The Wire had this to say:
Is Calling a scary game that progresses the J-Horror genre, or is it a setback?
J-Horror (short for Japanese Horror) is a genre of films deriving from the rich history of horror movies in Japan. Some of these movies have made their way over to the U.S. in the form of remakes. If you’ve ever seen The Grudge series, The Ring series, or One Missed Call, then you have seen a J-Horror film, even though it was remade.
Calling, developed by Hudson Soft, attempts to take many elements of the popular genre and create a scary video game in the spirit of the movies. The plot fits in with many of the movies, influenced heavily by One Missed Call and The Grudge specifically. You play as four different characters who are attempting to unravel the mystery behind a website called “The Black Page.”
One of the 4 main characters of the game, inches from a facepalm.
There have been rumors swirling that there is some type of otherworldly connection with the page, where the dead and living can communicate. As the characters further explore the mystery, they realize something evil is behind The Black Page.
Gameplay is simple, as players mostly explore environments with the Wii Remote acting as the flashlight. Pointing with the IR sensor allows the character to look around. The A button is used to interact with objects such as doors and drawers. Pressing minus on the Wii Remote controls your cell phone, which performs a few tasks, like transporting to different locations and communicating with ghosts.
Encountering ghosts causes your heart rate to increase.
You can choose to play the audio through the Wii Remote or through the television speakers. Filtering it through the Wii Remote can be interesting at times, but since all the audio spoken by the ghosts comes through the Wii Remote as well, it gets “cluttered.”
As you unravel more about the mysterious website, ghosts become more and more prevalent, and your only defense is to resist their attacks. When a ghost springs its attack, you have to waggle the Wii Remote and follow button prompts to shake the ghosts. If you don’t shake the ghosts off in time, your horror gauge (a heart rate monitor) maxes out and you die. This gets annoying, and ruins the game.
About as fun as it looks…
Creepy. Many of the environments have a creepy feel to them thanks to dim lighting and ambient noises.
Four Characters, Four Perspectives. The story plays out like a mystery and does a decent job of holding a few surprises up its sleeve. It isn’t until you’ve played as all four characters that you really get a feel for what is going on.
“Fighting” Ghosts. Perhaps the most disappointing part of this game, as shaking away ghosts is frustrating and anything but scary. The moments leading up to the encounter with the ghosts are tense, making the payoff even more unsatisfying.
Slow Pacing. The story is all right, but the pacing of is so slow that most players will die of boredom before any ghosts get to them.
Exploring? Don’t Bother. In a game that operates like one big mystery, you would expect to explore several areas, collecting clues before moving on. Instead, the game is incredibly linear, and there is nothing to gain from extra exploration.
Psychologically Boring. As opposed to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem’s “Sanity Meter,” Calling’s heart rate meter doesn’t add to the game, it helps flat-line it.
Calling is not a good game. While the environments have the ability to make you tense and somewhat nervous, there is nothing to support this. Enemy encounters are nothing but useless encounters. Instead of feeling scared, you’ll begin to feel frustrated and want to either quit playing, or beat the game ASAP so you can wash your hands of it and be done.
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The Wire had this to say:
Red Steel managed to carve out a cult following, but Ubisoft didn’t give up on bringing a true sword slinging game with Red Steel 2.
Red Steel 2 was developed by Ubisoft Montreal, the same team that brought the launch title of the same name. Despite having the same title on the box, the similarities end there. Everything from its gameplay to the setting has been built from the ground-up for this game. This is the game that most pictured when Red Steel was unveiled.
The setting takes place in a pseudo-wild-west environment where newer technology is still present. Electronic doors and communication towers mix with tumbleweeds, saloons and old-style casinos. The controls have also tightened up, feeling more akin to Metroid Prime than Red Steel.
