Gaming Forecast - May 2009

The first of May is here and with it comes another monthly dose of the Gaming Forecast feature.

Gaming Forecast May 2009

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Wii and DS, May 1st)
• New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii, May 4th)
• Klonoa (Wii, May 5th)
• Puzzle Kingdoms (DS, May 5th and Wii, May 12th)
• Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus (Wii, May 12th)
• Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled (DS, May 12th)
  
• C.O.R.E. (DS, May 12th)
  
• Punch-Out!! (Wii, May 18th)
• Boom Blox Bash Party (Wii, May 19th)
• EA Sports Active (Wii, May 19th)
• Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock (Wii, May 19th)
• Steal Princess (DS, May 19th)
• Personal Trainer: Walking (DS, May 25th)

The Wii had a pretty good month this month, with big games like Punch-Out!!, Klonoa, and the almost guaranteed to sell EA Sports Active. The DS was a bit light this month, though Nintendo's Personal Trainer: Walking could be a popular choice among the "expanded audience."

Of the games I want, there's my highly anticipated Punch-Out!! and the beautiful remake Klonoa, which are must buys for me. And later on down the road, maybe when my wallet's not hurting so much, I'll have to check out Boom Blox Bash Party (loved the original) and New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (never played the original).

What about you my dear reader? Are you going to relive some nolstagic Punch-Out!! fun? Or are you saving your money for a month with more worthwhile handheld games?

Gaming Forecast - April 2009 *UPDATED*

The Gaming Forecast is back one again. The month of April has noticeably less games than previous months, but there's still some big releases to be found.

Gaming Forecast April 2009

• Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi's Universe (Wii, Apr. 1st)
  
• Nintendo DSi (Apr. 5th)
• Pop+ Solo (DS, Apr. 5th)
• Rhythm Heaven (DS, Apr. 5th)
  
• Samurai Shodown Anthology (Wii, Apr. 7th)
• C.O.R.E. (DS, Apr. 14th)
  
• Excitebots: Trick Racing (Wii, Apr. 20th)
• Steal Princess (DS, Apr. 21st)
  
• Puzzle Kingdoms (Wii and DS, Apr. 28th)

Note: Dates are subject to change.

By far the biggest release this week is Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi's Universe. Releasing today, the sequel to 2007's biggest Wii game looks as great as the original and then some. Yoshi finally makes a return (being absent from SMG). The game looks really fantastic and even longer and better than the first. I really can't wait to pick up my copy.

*UPDATE* It seems someone was playing a cruel April Fool's joke on me (or was I the one playing it?). Sadly Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi's Universe is only a figment of someone's imagination (or was it my imagination?). Though I really do hope we get a Galaxy sequel on the Wii; Galaxy was just too great to have to wait for another console.

Another huge release this April is the DSi's North American launch on the 5th. (It launches in Europe as well, only a couple of days earlier.) My game spending money has been spent in the last few months, but once I get some more I'll be sure to purchase both a DSi and a copy of Rhythm Heaven. I managed to play the demo of Rhythm Heaven on the Nintendo Channel and I found it was excellent. On the Wii side of things Excitebots looks great as well, and I'm going to look into that game as well.

While April doesn't have a large number of games like both February and March, it stands a pretty good fight with quality over quantity. What about you? Besides Super Mario Galaxy 2 (I mean, that's a must buy for a Wii owner), what are you interested in this month? Are you picking up a DSi?

Comments or questions? See any games I missed? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Mario Kart Wii's online

I've recently beat four games, Deadly Creatures, House of the Dead: Overkill, MadWorld, and New Play Control! Pikmin (in that order actually). They were really great games, and I had a lot of fun with each. But now that I beat every new Wii game that I have, what was I going to play? A few nights ago, I was faced with this dilhema. Should I go back and beat my unbeaten games like Okami and Zack & Wiki? Nah, didn't really want to. Should I use Wii Fit, since I've barely used it since I got it? Nah, too lazy for that too. So I decided to pop in the ol' Mario Kart Wii and play some online.

And after playing around that night and last night, I came to remember how fun Mario Kart Wii's online is. It's by far the best online multiplayer in the Wii game. It's super fast (even with my crappy internet). I love how it's structured, with 5000 points, winning gains to points, losing does the opposite. And I much prefer the continual racing with new people joining and quitting versus the four race cup style of Mario Kart DS's online.

Some may bash Mario Kart (especially the Wii version) for it cheapness and the blue shell hate is almost a universal feeling, but I still love the random racing that isn't totally devoid of skill (not at all actually). My only problem playing last night and the night before would be the somewhat frequent disconnections; though that was most certainly because of my internet and not the game (damn you crappy small town internet provider!) Sure, it would've been nice for Nintendo to have some form of communicating and interacting with friends, but I really do love Mario Kart Wii's online mode. And there's not a doubt in my mind that a year from now I can't pop in the disc, boot up the online multiplayer, and have a just as much of a blast as I did last night.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Impressions of Iwata's GDC '09 Keynote

Iwata’s keynote at GDC today made many a Nintendo fan happy. When it was announced a while ago that Satoru Iwata, President and CEO of Nintendo, would be speaking at GDC 2009, it was interesting but not hype worthy due to this being a “Game Developers Conference” rather than something along the lines of E3 where the big announcements are expected. But then a couple of days ago, we got word of Iwata’s keynote being rather “big,” which in turn began the hype train. I too boarded this train of hyperbole, but I expected it to be derailed once the actual keynote came around. But it sure wasn’t. Iwata’s keynote didn’t disappoint, so here’s my impressions of it... Enjoy!

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Speaking of trains, probably the biggest game news announced was a new Legend of Zelda. This came as a complete surprise to me. For one, if any big name Nintendo franchise game was to be announced, I wouldn't have expected it to be a Zelda game. An announcement of Kirby or Pikmin 3 would’ve made more sense to me. And secondly, I would’ve expected Nintendo’s next Zelda game to be a console one, seeing as they’re last was a portable version.

Nevertheless, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks was announced. It’s a sequel to 2007's The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, in which Link now travels around on a locomotive. Strange as it sounds, it looks very cool. The train parts look to be a lot like traveling around on you ship in Phantom Hourglass, there’s even a cannon to shoot enemies with. After seeing the trailer, I can say the game looks very awesome and like a worthy sequel to LoZ: PH, as it retains the cool bosses, inventive stylus puzzles, and beautiful cel-shaded graphics.

Wii System Menu 4.0

Another unexpected announcement was today’s Wii System Update. It’s available now so go and download it. The storage issues have finally been fixed; you can now download and play WiiWare, Virtual Console games, and Wii channels directly from an SD card. I downloaded it, tried it out, and left very satisfied. The system update adds a SD card icon to the Wii menu. Playing games directly from the SD card was very nice. There’s always going to be a brief load time before playing, but after that everything works great. The load time is super fast though. Testing it out, I found smaller games, like NES titles, to only take a second or two, while bigger WiiWare games like World of Goo, took around fifteen seconds. It’s great to finally be able to have all my WiiWare and VC games accessible.

