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| It's about time, too! |
Nintendo are making a point with their upcoming
Wii releases over the next 12 months. With games like
Metroid: Other M just being released,
Kirby's Epic Yarn and
Donkey Kong Country Returns due out in the next few months, and
Zelda: Skyward Sword to follow in 2011 - there is a clear focus on the needs of the dedicated Nintendo fan. All of these titles will have the high level of quality in both presentation and gameplay that Nintendo are known and adored for. However, at the same time one thing that has always held Nintendo back, basically since the
Nintendo 64 is the lack of quality 3rd Party titles, and I think I've compiled a list of 5 games being made independent of Nintendo for
Wii, that look like they could be something special. Of course, this list and indeed anything I believe about the games listed, are just predictions - but take them with the knowledge that I've done some research, and there will be a list of honourable mentions.
Number 5: Disney's Epic Mickey
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| That rabbit... horror |
This is a game a lot of people are talking about, and let's be honest - why wouldn't we? It's true that Mickey has starred in various video games in the past - but nothing quite to the scale of
Disney's Epic Mickey. Add the fact that Warren Spectre (known for his work on the
System Shock series, the predecessors to
Bioshock), is the director of the title and he's ensuring a high level of production which is certainly being shown in the game's presentation. Take a look a these screenshots - it's hard to ignore.
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| One of the most beautiful environments revealed so far |
So naturally I'm very impressed by the level of detail going into this title, it's certainly top notch. So what's holding me back from placing this higher on the list? Well, I'm just not sold on the gameplay. Conceptually it sounds awesome, but Spectre has been keeping the true mechanics a little too much under wraps for my liking. For those who don't know, the basic game design for
Disney's Epic Mickey is to make use of paint and paint thinner, to either create or destroy things in the world, a little like an artist - clever, isn't it? I really like this concept, but I've yet too see how it really translates into gameplay. That being said, I'm very keen to see reviews of this game, as I'm still quite sure it would be worth a purchase. They're keeping all the juiciness locked away!
Number 4: Flip's Twisted World
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| An epic game of hop-scotch indeed |
In stark contrast,
Flip's Twisted World's level of production is probably a little B-Grade when compared to
Disney's Epic Mickey, but the gameplay looks challenging and innovative. A lot of people will slam this game for being too similar to the
Super Mario Galaxy series, due to it's heavy use of gravity and "planets". However a distinct difference is the player is always in control of the gravity, and that gravity can be used to move not only the player, but objects in the world as well - opening up what I believe to be some unique opportunities for physics-based puzzles.
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| It hurts my brainzzzz |
Another thing about this game that interests me, is it was initially planned for release around the time of
Super Mario Galaxy 2 but was held off. This means the developer has had about 2 extra months to jam this game with extra content, give it finishing polish etc. That's naturally exciting because sometimes games with unique concepts get ruined due to time restraints, but
Flip's Twisted World will hopefully not suffer that fate. The game is due out this month in the United States, but hopefully we're receive a local release here in Aus - it's on my watch list.
Number 3: Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions
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| Time for a fist full of Neil Patrick Harris! |
Don't even try to tell me this game doesn't interest you - it's like denying your childhood. This is the first comic-book game I've been excited about since
Arkham Asylum and with good reason. It's one of those games that pulls a "what if" scenario on you, and this time it's being able to play as four different Spider-Men from different dimensions. Naturally the Amazing Spider-Man Universe is here, but there's also the Noir Universe (set in the 1930's) the 2099 Universe (a.k.a THE FUTURE) and the Ultimate Spider-Man Universe (an alternate reality to the Amazing Spider-Man). The game looks wonderful, with different styles taken to reflect the different comic-book appearances of the four universes. On top of that there's some pretty impressive voice actors on board including Christopher Daniel Barnes (as Spider-Man Noir), Dan Gilvezan (as Spider-Man 2099) and Josh Keaton (as Ultimate Spider-Man). My favourite, however has to be Neil Patrick Harris as the Amazing Spider-Man - seriously, what an great way to inject some extra awesome into that cast.
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| Cool and methodical - stealth at its best |
Of the universes, my nod will have to go out to the Noir Universe. In a word, it looks
great. So stylised, that is looks just like a film noir - which is the obvious intention. However, it's not just the looks that get it across the line for me, it's the gameplay. Whilst the other three universes are based on classical super hero beat-em ups, Noir focuses on stealth and I can't help but be reminded of
Arkham Asylum which utilised excellent stealth mechanics. There's just something great about creeping around the shadows, web slinging someone in and beating them senseless (no really, try it.)
Number 2: Sonic Colors
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| Looks promising, no? |
Let's get one thing straight - I'm not a Sonic fanboy. I'll concede that I've enjoyed about four titles in the franchise (being
Sonic the Hedgehog 2,
Sonic the Hedgehog 3,
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and
Sonic Advance) but
Sonic and the Secret Rings really threw me off the bandwagon and I haven't bothered with Sega's blue mascot since. However
Sonic Colors (which I always spell "Colours", and it annoys me to no end) looks like it could be the deal.
Sonic Unleashed was praised for it's "day levels" which were fast and hectic, similar to the Sonic/Shadow levels found on
Sonic Adventure 2. What held it back from being a true return to form for Sonic was the completely unnecessary and gimmicky inclusion of the "Were-Hog" which completely destroyed what the title had going for it by slowing the game to a clunky beat em-up.
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| Drillin', drillin' ma way south! |
This game seems to have rectified that, and the only "addition" to the gameplay are the Whips, which act as power ups. However they're nothing ridiculous like a bazooka - they're nicely integrated power ups such as the Rocket or Drill Whips, which let you traverse environments better. So they simply add to the gameplay, rather than detract. This is probably the sole reason I have so much faith in this game. I'm not sold on it, but as long as Sonic Team manages to continue the level design found in the day levels of
Sonic Unleashed (although they did have the help of Dimps) I don't see any reason why this couldn't be one of the best 3rd party released for the
Wii.
Number 1:
007 Goldeneye
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| *Insert Wilhelm scream here* |
I've only played about half of the original
Goldeneye for
Nintendo 64, but I've found it to be a most enjoyable and unique experience. A lot of people think this game will be a flop, because it's moving away from the archaic design of the original. Well there's a reason for this - the game's a re-imagining, not a remake. You can't remake a game that's over 10 years old, at least not at a level to do the original title justice. Technology simply advances to much, and things need to be changed in order to fit with the times.
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| "Like, oh my God! No way!" |
I think this will be the most impressive shooter on the
Wii. Period. Even better than
Metroid Prime 3 and
The Conduit. It's having a lot of time put into it, and it's running off a
Call of Duty engine, and like them or not,
Call of Duty games are quality in terms of production rate. Not only is it looking beautiful, but the fact it supports multiple peripherals for control and both local four player split-screen and online multiplayer, means it could be the defining multiplayer shooter experience on the
Wii.
Honourable Mentions:
Honourable Mentions are extended to the following titles that made the shortlist for this blog (in no particular order):
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
De Blob: Underground
Raving Rabbids Travel in Time
Pearl Harbour Trilogy (WiiWare)
The Last Story
Conduit 2
