vashivihan
Let There Be Rock
an extension of my earlier thread
link http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=179671
61) Top Spin Tennis (Spring)
While the world never fell in love with 2K's Top Spin series, Top Spin Tennis could change all that. It should incorporate the versatility of Wii Sports's shooting with the benefits of analogue movement and aiming: you'll position with the stick and smack the ball with the remote as you'd expect, but the game can detect an underarm lob, overarm smash and at least two types of slice. It'll also work out power based on how hard you swing it. And it wouldn't be Top Spin without crazy court-painting minigames, so we're glad they're back.
62) Emergency Mayhem (Spring)
Originally scheduled for Xbox and PS2 when the publishing rights belonged to Acclaim (they went bust some time ago now; do we have to say "ask your dad"?). We're a bit worried about the lengthy delay, as on paper it's a simple one. It's Crazy Taxi with emergency vehicles and cute little minigames once you reach the destination, like trampolining to catch civilians tumbling off a burning building and shooting killer monkeys with tranquillizer darts. Let's hope the delay is nothing to get unduly worried about.
63) Super Mario Baseball (2008)
Like us when we're drunk, Mario usually becomes a bit of a bore when he eschews jumping and wa-hooing for sports, but at least on Wii the concept seems a lot more sensible. Baseball was arguably the weakest part of the Wii Sports package and - disappointing titles such as The Bigs aside - developers haven't exactly fallen over themselves to fill the void. Anyway, seeing as it's just Rounders (the ignorant British comment we're obliged to make), it could so with some Mushroom Kingdom pizzazz.
Like Strikers Charged, we expect that Mario Superstar Stadium Baseball (for that will be its name) will be largely unchanged from its GameCube forefather in all but the swinging. Early screenshots suggest that teams will again comprise two co-captains and a supporting cast (Kamek, Piantas and Dry Bones have all been spotted), and there's no doubt the chemistry function (which saw unlikely pairings, such as Mario and Bowser, turn into bungling oafs) will feature.
64) Civilization Revolution (2008)
Mario Galaxy? "All well and good, but you know what you'll never get? A Civilization game," sneered our PC-owning chums over their thick spectacle rims, before beating us in seven simultaneous games of chess. But - ha! - it's checkmate for our patch-happy friends, because we've got a brand new Civ all to ourselves (the first on a Ninty platform since the SNES hosted the original, in fact).
Things are largely business as usual for this empiric turn-based strategy game (build settlements, invent weapons, attack other settlements, etc), with 16 key figures from history available to lead to glory. But the main difference Civilization fans will note is the micromanagement side of things has been scaled back dramatically. As a result, CivRev flows much faster than its PC brethren, which means a gentle way into one of gaming's most complex series.
65) Harvey Birdman (January (US))
We're really excited about this. From the makers of, er, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (noo, keep reading!) comes this courtroom sim which Capcom themselves have gleefully compared to the Phoenix Wright series. Harvey Birdman is an ex-superhero (he had his own series in the sixties) turned attorney, who often finds himself defending many of his oafish Hanna-Barbera stablemates, including Fred Flintstone and the Scooby Gang. It'll probably be brilliant, and it's probably not coming out in Europe ever ever ever, so get those emigration papers ready... now!
66) Godzilla Unleashed (Now (US) Spring (UK))
GipeWorks' third Godzilla game might be more appealing than their previous bruisers due to its focus on the Wii's controllers; chucking skyscrapers around like pine cones sounds great to us.
New for Unleashed is a system called 'Critical Mass' - destroy a number of crystals around the city and your beast will grow even larger still. Doing so is a gamble, however. You'll be able to unleash devastating attacks but your energy will deplete by a cell upon exiting Critical Mass mode. Also features: the original 1954 Godzilla. Aces!
67) DK Barrel Blast (25th January)
What's the holdup? It can't be too hard to translate into English. We've translated our review into Spanish since then (for our Spanish edition, NGamer!). You remember: we complained it was broken nonsense and then gave it 40%. Ole!
68) Dick Tracey (TBC)
If you remember Worms World Party with affection - anyone? - then this'll possibly make your cockles warm up a few degrees. The developer is bringing the comic-cop to Wii. Flashman also has the rights to Rocky & Bullwinkle, Mr Magoo and The Lone Ranger.
69) Samurai Warriors (February)
Yes, yes, we are well aware that there are more Samurai Warriors games than there are leftover advent calendars in the January sales, but this one is a little bit different. This Wii game will be a first-person adventure, letting you loose with swords, spears, crossbows, guns and even a cannon! Stoke that!
70) Tokyo Extreme (Autumn)
A port of PS2 title Tokyo Xtreme Racer DRIFT 2, this. It's a serious one-on-one racing game that was monstrously successful on Dreamcast, but seems more than a little old hat now. It But, it still has its fans, and those that like to tweak their car may find solace here after the disappointing NFS: Prostreet.