Final Fantasy news

There was a surprisingly large amount of Final Fantasy news from the keynote as well. A sequel to the WiiWare launch titled, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King was announced, titled My Life as a Dark Lord. I never played the original My Life as a King, but I heard it was great. I may have to check it out sooner or later. (Plus, now I don’t have to worry about deleting and redownloading WiiWare/VC games! Thanks Nintendo!)

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years was also confirmed to be due out sometime this year. The After Years is a sequel to Final Fantasy IV, but what if you haven’t played Final Fantasy IV? Well, Square Enix has you covered. From the keynote we also learn we’ll be getting six Final Fantasy games over VC. The only two we know about are the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV. Overall, some great news for Final Fantasy and RPG fans alike.

DSiWare/Virtual Console announcements

Both Moving Memo Pad and the WarioWare DSi game were reconfirmed for North America. Moving Memo Pad is going to have YouTube-like uploading server, and WarioWare is to be titled WarioWare Snapped! Both games look great, and I can’t wait for them to come stateside.

On the Virtual Console side of things, there was a big announcement too. Virtual Console Arcade will now be available, offering games from the arcades like Mappy, Space Harrier, Ishtar, Space Invaders and more. Much like the Wii System Menu 4.0, Virtual Console Arcade games are available to download today. So if you’re a fan of any classic arcade games, be sure to check out the Wii Shop Channel.

That just about rounds it up. The keynote, the Wii Menu 4.0 and the next Zelda game in particular, left me very happy.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Nintendo Power

Lately, I've been reading through my latest issue of Nintendo Power. Now that I think of it, I've really been enjoying my current subscription to NP. The editors have done a fantastic job with the magazines as of late, with both excellent featured preview articles and some well-written reviews to boot.

Back in the GameCube/GBA era, I found Nintendo Power to not be my thing. I don't know, the magazine wasn't really as interesting as some of the other gaming magazines at that time (my best friend's EGM was read just about every month). And a year or so ago when I heard the magazine was now being headed by the publisher Future US rather than Nintendo, I pretty much wrote off NP as something to read. But after picking up a few issues from a grocery store several monthes ago and subscribing soon after, I can say that notion has changed.

I've found each issue of the magazine that I get to be as enjoyable or even more than the last. Just looking at the current issue, we've got a Pokemon Platinum preview and interview, a first look at ExciteBots, a Rhythm Heaven hands-on, an interview with WayForward about the beautiful game A Boy and His Blob, and a well-written review of MadWorld. Not trying to advertise, but those are some pretty amazing articles (at least for me) to be all in one issue.

So what I'm trying to get at here, is even if you doubt Nintendo Power, give it a chance. Pick up an issue if you're a Nintendo fan and see if you don't like it. I did and certainly don't regret it.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Classic Controller PRO

Nintendo recently unveiled it's latest hardware creation, the Classic Controller PRO, which currently is only going to see a release in Japan. But I'm guessing we'll see a confirmation of whether or not it's coming to North America and Europe sooner or later. As you can see from above, the most prominent change is the two grips for both hands, similar to most controllers nowadays. Another variation from the original is the ZL and ZR button now behind L and R instead of to the right and left of them respectively. It should also be noted that the cord connecting to the Wii remote now comes from the top rather than the bottom.

Personally I dislike the new design. Not that I like the classic controller that much anyways. It was nice to play SNES games, but I didn't really like the design for anything else. I don't like how both analog sticks are near the bottom rather than the superior (at least in my eyes) design of the GameCube and Xbox 360 with the left analog stick directly across from the face buttons. As for the new design, making it more like the Dualshock, which is one of the most uncomfortable designs in my opinion is not a good thing. Plus, they didn't care to implement any other features, most prominent making it wireless and adding rumble. Both would be great and make it worth the increased price tag.

My dream Classic Controller would be one that was wireless (maybe just having to attach some little thing to the Wii remote), had rumble, and could be used in GameCube games (I mean, all the buttons are there, just rearranged a bit). So overall, I definitely don't think the Classic Controller PRO is a step in the right direction. Making it more like the Dualshock, not implementing rumble, and not making it wireless: I'd say that's more a step in the wrong direction.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Gaming Forcast - March 2009

Another month, another Gaming Forecast article. The month of March once again is home to many releases of both Wii and DS games.

Gaming Forecast March 2009

• Major League Baseball 2K9 (Wii, Mar. 3rd)
• Sonic & The Black Knight (Wii, Mar. 3rd)
• We Ski and Snowboard (Wii, Mar. 3rd)
• Major League Baseball 2K9 Fantasy All-Stars (DS, Mar. 3rd)
• Peggle: Dual Shot (DS, Mar. 3rd)
  
• New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis (Wii, Mar. 9th)
• New Play Control! Pikmin (Wii, Mar. 9th)
• MadWorld (Wii, Mar. 10th)
• MySims Party (Wii and DS, Mar. 10th)
• Avalon Code (DS, Mar. 10th)
  
• Marble Saga: Kororinpa (Wii, Mar. 17th)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Wii, Mar. 17th)
• Rune Factory: Frontier (Wii, Mar. 17th)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS, Mar. 17th)
• Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS, Mar. 17th)
• Suikoden Tierkreis (DS, Mar. 17th)
• TrackMania DS (DS, Mar. 17th)
• Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (DS, Mar. 17th)
  
• Pokemon Platinum (DS, Mar. 22nd)
  
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii and DS, Mar. 24th)
• Guitar Hero: Metallica (Wii, Mar. 29th)

Whew... That was a lot of games. They may not all turn out extraordinary, but I'm certain there's quality to be found in my listed releases.

The biggest one this month for me is MadWorld. I am very stoked it and cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this brutal, over the top game. Another Wii game that interests me is the New Play Control! version of Pikmin. I never got to play the original, but have heard great things about it, so I'll definitely be laying down some money for that. As far as other Wii games go, I won't be buying any other. Though both Sonic's latest game and Marble Saga: Kororinpa look interesting, but I doubt I'll pick them up seeing as my wallet's hurting as it is.

As I said last month, I don't own a DS, but if I did I'd have to spend even more of my money. This being because Peggle, GTA: Chinatown Wars, and Henry Hatsworth all look very good.

March was another great month for both Nintendo platforms with many quality releases. What will you be picking up? Or is there nothing that interests you?

Comments or questions? See any games I missed? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Nintendo's latest press release

Being the sneaky ninjas they are, Nintendo did a press release early yesterday morning. There were several new game announcements and some clarification of dates. The standout items (in my mind at least) are announcements of Excitebots: Trick Racing and a WiiWare game titled Night Game, and a release date for Punch-Out!!

First up is Excitebots. This one's really interesting. And since very little was announced other than the title and a small tidbit following that, it becomes even more intriguing. Does the "bot" part have something to do with modifying and customizing vehicles, or is it more of a Transformers vehicle/robot hybrid. I don't know if it's been confirmed, but I'm guessing this is the top secret game that was rumored to be worked on by the developers of ExciteTruck for the Wii. Since this is one of those games that Nintendo announces a few months before it's release date (which is April 20th to be exact), I'm sure we'll be getting a lot more info in the coming weeks.

