In an industry perpetuated by sequels, we see plenty of gamers rabidly demanding new installments in their favorite series, whether it be the predictable Madden: Year Edition, Medal of Honor: Kill Some More Nazis, or MetalGear Solid: Even Longer Cutscenes. Of course, there's also a vocal community crying out against the terrible process of franchise-milking, demanding fresh characters and fresher concepts. Every year there are a few surprisingly original titles from the big studios. This year EA has been surpringly generous with new IPs, publishing heavy-hitters like Mirror's Edge and Dead Space. In the past, we've gotten gems like Beyond Good & Evil andZack & Wiki. Unfortunately, as we all know, new franchises mean new risks, and they don't always sell as well as they deserve.
Last generation, few games exemplified this tragic situation more than Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. Created by Swingin' Ape Studios, this wonderfully charming and surprisingly deep third-person shooter would be the developer's only project -- though they started work on the infamous Starcraft Ghost, they were eventually absorbed by Blizzard, and the game eventually disappeared. For whatever reason -- poor advertising, unappealing box art, or bad timing -- Metal Arms was overlooked by many a gamer. Those who gave it a chance discovered a lengthy quest chock full of hilarious characters, a genuinely original world, and a veritable ton of weapons, and that's why Glitch in the System is this week's game that's Born for Wii.
Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Wario's Woods, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
"Sonic + 3D" is a formula that Sega has scratched its head over for the best part of a decade with ... not a great deal of success. If you ask me, it's the speed factor. Controlling the nippy hedgehog in two dimensions is hard enough. Add a third, and it becomes a twitchy, frustrating experience.
So here's the yaaay news: Sonic Unleashed handles Sonic's speed better than any other 3D game in the series to date. In fact, in its best moments, it's the modern Sonic game I always dreamed of playing: fast, exhilarating, ridiculously fun. Yet this is a game of two halves -- of day and night, of hedgehog and "werehog" -- and while the final product has patches of brilliance that made me love Sega again, Unleashed is weighed down by bloated platform sections of thudding mediocrity.
Gallery: Sonic Unleashed
But let's start with the good bits. When the in-game sun is out, Sonic is his old self, a lightning-fast blue blur. The day stages combine 3D and 2D sections, with often stunning effect. We all know that Sonic works as a 2D game, and that holds true here, but for the first time ever, I loved the 3D portions almost as much. The camera is fixed rigidly behind the hedgehog, and the controls are reassuringly solid. There's very, very little of the twitchiness I mentioned above.
It's a gorgeous game, as well: tons of color and detail, and it feels fast. Crucially, the switch between 3D and 2D and back again is handled flawlessly -- not once did I become disoriented or lose any sense of control. If I had just one quibble, it's that the Wiimote motions used for your speed boosts and homing attacks feels a little similar, and occasionally the game gets confused. Fortunately, thanks to Classic Controller support (which I'd recommend using), this is almost a moot point. Everything else about these stages is really, really enjoyable.
Then the moon appears, and it all goes a bit wrong.
Without exception, I found Sonic Unleashed's night stages to be unimaginative, linear, dull, and devoid of any real challenge. Here, Sonic transforms into his slower, more powerful werehog alter-ego and repeatedly brawls with enemies to progress through the level. Each night stage quickly blurred into one in my mind, with the same tactics employed time and again: run a few yards, fight some generic monsters to make a barrier blocking your way disappear, run again for twenty seconds, fight some more enemies to make a barrier fade away, move forwards again. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Like the rest of the game, these parts are pretty enough, but there's such a lot of braindead design. You'll often find yourself running towards the fixed camera (and missing jumps as a result), few alternative routes are offered, and the next time I play a platformer with invisible walls (Sonic the werehog can double jump about ten feet, but the game won't let you hurdle walls that are three feet high), I won't be held accountable for my actions.
That's to say nothing of the combat, which is way too easy for its own good. The default right punch/left punch attack (X and Y on the Classic Controller, or alternating shakes on the Wiimote and Nunchuk) is handy enough to beat most enemies, which means you do little more than mash buttons. Your foes spill orbs that grant Sonic new combos, but why bother learning new moves when you can simply smash your way through? Fighting is also woefully imprecise. Unless you're correctly aligned with enemies to the nth degree, your flailing attacks miss. It's as though Z-targeting never actually happened.
The real kicker, though? The night stages last longer (anything between eight and twelve minutes each) than the day levels (two to four minutes, usually), and there's alot more of them. At one point, my only motivation for slogging through the night sections was the promise of another glorious day stage. Half an hour of tedium for four minutes of joy. It's like being allowed to have one mouthful of delicious tiramisu, but then being forcefed twenty spoonfuls of cod liver oil before your next mouthful (if you'll excuse the wonky math).
