, but it doesn’t hurt to have friends over on the couch. There are four pirates to choose from, each with a different specialty, and all of them can be customized as you level up by fighting. People who played Castle Crashers should feel right at home, and the game hearkens back to the massive, four player arcade consoles like The Simpsons or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Pirates Plundarrr features a simple story, but the co-op play is so fun and accessible that you won’t find yourself missing anything more complicated.

Story/Modes: Good

2. Graphics:
Smooth animation, good shadows, and a lot of solid colors characterize the graphics in Pirates Plundarrr. There’s some slowdown early on when levels load, almost as if it seems the game hadn’t finished loading when action starts. Aside from that minor issue, the graphics are impressive across the board. There are a lot of cute touches as well, like skeletons wearing bathing suits and beach towels. Animation during combat is pretty much flawless, with lots of damage effects like bones flying through the air and enemies becoming inflamed when struck with fiery weapons. If you ignore the little bit of slowdown at the start of a few levels, you’ll find a game that runs as seamlessly as anything, even while animating dozens of skeletal bits being knocked all over the screen. The classic arcade-style animation with cell-shaded characters works very, very well for this title.

Graphics: Great

3. Sound:
I was kind of disappointed with the sound in this game. It isn’t bad by any stretch, but I feel like a few things were left out. The effects are good, and the music is fine and occasionally brings to mind old sea chanteys like “What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor.” The problem I have with the sound is the lack of voices. Aside from a few chuckles by Rudebelly, there just isn’t enough voice here. All the characters have special attacks, and it would be so simple to have them yell something appropriately piratical at the time they use them. The Pirate Wench could yell “Avast!” or the Duelist could yell “Yarrr!” It is kind of sad that this isn’t in the game. Sure, you can feel free to make the yells yourself, but I’d have liked to have those exclamations in the game. Still, the lack of extra sounds doesn’t cripple the game, it just takes it down a few pegs.

Sounds: Good

4. Control and Gameplay:
Simplicity can be a great thing. Since Pirates Plundarrr is a game intended for just about everyone that can pick up a controller, the controls aren’t much more than basic button mashing. However, like many of the best brawler games, there is hidden depth here. The lion’s share of the control is based around jumping, attacking, and moving with the directional pad. There’s also a refreshing lack of waggle controls just because they could do it. There is a super attack that each pirate can use that is triggered by shaking the controller, but that’s it. This title does turn into a button masher at times, especially before you start unlocking the charge attacks that each character features. Once those are available, more enemy management and grouping techniques come to play. Pirates Plundarrr starts out as a game of the lowest common denominator, and can certainly be played like one, but the more you play the deeper the game gets. A level system that lets you increase your proficiency with the various types of weapons adds to this. If you’ve been maximizing your skill with swords, but then an awesome axe comes along, you’ll have some choices to make.

Control and Gameplay: Great

5. Replayability:
There are a lot of things you can unlock in Pirates Plundarrr, but not much need for multiple play-through. Most of the things you will find that are unlockable are awards for beating levels or bosses. These awards are usually more powerful weapons, but there are also a series of costumes for your character. The faces never change, but the outfits can be altered to become the body of most of the enemies. You can play the game as a skeleton, a tribal warrior, Amazonian princess, or more. Also, there’s a lot of fun to be had just playing over and over again with friends. The more friends you have, the more fun you can expect.

Replayability: Great

6. Balance:
This is a simple adage, but it applies very well to this type of game. The more, the merrier. If there is one glaring issue with this game, it is the occasional boss fight or overwhelming amount of enemies that will swarm and drop a solo player. There aren’t a series of instant death traps or anything like that as this is, after all, an all-ages game. You will run into a lot of bosses that have large-scale, wide angle attacks that will stagger your character and cause them to be vulnerable to follow up attacks. The level-up system will increase your damage and health over time, and it tracks even if you don’t survive. If you do get stuck, you can grind against the minor enemies for a short time and level up, which should make the future encounters easier. This isn’t going to require an advanced degree in hand-eye coordination or the timing of games like Ninja Gaiden, but it still provides an enjoyable, occasionally difficult challenge.

Balance: Good

7. Originality:
On the surface, there isn’t anything new in this game. Gamers have seen almost everything that this game offers before. Does that mean you shouldn’t pay attention to this title? Not at all. Between the clever visual jokes and the ton of fun weaponry, Pirates Plundarrr does a lot of service to its subject material. There are four categories of weapons, and they range from the expected to the hilarious. The Sword category, for instance, covers everything from a simple cutlass all the way to the dual swordfish. Yes, a pair of fish are the top weapon in the category. The Clubs category includes giant hams as an option. There are also a few instances where you can ride the angry boars that these hams probably came from.

Originality: Enjoyable

8. Addictiveness:
Between the ease of the game and the desire to see what happens next, you’ll have a hard time putting this game down. Again, simplicity proves to be a winning strategy. Boomzap makes it easy to choose from several new weapons each level for your pirate, and you’ll want to experiment to find out what the best one on offer is. Even choosing different environmental weapons kept me hooked. Do I want a lightning axe or a pair of flaming hatchets? Decisions like that keep your interest, and if you have a group of friends around to play with then you’ll have even more reason to keep going. If you remember what it was like dropping quarters into arcade units in the nineties, especially when you had a “just one more boss” mentality, then you know what to expect here. There’s a lot of hooks in this game, even the ones not at the end of someone’s arm.

Addictiveness: Incredible

9. Appeal Factor:
Pirates are one of the basic cool groups these days, right up there with robots, ninjas, and zombies. You can blame Pirates of the Caribbean for this if you can’t stand it anymore, but I think its fun. The charming rogue archetype that Johnny Depp immortalized has kids running around asking where the rum has gone and saying things like “savvy?” Unless you hate pirates Majesco has embraced the concept. Even if you took the pirate theme out of this game, you’d still have a quality brawling game on your hands. The combat is simple to learn but easy to master, the graphics are all very well done, and the game is appropriate for all ages. You can play this with your kids, you can play it with your friends, or you can play it with your parents. Or, of course, some mix of those. The game isn’t so difficult that players at the awesome end of the skill spectrum are going to have to babysit beginners. If your kids are clamoring for a Wii game that everyone can play at once, this is a perfect title.

Appeal Factor: Great

10. Miscellaneous:
I already mentioned International Talk Like a Pirate Day earlier, but I want to come back to it for a second. You can Google the event if you don’t already know about it. Pirates Plundarrr has an option to use this feature. It’s a small touch, but a great one. Options changes into Rigging. Start turns into Set Sail. Loading even changes to Loadin’. Those simple changes show that a lot of care and fun was put into this game by the developers, and a lot of fun comes out for the players.

Miscellaneous: Great

The Scores
Story/Modes:Good
Graphics: Great
Sound: Good
Control and Gameplay: Great
Replayability: Great
Balance: Good
Originality: Enjoyable
Addictiveness: Incredible
Appeal Factor: Great
Miscellaneous: Great
FINAL SCORE: Great Game!

Short Attention Span Summary
Pirates Plundarrr is a very entertaining beat-em-up game that focuses on four hilarious pirates and their quest to get back the treasure they are owed. The premise isn’t exceedingly highbrow, but the game is about fun over flash. The graphics are all very sharp and wonderfully animated. The sound doesn’t dazzle with pirate voices, but the sound effects and music are all good. Control sometimes turns into a button masher frenzy, but there is some hidden depth and planning with a leveling-up system. The real joy of this game is how much it recreates the four-player arcade stand-ups of a bygone era. Grab yourself some chums, stick a controller in their hands, and take to the high seas for some engrossing action. Ya harrr!
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Mario Tennis
Developer: Camelot
Publisher: Nintendo
Original System: Nintendo 64
Original Release Date: 08/24/00
Price: 1000 Points/$10

Chris Bowen: I’ve never been a fan of the Mario sports titles. It’s not even that I favour realism over arcade play, because I can do a good arcade game like NBA Jam or Rock the Rink. That’s not the problem. The problem I have with the Mario sports games is that it seemingly takes NO skill to play them. I’ve lost to my five year old brother based on nothing but special moves. I take sports maybe a little too seriously for my own good, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

With that said, Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 is a good game. It’s got nice, easy gameplay without the ridiculous special moves that ruined the Gamecube version of the game. It also has some decent balance, in that hard mode isn’t overbearing. For $10, this is a good purchase for Nintendo fans.

The WiiWare service got three new games this week. Jett Rocket costs 1,000 Wii Points/$10 and is a platformer wherein the main character uses a jet pack to get around. For a 40MB game, it actually does look sort of impressive. Pong Toss Pro – Frat Party Games goes for 600 Wii Points/$6, involves variations of tossing ping pong balls into plastic cups, and appears to be an updated version of Pong Toss: Frat Party. I suppose if you wanted to (re)live the glory days of frat parties, you could like this. Finally, Robin Hood: The Return of Richard runs 500 Wii Points/$5 and is a shooter starring the eponymous heroic outlaw that’s somewhat reminiscent of the types of shooter cabinets you’d see in arcades with lightguns attached, though in this case a bow and arrow is the weapon of choice.

As for the DSiWare service, six games were added, five of which cost 500 DSi Points/$5. Maestro! Green Groove is a platformer/rhythm game hybrid in which you create music by hitting objects as you proceed. There was another game in the series prior to this one, Maestro! Jump in Music, but it was only released in Europe. Date or Ditch is a Western dating sim that was first released on Blackberries, and in this version you can put in your own photo to add a bit to the immersion factor. Animal Color Cross (not to be confused with Animal Crossing) appears similar to the Picross games and consists of revealing hidden pictures by filling in the right squares with the right colors. It should be noted that Color Cross was released back in May, though Gamestop does not appear to carry it (though Amazon does). Ancient Tribe is a prehistoric themed real-time strategy game that entails building up your tribe and guiding them in battles against various wildlife. Brain Drain is a puzzle game that involves spinning elements so that they match a picture given as a model. Lastly, Battle of Giants: Mutant Insect – Revenge is the sole game going for 800 DSi Points/$8 in which the premise is to customize a giant insect into a killing machine. It’s also a continuation of Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects, which came out this past March.

That’s everything for this week, and you’re certainly not lacking for choices. See you next week!
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Dr. Raymond Stantz once referred to the the Tunguska Incident as the biggest interdimensional cross rip up until the time the Gozhr the Gozharian tried to destroy all of humanity by taking the form of the Stay Puff Marshmallow man. The Tunguska incident is one of the most talked about unsolved mysteries of the 20th century. Folklorists, scientists, historians and the like have spent a century now trying to discover what actually happened back in 1908.

That’s how I started off my original review of Tunguska back in 2006. It was my second favorite adventure game of the year and ended up making my “Top Ten Games of 2006.” So here I am four years later, reviewing the Wii port of the game. I should point out I have been waiting for this since about 2007-8 and god knows every time one of my staff goes to a Deep Silver/SouthPeak event I arm them with two questions, “When are we getting the Wii/DS versions of Tunguska and when are we getting Secret Files 2?” I’ve come close to pulling the trigger on importing SF2 numerous times, but since I’m always swamped with reviews, I’ve never had the chance. Looks like that game is finally hitting North American shores in early 2011 on the DS, Wii, and PC (My preferred way to play Adventure games).

So, how does Secret Files: Tunguska hold up four years later? We’ve seen another game from the mid 2000′s finally get released in North America (Sakura Wars: So Long My Love), and despite its age, it’s our frontrunner for GOTY right now. Has SF:T held up as well?

Let’s Review

1. Story

Although the Tunguska Event of 1908 is the catalyst for the story, very little of the plot revolves around it. You play as Nina Kalenkov, the daughter of a prominent expert on the Tunguska Event. Nina goes to her father’s lab one day to find it ransacked and daddy dearest is nowhere to be seen. This sets Nina and one of her father’s colleagues at the museum he works at, Max Gruber, onto an adventure featuring secret societies, conspiracies, double crosses, mental asylums, and more. You’ll be going everywhere from Berlin to a climatic encounter in Antarctica.