Down the press release were some WiiWare games. The first two I recognize and am excited for: Eduardo the Samurai Toaster and BIT.TRIP BEAT. But then I scroll down a bit more and read, "Night Game, developed and published by Nicalis: Exclusively for WiiWare..." and I think, "What the"? Reading on I become more and more interested. From how it's been described in the PR, Night Game is a really unique game with it's physics and combination of action and puzzling. The premise is guiding glowing spheres through various locales. From the description of how it is a really unique and pushes the boundaries of design, I'm feeling another game perfect for WiiWare. With it's unique, experimental take on games, I can see this being something like World of Goo or even LostWinds to a lesser extent.

While those were the two big announcements, there were also several release dates confirmed. The biggest being Punch-Out!! for the Wii, which'll be shipping out to retailers on May 18th. This is good to hear, and I'll definitely be checking this one out. Another new release date we got was for New Play Control Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (or NPCDKJB for short). It's already seen a release in Japan, and us in North America will finally be getting it on May 4th, which is a little less than two months after the NA releases of NPC Pikmin and NPC Mario Tennis. Another of the big announcements was Starfy finally seeing a release stateside, which is a pretty big deal for a lot of Nintendo fans. The release date on that one is the 8th of June.

There wasn't much else except games we already knew about and release dates that have already been announced. Though it does seem the list was incomplete. Some may have wondered where Wii Sports Resort was, as there were many games with June release dates, but no mention of the Wii Sports sequel. But I think this may just be due to this not being a complete list, I mean, there's not even mention of Sonic and the Black Knight, nor MadWorld. Whatever the case may be, Nintendo's latest PR brought some big news for Nintendo fans. And I'm especially excited to see what Excitebot and Night Game turn out to be.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Gaming Forecast - Febrary 2009

Welcome to an all new, monthly feature on World 1-1: the Gaming Forecast. Here I'll post about the Wii and DS games in the coming month that you should possibly be looking out for. No shovelware here though, I'll just be posting games that are at least halfway decent. So with out further ado, enjoy this February edition. -Kyle

Wii has quite a few games out this month, especially compared to January. As for the Nintendo DS, there's plenty of games to look out for there as well.

Gaming Forecast February 2009

• Rygar: The Battle of Argus (Wii, Feb. 3rd)
• Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (Wii, Feb. 3rd)
• Deadly Creatures (Wii, Feb. 9th)
• The House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii, Feb. 10th)
• OneChanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers (Wii, Feb. 10th)
• Legacy of Ys: Books I & II (DS, Feb. 10th)
• Retro Game Challenge (DS, Feb. 10th)
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS, Feb. 16th)
• Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS, Feb. 17th)
  
• Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop (Wii, Feb. 24th)
• Blue Dragon Plus (DS, Feb. 24th)
• C.O.R.E. (DS, Feb. 24th)
• Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (DS, Feb. 24th)

The only one I'm definitely getting is House of the Dead. Though Deadly Creatures and Tenchu are very tempting, and I may have to give in and buy them. Since I don't own a DS (that'll change once April comes around and the DSi's launched), I can't say I'm buying any of those. But if I did own Nintendo's little portable, I'd definitely be all over Retro Game Challenge and Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. And even possibly Fire Emblem.

February looks to be a pretty good month for both Nintendo systems. And I'm sure you'll find something to play in those thirteen games I listed.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Pros and cons of the Guitar Heroes and Rock Bands

In 2005, the original Guitar Hero was released. And with it came a new wave of games to the video game industry. While music rhythm games had been present in Japan with Konami's Guitar Freaks for quite some time, it wasn't until Harmonix brought out Guitar Hero that the states final got what is now the cultural phenomenon of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. In 2008 we saw a plethora of both big and small music titles, both handheld and console. Both good and bad. The music genre is a rapidly expanding one. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of these music games, Guitar Hero and Rock Band particularly?

Pros:

First off, above all else in my mind, Guitar Hero and Rock Band have great music. Especially the recent version of Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2, with both disc and downloadable songs, there's a lot of fantastic tracks on there. There's great classic rock, metal, more recent alternative, and punk. There's bound to be some songs on the games that you like. And even if you're not particularly fond of rock music, the games are already beginning to expand, starting with country music DLC in Rock Band.

Another great thing about Rock Band and Guitar Hero is the gameplay. While it may seem strange at first and almost hypnotizing, playing the games turn out to be a rewarding and engaging experience. At least for me, the music playing combined with hitting consecutive notes is pure bliss and (almost) feels like you're really playing the music. That is until you realize you're holding a plastic guitar (or drums) and zoning out to a TV. Nevertheless, Guitar Hero/Rock Band's gameplay is some pure, unadulterated fun.

And finally Rock Band and particularly the most recent Guitar Hero, World Tour, are excellent multiplayer experiences. Going along with my previous point, getting a group of people to rock out with plastic guitars and drums is some of the best multiplayer fun you can get. When you really feel like you're all in this together, you'll know Rock Band and Guitar Hero and working their multiplayer magic.

Cons:

Now for the ugly stuff. Let's start off with an obvious one: the cost. Sure all video games cost money, why should that be a horrible difference with Rock Band and Guitar Hero? Well for one, they cost a considerable amount more than your standard $50/$60 dollar game purchase. For example the recent iterations of Guitar Hero and Rock Band sell for an MSRP of $189.99. That's a huge investment. But nevertheless it can be justified with the content in the games. But then there's also the tendency to get ripped off with the more spin-offy versions that cost more for songs that could've been cheaper if they'd just been available as DLC.

The next big bullet point under disadvantages is the space. When the original Guitar Hero came out, the guitar peripheral took up a considerably larger space than the normal game controllers. Nowadays you'd most likely have one (maybe two) guitars, a drum set, and a microphone. And that doesn't even count any of those other third-party guitars or peripherals from other games you bought the full band packs of. Or maybe you even supported Konami by buying that huge, clunky Rock Revolution drum set. In short, prepare to have a large amount of space taken up by music game peripherals.

My last con doesn't really have to do with physical disadvantages; it's more of an in-game complaint. Particularly innovation. While every iteration of Rock Band and Guitar Hero provides some stellar gameplay, none of them does that much to innovate the genre. Sure Rock Band may have changed the one instrument approach of Guitar Hero and made it full band, but that's not particularly original. I mean, that's been done in the arcades for quite some time; Harmoix just perfected it and bought it onto consoles. And that's really all Harmonix and Neversoft have been doing: perfecting the formula. My money is on the next Guitar Hero polishing the studio mode, making the career modes a little more flexible, and maybe taking a few tips out of Harmonix's book in more multiplayer friendly gameplay. I'm pretty sure we're not going to see a whole lot of innovation. Which is why I feel it's the unique and crazy games like Elite Beat Agents and (dare I say it) Wii Music that are moving the music genre forward into new territory by changing up the formula.