71) Bachinaa (TBC)
This is a rather mysterious Japan-only action game from Hudson, as proudly displayed on their Japanese website. It says here that Bachinaa is "delicious lightly toasted, then drizzled with maple syrup". No, hang about; that's our packet of Scotch Pancakes. Actually, not even our translate-o-matic can track down any details, but let's cross our fingers for a good 'un.
72) Okami (Spring) TBC (UK))
Try playing Twilight Princess after staying awake for 72 consecutive hours and you'll be well on your way to understanding what Okami, formerly developed for and released on PS2, is all about. Taking control of a Sun Goddess re-incarnated in the form of a white wolf, and accompanied on your travels by - yes! - a talking flea, you set out to do... er... slay some demons, indulge in some lady rescue, that kind of thing. The plot (of which there is plenty, admittedly) isn't so important. It's about the ride, not the destination.
What makes Okami such a (ahem) stroke of genius - and a perfect fit for Wii - is the unique way that you interact with the world. You can turn the gameworld into an easel at any moment and 'draw' stuff onto the environment. You could draw a bomb, a gust of wind, or even a jet of water. The dungeon puzzles are about as taxing as a Saturday Morning TV competition question, it's true, but it's all so lovely, you won't even notice. As mad as a brush, this one.
73) Rafa Nadal Tennis (TBC)
Despite no release date - and almost no details - being in the public domain, they're reviewing this already on wiisworld.com; choice cuts include "finally a good graphics tennis game" and "my cousin went to school with Nadal". The DS version was climb-the-walls tedious, and seemed to have been built on the kind of pitiful budget usually reserved for hospitals, so it's hard to imagine the Wii iteration leaving much of a mark. But, we dunno, you might want it. Maybe your cousin went to school with Nadal too.
74) Kirby (Late 2008)
Last seen as a traditional side-scroller for GameCube back at E3 2005, the powers that be at Nintendo have confirmed the project was moved to Wii à la Super Paper Mario. The prolonged delay suggests that HAL have made like their pastel figurehead and had to 'suck it up' and go back to the drawing board. Expect the game to show elements of the '05 demo, with a motion-happy twist. DS draw-'em-up Power Paintbrush proved the Kirbster's in his element when innovation is on the menu, so we're hoping for the best.
75) Destroy All Humans 3 (February)
It's probes up the unmentionables as Crypto and his comedic interpretation of the free-roaming genre hits Wii for the first time - this time, in 1970.
Big Willy Unleashed is its subtitle - Big Willy in this case being a gigantic robotostatue (think the doughnut boy from that Simpsons episode, only wielding a hotdog made of, er, human remains) that Crypto can climb into. Chaos ensues!
There's also a zombie gun, which turns whoever's holding it into a you-know-what, causing an apocalyptic chain reaction as they infect all and sundry around them. Plus, a revamped body transfer system where you have to shoot numerous targets with the pointer to seal the deal.
76) Williams Pinball Classics (Mid 2008)
Much like Zoë Wanamaker, we find the idea of playing a physical, physics-based game such as pinball on our TV set strangely alluring. Good job then that Farsight Studios (also behind the decent Gottlieb collection) are 'cooking up' a collection of eight classic Williams pinball machines, including Gorgar (the first-ever talking pinball machine, we'll have you know), Space Shuttle and Black Knight - which introduced, er, Magna-SaveTM it, er, says here. There's no mention of online leaderboards as yet, which is somewhat of a hammer blow, but with a multiplayer mode, there's no question that Williams Pinball Class... Wait... that's Zoë Wanamaker? Oh god oh god oh god oh god.
77) Shikigami No Shiro 3 (Now (Japan))
You might know Shiro 2 better under its European title Castle Shikigami 2. It's tantalising flying-sorcerer vertical-shooter action using the Wii remote in the Virtual Console orientation, which begs an unfortunate comparison; will it actually be better than TurboGrafix's VC offerings?
78) Eternity's Child / Rose Princess (TBC)
Eternity's Child - Gorgeous 2D platformer about a world devastated by pollution. Rose Princess - about a lesbian cello player, doomed to kill anyone she touches, and her crossdressing mecha-rabbit friend. Rightio, then.
79) Crow (Karous) (Now (Japan))
Half-crow, half-woman beast slashes and shoots her way through her vertical life. Karous was the Dreamcast's final game, and it reminds us of GameCube shooter Radio Allergy. As well it might - they share the same developer. Surprise!
80) Sword of Legendia (Now)
Spinoff RPG based around the mythos of Tales Of Legendia, a PS2 game set on an island that can move around like a ship. Veterans will know that the Tales games straddle the line between RPG and action game; the 'Sword' in the title would seem to concur.
81) Incredible Hulk (June)
Released in conjunction with the silver screen sequel in June, Sega has details of the game under total lockdown so as not to spoil the plot of the movie. Hulk 2 is loosely based on the time Greener got his coat pocket caught on a door handle.
82) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (Summer)
Got a GameCube, four GBAs and three friends? Then you'll agree than the original Crystal Chronicles was brilli... hey, put down that game of Pac-Man Vs and listen up! Square Enix have learned their lesson well from the original Crystal Chron's logistical nightmares, crafting Crystal Bearers (the Wii instalment) into more of a single player-orientated experience. There is also an online multiplayer which, excitingly, allows you to craft your own wares in the main game and bring 'em into the fray. Any levelling up or items collected in multiplayer will subsequently transfer to your offline game, giving you more impetus to slurp up bandwidth.
Crystal Bearer's protagonist is older and wearier than your traditional FF hero/ine (ie the wrong side of 15) and seems to be able to use some form of gravity spell to shoot around the sky like a deflating balloon. It's all looking very promising, and if Crystal Bearer's sister DS title, Ring Of Fates is anything to go by (we awarded it 81%), we're in for a treat.
83) Treasure Project (TBC)
The rumblings in the rumour mill suggest this action game will be a hybrid of former Treasure titles like Gunstar Heroes and Sin & Punishment - a rumour that couldn't be more exciting if the person mongering it was trying to mow us down with his car. Work began early in '07, so don't expect to hear anything until the year's end, although the enthusiasm the team hold towards the Wii bodes well for the project's future.
Less well-received news is that Treasure are currently stalling on putting the rarer elements of their back catalogue onto the Virtual Console - they fear it could be disrespectful to hardcore fans who have spent £3,948,024,736.52p collecting the originals. Boo to them, we say. But with Bangai-O Spirits nearer completion on DS, we're not going to be starved of input from one of our favourite devs in '08.
84) Blast Works (Early 2008)
Well now, lookie what we have here. An upgraded port of PC shooter Timiki Warriors, which can be downloaded for the princely sum of £0.00 here.
It's a bright, simple, yet addictive old-school shooter that allows you to blast geometrical bits off the ships of your enemies and then affix them to your own ship as a line of defence. Map, spaceship and enemy editing facilities are all on-board to make your life more exciting, and there's even a bit of Duck Hunt style anti-aircraft turret action on the go as well. A triple thumbs-up from us.
85) Infinity Ward Project (TBC)
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on Xbox 360/PS3 is considered in some circles to be the best game of 2007, so the news of a forthcoming Wii game developed by Infinity Ward didn't exactly have us calling the Samaritans. The Californian-based developers have a degree of autonomy from their Activision overlords (they got two years to made Duty 4, against Activision's wishes), so don't expect their first Wii title to be a quick and nasty port.
86) Namco Museum Remix (Early 2008)
Yeah, we know Namco aren't necessarily the most adept at this sort of thing, but this one shows more promise than most. This time around, the games are remixed versions of the originals, rather than barely-operative ports: Gator Panic, Galaga, Pac-Motos, Rally-X and the DS's own Pac 'N' Roll receive new, eye-catching remixed versions, all of which sound promising, even if the idea of playing Rally-X by steering with the Wii remote sounds somewhat alien. It's still a bit stingy, though. Pac-Man Vs? Pac-Man Championship Edition? What, does Mappy take up a gig of memory, or something?
87) Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn (Early 2008)
Are they delivering this by hand or something? The Japanese have had this since last February! And so have we, giving the tenth game in Nintendo's tactical RPG series a rather underwhelming 75%. But! Don't! Panic! Because we suggested that Goddess Of Dawn (as it was then known) would likely gain some extra marks upon its translation, and although its most troublesome quality is its similarity to its GameCube predecessor (you can even use the GC pad), at least Fire Emblem fans can rest safe in the knowledge that they'll enjoy the ride.
It's not one for newbies - it's tougher than a cement mixer's pet rottweiler. But old hands should find themselves well served by the few changes introduced here: a new magic class, new correlation between landscape height and weapon accuracy, and a heck of a lot
of FMV.
88) Leaderboard Golf (TBC)
Blimey, this takes us back; it's an update of a 1988 Amiga game. It was really well received way back then, but on the other hand, the number one selling single that year was 'The Only Way Is Up' by Yazz And The Plastic Population. So who cares what 1988 thinks?
89) Nodame Cantabile (TBC)
Manga about a disgruntled violinist who wants to become a conductor sounds like a sure-fire bet for a rhythm action game. Indeed, the DS version last year conducted itself very well, so let's hope the orchestration of a Wii version goes smoothly.
90) Starblaze: Ultimate Battle (TBC)
A futuristic story of gigantobots from Italian developers whose managing director says: "Wii is a perfect console to work on for small developers like us. It give us the opportunity to work on triple A games". Their other AAA game? Crash Dummy Vs The Evil D-Troit.
91) Wii Chess (January 18)
Now you're talking! Originally scheduled for Winter '07, we'd assume this also features other board games, much like the rest of the Wii Series. Our freelancer, Alex, is undefeated on Chess Park, you know. But they play weird rules where you can have four or five queens.
92) One Piece Unlimited Adventure (Early 2008)
One Piece: Limited Adventure more like! Only kidding. Oh, wait - no we're not. We gave the import an average 69%. However, this scrapper is decent enough to please the anime fans.
link http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=179671