In my original review, I really enjoyed the story but found the ending to be weak and anticlimactic. After the review, The Adventure Company (publishers of the PC version of SF:T), released a patch containing a new ending that was not only a lot better, but had some great comedy bits. I’m happy to say the Wii version has this new ending, and a few added cut scenes to boot. Although the endgame gets a bit out there and involves aliens, the real Tunguska incident has always been theorized to have been caused by extraterrestrial origins, so I can give that a pass here.

If you play games for a good story, you’ll definitely find it in Secret Files: Tunguska. You’re getting even more story than the original PC release, and the ending is worth it for the better resolution and comedy bits at the end. You’ll find memorable characters, a fun story, and a definite adventure game franchise in the making.

Story Rating: Great

2. Graphics

I raved about the graphics in the original Secret Files, so I was a bit worried how the port would go. Although the graphics have indeed aged, it’s still a nice looking game, and one of the prettiest titles on the Wii, especially in terms of background and character designs. There is a bit of slowdown that runs throughout the Wii version of the game that wasn’t present in the original, but it’s generally at the beginning stages of a new locale or when a long animation sequence involving an item begins. I was actually afraid the game was going to crash like I’ve seen happen with other PC-to-Wii ports ala And Then There Were None, but it never happened.

You also might have noticed my recent complaint in my review of Hotel, where your character would end up miming an action because the item she was using did not appear and/or animate with her. Well that doesn’t happen in Secret Files: Tunguska. Everything is highly detailed and the animation is fluid.

I’m really happy with the quality of the cut scenes here too. They are amongst the best I’ve seen on the Wii, and for a four year old game, I was impressed by how good this game looks in 2010. The port to the Wii isn’t without some issues and the graphics aren’t obviously top of the line like they were in 2006, but it’s still a beautiful game to watch unfold before your eyes.

Graphics Rating: Great

3. Sound

There’s no real music to the game. There’s an opening and closing theme, but that’s about it, and both are largely forgettable. The voice acting is average. I didn’t mind the actors exactly, except that the two main characters are German and they sound like they are from Canada. Indeed, everywhere your characters go, it’s the same. Cuba? They sound like Canadians. Russia? Canadians. Ireland? Canadians. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Canadian accent, but I would have really appreciated it if the people had some semblance of an accent from the region they are supposed to be from. Even ignoring that, the voice acting is a mixed bag, with actors occasionally mispronouncing words or having little to no emotion. The voice acting here wasn’t as bad as say, Shining Force Neo, but there wasn’t anything especially good either. It was the level of voice acting we’d see back in the days of the Sega CD. Just a mediocre performance in all. I know that the entire voice cast was replaced for the second game and I was half expecting the original voice overs to be gone in the port, but nope. Same old, same old.

Sound Rating: Mediocre

4. Control and Gameplay

As you can imagine, going from a mouse and space bar to a Wiimote took a bit of getting used to. It’s not the game’s fault, but rather my brain constantly going back to the PC version of the game. I kept confusing the A and the B button in regards to what they did. Finally I held the Wiimote sideways like a gangsta so the buttons were in a more mouse-like position and I did just fine.

The A button is your primary button, as it controls your ability to move, talk to people, pick up objects and combine items in your inventory. The B button gives you Nina or Max’s internal monologue. The control pad brings up your inventory, the – button brings up your character’s diary, which summaries the plot to the point you are at so far, and the 1 button brings up the “magnifying glass” or a quick shot of what objects can be interacted with on screen and where they are. This helpful tool was almost unheard of in 2006 but has since become pretty standard in the genre, and it’s mostly because of this game. The original game also introduced the “double click to quickly jet to the next location” option, which has also seen a rise in use since 2006.

My only problem with the port is that the graphics that show up when you click the magnifying glass or when you approach the entrance/exit of an area don’t actually match up with the clickable area. This means you’re in for a bit of irritation when you try to leave someplace. As well, some exits are partially off the screen in the Wii version, making it that much harder to click on them. Neither of these were problems with the original, but I guess something had to give in the port and it was minor gameplay issues.

In 2006, Secret Files: Tunguska had a pretty innovative engine, and along with Barrow Hill, it really brought me back into adventure gaming. In 2010, it’s no long as revolutionary and it has a few bugs it didn’t have in the original incarnation, but it’s still a blast to play through.

Control and Gameplay Rating: Great

5. Replayability

Sadly, like nearly all adventure games, Secret Files: Tunguska is a “one and done” title, meaning that the game is exceptionally linear and will unfold exactly the same each time you play it. From looking at my 2006 review, my original playthrough was ten hours. On the Wii, it was five and a half. This doesn’t mean the game was cut in half. No, everything is still there. It just means I didn’t have to try all sorts of crazy combinations and guess and check efforts on puzzles. I remembered nearly all of the game, so I was able to speed right through it. That’s why these games are considered “one and done.” Because unless the story is awesome (ala Grim Fandango), you’ll never need to play one of these again. To be honest, had I played this a year or two after my original playthrough, I would have probably been bored and annoyed due to the linearity. Four years was a great gap though and I still found myself enjoying the events unfolding before me.

The MSRP of only $19.99 makes the lack of replay value in this game much easier to swallow, especially considering how much the PC release was when it came out ($39.99). As this is one of the best modern adventure games in the past few years, this budget price makes it easy to recommend to anyone, even if it’s a game you can only play once every few years.

Replayability Rating: Bad

6. Balance

If there is one crime Secret Files: Tunguska is guilty of, it’s backtracking. You know what I mean – puzzles that can only be solved by constant trekking across locations, using objects in one place and then going to Point B to use the newly made object there and then back to Point A. I hate that and SF:T does that a LOT. As well, the game does have some puzzles where the solutions are far from logical, and so there will be a few instances of guess and check for you as you try each of your inventory items on an area in an attempt to proceed onward. Now, most of the puzzles don’t have this problem, but sometimes you’ll be sitting there wondering how to proceed as I did when I first played this game four years ago, when it will turn out you have to do the same exact interaction with an object twice (which is practically unheard of in this genre) or you have some strange gap of logic in regards for what to do, such as using a fork on a painting to act as a doorstop in Cuba. Weird. So as this game does things that throw even long time adventure gamers off, it just might flabbergast casual gamers or those new to the genre.

I have to admit, this is one area that didn’t age well. Even though I did a speed run through this game, I caught myself remembering how long it took me to figure out some of these puzzles way back when and how convoluted they were.

Balance Rating: Mediocre

7. Originality

As a re-release, this is another area where the game loses points. What was fresh in 2006 is actually standard fare these days, and when held up to contemporary titles in the genre like Heavy Rain, I can’t deny this loses a little something. For 2010, this is a pretty standard adventure game in terms of gameplay. However, the striking visuals, fun characters, and nice use of historical fiction still manages to keep SF:T head and shoulders above a lot of its younger competition.

Originality: Above Average

8. Addictiveness

This was the real test of Secret Files – how much of an attention span could I have replaying an old adventure game that I’ve already beaten, even if I really enjoyed it the first time around. As games like Runaway and the Strong Bad collection have shown, it’s not very much. So imagine my surprise, when I played through and beat SF:T in two sittings. That’s it. I remembered how much I loved these characters, the locations, and the puzzles and I whipped right through it. The added cut scenes and better ending made the repeat playthrough more than worthwhile and it reignited my burning desire for Secret Files 2 to finally get released stateside.

Like the PC version, I have no need to play this game for several years, but now I can play it without worrying about my operating system no longer being compatible with a CD-ROM and the other banes of PC gaming. I won’t deny that the challenge might throw off some gamers, but I still enjoyed SF:T almost as much as my first playthrough.

Addictiveness: Above Average

9. Appeal Factor

On one hand, Secret Files: Tunguska is a really fun game that a lot of gamers should experience, regardless of their previous exposure to point and click titles. On the other hand, some of the puzzles are convoluted and illogical, so it might drive younger or more casual gamers batty. With a price point of $19.99, SF:T is one of the best budget games available for the Wii and I really can’t think of a better $19.99 title to invest in, especially if your Wii has been collecting dust for some time. At the same time, Deep Silver really isn’t well known in the states due to a smaller advertising budget than most other companies, meaning most gamers probably don’t even know this game exists, much less than it was originally a PC game back in 2006.

The Wii has actually had a pretty good 2010, and SF:T is one of those games whose story and graphics will satisfy even gamers who are used to a more action-oriented genre. Thanks to the resurgence in point and click popularity this year thanks to titles like Heavy Rain, SF:T might finally find an audience in North America akin to the one it has across Europe.

Appeal Factor: Above Average

10. Miscellaneous

It’s great to see Deep Silver finally bring the Wii and DS versions of Secret Files stateside. Giving them a price point of only $19.99 only makes their belated arrival all the sweeter. Again, SF:T is one of the better point and click titles released in the past few years and if you haven’t experienced it on the PC for whatever reason, you don’t have that excuse anymore. SF:T has become the best budget title of 2010, and I really hoping we don’t have another four year gap between this and the Wii/DS versions of SF2.

Miscellaneous Rating: Unparalleled

The Scores
Story: Great
Graphics: Great
Sound: Mediocre
Control and Gameplay: Great
Replayability: Bad
Balance: Mediocre
Originality: Above Average
Addictiveness: Above Average
Appeal Factor: Above Average
Miscellaneous: Unparalleled
FINAL SCORE: ENJOYABLE GAME!

Short Attention Span Summary
Secret Files: Tunguska was one of the best games of 2006, and four years later, its port on the Wii still remains a fun title, especially for its budget price of $19.99. Sure the controls are a bit off with a port from the PC to the Wii, and the graphics aren’t as cutting edge as they were, but the story, characters and overall feel of the game are as dynamic as they were when I first played it on the PC four years ago. Like Sakura Wars: So Long My Love, Secret Files: Tunguska, proves that a title might be several years old when it is finally released in North America, but that a quality title is able to hold its own against modern releases. Besides, it’s only $19.99! It’s almost a crime not to experience one of the best point and click titles of the past decade.
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Shadow of the Ninja
Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Natsume
Original System: NES
Original Release Date: December 1990
Price: 500 Points/$5

Chris Bowen: We waited all this time for Shadow of the Fuckin’ Ninja?! Are you serious?

It’s a fifth rate Ninja Gaiden wannabe. Pass. The game was shit in 1990, and it’s shit now.

___

Aileen Coe: See what I said above about the Virtual Console having plenty of options concerning games with ninjas, including the aforementioned Ninja Gaiden. By comparison, this is uninteresting and a rather lackluster choice of release after another week going by with none. A charitable spin would be that the good folks at Nintendo have been prepping for ways to knock people’s socks off at E3, but that wouldn’t explain all the previous dry spells long before E3 was on the horizon.

As far as the Wiiware service goes, three games have added. Bejeweled 2 costs 1000 Wii Points/$10 is as much of a time black hole as ever, though you can also get it for the same price through Steam or for $20 through Popcap. It’s also available on the PS3 and was bundled with other Popcap games on the PSN last month. If you own it on another platform, there’s no reason to get this unless you happen to be a Bejeweled fanatic who must have every form of it in existence, in which case you’ve already downloaded it. Arcade Sports goes for 800 Wii Points/$8 and contains pool, air hockey, bowling, and snooker. If you own WiiSports (which everyone and their mother likely does since it came with the system) and WiiPlay, you’ve already got a version of these except for snooker, so unless you’re desperate for that (and want the option to customize things like bowling balls and pool tables), I’d recommend sticking with those. Finally, Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville clocks in at 500 Wii Points/$5 and is a hidden object game. For the price, it’s not bad if you like hidden object games, though you wouldn’t be lacking for options on the PC.