Wrap-up:

I really do love me some Guitar Hero: World Tour every now and then. The great music and the rewarding multiplayer really make all its flaws seem unimportant. But if Rock Band and Guitar Hero continue to not particularly do that much other than polish and add new songs, you may have to count me out when it comes to the "big" music games in the future.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Downloadable content

There are several new "big things" in the game industry this generation. There's motion controls, full online multiplayer experiences, and DLC. Downloadable content offers game developers ways to extend gamer's playtimes and keep them (and their wallets) coming back for more. But is DLC necessarily a good thing?

In my opinion, it depends on how it's used. Take Harmonix's Rock Band, I think they're doing a great job. Rock Band has so many songs available for download, satisfying almost anyone's rock music needs. Every downloadable song combined would cost you more than the game itself. Plus Harmonix has done a great job in being able to use songs in both Rock Band and Rock Band 2 and seamless integration from and to both. It's moves like Harmonix's that show the true possibilities of downloadable content and how convenient it really is.

But then there's other publishers and developers that misuse DLC. I don't want to play through most of the game only to realize I have to play some money to buy the final chapters once they're available for download. I don't want to buy difficulties and other modes that should have already been in the game. And I definitely don't want to have to spend money on stupid hats and clothes for in game characters and avatars. What about in game currency and gold? Fine, just don't make me pay my real, hard earned money for stupid things like shirts and hairstyles.

So while some developers and publishers (like previously mentioned Harmonix) do downloadable content very well, the industry still has a long ways to go. DLC should be something gamers go to once the main game's over to keep them coming back. It shouldn't be crucial for entertainment and completely necessary to enjoy the most of your game.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Winter

Quick article. Just wanted to give my two cents on Winter. -Kyle

As you probably know we recently got info on IGN's "dark game" known as Winter. (If you don't know, check out IGN's interview here and footage of the game here.) Basically Winter's a survival horror game developed by n-Space (the developers behind games like Geist for the GameCube and the Call of Duty games for the DS). Development has halted due to lack of interest publishers. The devs said that their game was met with praise yet publishers left uninterested because of two key factors: that it was a new IP and that it was a survival horror game on what they deemed the "kids" console, the Wii.

IGN finally showed off the game through a trailer and an interview, and I really love what I see. The game looks to be a really entertaining and really creepy survival horror game. From the footage that was released, just about everything in the environment you can interact with. In some of the levels you'll be just trying to survive by staying warm which can lead to starting fires, turning on vehicles, and climbing in dead animals carcases for warmth (ala Han Solo, The Empire Strikes Back). The footage also showed some pretty impressive graphics for the Wii. And the demo they made up took them six weeks. Think of what they could do in a regular development cycle of around two years?

Unfortunately development has currently halted. But I'm hoping Winter goes along the same route as the Conduit, that is, it gets a lot of interest online, alerting publishers, and eventually gets published. As far as publishers go, I can see SEGA picking this one up. As they did for the Conduit and how they're supporting the Wii with similar, core games like MadWorld and House of the Dead: Overkill. It would also be an excellent title for Nintendo to publish, seeing as they're hardcore releases have been relatively thin in North America as of late. (Where's Fatal Frame 4? Or Disaster: Day of Crisis? Come on NOA.)

I really hope this game gets published. The Wii needs more games like this. At least some people are doing what they can. GoNintendo's Kevin Cassidy and IGN's Nintendo team, along with several other sites are going to do all they can in trying to get this game a publisher and get it released. It's nice to see IGN's Nintendo team interested, seeing as what they've done with other third-party Wii games, particularly Zack & Wiki and the Conduit. Plus you can sign a petition that currently has over 600 signatures here. Online petitions may not always be the most effective things, but it could help. I really hope we can get Winter published. It’s efforts like these that need to be rewarded.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

WiiWare games in 2009

If you missed my first article, about retail Wii games in 2009, check it out here; this one's about WiiWare. -Kyle

2009, in my mind, is going to be one of the better years for Wii, at least from what we know so far. But what about WiiWare? 2008 was an awesome year for WiiWare. We saw some of the best Wii games of the year launched on Nintendo's downloadable service, such as World of Goo, Mega Man 9, and LostWinds. We may not know too many WiiWare games being released in 2009. But the ones we do look to continue the quality.

Please note: release dates are for North America only. If you're from somewhere other than North America, such as Europe or Australia, check Google, Wikipedia, and/or IGN to be sure.

Cave Story
Developer: Studio Pixel
Release date: Early 2009

The original Cave Story for PC, that's free and still available here, earned a reputation as the best freeware game of all time. And now it's being brought over to WiiWare. With it come both technical and in-game additions. Tech junkies will be pleased to know the game is now has 480p and widescreen options. Plus both the graphic and sound departments have received a major overhaul. But if you're a fan of the original and this worries you you can always change back to retro graphics and classic music. Also, recently announced was new content via downloads. One of the best free downloadable games of all times may soon be joining the ranks of best WiiWare games.

Swords & Soldiers
Developer: Ronimo Games
Release date: Q1 2009

Second up on this feature is Swords & Soldiers. S&S is a 2D, sidescrolling real-time strategy game. In it you play as one of three factions, the Aztecs, the Vikings, and a third faction we don't know about yet. The art style is awesome and (partially quoting some article I can't remember) is a combination of the looks of XBLA's Castle Crashers and PSN's Fat Princess. The game will feature both local and online multiplayer, as well as single player campaigns for each of the factions. It looks like a lot of fun and is one of my most anticipated games.

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
Developer: Semnat Studios
Release date: Q1 2009

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster. Yes, that's this game's name. Awesome, right? Eduardo was only recently announced, but it's already a looker. It's a run'n'gun game in the same vein as greats like Gunstar Heroes, Contra, and Metal Slug (which are favorites of the game developers). It sports co-op for up to four player and an awesome graphical style. Many games of this list have graphics that lean towards style rather than raw processing power. But Eduardo the Samurai Toaster may top them all with it's amazing and diverse style. Stages and levels will be made up of different kinds of art such as charcoal, pen and ink, and acrylic paint. Definitely one of the neater looking games on the horizon.

LIT
Developer: WayForward Technologies
Release date: TBA 2009

LIT is a game with a really unique premise: you can't wander into the darkness or evil creatures will get you. So to avoid darkness you'll have to follow paths that the light uncovers. This opens up tons of puzzles involving turning on lights to make paths, throwing rocks through windows to shine moonlight in, and using obtained items like flashlights and lanterns. While graphically the game looks to be really lacking, the puzzles look ingenious and awesome, so I can't wait for it.

Animales de la Muerte
Developer: High Voltage Software
Release date: TBA 2009

I'm almost hesitant to list this on here. The reason being we've heard so little of this game for a while. There was even talk of HVS putting out as a retail due to Nintendo's limited file size cap. But as for the game, it looks great. Supposedly all the animals in a Mexican zoo have gotten some kind of virus and are now rabid, zombie animals. So the zoo manager tasks you to put all his precious animals out of their misery. To do this you'll equip yourself with machine guns and take 'em down. The goal of each level is to survive for as long as possible. And after seeing the trailer with Mexican hat dance music playing while cartoony, zombie animals are uzied down, only two words will be on your mind (well at least they were on mine): hilarious and awesome.