The biggest improvement is in actual gameplay as you now have the ability to pull out your sword anytime you want. Gone are the pre-set sword battles. If you want to take on 12 gun blazing enemies with your sword, you are welcome to. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a sword master charge you, only to switch to your shotgun and catch him by surprise. With no more constraints, you can play the game the way you want to play it.
Powered by the Wii MotionPlus, movements are tracked more accurately down to the speed of your swing. In order to deal the maximum amount of damage, be prepared to put your back into it. This can be adjusted if you don’t want to over-exert yourself, but leaving tired after an epic boss battle adds to the experience.
As you progress in the game and earn money, your character learns various sword skills, as well as neat finishing moves that multiply your earnings. Different attacks cause the enemy to either fall or be stunned, allowing you to chain together attacks and lead up to your favorite finisher. A masterful chain of attacks ends in pure satisfaction.
The main story progresses through a mission-based system. As you complete missions, the story is unveiled piece-by-piece. There are plenty of side missions to attack if you don’t want to blaze through the story. Despite the side missions, the game doesn’t take too long to complete. The main campaign and roughly half of the side missions took me about 15 hours. Ubisoft also has taken a page from other well-known action games like Resident Evil 4. No, there are no zombie samurais. *jots down game idea*
Scattered around the game are sheriff stars that can be collected for money by shooting them down. These are usually well hidden, and often require some skill to shoot down. Ubisoft also employed my favorite feature of RE4, which is action-cutscenes. Just when you think you’re safe while a cutscene is playing, the game requires you to press a few buttons in time to continue on without getting sliced. Great fun!
Fresh setting. Few games take place in the old west but still employ modern/future technology.
Play how you want. You decide when to use your sword and when to shoot.
Excellent control. Wii MotionPlus offers an excellent level of control.
Multiplayer missing. Some may wish for a multiplayer mode to extend the replay value of the game.
All in all, this is a solid game. There is no multiplayer in Red Steel 2, but that never disappointed me. Ubisoft put 100% of their efforts into proving a sword-slashing game was possible on the Wii when given the amount of time they needed to perfect it. Besides, they have to reserve something special for Red Steel 3. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have Zombie Samurais to make.
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The Wire had this to say:
Kirby is coming to Wii! Details inside.
Nintendo has revealed a new Kirby platformer game, “Hoshi No Kirby”, is in development for Wii. This is the first Kirby game for home consoles since Kirby’s Air Ride for GameCube in 2003–a gap of seven years.
The announcement comes courtesy of Nintendo’s latest financial reports, which list the game under its upcoming Wii releases. Speculation is that the game will be released in Japan this year, however Nintendo officially listed the game’s release date at “TBA”.
Nintendo has traditionally used the Kirby franchise on its handheld systems, with success. To date, Kirby Super Ultra has sold 2.3 million copies on the DS.
Kirby has only made one appearance on the Wii platform in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2008.
Nearly five years ago a more traditional Kirby platformer was in development for GameCube, but was ultimately cancelled.
Nintendo may provide more details on the title at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, June 15-17. The Wiire will be on hand at the event for live coverage.
Are you excited for Kirby on Wii? Do you see Nintendo releasing a major franchise platformer in the same year as Super Mario Galaxy 2? Will we hear more at E3 2010? Sound off in the comments below!
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The Wire had this to say:
Iwata downplays Wii 2/Wii HD plans, gamers grown
Speaking at an investor briefing last week, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata spoke about the company’s plans for a new home console and the development process that goes along with such an undertaking.
Asked by investors when Nintendo plans to announce a new home console, Iwata responded by saying he believes the Wii has much life left in it.
“We believe there’s still more we can do with the Wii” Iwata said.
Iwata then went on to explain that the Nintendo development cycle for home consoles is a constant process.
“As soon as a new system is complete – from the very moment it is complete – we’re thinking about the plan for the next game machine.”
Iwata has previously said Nintendo engineers are developing new machines, but questioned whether the much rumored “Wii HD” would be enough for consumers.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé said in March the company was not yet “thinking seriously” about a Wii successor.