The DSiWare service gets a whopping five games this week, three for 500 DSi Points/$500 and two for 200 DSi Points/$2. The first of the former group, A Kappa’s Trail, which seems to be a platformer controlled with the stylus that also has some minigames thrown into the mix. This is from the developers of Mother 3, Magical Starsign, and Blue Dragon Plus, so depending on how you feel about those games, this one could potentially be worth a look. Telegraph Crosswords is one of a number of crossword puzzle compilations (and compilations containing crossword puzzles) on the DS, with Puzzler World and USA Crosswork Challenge being just two examples. If you’re the type to burn through crosswords faster than… let’s stick with the fire metaphor and say fire burning through tissue paper, this might sate you. Flips: Silent But Deadly is another addition to the Flips series of interactive books. In the 200 DSi Points range, you’re got Music on: Electronic Keyboard and 16 Shot! SHOOTING WATCH. Music on: Electronic Keyboard is essentially a keyboard put into DSi form that lets you tweak various settings like pitch and chorus and bass parts. I question the compositional versatility of this when only two octaves out of six are visible at any given time and you can really only play one key at a time with the stylus (forget about chords, though it could be that they have some provisions to cover these issues), but perhaps some very talented and resourceful composers could do something with this. 16 Shot! SHOOTING WATCH consists of pressing one or two buttons at many times as possible per second. It also features a stopwatch and slot machine, but even then it seems mundane (and something that would leave you with very sore fingers).

That wraps it up for this week. I sure hope Nintendo has a good showing at E3, because this one was a mixed bag. Have a good week, enjoy our E3 coverage, and join us again next week for our take of the next group of Nintendo downloadables.
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Family Gameshow is a game that is hard to judge at first glance. First of all, the cover looks as generic as you can possibly imagine. However, when you look closely, you realize that the game is backed by the Game Show Network itself, which I guess is a good thing in the world of game shows. After all, if a sports game was to have an ESPN licence, you would think that someone in the network took the time to look at the game so as to not associate their name with a poorly made product.

The problem here however is that the games presented in Family Gameshow are not actual game shows which you can watch on GSN. “What happened here?” becomes a legitimate question: did the Game Show Network just green light the game in order to get their name out there, or did they actually approve the title because it features new games that can proudly represent what the network is all about with their qualities?

Read on to find my answer to this question.

STORY/MODE

As a game shows collection, Family Gameshow does not have a story, so this category will only be judged on the force of its modes. All of the modes listed and talked about below are playable alone or in multiplayer versions, for up to four people.

The first mode is called Control Freak, and consists of a mix of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Weakest Link. There are three rounds played, there are lifelines to save you from a wrong answer, there are jokers to thin out the choice of answers, and you can even pick someone to answer a question instead of you. You must answer trivia questions on different subjects, with the questions becoming harder with each round. If you miss three times, it’s game over.

The second mode is called Puzzle Addict, and is more or less a crosswords puzzle that is interrupted by Sudoku, “shuffleword” or “word search” challenge every five words. It is the least exciting mode when played with friends, so you might want to wait until you are alone to play this one. It is also the least French-Canadian friendly mode, but I will not hold it against the game.

The third mode is Brain Strain, and presents logic challenges, such as math problems, jigsaws, spot the difference, etc. It is the shortest mode in the game, but the structure is good enough for a quick multiplayer game.

…and that’s it. I don’t think it is unfair to expect more than three games from a “collection” of games, especially when one of the games offered lasts less than five minutes. Add that to the fact that none of the games proposed here are stellar, and Family Gameshow falls short in terms of both variety and quality. Not a good start.

Story/Modes Rating: Bad

GRAPHICS

Let’s start with the positives: this is a very colourful game. There are lots and lots of colours. There are neon colours everywhere and so many of them that my contact lenses could have melted from the sheer brightness of it all.

As for the negatives, the biggest one would be the characters design. The weird thing is that the same problem does not apply to all of them. The hosts (a sleazy middle-aged man, a moustacheless Einstein, and a creepy grandpa) are too shiny and look very plastic, almost as if the games were presented by bobbleheads brought to life. Their animations are laughable, as the mouths only have two movements, no matter what syllable is being pronounced: open and close, just like a goldfish or a cheap ventriloquist dummy. In fact, I think that’s another part of the problem: the hosts have these big eyes and facial features, just like dummies, and end up being as creepy as them with their lifeless stare.

On the other hand, the participants are blurry and look cheap, as if someone had decided to just take Miis and add clothes on them. Speaking of which, there are no options to pick your Mii instead of the run-of-the-mill characters as your representative. The Miis might not look like much, even when compared to the participants on display here, but at least you had the fun of designing them yourself.

Other than being colourful, the sets are terribly unimaginative and lack personality. There are reflective effects thrown around as textures in order to make it all look “high-tech”, I guess, but it just feels cold and devoid of imagination.

At least, everything is very, very colourful.

Graphics Rating: Poor

SOUND

The music is appropriately game show-esque, with a lot of fanfares and short themes to represent each game. It’s nothing revolutionary that will stick in your mind for days on end like some game show themes can do, but it is serviceable and completely tolerable.

The hosts’ voices, on the other hand, are terribly annoying. Each of them have their own voice, but they all speak in the same manner, which I could describe as “faked enthusiasm”. You also have to listen to their introduction speech during the intro of each game show, without the possibility of skipping it.

Finally, the voice-overs never fit with the mouth animations, which are already ridiculously bad. It looks like a bad dub from a 70′s Hong Kong kung-fu movie, and it makes the game look cheap.

Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I was playing with the sound all the way down.

Sound Rating: Poor

CONTROL AND GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is what you would expect from a game show. The game offers ten levels of play for each of the game, and while the questions were different from one level to another, I did not really notice any increase in difficulty as the game progresses. Whenever you win a game, you are brought to a leaderboard, where the ten best performances are listed for each game. That’s as close to a reward as you are going to get in Family Gameshow. Despite the change in subject, the structure of each game is almost identical, with each game possessing multiple rounds that follow the question/answer pattern. It’s simple, but efficient design.

The controls are quite simple. Two of the games only ask of you to point at the screen to select your answer and then press “A” to validate. The other game relies on the directional pad to pick an answer. It doesn’t seem very hard to do properly, and most of the time, it works. However, there are times when the cursor gets very sensitive, especially during the crosswords game, when the time comes to spell your answer. The game then displays a QWERTY keyboard on-screen, but the letters are very near to each other, even on a 32” widescreen television. It gets annoying after a mistake costs you the game for a third time. It wouldn’t be so bad if the game let you delete the letter you just entered, but instead, it registers a wrong answer as soon as the expected string of character doesn’t match what you entered. Thankfully, this problem is contained to a single game in the bunch.

Control and Gameplay Rating: Decent

REPLAYABILITY

The game offers three difficulty settings, with ten levels per difficulty. While there is a difference when it comes to the difficulty settings, I have yet to find a perceptible increase of challenge when progressing through the levels. In theory, the game is offering a lot of content, but even if you reach the top status for each game, there is no reward for doing so. Once you get to the top in each category, it’s over. There’s no incentive to keep going after that, but there’s barely an incentive to keep going past the second or third level. Each time, it’s only more of the same, and it gets repetitive pretty fast. By the fifth level of Control Freak, I was feeling as if I was stuck in a boring Groundhog Day situation, if Bill Murray had been forced to answer trivia questions about country music and children literature instead of running around a small town. Even with friends, it never reaches that “so bad it’s good” level of fun. It will be a while before I subject myself to that again.

Replayability Rating: Dreadful

BALANCE

The difficulty setting can be set at a different level for each player. This means that the entire family can play together and make it a fair game for anybody. This is important because the difficulty settings differ greatly from “easy” to “hard”. For example, in Control Freak, an easy question would be “What color are the keys on a piano?” while a hard one would talk about specific Bruce Springsteen albums.

On Puzzle Addict and Brain Strain however, the player is only given less time on hard than he is given on easy. The difficulty stays the same, which doesn’t really make that big of a difference. After all, when doing crosswords, if you can’t spell “wet” or differentiate a snake from three planes in 30 seconds, you won’t be able to do it in a minute either. It’s great for kids, but if you are going to be playing with adults, beware.

Balance Rating: Decent

ORIGINALITY

While these are all “original” games in the fact they all have titles that were never used in a game show before, their inspiration is quite clear. I mentioned Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sooner in this review, but I could also see a lot of Trivial Pursuit in Control Freak, down to the categories’ names. As for the games offered in Brain Strain and Puzzle Addict, they have all been around for a long, long time, and their presentation here do not make them feel fresh at all. Is there any way I can really call a simple game of crosswords or doing math problems “original”?

Originality Rating: Bad

ADDICTIVENESS

I have been reviewing games for a while now, and I think I can safely say that this is the least addictive game I have reviewed for this site. I did not have any problem at all pulling myself from my television, and never once felt that urge to play one more time that a lot of games can provide.

Addictiveness Rating: Dreadful

APPEAL FACTOR

Adults might be attracted by the promises of a Game Show Network licence, but they should stay away from this one as it is nothing more than a measly collection of three game shows, most of them consisting of games already available in many forms for much cheaper. If the price ever drops down, or if it makes its way into bargain bins across America, it could be a good distraction for children that could also have some sort of “educational” value.

Appeal Factor Rating: Poor

MISCELLANEOUS

The participants are nothing more than ugly avatars which you can name. They all represent a different stereotype, such as a dork, a jock, and so on. Simply using Miis instead of avatars could have made the experience a bit more personal and given the game some much needed personality.

A big problem with Family Gameshow is that two out of three games do not feel like game shows at all. If the game was going to rip off existing games, why didn’t it rip off ones that felt like real game shows? There are so many old concepts to choose from that have not been exploited in video games form, and instead, this game offers some concepts that are better exploited on a handheld, or even with good old pen and paper. Game shows have been around since the invention of television, so I cannot believe that after ripping off The Weakest Link and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, crosswords was the best they could come up with.

Miscellaneous Rating: Dreadful

The Scores
Story/Modes: Bad
Graphics: Poor
Sound: Poor
Control/Gameplay: Decent
Replayability: Dreadful
Balance: Decent
Originality: Bad
Addictiveness: Dreadful
Appeal: Poor
Miscellaneous: Dreadful
FINAL SCORE: PRETTY POOR GAME

Short Attention Span Summary
Family Gameshow is a bland game that features old, tired concepts that are presented as fresh just because they are drowned in neon colours and hosted by annoying characters. As a collection of mini-games, it lacks variety. As a game show, it lacks the feel of the real thing. It might try to coast on its Game Show Network licence, but don’t be fooled. Nothing you see here has ever made its way on television, and if it did, it was in a better format. Stay away from this game and save yourself a few dollars.

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From the first time I picked the first Trauma Center: Under the Knife, I was hooked to the series. With subsequent releases would come additions, including the introduction of another Healing Touch and a new character in Second Opinion and co-op in New Blood. By the time Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 came out, however, the whole “bioterrorist organization” plot and zapping alien bugs was starting to get stale. In response, Atlus decided to try another direction. When I heard of all the changes there would be – five more specialties added, no equivalent of GUILT/Stigma, no Healing Touch – I was intrigued, but also a bit apprehensive that something would go wrong somewhere in the execution. Don’t fix what’s not broken… right?

This time around, the action takes place at Resurgam First Care, and you don’t just perform surgeries. Rather, you’ve got five new specialties to play through as well: first response, orthopedics, endoscopy, diagnostics, and forensics. Each character has their own storyline, though their stories often intertwine. CRS-01 is your surgeon with a 250 year sentence for a crime he doesn’t remember committing. Maria Torres is the emergency medical technician for whom diplomacy and teamwork are not strong points (to say the least). Tomoe Tachibana is the team’s endoscopist whose path of honor involves shoving gold (yes, she had a golden endoscope specifically made for her) into various orifices and being a ninja. Hank Freebird, the orthopedist, is a former US Special Forces solider who moonlights as a superhero called Captain Falcon – I mean, Captain Eagle. Gabriel Cunningham serves as the diagnostician with a sentient computer named RONI. Finally, Naomi Kimishima (whom those who played Second Opinion should recognize) is now a medical examiner and has a cell phone that allows her to hear people’s final words.

The story in this game does live up to its striving to its claims of being an interactive medical drama. While Atlus claimed to include more realistic procedures in this game, the fantastical elements inherent to the series ended up saturated into the story instead. A person using his body to complete a cut circuit for the duration of an operation and is still upright and coherent at the end of it? A butler transporting from the ground to a jet in midair? Still, despite these campy and over the top parts, watching the story unfold is still enjoyable, and there are some moments that may tug at heartstrings (especially Kimishima’s cases). The post operation/mission comments even change depending on what rank you’ve earned, and the game over messages (none of which involve notifying the medical board) differ depending on who you’re playing as and where in the game you are, which are nice touches.