Other WiiWare games

There's not a lot of WiiWare games that we know of that I didn't list. But three of them, Evasive Space, Last Flight, and Eternity's Child, look interesting though I'm not so sure of them yet. Also with not a lot of first-party support in 2008, we can only hope Nintendo has something up their sleeve for '09, preferably a revisit of a classic franchise. Perhaps a Mega Man 9-esque Link to the Past sequel with 16-bit graphics and all? Make it happen Nintendo! Or how about the long overdue New Super Mario Bros. 2 being released as a download. Pure awesome that would be. And finally we do know that Frontier is planning a LostWinds sequel. The first was excellent, albeit a bit short, so I'm definitely holding out for a LostWinds 2.

What about you? Any WiiWare games you looking forward to? Or would you rather stick to retail?

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Wii games in 2009

100th post! Awesome! Here's to 100 more! Well, that's over, onto the article... I've been planning on doing this article since the beginning of the year, but just haven't gotten around to doing it until now. -Kyle

2008 was an average year for the Nintendo hardcore. The first party efforts weren't all that great, at least in the states. Even with WiiWare and third-parties supplying quality, the great games of 2008 weren't all that many. But coming into 2009, there's quite a few awesome looking retail Wii games on the horizon. Below, I've detailed eight of these such games (retail only for now) that I'm really stoked for. This is a long one, so grab some popcorn, a drink of some sort, and enjoy!

EDIT: Don't believe me about 2009 being a great year for Wii? Check out this NeoGAF thread, specifically the second and third posts. Yeah, that's a lot games. Even if some of them aren't necessarily coming to North America or coming in 2009, that's still a damn lot of games, and that's only the ones we know of. (Thanks to SuperPhillip for the heads up.)

Please note: release dates are for North America only and found on IGN.com. If you're from somewhere other than North America, such as Europe or Australia, check Google, Wikipedia, and/or IGN to be sure.

House of the Dead: Overkill
Publisher: SEGA
Release date: February 10, 2009

Of my eight games on this list, House of the Dead: Overkill is supposed to be released the soonest. It's definitely a game to look forward to for House of the Dead fans and light-gun fans. The overall game looks really awesome and the "Grindhouse"-inspired visuals and presentation look great.

MadWorld
Publisher: SEGA
Release date: March 10, 2009

By far the bloodiest, most intense, and possibly most controversial (among the media) game on this list, MadWorld is sure to be insane. Just looking through screens and videos, you see how strange yet awesome the game is going to be. The story is that of a man named Jack trapped in a lethal game show. The visuals are Sin Cityish, and the huge array of death moves looks both impressive and entertaining.

Little King's Story
Publisher: Xseed Games/Marvelous Interactive
Release date: May 2009

Xseed's Little King's Story is looking very Pikmin-esque. But that's definitely not a bad thing. I'm actually more excited for it than any Pikmin game we'll get this year. Why? Because New Play Control Pikmin 1 and 2 are remakes despite looking awesome, and we don't have an official confirmation of Pikmin 3 and what it'll look like. In Little King's Story, you control a young king, who all the villagers follow without question. With this command comes the ability to build building, raise armies, and take over other kingdoms.

The Conduit
Publisher: SEGA
Release date: Q2 2009

SEGA's putting a lot of support on the Wii in 2009 as is evident with House of the Dead, MadWorld, and finally The Conduit. Possibly the biggest hyped game for the Wii, The Conduit's been praised for it's excellent, intuitive control scheme and its impressive visuals. But as for the main game and its gameplay, I'm not totally convinced, as it looks like run of the mill FPS fare. But I hope the All-Seeing Eye puzzling elements and online multiplayer will make it a bit fresher.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Publisher: Xseed Games/Marvelous Entertainment
Release date: TBA 2009

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is one of my most anticipated games lately. From it's awesome gameplay to it's gorgeous art style, this one's sure to be a winner. The levels are made of up 2D sidescrolling, hack and slash gameplay with RPG leveling-up elements. The Japanese, hand drawn graphics are both beautiful with Japanese mythology in mind. There's two characters to play as, each having their own story, which really extends the lasting value.

Punch-Out!!
Publisher: Nintendo
Release date: TBA 2009

Very little news has come about Nintendo's latest Punch-Out!! game for the Wii. Nonetheless, the game looks very awesome from Nintendo's trailer at their Fall Media Summit. This time around it retains a cartoony, almost cel-shaded style of visuals that I really like. And it also seems to keep its offensive humor as is evident from the trailer.

Sin & Punishment 2
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: TBA 2009

Much like Punch-Out!!, we have very little news regarding Sin & Punishment 2 other than what was said at the Nintendo Fall Media Summit. Until it was recently released on the North American Virtual Console, the original was a Japan only N64 game with a cult following and very positive critical reception. The sequel's sure to be a hit over here in the states with classic gameplay mixed with updated, Wii remote aiming controls.

Wii Sports Resort
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: TBA 2009

I'm actually more excited for what's packaged with Wii Sports Resort than I am for the game itself. The sequel to Wii Sports is bundled with Wii MotionPlus, a peripheral with exciting possibilities. With this, true 1:1 control is possible on the Wii. Plus just as Wii Sports showed off the finer points of Wii remote controls with its five sports, Wii Sports Resort will show off the possibilities of Wii MotionPlus with nine activities including frisbee-throwing, jet skiing, and sword dueling.

Other Wii games

Other than these eight games that I'm super-excited for, there's several games that really interest me, but I'm not totally convinced yet. Two of these such games are Deadly Creatures and Monster Hunter 3. I had also almost completely written of Klonoa for the Wii until Wiifolder.com's Josh did an excellent video tour of it, and now I'm really intrigued for this platforming title. And finally, I'm really looking forward to the New Play Control series, especially the Pikmin and Metroid Prime remakes, but I didn't feel it was fair to include it in the main list, seeing as they're ports and a lot of readers have already played them.

That concludes my "Wii games of 2009" feature. What are your most anticipated games? Look out sometime later this week for my "WiiWare games of 2009" article.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Rest in peace 1UP and EGM

As you probably know, 1UP.com was recently bought by UGO. And with this merge comes tons of layoffs, including many loved writers like Shane Bettenhausen, Greg Ford, and James “Milkman” Mielke. Also due to this merge, 1UP's magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, all the loved 1UP podcasts, and the 1UP Show are gone.

So I'd like to take this post and wish the 1up and EGM teams good luck and thanks for all you guys have done. Though I didn't particularly follow your site and blogs as many (more hardcore) fans did, I did read quite a few of your previews and reviews. And every time I really loved what you guys wrote and how much passion you have for the industry.

As for EGM, despite it having a huge fan base, I didn't particularly love it. It was good and all but I didn't turn to it first for print news. Even so, the magazine was really well done and was one of my first game magazines to read. Excellent job guys.

And finally, I'd like to voice my deepest sorrow for all of you who lost your jobs. Working for 1UP and EGM would be a dream job for me and was probably one of your favorite jobs. At least working for 1up will be good on your resumes, and I hope you all can find jobs doing something with video games or something else you love.