“When the software developer comes forward with an idea that can’t be executed on the current platform, that’s when we start thinking seriously about the next system,” Fils-Aimé told Forbes. “We’re not there yet, from a Wii perspective.”
Some disagree with Nintendo’s reluctance to release a Wii successor, believing it to be the reason for the company’s recent announcement of the first decrease in profits in six years.
Industry analyst Michael Pachter is disappointed in Nintendo’s seemingly slow response to release a Wii follow-up.
“If Nintendo were to announce a new Wii console that that is similar in processing power to the PS3 or 360, it would see a sharp rise in profits and key multiformat releases. It’s too bad, as I think that the right business decision is to launch a Wii HD this year, but they appear to disagree with me.”
The Wiire’s Editor in Chief, Mike Suszek, speculated in March that “Wii 2 Could Be Released Piece by Piece“.
How much life does the Wii have left? When should Nintendo release Wii HD or Wii 2? Would you buy a new Nintendo console today if it were available? Let us know in the comments below.
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The Wire had this to say:
Hori may be producing the most insane/best/worst peripheral ever
Peripheral company Hori is producing a Wii controller shaped like a giant sword for upcoming Square Enix port Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road Victory. The controller features an exact replica of the game’s arcade machine layout, including two giant red/blue buttons and a replica sword which players actually push down for a special finishing attack.
The controller will retail for ¥12,800 (approx. $138 USD) and be released in Japan this summer. For those elsewhere in the world wanting a giant Wii sword controller, importing may be your best bet.
The giant Wii sword controller is the newest in a long line of interesting Wii peripherals. 2008 brought us the Everlast Wii Boxing Gloves and 2009 gave us “WTF of the Year” WiiWaa, where players shove a Wii Remote inside the mouth of a stuffed animal.
Could this giant Wii sword controller take the cake for 2010?
Let us know what you think are the most insane/best/worst Wii peripherals EVER in the comments below!
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The Wire had this to say:
The Big N’s President speaks his mind on Apple
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has told senior executives within the company to consider their battle against Sony a victory, and to regard Apple, with its iPhone and iPad devices, as the “enemy of the future”.
Iwata’s statements come after Nintendo announced a decrease in profits, from $3.03 billion to $2.48 billion, for the first time in six years.
The Times Online reports that “sources close to the Kyoto-based company describe a mood of concern as the hardware and software divisions race to restore the capacity to “surprise” — a traditional feature of Nintendo games that Mr Iwata holds dear.”
Nintendo would be remiss if it did not acknowledge the threat Apple puts on their handheld gaming business. Since the launch of the DS Lite and Wii, comparisons have been made between the two companies in terms of hardware design and ease of use approach to their products. Now, Nintendo may want to begin distancing themselves from Apple.
With over 30,000 games in Apple’s iTunes App store, along with the recent sales of over 1 million iPads and the upcoming launch of the iPhone 4G / HD this June, Apple has clearly attracted the interest of many developers and publishers–a trend that is likely to continue as more users flock to their devices.
CrunchGear explains one of Nintendo’s greatest disadvantages against Apple’s gaming devices currently: ”you’re sitting on a park bench, whip out your iPhone, launch the App Store, and buy Angry Birds for 99 cents. Zero to gaming in no time at all. How’s Nintendo going to compete with that? (The DSi Shop requires Wi-Fi, whereas the App Store will load anywhere you have a cellphone signal.)”
The answer, says CrunchGear? “Maybe Nintendo should just release a phone?”
Apple recently hired IGN’s Editor-at-Large, Matt Casamassina, who had covered Nintendo extensively for 13 years with the publication.