However, while the game provides enough for you to understand the characters, it also could’ve given them more development. It also leaves plenty of loose ends hanging, such as anything pertaining to Gabriel’s family, Hank’s time in the military, or anything concerning CR-S01′s past (especially the incident that put him behind bars). I suppose such issues could be addressed in a sequel if that’s their plan, but the ending wasn’t quite satisfying. As a sidenote, for those of you wondering: yes, the famous Derek Stiles does make a cameo, but only a very small one – even smaller than the one in New Blood, to the point where his name is never mentioned and his face is never seen.

Like in New Blood, there’s also co-op play in all modes except diagnostics and forensics. In orthopedics, players take turns performing each step. In surgery, you distribute the tools among players pre-op, while in first response you do the same with patients. In endoscopy, control alternates between players every several seconds, which is probably the worst design choice they could have made for that part, as it’s rather disruptive since the switch can ofter occur while a player is in the middle of doing something. However, I think the co-op surgeries in New Blood worked better since both players had access to all tools, and I was hoping for some more of that in this game. Still, having the option to team up with another person in surgery is loads of fun.

Story scenes unfold in a pseudo comic book panel format, and the color palette is more vibrant compared to the one in every Trauma Center game from Second Opinion on. They look nice as stills, but the attempts at animation are minimal, and it shows. For example, in one scene one character pushes another, and they both look like paper dolls being knocked over as they fall to the ground. The pictures without lineart to indicate a character is farther away (like the people in the background here) looks a little creepy, especially those shadowed eyes. There is one point where the art shifts into a darker, more detailed style, which really fit the moment (you’ll see when you get there). Overall, though, the cutscenes do their job in conveying the story, and they’re more dynamic than the still character portraits, but they have their awkward moments.

Organs and various body parts have a phosphorescent look to them. While that’s in line with previous games in the series, the graphics have taken a turn for the absurd, with blood that resembles red Jello and tumors that appear gem encrusted; even some of the organs themselves bear some resemblance to jewels. I realize that they wanted to tone things down for the squeamish (as some would get grossed out by strictly realistic graphics), but this clashes with the move towards more realistic procedures and just doesn’t work. Feeling like I’m tunneling for gems while I’m inside a patient doesn’t exactly do much for suspension of disbelief. It just doesn’t work as well as the ones in previous games, which manage to avoid triggering the faint of stomach while still retaining some semblance of plausibility. It doesn’t interfere with the playability of the game, but it’s inconsistent with the darker tone of the rest of the game and the claims of realism. The top and bottom of the screen also changes color depending on how your patient is doing – green if they’re doing well, yellow if they’re borderline, and red if they’re in danger (which is a sign to reach for that stabilizer and hustle).

Some familiar themes return in remixed forms, and they generally sound good. The themes that play suit the character you’re playing as – Maria’s tends to be more frenetic, Tomoe’s more on the serene side, and Hank’s more steady (though it increases in tempo the better you do). The music that plays during the final operation really helps set the mood, and the switch to a slower tune at the last part added more impact. It helps that the track itself was pretty, but you don’t really hear it for long – well, unless you want to fail the operation and start over. The song that plays during the credits also caps things off well. Like in New Blood, there’s a lot of voice acting in every cutscene and during stages, and it ranges from decent to good. The characters’ voices fit them, though some of the comments during stages can get a bit repetitive to the point where they have the potential to turn into memes, if they haven’t already.

Each of the six doctors have their own set of stages, with all the events in them taking place on one timeline. If two events are next to each other on the timeline, that means they’re happening concurrently (though Gabriel’s always come first). Though you can choose the order to play each chapter in and go through one specialty at a time, doing so can cause you to stumble on spoilers, either storyline or gameplay wise. For instance, I initially played according to what specialties I felt like trying, as I was excited at being able to try them all out. As a result, I ended up already knowing what diagnosis I was aiming for in a couple of Gabriel’s chapters. But then, I still had to do the legwork in proving it, and seeing the process is always fun, so it wasn’t too big a deal.

Surgery is what you know and love if you’ve played the previous Trauma Center games, with one exception: no Healing Touch. Yes, you read that right, though in this game it’s not really needed. Everything else stays the same – select tools with the nunchuck’s analog stick and use them with the Wiimote (some in conjunction with the nunchuck as well). However, the surgeries now have guidelines (such as zigzag lines on lacerations), little icons that indicate which tool to use, and tutorial windows to help you on your way. Those new to the series might appreciate these, while veterans could find them intrusive. Pressing the – button makes them disappear – though not the tool icons for some reason- but only if you’ve already beaten the stage once.

First response plays much like surgery lite in that you only have half the tools you would in surgery at your disposal (antibiotic gel, syringe, bandage, and forceps). If that sounds too limiting, know that you do get access to other situational tools as you need them, like gauze for mopping up blood, splints for broken bones, and scissors to cut off clothes to get them out of the way. At times you’ll also have to give chest compressions (fun fact: the timing for swinging your Wiimote while giving chest compressions actually is in line with how you’d do it in real life) and chest pounds .This mode tests your ability to juggle patients and multitask, and you’ll likely end up having to switch back and forth between patients to keep them alive. One difference between surgery and first response is that you can actually lose patients and still be able to complete the stage, though only up to a certain number. Naturally, this will deep-six your rank, but it helps if you’re still getting a feel for a stage.

Orthopedics consists of following guidelines while doing tasks such as drilling holes, screwing on plates, and swinging a mallet as part of the process of repairing bones. You also often have to cut out a piece of synthetic bone to replace a broken piece of bone. Drilling involves pulling an arrow in front of the drill bit and letting go just before the bottom. For securing the screws, you have to hold down the A button and stop within the yellow silhouette of the screw. With cutting synthetic bone, you have to keep the laser going along a guideline without going beyond the red lines on the sides. To hammer rods into place, you swing the Wiimote, though if you overdo it on the swing, you’ll get dinged for it. The focus is more on precision than speed, and emphasis is put on chains. Some of these stages can turn into marathons, which can take some endurance to get through, and while it’s fun to play through, having to start over will cost you more. Instead of vitals, there’s a meter consisting of five hearts on the upper left corner of the screen, and every time you make a mistake, you lose half a heart.

Endoscopy entails inching along inside a patient’s organ. To move, you hold down the A and B buttons and push the Wiimote forward. To move back, you can either pull the Wiimote towards you – also while holding A and B – or press down on the Wiimote’s control pad. The endoscope moves depending on the position of the onscreen cursor (controlled by the nunchuck’s analog stick). There’s a radar at the top right corner to help you locate injuries and other problems. When you come upon an injury, there’s an autolock which helps you aim your tools. Selecting tools involves holding the C button and tilting the nunchuck’s analog stick to the tool you need. While the controls probably closely approximate how an actual endoscope would be used, they aren’t the smoothest, and wind tunnels (where you get pushed back and can’t use any tools) are especially tricky to navigate. It can be easy to get lost or disoriented, as the passages tend to all look the same, and trying to backtrack if you’ve gone the wrong way can get a bit precarious since vitals go down if you bump into a wall. The radar can help, but it’s also a bit vague. I wasn’t fond of endoscopy at first, but it grew on me the more I tried it, though it never rose to favorite status.

Diagnostics has you digging for information about symptoms from your patient and test results. One part of that is questioning, wherein you go through and select any statements (kind of like pressing a witness’s statement in the Ace Attorney games) that indicate abnormalities. You also need to visually examine them for any overt signs of illness (such as swelling and shaking) and auscultate them, meaning use a stethoscope to listen to their heartbeat, breathing, and gastrointestinal sounds. All these sounds play through your Wiimote speaker, which actually helps since you can hold it right up to your ear if you’re having trouble hearing them and comparing them to the normal sample. You also have to look at lab results – which contains things like blood pressure, white blood cell count, and so on – and mark anything that’s outside of the normal range. In addition, you’ll need to compare MRI, x-rays, and other such scans to a normal sample so as to find anything out of place. Finding any abnormalities in the images can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially if the only difference is some mildly darker shading. Naturally, not every area will have an abnormality, which can make narrowing things down a bit trickier. Once you’ve gathered enough information, you head back to RONI and match up the symptoms you’ve gathered with different candidates. Once you’ve matched them all up, it’s time for the diagnosis. However, like with orthopedics you get five hearts, and any mistakes you make will cost you a whole heart. You can save in your office, and if you fail you’ll start over from your last save with all your hearts restored.

I had the chance to preview the forensics portion of the game a few months ago, so I was excited to be able to play through it firsthand. Forensics plays much like the Ace Attorney series, anything by Cing, and any other point-and-click adventure games. Each chapter starts with Naomi receiving a call on her cell phone and hearing a person’s last words before their untimely deaths. After that, you’re briefed on the case, then it’s off to examine the body and the person’s personal effects for any clues. Evidence is stored as cards on your computer, and you can have Little Guy analyze some of them for more information on them or combine them to create a new tidbit of information. You also listen to voice recordings, and you can click on each statement for some commentary from Naomi and at times a new piece of evidence. You comb through the crime scene with a magnifying glass (I would hope it’s obvious what this is for), spray to check for bloodstains, powder for fingerprints, and an ALS light to reveal anything the latter two picked up. As is the potential downfall of point and click games, it can turn into a pixel hunting fest looking for that one little thing you need to move on. At various points questions will pop up about a detail of the case, and there’s also a recap Q&A at the end of each case a la the aforementioned Cing games. At some points you’ll also have to reconstruct bones, which works much like a jigsaw puzzle. Like with diagnosis and orthopedics, you start off with five hearts and lose half a heart for each misstep. The first case didn’t draw me in as much as the later cases, and it becomes obvious who the culprit is early on, though like the rest of the cases it still had a dramatic ending. The other cases are more compelling, and they get pretty tragic (and somewhat disturbing).

Once you complete the game, you can earn doctor’s medals for fulfilling certain conditions, such as not using the auto retract during an endoscopy procedure or extracting things without locking on them with the ultrasound, as well as completing every operation with an XS rank (good luck with that). During Kimishima’s cases, you have to find Medal Challenges hidden in various places and answer the questions contained within correctly. Each doctor – as well as the closest thing this game has to an antagonist – also get a bonus audio track (which are basically outtakes) that sheds a bit more light on that character. Earning Doctor’s Medals will likely take a while, and replaying through the stages for a better rank does give that bit of satisfaction (who doesn’t like seeing a whole column of S/XS ranks?), so the game can last you for at least a little while after you beat it. The lack of X missions does hurt replayability a bit, but then there wouldn’t really be much to base X missions on.

There’s three difficulty levels available: Intern, Resident, and Specialist. However, the Specialist difficulty is only available after beating the game once. I’m a bit confused as to why Atlus chose to do it this way when in previous games (excluding the first Under the Knife) all the difficulty levels besides the X missions were available from the beginning. I know they wanted to make this game more beginner friendly than previous entries, but it just seems a bit asinine to do it like this when those who wanted to could just pick the easiest difficulty anyway. In addition, time limits are gone except for select missions, which is actually a relief since that means no more instances of failing an operation while you’re putting the final bandage on the patient. The game is overall easier, especially than New Blood, as the surgeries in that game seemed designed for two people, though it feels like they swung the other way a bit too much in this game; even the final operation wasn’t as challenging as the ones in previous games (with Alethia in Under the Knife 2 being up there). It’s possible that I’ve just had a lot of practice from playing the previous games, but I was able to S rank all the surgery stages on the first try on Resident mode. The Specialist difficulty does at least provide more of a challenge (especially if you’re shooting for XS rank), so there’s that. Diagnostics and forensics have no difficulty settings or scoring, and there’s no real penalty for losing all your hearts other than having to start from your last save, so you can basically go wild. In those missions, it’s entirely possible to get stuck if you miss even one thing. However, they do indicate whether you can find anything more out when you go somewhere or look at something, which helps point you in the right direction. RONI will also give you a hint if you talk to it in the office during diagnostics mode.