And as for UGO, who bought 1UP and canceled EGM and their podcasts, I'm in two mindsets: one, fuck you UGO for destroying 1UP! and two, thanks for saving the website from this shitty economy. But alas I'm more in the former category since by firing all the loved staff and taking away EGM and the podcasts, all UGO has now is a lifeless body that is a website without the soul and life that was the staff.

And one last time. R.I.P. 1UP and EGM. You will be sorely missed, even by your not-so-devoted followers like me. If you're wanting to read more about this, check out GoNintendo, they have had tons of updates concerning how and why this happened and many people's opinions from both 1UP and UGO. And definitely check out Milkman's blog post: The Last Day of EGM, The Secret Lost Final Issue of EGM for a really heartwarming and sad (an oxymoron perhaps?) look on the final days of 1UP's staff and the final, 20th anniversary issue of EGM, which will only be available digitally.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

The problem with review scores

If there's one thing I've really noticed in the last year after posting reviews and reading tons of reviews, there's definitely a problem with review scores. Several problems actually.

First of all, one of the main problems is that there's not a standard for scoring a game. Let's say Website A and Website B both score out of 10 (just to make it a bit simpler). Yet Website A's average score is somewhere around a 7.0 or a 7.5. On the other hand if a game got a 5.0 from Website B it'd be considered average. Since different sites use different review scales, it becomes hard to tell if they like the game, hate it, or think it's mediocre without reading the review. And once you get different point scales such as out of 5 or 100, it makes reviews almost incomparable, since the more leeway you're allowed to score (such as .5's versus .1's) the more opinion's will seem to differ. Lately I don't even pay attention to Metacritic for this very reason. The fact that websites and magazines use different review scales makes the exact number Metacritic assigns inaccurate and meaningless.

My second problem is more of a pet peeve than a real ordeal. Assigning a sole number to sum up a review makes that review meaningless to a lot of people. These said people will just scroll to the bottom, read the score, and leave the review. Which is definitely not the point. I really wish these people could just sit through a reading of a review. The writer put a lot of their time, effort, and play time into the idea of writing it. The most you can do is read the review. Even if you don't have time or can't concentrate, can't you at least read the final couple of paragraph? You know, the ones that summarize the entire review so you don't have to read it? Those ones.

Also the number assigned makes people think, "Oh, they scored Game A a 9.4 but Game B a 9.3. Game A is must be better." It's hard enough coming up with a review score; it's not like reviewers look through every single review they've written and compare the game to those. Which brings me to my next point, on big sites like IGN and 1up.com (R.I.P.) different reviewers review different games. So that all adds up to different opinions of different genres of different games. Which can then deem the score meaningless. Overall this means the score is very unimportant in my eyes. What is important is the written review.

So what am I getting at with these ramblings? I've used this post to do two things: #1. Voice my opinion on why I feel review scores are flawed. And #2. Announce that I'll be ditching scores in my reviews from now on. 2009 is a new era for World 1-1 reviews! I started thinking about this when I first ditched all the scores besides the overall. Then I decided, even the overall score could be interpreted in so many different ways that I'm better off just writing the review. Don't worry, if you're still tempted to scroll to the bottom, at least read the "Overall Thoughts" paragraph. It'll take you somewhere from ten to thirty seconds and it's a much better alternative to scores (at least in my humble opinion). And it's this paragraph that'll matter to people the most anyway, since it's there I voice my final opinion and whether or not you should buy, rent, or skip the game.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Current Obsessions - Aught-Nine Edition

Episode 5: Aught-Nine Edition

I changed the name of my "What I'm Playing" articles (previously "Games I've Been Playing Lately") to a new (and hopefully final) name: "Current Obsessions." I've named it so because I'll also list a few non-gaming things I've been obsessed near the end. So, without further ado, my first "Current Obsessions" of the new year.

Gaming

Animal Crossing: City Folk
Platform: Wii
This one might be on this list for a while. I'm addicted. While many critics say it's not unique enough and feels like too much of the same, I'm loving it, since I never played either of the previous versions. I live in Cooltown as little Animal Crossing Kyle. Lately I've been two things above all: fishing and searching for fossils. I really enjoy filling the in-game museum with all sorts of collectibles. I also enjoy building the occasional snowman and just talking to the animals throughout the town. I can totally see where people are coming from when they talk about their addiction to the original Animal Crossing and Wild World, I'm in love with City Folk and will probably be playing it for months if not years to come.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Platform: Wii
As part of my plan to complete all my unfinished Wii games, Lego Star Wars was the first on the list. I'm really close to finishing, as I'm in Episode VI and have three stages left. I really enjoyed the game, despite some of the flaws like iffy platforming. I especially loved all the Star Wars characters and scenes "Legofied." I'm thinking about getting Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman, since I enjoyed this one as much as I did.

N+
Platform: Nintendo DS
N+ is a surprisingly entertaining Nintendo DS game. I really enjoyed the flash game, but I doubted how it'd play on the DS's tinier screens. But the move from PC to DS was a very successful one. The top screens shows the entire level, while the bottom screen displays a more zoomed in view so that you can make more precise jumps and landings. N+ is platforming at it's best and simplest. The goal of each level is to unlock the door, so to do this you'll run, jump, and dodge enemies and obstacles. It's awesome. Despite not being like LittleBigPlanet in depth or scale, the level editor has also been very fun, and I've made a number of awesome levels with it.

Non-gaming

As of late I've been watching a bunch of DVD's; mostly the ones my family and I received for Christmas. In the last few nights, I've watched Iron Man and Wall-E, both excellent. And tonight I think I'm going to watch The Dark Knight (one of my favorite films of all time).

I haven't been doing much else than videogames and movies in my spare time. What about you guys? What things, gaming and non-gaming, have you been obsessed with lately?

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

What Nintendo should do in 2009

Happy New Year everyone! It's 2009! Whoo! Time for a fresh start into the new year. As I've stated before, Nintendo made some strange decisions in 2008. I hope in '09 that's not the case, and they decide to do some things a little better. So below I've listed things I think Nintendo should do this year.

Release an equal ratio of casual/core games
I have no problem with Nintendo's Blue Ocean Strategy that includes games like Endless Ocean and Wii Fit. But as long as they release an equal amount of "hardcore" titles. In 2008, this wasn't the case, with Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wario Land: Shake It! the only core titles (and maybe Mario Kart Wii, but it was a dumbed down version gameplay-wise). But in '09 I'm thinking they'll keep the ratio about equal, since we already know of core titles like Punch-Out!!, Sin & Punishment 2, and the inevitable Pikmin 3.

Put some first-party love onto WiiWare
In 2008 we got quite a few great WiiWare games. But we got very few Nintendo published ones. We saw the small yet awesome Art Style titles, Dr. Mario, and Pokemon Ranch. I hope Nintendo puts a lot more games onto WiiWare this year, especially visits to old franchises such as Excite Bike, Kid Icarus, and Ice Climbers that'd be perfect at $10 as downloads. And why the hell haven't we gotten a 2D Mario platformer for WiiWare yet? It'd be the perfect fit, it'd sell truckloads (metaphorically), and it'd please quite a few hungry Nintendo fans. Make it happen Nintendo.

