Behind The Nihon Review

The fullsize image (which I found on Danbooru) is quite amazing, but I unfortunately can't track a source...

It’s been a little over a year since I first got a Wii, so I guess this is about as good a time as any to look back at the games I’ve played in that time. And I have actually played quite a few. Wii is probably the console that fits me best, since I don’t consider myself a “hardcore” gamer (in fact, this whole ridiculous dichotomy between “hardcore” and “casual” gaming is best summed up with this comment, IMO), and I’ve grown up with major Nintendo franchises like Mario, Zelda and Metroid, so my attachment to them is completely unabashed. If I were a “hardcore” gamer (or a true America patriot), I’d probably get a PS3 after it, from all accounts, had an very good year just now, but I don’t have enough time and the Wii keeps me sated as far as games are concerned. Anyway, in the next two posts I’ll be mini-reviewing all the games I’ve played on the Wii this year and then posting some general thoughts on the console.

Wii Sports
A lot of the cynical reviews call this a tech demo for the Wii Remote, and they’re probably not too far wrong. But it’s a fun tech demo. I still find Tennis to be a complete blast, and the controls for Bowling are tight and, in my opinion, better than they are in Resort. It’s pretty much a party game, but there are still some things to do solo, like the spin control and strike bowling in the “training” section (as well as Tennis vanilla, which is the game I keep coming back for), but the more advanced Sports Resort pretty much replaces this.
The Rating: 6

Big Beach Sports
This game came for free when I bought the console, and I got pretty much what I payed for. This is shovelware, plain and simple (a term, ironically enough, that I didn’t understand until after I played this). Growing up as a bit of a cricket fan, I was actually somewhat intrigued at the prospect of a cricket mini-game (cricket playing and video game development tend to happen in mutually exclusive regions around the world, so we don’t see many cricket video games, let alone good ones) but I was really let down by how rudimentary the controls were, especially during bowling (batting is reasonable). But this was nothing compared with the American football game, which was a disaster zone. Frisbee golf is tolerable, but the controls in all games range from sketchy to dreadful.
The Rating: 3

Mario Kart Wii
I’m gonna sound like a bit of a loony here, but I actually liked Double Dash better. Having character specific power ups and duel characters was cool. The tracks in this are pretty good, and there’s a lot of classics from older games which I think are there mostly to incite nostalgia (although, what Mario games haven’t been doing this recently), and online is a lot of fun. But, the game lacks something that I can’t quite put my finger on, and I struggle to find reasons to go back to it. I did, admittedly, have a lot of other games to play around this time… And, while it is a decent enough entry into the franchise, I still haven’t played another carting game which is as good as Diddy Kong Racing.
The Rating: 7

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Just so everyone is aware of my video game biases, I consider Ocarina of Time and Chrono Trigger to be the two greatest games I’ve played. Twilight Princess is a pretty unabashed love letter to Ocarina of Time fans, and while the graphics update is phenomenal, I don’t consider this a better game. A couple of the flaws include the ridiculously easy boss fights and the formulaic dungeon design… but there is still a lot to be impressed about, including some 50+ hours of gameplay through an incredibly well realized Hyrule. There’s been a lot of debate about whether this was one “same Zelda formula since Ocarina of Time” game too many, and while I can see that point of view, I’m happy with Twilight Princess because (other than the few flaws here and there) the execution is so good and they’ve managed to fit so much stuff into the game. The rumour mill states that the next console Zelda game will be something vastly different, and I’d say the timing for a departure from what has been a winning formula for over ten years is probably right enough.
The Rating: 9

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
Other than bits and pieces of the GCN Resident Evil remake I played at a friends house, RE4 for Wii is the first full experience I’ve had with an RE game. And it was a blast. The presentation is excellent (although it does show its age as a port), the gameplay is outstanding, the control scheme is quite good (although I know people have complained about RE’s control scheme in general for being too survival horror) and there’s enough to the story to make it engaging… including interactive cutscenes, which was a nice touch since it keeps you on your toes. And there’s a crapload to do to. People have criticized this for not being as “survival horror” as its predecessors. Having never played the old games, I can’t really comment on this. I would like to play a good survival horror game, so one day I might hunt down a copy of the RE remake.
The Rating: 9

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Oh goddamn this game is hard. I bought this because I wanted an RPG for Wii (I bought the wrong console, you say?) and figured Fire Emblem would be my best bet. I read warnings that this was for experienced Fire Emblem players only, and payed for it through the nose. Hey, I wanted a challenge, but what I got was punishing, mostly thanks to the “cannot revive dead characters” aspect of the gameplay. I got about five levels through the “Normal” difficulty before having to throw in the towel and start again on “Easy”. Right now I’m up to the third story arc. It is, in spite of (or perhaps due to) its merciless difficulty, a really good game. The story has a lot of intrigue (and, yes, it goes without saying I don’t get all of it, having not played Path of Radiance), and the gameplay has immense depth that demands thoughtful tactics and management. One day I’ll finish it. I’m averaging about a chapter a week, when I find forty minutes to spare to knock it over (although it usually takes me two or so goes, since I restart whenever I lose a character).
The Rating: 8

Okami
Oh man, does this game rock so hard. The gameplay similarities to Zelda are obvious, but what separates it is its own unique sense of charm and humour. The story and aesthetic sense are steeped in Japanese mythology, and the celestial brush is an incredibly creative concept which underpins the gameplay and puzzle solving brilliantly. There’s so much to love about this game: the way it looks, the way it controls and plays, the charming characters and immense world which bursts with life (there’s at least 30+ hours of gameplay here). I have one little nitpick off the top of my head, and that’s that the celestial brush can be a little cumbersome to control with the Wii Remote sometimes. It would have been nice to know that holding Z draws straight lines a little earlier…
The Rating: 9

Super Mario Galaxy
The game of the console so far. A revolution for the Mario franchise and platforming in general, Galaxy takes the incredibly creative idea of non-uniform gravity to its logical conclusion with almost flawless execution and a massive dollop of adorable charm. The soundtrack is almost a masterpiece, and there have been only a very small handful of other games that have pushed the Wii as hard, graphically. The difficulty is about right as well, 60 stars and Bowser is a piece of cake, but there are some stars towards the end that just had me ripping my hair out. The use of the Wii control for some of the mini games is just brilliant as well, and the rest of the time its implemented with deftness… point at the screen to pick up star bits and occasionally waggle to perform a spin move. That’s all you need.
The Rating: 10

The Conduit
I love the idea of this game. It’s a very tradition FPS, but being on the Wii makes it a rarity. Owners of other consoles probably wouldn’t give this game a second look, but The Conduit does an outstanding job of taking advantage of the Wii’s control set up with a scheme that is tighter than Novak Djockovic at the net (I’ll have egg all over my face if he wins in two week’s time). Both the HUD and control scheme are fully customizable (as well as the dead zone), so everything is just incredibly comfortable. Online is where it’s at, and there’s a good variety of game modes, maps and weapon sets (although I don’t find it all too surprising that “explosives” on Streets is the most popular), but the single player is an unimaginative disappointment, both in its gameplay and story. It is, admittedly, a by the numbers FPS, but the reason to play it, if you’re a Wii only console owner, is that there is (to my knowledge) no other FPS available on the Wii that utilizes the controls as well.
The Rating: 7

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Part two of my review of the Wii games I played last year is coming in the next couple of days. It was about the second half of the year that I really took a good look at what was available on WiiWare and the virtual console, so I’ll be writing a bit about that. I’ll also be wrapping up with a few general thoughts on the console as a whole, such as what it does well, and what I wished it did better. (Also, this is a the 100th published article on this blog).