I loved having all the different specialties rather than the same viruses regurgitated in slightly different forms. While taking various GUILT/Stigma strains to town was enjoyable, having the more normal operations to vary things up was nice. I kept wanting to continue to the next stage to see what happened next as well as complete another stage. Plus, cutting into people and fixing them up is addicting in a way (even if I probably wouldn’t handle it that well in real life). The diagnostics and forensics stages took the longest to do, but I still enjoyed going through them, and their length didn’t deter me from wanting to keep going once I was done with them. The only drag was endoscopy, especially in stages where you had to roam around the organ and meander through a mazelike setup to find when you needed to fix. Even then, I still liked playing through those well enough. The perfectionist in me would also keep going back to previous stages and trying to earn a better rank.

The move towards more realistic procedures (well, as realistic as they can get in a video game) and elimination of the Healing Touch and GUILT/Stigma like strains stemmed from people clamoring for both, and the difficulty was geared towards luring the more casual players – and people put off by the difficulty in the other games – in. On both counts, this game succeeded somewhat, though with some mixed results. This game does a good amount of handholding, which helps new players acclimate themselves to the controls and general flow of the game but can potentially irk and alienate longtime players. I do question how many people from the casual crowd would be interested in playing a game centered around surgery, but then the series has done well enough to spawn five games, so it must be appealing to a large enough group. There should’ve been an option to turn off the guidelines and little tool icons from the get-go, but at least Specialist mode can sate anyone looking for more of a challenge. For anyone who misses GUILT/Stigma: don’t you worry, there’s still a final big virus that everyone takes on, though it doesn’t show up until near the end of the game (even if it’s alluded to here and there beforehand). Overall, though, they did a good job balancing what would appeal to longtime fans, what would draw in new players, and what would keep the series from becoming too stale while retaining the aspects that draw people in.

The Scores
Story/Modes: Enjoyable
Graphics: Above Average
Sound: Enjoyable
Control and Gameplay: Very Good
Replayability: Enjoyable
Balance: Above Average
Originality: Good
Addictiveness: Incredible
Appeal Factor: Enjoyable
Miscellaneous: Good
FINAL SCORE: GOOD GAME

Short Attention Span Summary:
Trauma Team was a deviation from the usual Trauma Center formula, and for the most part it worked well. Some of the controls can take some adjusting to, especially the ones that involve tilting the Wiimote or nunchuck a certain way. The graphics and some of the more outlandish plot elements detract from the claims of “more realistic situations”, though they don’t hamper enjoyability much as long as your suspension of disbelief is intact. The game does lean a bit more on the easy side than previous games, and it could benefit from less handholding, or at least the option to turn it off for those who don’t want it. Overall, though, this was a strong entry in the series, even if it is technically a spinoff.
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Three more games were added to the WiiWare service this week, two of them for 1000 Wii Points/$10. Lead the Meerkats puts you in charge of a pack of, well, meerkats as you ensure it thrives by completing tasks like gathering food and fending off enemies. Zoo Disc Golf is golf with a frisbee standing in for a club and ball with anthropomorphic animals. Finally, Reel Fishing Challenge II is the odd one out at 500 Wii Points/$5 and is exactly what it sounds like, as well as the sequel to the first Reel Fishing Challenge, though if you want fishing games, you have plenty of other options.

The DSiWare service saw another four games join its ranks. Flametail goes for 500 DSi Points/$5 and involves drawing paths for the titular pod to burn away any garbage on each planet. Flips: The Magic Faraway Tree costs the same and is an interactive book aimed at the youngsters that own a DSi. Don’t Cross The Line is priced at 200 DSi Points/$2 and consists of drawing lines to connect boxes while not letting any of them cross each other. Lastly, Fire Panic goes for the same amount and drawing paths (this seems to be a theme this week) for firefighter trucks to extinguish fires.

That wraps it up for this week. Overall a lukewarm set of releases – hopefully next week’s will be more exciting. Check back here next week for our verdict on that.
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Wild Guns
Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Natsume
Original System: Super NES
Original Release Date: July 1995
Price: 800 Points/$8

Chris Bowen: Wild Guns? Wow, here’s a pleasant surprise.

The best way to describe Wild Guns is that it’s essentially a wild western version of Cabal, with better control and graphics. That’s a good thing; Cabal was a very fun game, and Wild Guns takes the mechanics of that game and hones them to near perfection. It’s definitely an arcadey game, though; there are cheap kills to be had, and the continue option only takes you to the beginning of that stage you’re on. But this is a great way to spend $8, and maybe now, the game will get the respect it deserves.

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Mark B.: Now, see, this is what I’m talking about. Wild Guns is an SNES shooter where you pick one of two characters (Clint and Annie) and shoot the hell out of every one and thing you see. The game is very much a shooting gallery sort of thing, only your character appears on-screen and can move and dodge enemy bullets to avoid dying, adding a level of depth to the experience that isn’t just another on-rails shooter. Basically. the game plays like the maze navigation sections of Contra except that you can aim a target at the enemies instead of having to be in front of them to shoot them. You can collect various power-ups, wipe out enemies with a smart bomb, fight massive powerful bosses and so on, and the game is out-and-out fantastic.

I really don’t even have anything bad to say about the game, to be honest. You can’t get it anywhere else, eight dollars is a fine price for it, and it’s a lot of fun, plus it offers two player co-op and versus (in target shooting) play if you want to play with friends. Unless you’re not a fan of shooting games at all, Wild Guns is easily worth the cost to download and it’s a great time even sixteen years after the fact.

For the WiiWare, we have three games, two of which costs 1000 Wii Points/$10 and were also released on the Xbox Live Arcade last week. The first, Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex, is a platformer (with some puzzles here and there) based on the titular cartoon series. The second, Voodoo Dice, involves rolling dice around a stage to reach the end. I can’t imagine either would differ from their Xbox 360 brethren, so if you happen to own a 360 and got these on there, you’re set. Finally, Robocalypse: Beaver Defense goes for 600 Wii Points/$6 and is a tower defense game that features robots and, according to the trailer, the writer of Spongebob Squarepants.

As far as the DSiWare goes, another four game make a debut. X-Scape is priced at 800 DSi Points/$8 and entails controlling a tank as you travel to different planets, with graphics that may remind some of the Virtual Boy’s, only with more color. Hero of Sparta also costs 800 DSi Points/$8 and appears to bear some resemblance to God of War in theme, except you play a king. A Topsy Turvy Life: The Turvy’s Strike Back runs 200 DSi Points/$2 and is a vertical shooter that has you holding the DSi upside down and uses the stylus controls. Two people can also play on one system, which seems like it would get rather cramped. Lastly, Telegraph Sudoku & Kakuro costs 200 DSi Points/$2 as well and, as the name suggests, contains variations on Sudoku and Kankuro, the likes of which you’ve probably seen in sundry newspapers.

That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed your holiday, and see you all next week.
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Kirby Super Star
Developer: Hal
Publisher: Nintendo
Original System: Super NES
Original Release Date: 09/20/96
Price: 800 Points/$8

Chris Bowen: This is a great collection of classic Kirby gameplay mixed in with some cool bonuses to go along with it. They added the ability to have a captured enemy help you along the way, which was a nice addition to the formula. This is where Nintendo started to get away from what made Kirby great, though it didn’t get silly yet – Dream Course, I’m looking at you – and the game is still very good, if a bit easy.

This is a great game if you have kids.

EDIT BY BOWEN: I forgot to mention this before: YOU GET TO FIGHT LOLO AND LALA! <333 No, seriously! (Thanks to Hardcore Gaming 101)

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Mark B.: Kirby Super Star is one of the better Kirby games available, largely because, as Chris noted, it’s essentially a normal game in the franchise mixed with a ton of little additions and mini-games to goof around with long before that was a thing. The ability to play with a second player is also quite cool if you happen to have a friend around who wants to join in. If you own the DS remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra, you probably won’t have much use for this, but on the off chance that you don’t, this is a worthwhile download if you like Kirby or platformers in general.

The WiiWare gets two new games this week. Among them is an addition to the BIT.TRIP series, BIT.TRIP RUNNER, which runs for 800 Wii Points/$8. BIT.TRIP RUNNER continues the retro arcade theme and is a side scroller wherein you’re constantly on the move and have to duck and jump over obstacles. Blood Beach goes for 1,000 Wii Points/$10 and involves defending the Solomon Islands from the invading Japanese Imperial Navy, which might bring to mind the Solomon Islands campaign of World War II.

As far as the DSiWare goes, another four games join the ranks. Looksley’s Line Up is priced at 500 DSi Points/$5 and incorporates the camera into a hidden object game in that you move the DSi around to find various objects. Frogger Returns also costs 500 DSi Points/$5 and is basically the arcarde version of Frogger in 3D. This game is also available on the Playstation Network and WiiWare, though regardless of the system, this doesn’t seem to be the best showing for our green amphibian friend. A Topsy Turvy Life: Turvy Drops 200 DSi Points/$2 has you holding your DSi upside down (which seems somewhat…unwieldy) and drawing blocks to drop below into the empty spaces. Lastly, Flips: More Bloody Horowitz goes for 200 DSi Points/$2 and contains three tales from Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series. As the title implies, they’re all horror themed, so if you’re in the mood for something chilling, there you go.

There you have it for this week. A relatively solid VC release (unless you own the aforementioned DS remake), two decent WiiWare games, and a hodgepodge group of DSiWare games. Check back here next week for a rundown of Nintendo’s next set of releases.
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The big news this week is the debut of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS on the WiiWare service for 1000 Wii points/$10. If you bought the first two installments on the Wii, it’s highly recommended that you get this as well to complete the set, as the game does a nice job of wrapping up many of the loose ends introduced through the course of the trilogy. But like with the previous two games, if you already own the DS version, there’s not much that sets this version apart from that one; if you don’t, then this would be the more economical option. Also on the WiiWare service is Chess Challenge! for 500 Wii points/$5, which supports multiplayer over Wi-Fi and, for the serious chess enthusiasts out there, uses the Elo rating system.

The DSiWare get four new games this week. Earthworm Jim is a remake of the SNES game, only with a gimmicky bonus feature using the camera that involves matching Earthworm Jim’s facial expressions. Note that the Genesis version is available on the Virtual Console for 800 Wii points/$8, while this is only 500 points/$5. Photo Dojo allows you to insert yourself into a fighting game by letting you take pictures and record sounds and dialogue. It comes at the grand total cost of zero points. However, that’s only until June 10, after which it will cost 200 DSi points, so if you really want it, you should hustle and download it now. Chess Challenge! is just like the Wii version, except it only supports local multiplayer. Finally, Flips: The Enchanted Wood goes for 500 DSi points/$5 and is basically an interactive book.

That’s all for this week. Both the WiiWare and DSiWare services have releases with a big name attached, though whether they’re worth it depends on version preferences. Join us again next week for our look at the next crop of Nintendo releases (and crossing our fingers that Nintendo will remember the Virtual Console exists).
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On the WiiWare service comes two new games. Zombie Panic in Wonderland for 1,000 Wii points/$10 is reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ, only in 3-D and with more little girls from fairy tales with heavy artillery. Like LRRHZBBQ, it’s a rail shooter that involves moving your character along the bottom of the screen shooting enemies while avoiding incoming fire. Interestingly, they’re both also made by Spanish developers, albeit different companies. 1000 points seems like a bit much considering it was 800 points in Japan, though if you played LRRHZBBQ to death, this might be up your alley. Kung Fu Funk: Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting! goes for 500 Wii Points/$5 and appears to be a bunch of kung fu themed minigames that heavily use motion controls.

As for the DSiWare service, five games make their debut, four of which cost 500 DSi points/$5. BLOONS is a puzzle game wherein you shoot darts to pop all the balloons on the screen. Bounce & Break is another of many Breakout clones. 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection, as the name may suggest, involves pushing crystals through mazes onto a target destination. Crazy Golf is basically a digital version of mini golf on various wacky courses that also supports multiplayer over Wi-Fi. Lastly, Sokomania, the odd one out of the pack at 200 DSi points/$2, is similar to 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection, only you push crates instead of crystals, and the goal is to minimize the number of crate movements while pushing the crate to its destination.