Up the quality of the Virtual Console
This one I really don't get. We got a several quality games on the Virtual Console last year, such as the long awaited Super Mario RPG, Mega Man, Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3, and Secret of Mana. But the crap far outnumbered the quality this year. Which is something I don't get. Why release games that nobody likes if you want to make money? This doesn't make sense to me. I hope Nintendo starts releasing the good games, because I know there still are a lot of unreleased ones. Maybe Super Smash Bros, Earthbound, and Majora's Mask to start?

Put on at least a decent E3 show
This one I'm pretty sure of. 2008's Nintendo E3 event was by far one of the worst. So I'm willing to bet they'll have learned from their mistakes and will put on at least a decent showing this year. Hopefully with some more hardcore showing of games. Perhaps Pikmin 3 and some other first party title.

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

My gaming New Year's resolutions

It's New Year's Eve. And you know what that means, the start of a new year. It also means people will be making resolutions. People will resolve to go on diets, quit smoking, get out of debt, or just spend more time with families. Those are all great. But this is a gaming blog, not a lifestyle blog, so today I've compiled a list of my "gaming New Year's resolutions."

Finish unfinished games
This is probably the biggest one. I have quite a few games that I've bought but haven't beaten. It really peeves me when I have games that are unfinished, but I keep buying more. So in 2009 it's my goal to complete all of my unfinished Wii games, which are Boom Blox, Zack & Wiki, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Lego Star Wars, SSX Blur, Blast Works, and Okami. I know, that's a lot of games, but most of them I'm close to completing, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Don't go on a single reviewer's opinion
I don't do this a lot. But occasionally I'll base my purchase of a game off one review. That usually isn't the wisest since people have different opinions. Which can lead to some regrettable purchases.

Spend my money wisely
This one relates to the previous one. Sometimes I've been like, "Oh the game's getting high 7's and low 8's," and then I'll go and buy it. But perhaps the genre or game series isn't really for me. One example is Blast Works: Build Trade Destroy. I bought it because it was getting favorable reviews from a lot of sites and magazines. But in those reviews the reviewers stated it might not be a good purchase if you don't want to spend the time creating all the levels. Once I'd bought it, I found this to be the case and haven't played much of it since (the custom level modes are a bit too complicated for me, and I'm not creative enough for them).

There you have, three gaming New Year's resolutions I'm making. What about you? Are you making any game related resolutions?

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...

Wii: Best games of 2008

The Nintendo Wii had an interesting year in terms of games. Nintendo's first-party lineup was pretty lacking, but WiiWare and third parties definitely helped supply quality. The way this article is going to work is that I'll be going through the biggest games of 2008 chronologically, starting with No More Heroes in January and ending with the last big game of the year. I'll be leaving out two games, Runner-up Game of the Year and Game of the Year to be listed at the very end.

All in all, these games aren't ones I'm recommending you borrow or rent. These eleven games are what I think you should go out and purchase, no doubt about it. Since the economy isn't doing too great, some people may not have the resources to do this. That's what the last two games are for. These couple of titles are the two best games of the year and what I recommend over all else. And with a combined price of $65, it shouldn't put you back too much. So without further ado, the first game of my "Wii: Best games of 2008" feature is the ultra-violent and super-stylized...


No More Heroes
Wii
Ubisoft
January 22, 2008
My Score: 8/10

No More Heroes for the Wii is probably the most mature and badass title on this list. The game is chock full of style and personality. HUDs and menus are made up of pixels and in game graphics are cel-shaded. Killing an enemy results in an almost comical explosion of blood that's in no way realistic. The combat is equally awesome as it's a mixture of button mashing, motion controls, and combos. You play as Travis Touchdown, a typical otaku, who gets a laser sword over an internet auction and sets off to become the number one assassin by killing the top ten assassins. The boss battles are very memorable and will challenge you like none other.

Excerpt from review: "No More Heroes is pretty long game with a whole lot of personality and graphical style. The high points of the game, the awesome boss battles and entertaining combat, more than make up for the game's low points, most notably the lack of graphical polish and poor open world. I'd recommend a buy to almost anyone who loves action, are "allowed" to play M-rated games, and wants a solid twelve to fifteen hour experience." Full review here.

Okami
Wii
Capcom
April 15, 2008

My score: TBD

There have been a number of ports onto the Wii. Generally, they're not all that great. But Capcom breaks the mold by porting over the PS2 game Okami, developed by the now disbanded Clover Studios (who were behind other games such as Vietiful Joe). In short, there's only one way to describe Capcom's Okami: a work of art. The entire game's visuals are vibrant and stunning Japanese watercolor. Graphical impressions aside, what you have in Okami is Capcom's very own Legend of Zelda game. The influences are obvious as you'll traverse huge worlds, explore dangerous dungeons, and solve ingenious puzzles. The biggest innovation is the Celestial Brush, now controlled via the Wii remote IR rather than the PS2's analog stick. Many different moves come with it. Some offensive, like drawing slashes through enemies or creating bombs, while others are more for interacting with the environment, such as creating lily pads to cross deep rivers and blooming trees that were otherwise dead. It's a beautiful game and a huge one at that.

Excerpt from review: Review is coming. Haven't played enough of the game. I will edit this post once my official review is up. -Kyle

Mario Kart Wii
Wii
Nintendo
April 27, 2008
My Score: 8/10

The Mario Kart series is a staple for any Nintendo console. This time around the Wii's unique motion controls make the game even more fun with the plastic Wii Wheel. You'll race all of your favorite Nintendo characters, from Mario and Bowser to Koopa and Birdo, around awesomely fun and unique tracks with crazy items like turtle shells and bananas at your disposal. The online's some of the best on the Wii (because of the connectivity speed, it's lag-free play, and it's addicting nature). Plus the game's accessible to pretty much all ages. Control picky people needn't worry either; a plethora of control options await, including GameCube controller support.

Excerpt from review: "Mario Kart Wii is a great game. And it'll last you a while, especially in the online areas. But it's not for everyone. If you didn't like the other Mario Karts or like more realistic, less random racing like F-Zero, then this isn't for you. But I liked it and what it brought to the Mario Kart table, such as bikes, tricks, Miis, and a great online." Full review here.



Boom Blox
Wii
Electronic Arts
May 6, 2008
My score: 9/10

At a first glance, Boom Blox looks like a kids game. And I don't blame you. But after sinking many hours of gameplay into it like I did, I think you'll say differently. Sure the game's great for kids, at least the early levels. But on the Hard and Master levels, the game really challenges you. But what differs the game from so many others are the excellent controls and great use of the Wii remote. The level of force you put into your throw is accurately represented in the game. The game's great in both the single and multiplayer options. Plus it comes with an awesome and deep "Create" mode that utilizes the remote's IR well.

Excerpt from review: "Boom Blox is a great game. The great single- and multiplayer puzzles are the high points of the game and more than makes up for the average visuals and music. Plus, it's going to last you a long time. Maybe not just trying to beat every puzzles, but also trying to get gold, that's going to take a while." Full review here.