“Anybody who has read my work through the years will know that I’ve long been a huge Nintendo fan, but if there is one company that could entice me away from covering Mario and Zelda it’s the one owned by Steve Jobs. Beginning early May, I will join Apple as global editorial games manager, App Store. In a nutshell, I will be leading the charge for games on the App Store, so whether you browse through iTunes, iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, the games content you see will be handpicked and organized by me and my team. I couldn’t be happier.”
If Apple was able to entice one of Nintendo’s most well-known and vocal fans away from Nintendo, it’s no wonder Mr. Iwata has declared them the “enemy of the future”.
Let the war begin.
How do you see Nintendo battling Apple in the future? What must Nintendo do to maintain its market share and keep gamers interested? Let us know in the comments below!
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The Wire had this to say:
Will Wii online play remain free? Details inside.
Will Wii online play remain free? According to statements by Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo may begin charging for people to play online in the future. Miyamoto also argues Nintendo is proactive about online gaming.
“Probably the other thing that we are desperate to realise is the core [online] business structure,” Miyamoto told Edge. “Do we need to demand customers pay monthly fees to enjoy online activities? Or give an online subscription that is free of charge, but then offer something extra for people that pay, so that they get some extra value? With these core business strategies I think we are less active than we should be.”
But Miyamoto disagrees with those who say Nintendo has been less proactive than Microsoft and Sony in developing an online strategy–with the exception of massive multiplayer online gaming.
“It is true, though, that Nintendo hasn’t been very proactive in developing such online activities as an MMOG,” he explained. “But when it comes to our endeavours that try to take advantage of Internet technology, where we can provide our customers with more fun and entertainment, then I think we can say we have been very, very proactive and well-received.”
While Miyamoto may argue Nintendo’s online gaming stance has been proactive, the facts are hard to deny.
As Gamasutra points out, “the Wii, with its lack of substantial built-in storage space, relatively unwieldy Friend Code system and games that place more emphasis on in-person play rather than online multiplayer, looks less than robust when compared to Xbox Live or PlayStation Network.”
Should Nintendo implement a pay model for online play? Should a free structure remain at all? Let us know in the comments below!
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The Wire had this to say:
Figuratively speaking of course.
Stoke! Stoke like you’ve never stoked before!
Don’t have a fireplace? Wii’s got you covered. Joystiq recently reported that Korner Entertainment S.L. just received an ESRB rating for its upcoming title “My Fireplace” in which players can tend to a virtual fireplace. You will be able to add logs to the fire, decorate your mantle as well as “pump air into the fireplace to keep the flames burning”.
Not only will this remove our need for those holiday log DVDs, but will also give us a chance to be that almighty stoking arm that mysteriously appears to keep the flames alive. The game received an E for everyone rating, sadly.
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The Wire had this to say:
Listen to The Wiire Podcat!
The podcast returns from hiatus this week with some new information on Metroid: Other M, Miyamoto’s comments on the industry (and his goal to make things even more accessible), Capcom putting Zelda developers under pressure, new game reviews, and much more. Plus, Andrew turns into a robot! Listen to this episode now!
Topics covered in this week’s episode:
Runtime: 1:15:18
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The Wire had this to say:
Watch Mario circa-1989 on your Wii
While this is tangentially related to all things Wii, it recently came to my attention that The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was added to the Netflix Instant Watch service.
All Wii systems can now stream the classic 1989 television show, providing you have a Netflix membership. Of course, you’ll need the Instant Streaming Disc, too. The show, also available via Netflix’ standard rental, contains 24 episodes spanning four discs.
This also means that Mario Bros. show can be streamed through your PC and other Netflix-enabled devices… including the Xbox 360 and PS3. This may be the only time you get to legally pump Mario through the competitors’ game consoles, so enjoy it while you can.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! is a combination live-action/animated show, with Mario being played by the late “Captain” Lou Albano, and Danny Wells plays Luigi. Both actors also had a tendency to step out of character for their sitcom scenes, which appear primarily at the beginning and end of each episode.
For those wondering: No, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! is not available on the Nintendo Channel.
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