That does it for this week – a somewhat unremarkable start of a new month for the Nintendo download services this week (except possibly Zombie Panic in Wonderland), but there’s always next week, right? Check back here then for a recap of that set of releases.
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After a poor start on the consoles in the US, the Monster Hunter franchise managed to build up a fairly large cult fanbase on the Sony PSP with the series, thanks to positive word of mouth and a dramatic expansion of the game as the sequels rolled out. Despite some highly negative critical reception and a fanbase that epitomizes the phrase “unwarranted self importance”, the games have managed to impress based solely on their consistent quality, challenge and concept, so the announcement of a new console release for the series in the US was a welcome one for fans. After an initial announcement of a PS3 release, Capcom shocked many people with a follow up that the release would actually be coming out for the Wii. Dubbed Monster Hunter Tri, the game was expected to take the traditional Monster Hunter experience and add to it dramatically. Between the new monster types, new zones, underwater battles, dark locale exploration and new weapons and customization options, Monster Hunter Tri was looking to be everything fans were hoping for while also making a strong case for new players to jump on board. While the series has a history of being inaccessible to new players unless they’re willing to invest the time in learning the mechanics, the ability to jump online once again without having to play around with Xlink and a wireless access point made the game the group experience it was meant to be, which helps mitigate the frustration somewhat when friends can help you slaughter everything you see. The good news is that Monster Hunter Tri is a solid sequel and well worth acquiring for fans and new players alike, as it does a lot of things very, very well. The bad news, however, is that in many respects, the game feels like a step backwards, both due to decisions made by Capcom and by the system the game is hosted on.

There’s not too much of a story to Monster Hunter Tri, as there isn’t with its predecessors. You’re a hunter who has been summoned to the local town to perform various missions for the locals, be it repairing the broken hunting camp, restoring the local farm, gathering resources or ruining everything you see. Your ultimate goal is to ruin the local horrible monster in charge, the Lagiacrus, which has apparently been disrupting fishing voyages and causing all sorts of problems for the locals, which will dominate the majority of your time with the single player mode. The story is very basic, but the game more or less casts you as the big hunter in town, as before, and as such, the game world revolves around you and your exploits. NPC’s will comment on your larger exploits, compliment you on big tasks you’ve completed, and offer you big upgrades as you advance in the story, both through the main town and the city, which acts as the guild hall in this game, so even though the story is kind of small-scale, the game makes a big effort to keep you involved by, in essence, making everyone be in awe of you whenever you accomplish awesome stuff. So, as before, the story isn’t great, but the way the game tells the story by making you the conquering hero of the land is pretty awesome all around.

Monster Hunter Tri doesn’t quite look as impressive on the Wii as its predecessors did on the PSP, partly because the Wii has better looking games available and partly because the game basically looks a better looking version of the PSP games. This is by no means to say that the game looks bad, because that is absolutely not the case, but it simply doesn’t have the wow factor of its predecessors. The character animations are still fluid and feature large amounts of detail, the various monstrosities are mostly completely redone and still manage to be as awe inspiring and terrifying as ever, and the game environments are lively and well-detailed. The new monsters are mostly as epic and impressive as those that have come before, though some designs are less original than others (Barioth looks a bit like Tigrex, for instance). On the plus side, almost all of the content here is all new, as only a handful of wyverns and such are repeated from prior Monster Hunter games, so you won’t be stuck thinking “This looks familiar…” too often. The audio is still pretty impressive, with some solid and well orchestrated musical tracks and some outstanding sound effects. The monster effects in particular are still powerful, and when a monster discovers you for the first time, their roar is something you’ll come to fear, for many reasons. There’s also a smattering of voice acting here and there, though it’s mostly gibberish, and it still sounds fine for what it is.

If you’re a long time fan of the Monster Hunter series, or you’ve read my Monster Hunter Freedom Unite review, you can skip the next four paragraphs. For new players, Monster Hunter games revolve around three specific types of locations: the town you live in, where you prepare for missions and improve your gear, the gathering location (in this case the city), where you organize group hunts, and the hunting grounds, where you hunt monsters of various shapes and sizes, as well as hunt for materials and consumables to aid your hunts. The town itself is essentially where you’ll spend your time prepping yourself, and there are numerous things to do around town. Your house allows you to review various documents you acquire, manage your inventory and equipment, and save your game. You also have a kitchen set up in town, which can be staffed with Felynes, semi-sentient cat creatures who can cook up meals for you that might give you some nice stat boosts… if they don’t poison you in the process. The town square contains your item and weapon shops, where you can buy new gear, build new equipment from component parts, upgrade weapons, and attach stat-improving gems to said equipment to improve your stats. You can also talk to the local quest giver (in this case, a representative of the hunting guild) to take on new quests and the other town residents to gain useful information. There’s also a farm where you can plant seeds, scavenge for useful items and insects, and other odd things.

When you’re ready to take on a mission, you’ll to take on some hunting. When you talk to whoever is assigning the mission you’re looking to take, they’ll give you a list of different choices, each of which with different objectives. Some missions might want you to capture or kill a specific beast or series of beasts, others might want you to find or catch specific flora and fauna, and others still might just allow you to go forage for materials and items to use in your hunting quests. Once you’ve been assigned a mission in town, you just go out and take it on, but in the City, you can invite friends or strangers to go on missions with you over the internet. Your friends can all jump into the same City and can take missions you post on the mission board for them to accept, and you can bring up to four players into any mission, which you’ll definitely want to do whenever possible, as some missions are pretty much begging for assistance.

Once you’re out in the field, that’s when the fun begins. Now, let’s get this out of the way up-front: there are a whole lot of things you can do while out on the hunt, including fishing, mining, bug catching, foraging, and cooking or mixing up goods as needed. All of these things you can do are useful and worthwhile, and after a while, you’ll start doing them as if they were second nature in many circumstances. But most of the time, this is not what your purpose in the hunting grounds will be. No, most of the time, your purpose in the hunting grounds will be to find a large, angry monstrosity and subsequently end it by using whatever tools happen to be at your disposal at the moment. The first few hours you spend playing will be spent learning how to use the different weapons to see what’s best for you. There are several different types of weapons in the game, from long swords to sword and shield combos to bowguns and arbalests to lances and beyond, each of which plays differently from the next, and knowing what works best on what monster and what you like most will be a big part of the fun of your first few hours in the hunting ground. The game allows you to play with either the Wiimote and Nunchuck combination or the Classic controller, either with the old PS2 Monster Hunter play style of using the right stick for attacks or the modern PSP Monster Hunter Freedom style of using the buttons for attacks. Your character can walk and run about the world with the analog stick, interact with things, dive around to dodge attacks and use items from your inventory, with the control style dictating what buttons are used to do this. Different weapons have different combat specific controls, which are further influenced by the control setup, so while a melee weapon assigns the button to attack with the Classic Controller, it might assign the Up direction on the right stick to that attack when using the stick controls, and might assign a wrist twist and a button press to the same attack with the Wiimote and Nunchuck.

At first, you’ll be facing down against smaller monsters like the raptor-like Jaggi and Baggi families, the lizard-like Ludroth, the insectoid Altaroths and Bnahabara, and other smaller threats, but as you adjust to the experience you’ll find yourself facing down against gigantic, multiple-story tall monstrosities, and it’s here where the real fun and challenge of the experience comes in. The game, assuming you’re going in order and not just jumping in with friends against whatever they pick, will start you off with the large raptor leader Great Jaggi and a large bird-like monstrosity dubbed Qurupero, and from there the monsters only become more ferocious. You’ll find yourself hunting monstrosities of all shapes, sizes and designs, like Barioth, a dragon/saber-toothed tiger/bat hybrid that can cover large distances with his leaps, can hover and hurts like crazy, Gobul, a huge fish monster that can hide underground and suck you in with massive damaging attacks, Barroth, a burrowing stone monstrosity that can chase you down and coat you in mud before smashing you into the air, and returning favorites Rathlos and Rathian, male and female dragons who are fast, agile and spit fire like crazy, among many, many others. It’s here that the major appeal of the game comes in. Fighting these monstrosities starts off simply enough, and against something like Great Jaggi you can just lump on him until he drops and collect the spoils of victory, but as you progress you’ll find that simply running into battle is not a successful strategy for victory against monsters like Lagiacrus and that more careful planning is required. Fortunately you have plenty of strategic options available to you, from exploiting the lay of the land by climbing cliffs and goading monsters into charging head first into walls, to using pit traps to capture monsters so you can knock them out or carve them up, to using bombs to hurt monsters and bait to lure them into traps and beyond. You can approach any mission any number of different ways, which makes each mission an adventure by itself, and the satisfaction that comes from outsmarting something ten times your size is… gratifying.

So, for everyone who knows the above already, welcome back! Let’s talk about what Monster Hunter Tri does different.

Fans of the Felyne Companions from the prior game will be pleased to know that this mechanic has returned, in the form of Cha Cha, a Shakalaka who decides to help you out after you rescue him from being eaten by monsters in the single player campaign. While Cha Cha will level up as the Felynes do, he primarily levels up in battle and as such cannot be trained by the prior methods. However, Cha Cha has a few different useful additions worth noting. First off, you can influence his abilities and behavior by changing his Mask, which will give him added abilities and dictate whether he attacks, supports, or a combination of the two as needed. As the Masks level up, they’ll change his statistics somewhat and allow him to equip additional skills which he can use to assist you out in the field, whether he is smacking monsters or dancing to buff you out, making Mask acquisition and leveling an important part of his development. The town development and resource point gathering mechanics have also dramatically changed in new and interesting ways. Before, you’d essentially have to look for resources in regular missions or Treasure Missions in order to earn resource points, dubbed Pokke Points back then, which you could then dump into your farm and such in order to level everything up. Now, you can do these things, or you can simply walk outside of town and gather resources without taking on a mission at all. In this case, EVERYTHING you do can contribute to your resource points, from killing monsters to gathering necessities and beyond, making grinding to improve yourself profitable in numerous ways. Of course, as a result, anything that would normally require resource points to upgrade now also requires resource points AND items you can forage to be upgraded in some form or fashion, but this balances out the upgrading mechanic somewhat, as it means you won’t simply spend a few hours grinding to max out your farm before moving on with your day.

Then there’s the brand new swimming gameplay. Many of the zones you’ll traverse are partially or entirely filled with water, and your hunter is now equipped to deal with these zones, as you can now swim around from place to place as needed. Aside from opening up new ways to forage and new places to explore, this also expands the combat mechanics somewhat, as several monster types can exist on both land and water or exclusively underwater. The basic mechanics are similar, but weapons can behave differently underwater, movement and dodging can now be done in more directions, and some items are simply unusable while submerged, making appropriate planning a must. You’ll also have to monitor your air, as when it depletes, you’ll take damage from being underwater. This isn’t so bad, as there are hidden air pockets underwater, most water zones allow you to surface to breathe, and there are all sorts of items that can be used to breath underwater, but it’s an added challenge all the same. Some small but noticeable additions also round out the experience somewhat, like the ability to run around in dark environments with a torch held aloft as you search for resources or other exits, the fact that areas you can gather from now highlight that this is an option, along with what you’ll need, and other small but interesting changes. There are also several new maps, new monsters, new weapons, new equipable items and new mechanics for old weapons, such as how bowguns now consist of three separate parts which can be mixed and matched to customize the right bowgun for you.

The core game offers, quite literally, hundreds of hours of play and replay value, between the large variety of quests to take on and monsters to slay, for both one and multiple players. Aside from the off and online play, there’s also the ability to jump into Arena play, where you can fight alone or with a friend in split-screen mode against giant monsters for fun rewards, and since your friend can install their character on their WiiMote to bring it over, this makes things as simple as possible for maximum entertainment while slaying giant things. There is a large amount of gear to find and build, items to use, and other worthwhile things to work with, and with the large amount of new and existing content in the game, you’ll have a lot of things to experiment with. The game lacks the import option of its predecessors, for obvious reasons, but you’ll be starting on even footing with other players and your friends if you jump on board now, if nothing else. Monster Hunter Tri also offers full online support for up to four players at one time without having to rig up an alternate solution, which is fantastic for those who don’t want to figure how wireless access points and XLink work. The game is also fully compatible with WiiSpeak, so you can talk to friends while you’re playing, though if you don’t have it, you can also used automated responses and such to communicate if you need to.