LostWinds
WiiWare
Frontier
May 12, 2008
My score: 9/10

Nintendo WiiWare service launched May 12, 2008. At launch there were six titles, including Defend Your Castle, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, and LostWinds. It may have been a launch title, but LostWinds kicked off Nintendo's new service with a bang. The title showed what downloadable games are: smaller, innovative titles that can be priced lower. All in all the game's around four or so hours. So it's not all that long. But the gameplay's is unlike anything seen on the Wii. Your cursor controls the wind as you move a little boy Teku along. Draw lines to summon gusts of wind. With the controls come some innovative puzzles such as blowing fire into a barrier or carrying water to a plant. LostWinds' presentation is also really great. Even if it was a launch title, LostWinds is still one of the best WiiWare games in my opinion.

Excerpt from review: "I think LostWinds is the best you can get from Nintendo's WiiWare service. It's entertaining and keep you hooked until the credits. It's short, but the graphics and audio really keep the game moving." Full review here.

Wario Land: Shake It!
Wii
Nintendo
September 22, 2008
My score: 8/10

Most of the time, visuals are what you experience first with a game. And Wario Land: Shake It!'s are fluid and look like an excellent hand drawn cartoon. Aside from the beautiful style, the gameplay is much like the great 2D platformers of old. The controls are precise, what humor there is is "laugh-out-loudable," and the level design is top notch. The shaking (as the sub-title implies) is a bit annoying, but other uses for the motion controls, such as balancing or aiming by tilting is great.

Excerpt from review: "While Wario Land: Shake It! doesn't do much for the genre and its core game isn't all that long, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't have some fun with the game. The motion controls are used nicely, albeit the shaking in some parts. The hidden depth of game, and the flat out amazing visual style make this one heck of a game and definitely worth your purchase." Full review here.



Mega Man 9
WiiWare
Capcom
September 22, 2008
My score: 9/10

After years filled with countless Mega Man spin-offs (most of them sub-par), Capcom has opted to go back to Mega Man's roots with Mega Man 9. With it's 8-bit graphics, 8-bit music (which, by the way, is excellent), and 8-bit difficulty, fans of the original NES titles are sure to be pleased by this one. In some areas, the game may feel unforgiving, but it's just goes to show how lax your reflexes have come in this day and age. The game plays almost identical to the original Mega Man and Mega Man 2 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It's your job to take down Dr. Wily's eight robots in any order you like. But there's strategy in the order you choose, each Robot Master is vulnerable to another one's weapon, which you obtain after beating said boss.

Excerpt from review: "A truly challenging game. It's fun and goes back to those golden days of gaming. But expect to throw the controller down more than once." Full review here.



de Blob
Wii
THQ
September 22, 2008
My score: TBD

The Wii is home to some really unique titles. Boom Blox, Wii Sports, and Zack & Wiki are a few of the innovative titles on the Wii. These kinds of games are both a whole lot of fun and a refreshing take on their genres and video games as a whole. de Blob is another of these games. It a new kind of platforming game. The premise is that the city has been drained of color by a the sinister I.N.K.T. corporation. It's your job to color the city. You join up with a band of colorful, painting revolutionaries and the rest is history. The presentation is one of the many high points of the game, as the graphics are some of the more impressive on the Wii. The upbeat music is awesome and changes with every color you obtain. It's one of the few third-party games on Wii that really pushes the system.

Excerpt from review: Once again the review is coming and I'll edit this feature once I've written my full review. -Kyle



Art Style: ORBIENT
WiiWare
Nintendo
September 29, 2008
My score: 8/10

There have been three Art Style games, ORBIENT, CUBELLO, and ROTOHEX, released on Nintendo's WiiWare service. Two were remakes of GBA bit Generations, while the other was a completely new game . Art Style: ORBIENT was the only one I downloaded, therefore it's the only one on this list. But I've read that it's the best of the three, so if there's anywhere to start, it's this one. ORBIENT's a remake of the Japan-only GBA game Orbital. The premise is simple but gets tough later on. You control a little planetoid with the power of controlling the gravity and anti-gravity. You orbit stars trying to absorb certain ones until you meet a certain goal. It's a very addictive and super unique little title.

Excerpt from review: "Art Style: ORBIENT is a simple title that uses it's core concept, gravity, and really expands on it. It's a unique little game overall. The graphics may not break any records, but the strangely enjoyable music and lasting value will make this a definite must to most. Plus with the $6.00 price tag, I'd recommend ORBIENT to almost anyone." Full review here.

Runner-up Wii 2008 Game of the Year

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Wii
Nintendo
March 9, 2008
My score: TBD

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the most hyped game for the Wii and possibly this generation of consoles. It's the ultimate Nintendo fan-service game. And if you're a fan of Nintendo and you have yet to pick up this game, you're either short on money or have your priorities way out of whack. The game is one of the best multiplayer games I've played in a long time. While the online may be seriously lacking and the single player portions average, Brawl more than makes up for these complaints with super entertaining local multiplayer. It's so hectic, so random (yet strategic), and so damn fun that you'll almost never tire of the party aspects. Plus, it's got layers and layers of fan-service with collectibles such as trophies, stickers, and music and unlockables such as stages, characters, and assistants called Assist Trophies. With all the content SSBB has, it'll last you hundreds of hours.

Excerpt from review: My third game on this list still in need of a review. Don't worry, this'll be the one I put out first. Until then, let me just say this: the game rocks. Buy it. -Kyle

Wii 2008 Game of the Year

World of Goo
WiiWare
2D Boy
October 13, 2008
My Score: 10/10

Even with the monumental game that is Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I felt one other game topped the rest of the Wii's 2008 lineup. That game is World of Goo. It may not have an epic, 30+ hours main game. It may not have awesome 32-player online. Yet World of Goo is one of the most fun, innovative, and memorable experiences of 2008. The game is ridden with charm and style. Every level is unique, and the game as a whole is very entertaining. Each level generally has you picking up and attaching goo balls together to build your way up to a pipe. There's so much variation in level design, objectives, and the types of goo balls that no two levels feel the same. If you must download one WiiWare game this year, make it World of Goo. If you must play only one Wii game this year, make it World of Goo. It's that good.

Excerpt from review: "World of Goo is one of the best games I've played this year and a great WiiWare title overall. With enough content and fun to be priced as a full retail (or slightly lower), World of Goo is a must-have. It tops downloadable favorites of mine in both style and presentation. Though it has very minor flaws, the $15 game is well worth the Wii Points." Full review here.



Other notable games:
These are the games I either didn't get to play, or I didn't feel quite good enough for the main part of this article, but you might want to give a try if you're a fan of the series or genre. (I grouped similar games together to save space.)

• Animal Crossing: City Folk
  
• Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour
• Wii Fit and Wii Music
• The other two Art Style games: CUBELLO and ROTOHEX
• Bully: Scholarship Edition
• Toki Tori
• Dr. Mario Online Rx and Tetris Party
• Blast Works
• Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People Episodes 1-5
  

And thus concludes my "Wii: Best games of 2008" article. I hope everyone's having a good holiday, and I hope everyone (who celebrates it) had a Merry Christmas!

Comments or questions? Drop an email to kylehogg@gmail.com or leave a comment below...