Before we move on to the less positive elements of the game, I’d like to take a moment to address both the new Classic Controller released around this point and the WiiSpeak, since this is the first opportunity I’m having to experience both. The new Classic Controller is outstanding in every possible respect, as it’s as responsive as the original but actually FEELS like a controller instead of a plastic disc with buttons. For twenty dollars it’s a worthwhile investment, and if you’re planning to pick up Monster Hunter Tri, doubly so. WiiSpeak, on the other hand, is atrocious, and while that is absolutely no fault of Capcom’s, it bears mentioning that you’re pretty much going to hate using it at any point during your time playing the game. Having to hear the other person’s voice through your TV speakers while talking to them means that you’re going to be getting a weird echo effect whenever you talk unless you hook up headphones or mute the TV (which defeats the purpose), and unless you tape the mic to your chest you’re going to have to shout or sit on top of the TV to make yourself understandable. But don’t take MY word for it; ask J. Rose and Shawn P.C., who after the first time we all played together decided to communicate through Xbox Live when playing online instead of ever having to deal with this mess again. Just so you know.

Now, as has been noted previously, Monster Hunter as a series has something of a steep learning curve, and you’ll be expected to spend a good few hours learning how your character’s abilities, the different weapons and armor skills, and the various items all work together, on top of what time will be spent learning the different monsters and how they can end your adventures in a hurry. If you’re not looking to spend a good amount of time learning the ins and outs of a game, Monster Hunter as a series is probably not for you. You will also spend a not insignificant amount of time out in the fields grinding certain monsters or locations looking for specific items to build specific gear, not unlike something like a World of Warcraft, minus the monthly fee, and while that’s not a terrible idea as it rewards persistence and that sort of thing, it’s frustrating in many respects fighting, I don’t know, Rathlos for the twentieth time because he refuses to drop a Ruby, and impatient players will tire of this eventually. There are several control mechanics that will be unintuitive to new players as well, and while veteran players will either understand why things are the way they are or will at least accept them, new players may find it annoying that there’s no lock on, or that if a gigantic monster hits you, you will go flying and rolling around like a doll because you didn’t roll out of the way in time.

Monster Hunter Tri also brings its own unique failings to the table as well, unfortunately. For one, while the WiiMote and Nunchuck controls are about as good as they were going to possibly be given the circumstances, they’re honestly not very good overall. If you managed to acquire the combo that came with a Classic Controller, you’re very lucky, because the game is frustrating to play without it. Assuming you can work with this or you have acquired said controller, if you’re a returning Monster Hunter fan, you’ll most likely be less than impressed with the lack of content the game has to offer. While the new game mechanics are great, half of the weapons have been stripped from the game and the game lacks a lot of the monster variety and mission upgrades the prior games offered. It’s understandable that G-Rank quests and old maps and such aren’t included, to a point, as it makes for a selling point for sequels, but why strip out weaponry? Bows, gunlances, dual swords, and hunting horns have been excised entirely, and only the Switchaxe has been added, and while that’s a fine enough weapon, it’s not going to appease fans of the other weapons. Finally, it also really doesn’t help that the weapon construction mechanics have become absurd in some respects. For example, if you’re a fan of the Longsword, forget about using it for the first several hours, as there won’t be one available to you for a good while, which is just belligerent on multiple levels. The new bowgun design system, while interesting, also leaves a lot to be desired. The light and heavy bowguns work well enough, to be certain, but there are like three light bowguns in the game and the medium bowguns make no sense, as some can be run around with as if they were a light bowgun while others slow you down to a crawl. If I can assemble a medium bowgun out of a light frame, a heavy barrel and a heavy stock that is more usable than the default medium bowgun, that probably isn’t a good thing, guys.

To say that Monster Hunter Tri is not a good sequel would be unfair, as it offers a lot of interesting upgrades and changes to the systems of the series that are worth playing through, and the game still offers a great and in-depth experience all around, but in a few respects it’s as problematic as its predecessors, while in others it could have stood for some additions and additional work. The game is still well presented in all respects, the gameplay is still as solid and satisfying as ever, there’s still a lot of content to see and lots to do, and there’s plenty of reasons to play and replay the game for hours upon hours. The addition of simple to access online play and offline team slaying for friends to participate in is great, and the numerous gameplay additions are generally pretty cool all around. There’s something of a steep learning curve to the entire franchise, certainly, it can take a good amount of grinding to accomplish certain things, absolutely, and the control mechanics can be odd for players to learn, definitely, but this in and of itself doesn’t hurt the game as much as you’d think. The somewhat unfriendly WiiMote and Nunchuck Controls, lack of content in prior games and odd weapon release and functionality issues, on the other hand, can somewhat taint what it an otherwise excellent game. Ultimately, if you’re willing to commit some time and patience to learning how the game works, willing to pick up a Classic Controller, and willing to accept that some content has been removed from the sequel, Monster Hunter Tri is a fantastic addition to the franchise and well worth picking up for fans and otherwise, but if you can’t, you might want to wait for Monster Hunter Tri G, because it’s pretty obviously coming.

The Scores:
Story: GOOD
Graphics: GREAT
Sound: CLASSIC
Control/Gameplay: GOOD
Replayability: GREAT
Balance: GREAT
Originality: GOOD
Addictiveness: GREAT
Appeal: POOR
Miscellaneous: GOOD

FINAL SCORE: VERY GOOD GAME.

Short Attention Span Summary:
While Monster Hunter Tri isn’t as impressive as its PSP predecessors, it’s pretty much the best console release of a Monster Hunter game to date and is well worth picking up if you’re a fan or have been interested for a while. The concept is as solid as eversolid, the audio and video presentation is very good overall, the gameplay is varied and compliments the experience nicely, and hey, killing gigantic monsters is still mighty fun. There’s plenty of new content in this release to appease old fans, and new fans will find that there’s a ton of play and replay value to the game, both alone or with friends. The game takes some getting used to and some time spent learning the mechanics, it requires some patience and a decent amount of grinding to unlock the coolest stuff, the WiiMote and Nunchuck controls stink, there’s a good bit of missing content from the prior games that should have been included, and the weapon access and design mechanics can be frustrating, but all in all, the game is good enough to be worth the effort. If you’re looking for a challenging game for your Wii that you can play alone or with friends, Monster Hunter Tri is well worth the investment, and while it’s not everything it could have been, new fans and old will still find something to enjoy about it.
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Everyone remembers the Wii launch title Red Steel. Unfortunately for Ubisoft, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Many people expected the game to show off the capabilities of the then new Wiimote in enriching the gameplay experience with its sword fighting mechanics but instead we got a subpar first person shooter with waggle inducing gesture based (instead of 1:1) sword fighting that showed the limitations of the Wiimote.

Now both Nintendo AND Ubisoft are trying to make amends: Nintendo with the Wiimotion Plus and Ubisoft with Red Steel 2. So, do they both finally show us what the Wii is capable of?

You are one of the Kusagari clan protectors, the elite warriors of a noble clan. However, you were exiled for an unknown reason five years prior to the game’s beginning and you’ve just returned to your hometown (err…for another unknown reason). You are captured and you start the game tied by your hands to the back of a motorbike and dragged across the desert for the amusement of some gangsters. You manage to free yourself and escape and find your old master Jian as well as the Sheriff Judd and a local girl named Tamiko. Apparently, the Jackal gang had (at the behest of the Katakara clan) invaded the town and slaughtered all the Kusagari  in order to steal their secret Katana making techniques and keep it from ever being known again.

So you go out and kill everyone in the name of revenge.

Yeah… that’s pretty much it. That’s what most western stories ARE about: revenge. However, movies have you know… dialogue and characters and other things of that nature. Red Steel 2? Just kill everyone. Every once in a while you get a cool story scene or an epic set piece but most of the characters such as Tamiko and Judd are completely disposable and Jian’s only use is to introduce you to new moves you need to learn.

The protagonist isn’t given a name (everyone just calls him Kusagari or Hero) and he rarely speaks (I think he only does two or three times total in the game). I can understand the no name thing, as the classic Have Gun- Will Travel‘s main character is only known as “Paladin” and never by his real name and most cool heroes (especially in videogames) are silent. To be honest, it doesn’t really bother me at all since he just seems cooler that way but that fact really doesn’t help fill the void created by the nonexistent side characters.

Story/Modes rating: Below Average

It’s kinda disappointing to think that the original Red Steel was criticized for its poor graphics but here we are in 2010 and it’s still one of the better looking games on the Wii. At least Red Steel 2 manages to really push the boundaries of the system.

The game uses the “LyN” engine that they previously used with Rabbids go Home. Our own Alex Lucard didn’t have many nice things to say about the graphics in that game but it seems it was down to the developer’s lack of effort rather than any limitation of the engine as Red Steel 2 is one of the prettiest games on the Wii.

The Celshaded graphics are excellent and unlike games such as Okami, they’re quite detailed and intricate so it’s not just a big blur. The areas of the game are always flooded in the red glow of sunset (of course, except for the levels that take place at night); perfect for a western setting. The game also suffers no slowdown whatsoever (it’s helped by the fact that no more than 5 enemies are onscreen at the same time) no matter what cool moves you do. In addition, your weapons are excellently modeled and look quite sexy, especially your sword.

The only downside is the backgrounds; anything like distant buildings or landscapes outside the immediate game area look quite bad. One mission has you climb a tower overlooking town and the view from up top is… underwhelming to say the least. Why Ubisoft couldn’t use pre-rendered backgrounds like the upcoming Xenoblade is beyond me.

Graphics rating: Classic

As mentioned before, most characters in the game are stereotypical but the voice actors do their part well enough. Your master Jian sounds like what you’d expect a stereotypical Old Samurai/Ninja master to sound (i.e., Mr. Miyagi), Judd the sheriff sounds like a Texas sheriff and Taniko also has a southern accent. I found the fact that all the characters are Asian (following the Old West in Japan theme) yet they all speak with Southern accents, other than Jian and the villains who either speak in an Asian accent or if they’re the Jackals they sound like your average Saturday morning cartoon villains. It’s not bad overall; I didn’t find myself cringing at any of the lines but Bioshock this is not.

The music on the other hand is quite good and continues the whole Spaghetti Western meets 17^th century Japan theme with acoustic guitars mixed up with shamishens and other eastern instruments. The music is quite and somber when you’re exploring but picks up speed during fighting sequences but it does its best not to get too loud and overpower the action.

Sound rating: Decent

Remember the hype the first Red Steel created? How we were finally going to get 1:1 swordfights in games and all that motion control nonsense that would revolutionize games and being sorely disappointed at the result? Well, Red Steel 2 finally gets that feeling right! (After 4 damn years) Now, it’s not 1:1 sword fighting like in Wiisports Resort but there is a good reason for that. Your main character is a super powered videogame character wielding a magical Katana, not a clumsy Mii that’s wielding a wooden Kendo sword. The difference is obvious from the get go, you can perform some completely over the top moves such as “The Bear” which has you smash the ground to create a shockwave or “The Dragon” which is a long range sword stack that’s reminiscent of One Piece’s Roronoa Zoro’s long range sword attacks (and anyone who has seen One Piece can tell you how over the top it is). All this is wouldn’t work on a 1:1 system but Red Steel 2 does a good job of keeping the system as close to that as possible. (let’s say 0.9:1 or whatever) It can detect which direction you’re slashing towards, the strength you’re slashing with and whether you’re slashing or jabbing.

Overall, sword fighting in the game is excellent and well thought out with things like counter enemy’s guard stances, parrying , dodging and finishing moves all implemented so well…. I don’t really know if we need another sword fighting game on the Wii! It almost makes you forget that you have guns at your disposal as well!

That’s right! Red Steel 2 has guns as well! Some people might be disappointed that there are only 4 guns (A magnum revolver, a sawed off double barreled shotgun, a Tommy gun and finally a lever action rifle) but that’s missing the point: Red Steel 2 is built around using your sword, the guns simply complement that.

Is the gunplay any good though? Well after this game, as well as Metroid Prime 3, The Conduit, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 and Modern Warfare: Reflex, no first person shooter can sport poor controls on the Wii. The Wiimote-nunchuck combo is the best possible method control FPSes outside of a mouse and keyboard and makes dual stick controls look like awkward finger yoga. So to summarize, the shooting is sharp and precise and should satisfy you with plenty of customization options Wii shooter fanatics have gotten used to (Dead zone size, sensitive of the axis and so on) so you can get it “just right” for your particular tastes.

The game itself has been criticized for being linear but I think that’s an unfair accusation: First of all, pretty much every first person shooter is pretty linear (including all those Halo and Call of Duty games that reviewers drool over and plaster 9s and 10s on their reviews) and second of all, the game does attempt some sort of non linearity. The levels aren’t just a long straight line to the end but rather a sort of hub world that you backtrack through and can explore in a rudimentary way.

Now I have two problems with this; first the implementation is half assed. There isn’t really much of an incentive to do any exploring since the rewards aren’t really worth it: just some cash or one of the things for the endless collecting sidequests (I’ll touch on them in a later section of the review). In games like Metroid Prime and Bioshock you’d always find something interesting if you poked around like an energy tank or a voice log or something worth your trouble but not in Red Steel 2. It shouldn’t have wasted it’s time trying to be something it’s not and just focused on making some more great action set pieces.

Second, what’s the point of exploring if you don’t have a map? Sure, there’s a minimap in the bottom right but it only shows a small section of the area you are in and as soon as you move to the border of that map the entire minimap loads ANOTHER small piece of map with no way of showing the whole map at once to chart your course so I ended up stumbling around to find some coins or a truck I had to blow up so it’s just best if you follow the main story as much as possible.

Control/Gameplay rating: Good

This is Red Steel 2′s biggest Achilles heel; the game is anywhere between seven to ten hours long depending on how fast you rush through it. Ubisoft Paris also made the bold decision to not include a half assed multiplayer in order to focus on making a better single player mode. I truly believe that the game came out better with this decision but it does take a hit in Replayability.

The only thing other than the main storyline is a “challenge” mode which….is basically you going through certain chapters of the main storyline again and the only difference is that you are rated afterward.

This must have really hurt Red Steel 2‘s sales, it’s the most rented Wii game on Gamefly for a reason and I have a fleeting feeling people bought this, completed it within a week and sold it used for other gamers to buy it with no profit going to Ubi.

Replayability rating: Dreadful

There are three main levels of enemies: Jackal gangsters, Katakara clan warriors and Ninjas. As you might imagine , the enemies get progressively stronger the farther you progress in the game, Jackal gangsters might pose trouble in the early stages but later on they’re pretty much used as cannon fodder and can be taken down with one swipe of your sword. You also meet a boss early in the game called “Big Bill” who’s like 8 feet tall and wields a huge hammer, first time you fight him he’s quite difficult but later on he simply becomes an Elite Mook like the Ogres from Dragon Age: Origins and you might face 2 or 3 at once.

The health system is also well designed: Remember when I mentioned that only 5 enemies can be on screen at once? It might seem like a bad thing but it’s likely you wouldn’t survive because even the lowliest grunt can take about twenty percent of your lifebar with one good hit. Once you dispatch all the enemies, you find out why even grunts do so much damage: your health refills fully after every battle. In order to keep the game challenging, your enemies’ strength must be exaggerated and that’s exactly what Ubisoft Paris have done and it all works quite well.

Most of the upgrades, hidden strikes and Kusagari powers are balanced well, however there is one that breaks the game somewhat. It’s called “The Tiger” and you activate it by shaking both the Wiimote and the Nunchuck  while holding the A button, basically what it does is parry any enemy’s attack (it works on bullets too) and stun them for a short period of time allowing to beat the ever living crap out of them. This works on EVERY enemy; Sword wielding enemy, hammer wielding enemy, gun wielding enemy, Tommy gun wielding enemy and even bosses! (Though to be fair, Bosses recover very quickly and attack very quickly making it harder to pull off). The fact that you’re holding the A button to do this (A button is the block button) means you’re in no risk to use this move, you’re blocking before, during AND after using “The Tiger”, unlike other moves like “The Eagle” and “The Bear” where you’re vulnerable for a few seconds before you can activate the move. Frankly, that’s the one thing that damages this game’s balance as everything else was carefully designed to not be overpowered.

Balance Rating: Decent

Now this whole Western/Samurai mashup genre isn’t anything new and has been done in movies before as a lot of Spaghetti Westerns took inspiration from Akira Kurosawa samurai movies and HE took inspiration from John Ford western movies. Let’s face it; Samurais and the old west go together quite well as they deal with a lot of the same themes (lawlessness, revenge, fights…etc).

This isn’t even the first videogame to attempt it. I recall a game called Rising Zan: the Samurai Gunman back on the PSX that attempted it and also a Way of the Samurai spin off named Samurai Western.

Still, it’s a rare style and I don’t recall any game this generation attempting it so I’ll give Ubisoft points for that.

Red Steel 2 also is the first game I know that get sword fighting, a long sought after gameplay element ever since the Wii was announced, right. However, it’s also a First Person Shooter and that genre is overrepresented this generation no matter how you look at it, even on the Wii which has its share of good FPS games.

Originality rating: Great

The simplicity of the story does provide a good thing; there’s nothing to get in-between you and your stylish killing of many minions except a short cutscene or two every once in a while. You also have many upgrades to choose from for nearly everything you have, all your guns, your sword, your techniques and armor as well as health. There’s a shitload of stuff to spend your money on in Red Steel 2 and that always gives you a goal to keep playing for outside the main story (“Oh! I only need 2000 more dollars to buy that reload upgrade for my revolver!”)

The main story also has very short levels so it’s always throwing you into different scenery and enemies and that keeps you from getting bored doing one really long level that becomes tedious and boring with nothing really happening (I’m looking at you Half Life 2).

But Red Steel 2 also has sidequests as well; these usually tend to be quest asking you to look for something hidden in the environment which is very tedious and incredibly boring. Sure, you can skip them at no penalty but they have very nice cash rewards and as mentioned earlier you really want those cool upgrades so you end up doing them anyway and boring yourself along the way.

Addictiveness rating: Good

“Hardcore” titles and genres such as FPS are somewhat a rarity for the Wii outside of Nintendo’s releases so Red Steel 2 got a little hype from that alone, also being one of Wiimotion plus’ flagship titles doesn’t hurt.

But the most baffling aspect of the game is why they named it “Red Steel 2″? It has almost nothing in common with that game Red Steel other than that you use a sword and shoot people. Ubisoft will point to the fact that Red Steel racked up over 1 million copies sold but it escapes me how they never realized that it was due to A) Being a launch title and B)People being hyped for the Wii’s swordfighting mechanics and being disappointed with the result.

Let’s face it, Red Steel left a sour taste in many people’s mouths and that’s one kind of brand recognition that you don’t want.

Appeal factor rating: Mediocre

While I commend Ubisoft for creating a “single player” only game and sacrificing the almost requisite multiplayer mode in order to focus on the story mode in the game. I love single player experiences and online modes in games (especially shooters) has you attempting to negotiate with 9 year old kids who have figured out anonymity means they can shoot off any swear word they know without fear of reprisal.

However, if you’re going to sacrifice multiplayer then at the very least put more meat on the single player platter. 50 dollars (or 60 dollars if you bought the version bundled with Wiimotion plus) for an 8 hour experience on average does not cut it anymore. Sure, short games can be fun; just look at Valve’s Portal for example. The difference though is that Valve didn’t sell the game for 50$, they bundled it with Half Life 2: Episode 1 and Team Fortress 2.

If you’re selling a game to the “hardcore” crowd then you better be prepared because they’ve researched your game in detail, they’ll know how long it is and if it’s worth their money: Why buy Red Steel 2 if I can rent it and save money for God of War III, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII?

Hardcore games on Wii don’t sell because they think they’re competing with shovelware when in fact they’re competing with the big AAA titles on PS3 and Xbox360 because no hardcore gamer has only a Wii to keep him occupied.

Miscellaneous rating: Poor

Story/modes: Below Average
Graphics: Classic
Sound: Decent
Control and Gameplay:  Good
Replayability: Dreadful
Balance: Decent
Originality: Great
Addictiveness: Good
Appeal Factor: Mediocre
Miscellaneous: Poor
FINAL SCORE: Above Average Game!

Short Attention Span Summary

Red Steel 2 is a game that finally delivers on all the promises Nintendo and Ubisoft made back when the Wii was first unveiled all those years ago. Slick graphics and sharp shooting wrap around the excellent sword fighting mechanics to make an excellent core game but unfortunately that’s let down by the short game length, no replayability and mediocre plotline.

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The King of Fighters ’95
Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Original System: NeoGeo
Original Release Date: 1995
Price: 900 Points/$9

Chris Bowen: So let me get this straight, Nintendo… you’re giving me one (1) outdated fighting game, for $9, when there’s a compilation that has five (5) similarly outdated fighting games, for almost the same money? Seriously?

Looks like we know who this week’s Falco Lombardi “I Guess We Should Be Thankful” Award…
___

Mark B.: So, first, the obvious observation here is that there is a compilation of FIVE King of Fighters games available for the Wii, of which this is a part. You can, if you look around, probably find it for twenty dollars or less, meaning that, for a little more than double the cost of this ONE game you can get five, and the lot of them are all pretty well represented. So, that’s a big knock against this release from the get-go.

That said, King of Fighters ’95 is not an especially good investment even if you wanted to acquire the games through the Virtual Console for… some reason. It’s better than King of Fighters ’94, thanks to some major roster improvements and the ability to customize your own teams, but it’s an incredibly weak game that has not held up well at all in comparison to its sequels. The gameplay is a little stiff, the game doesn’t look especially good at this point in comparison, and the super moves are a total bitch to pull off for like half the cast. It also doesn’t help that the game is unbalanced a bit, as some characters are MASSIVELY over-powered in comparison, something that wouldn’t really be appropriately be addressed until King of Fighters ’96 and beyond.

Basically, there are probably like five other fighting games on the VC you’d be better off buying. Pass.

On the WiiWare service are two games, 5 Arcade Gems for 700 Wii points/$7 and Brain Drain for 500 Wii points/$5. 5 Arcade Gems, as you could probably deduce from the title, is a collection of five arcade games: Templar Bashing, which entails avoiding getting knocked off the tower; Pizza Jungle Delivery, an obstacle course featuring pizza deliverymen; RC Buggy Madness, a racing game that’s a scramble to collect items; Lumberjack Trials, which involves hitting logs so they strike different targets; and Whirling Rangers, a shooter wherein each ship moves in a circle. Brain Drain is a puzzle game wherein you move pieces on a chess board so that the final formation matches the image shown. Neither of them are standouts or must purchases, especially not for their asking price.

As for the DSiWare service, there’s plenty of options, with two going for 800 DSi points/$8 and four priced at 500 DSi points/$5. Ferrari GT: Evolution is a racing game with 32 actual Ferrari models, so if you wanted to live vicariously speeding around in a Ferrari. Even then, there are better options. DodoGo!, the other game going for $8, involves saving as many eggs as possible by guiding them through obstacles, repairing, soothing them. System Flaw Recruit is a shooter that uses the DSi’s camera to turn your surroundings into the stages you play in, as well as to aim and move with. It seems gimmicky with a finicky control scheme. Don’t Feed the Animals is a tower defense game wherein you defend a fort filled with candy from animals looking to indulge their sweet tooth. If you’re in need of a tower defense game on the DS (and/or if the overall feel of this game doesn’t appeal to you), Desktop Tower Defense might be a better bet. Puffins: Let’s Roll is another game in which you guide eggs back to safety (their mothers in this case). Finally, Scrabble Slam! is another portable version of the popular board game we all know and love.

So there we have it for this week: a VC release that be more cheaply purchased in other forms, two unexciting WiiWare titles, and a mixed bag of DSiWare releases. Join us next week for recap of another bunch of Nintendo’s weekly releases.
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