The bits in between aren't so hot, either; just navigating your way to the next stage can be nightmarish. Each of the villages in the game has a sacred shrine containing doors to the various day/night stages. Except you can't just walk into said shrine and choose a level -- that would be too sensible. At first, you have to talk to a bunch of villagers so they can tell you where the blasted shrine is. Speak to the right villager, and then the shrine appears on your map. This is pointless padding, and possibly the most convoluted "stage select" screen of all time.
Sonic Unleashed, then, manages to be both hugely entertaining and hugely dull at the same time, and most of it is the latter (hence the score). Will lessons be learned for next time? Early screens of Sonic and the Black Knight suggest not, which is why I was so critical of it here. Perhaps I'll be proved horribly wrong (not for the first time) and we'll get a well-crafted, thoughtful, and enjoyable platformer, as well as the great running stages from Unleashed. But I'm not holding my breath, and nor should you.
Final score: 4/10
Looking for a game? Be sure to swing by our retail review archive, where you can easily jump to conclusions based on score alone, or access our full reviews, if you're so inclined. There's even a page for WiiWare reviews!
15 days ago, Guns N' Roses released their comically delayed album Chinese Democracy, giving hope to those who are still awaiting Duke Nukem Forever. Unfortunately, anyone looking for another Appetite for Destruction while be disappointed, as the new album's overcoming of its absurd delay overshadowed the album itself. One should question the album's association to the same band of twenty years ago, as Velvet Revolver contains more members of that legendary set. A more accurate title would be "Axl Rose solo project with some Buckethead." After hearing the album, I can confirm that it deserves a hearty "meh." If you truly consider this to be a Guns N' Roses album (which I'm not so sure that I do), it's undoubtedly their worst.
This got me thinking about the bottom rungs of other quality serial productions. Being the nerd that I am, it didn't take long for thoughts to drift towards gaming. We're all aware that it's a bit redundant to bash Nintendo as a company. But one aspect of the Big N which is almost never called into question is the quality of their games. Certainly there's always a few outliers which stray from conventional feelings just for disarray's sake, and good for them. Yet one would have to be certifiably bonkers to label anything from the main Zelda or Mario series as a truly terrible game. But like anyone who hasn't sold their soul to the devil, there's bound to be a few slip-ups. When you're talking about a history as enormous to gaming as Nintendo's, it'd be suspicious if there wasn't a blotch here or there.
These aren't quite at the top of the "worst games of all time" list, but they'd certainly be if the list was Nintendo-exclusive.
The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
One of the first things we do Friday morning is pull out our huge Mario-themed dartboard from under the bed, blindfold ourselves, take a small sip of OJ, spin 2.5 times, then wildly toss sharp darts at what we hope is not anything expensive. When that whole process is finished, usually we have landed a dart somewhere on the board, thus determining our topic for It's-a Mario World that day. Just so happens today we're talking about coins. And you're going to like it. Please like it.
Today we are also introducing a hip new aspect to our already fairly hip feature. At the bottom of this post you'll notice a place where we have listed "links of the week," where we will hereafter link you to recent Mario content on WiiFanboy as well as to other cool Mario thingamajigs on the Intertubes. Hopefully, this will serve as a means for all of us to continue agitating our unhealthy addictions to Mario & friends. Before you go clicking away on them, though, check out our new gallery in which the currency of the Mushroom Kingdom is discussed at uncomfortable length. Coins!
When it was revealed that Nintendo's latest Channel would be one that reads fortunes, to say we were surprised would've been a huge understatement. Whether or not this will release to territories outside of Japan is anybody's guess, but what we want to know is would you want it to? Do you want to have your fortune read? Head past the break and voice your opinion in our poll below.
Gallery: Today And Tomorrow's Lucky Fortune-Telling Channel
There was a time when innovations like the analog stick and rumble feedback were thought of as gimmicks that would never catch on. Some thought that 3D rendering would be limited to a few niche games, while the majority would stick to two dimensions. In the eyes of value-critical consumers, the Dreamcast looked like a crippled game box going up against the DVD-based, multimedia-rich PS2. But in time, all things change.
Going into the next generation, buying a remote pointer-less console may seem ... well, pointless. There are a lot of change-resistant "hard core" gamers out there pouting over the inevitable evolution of their controllers, but there's just no denying it anymore. Motion-sensing controllers are the wave of the future. A few weekends ago I was setting up my new TV, connecting all my consoles, set top boxes, and my PC to it, moving from remote to remote and then to mouse and keyboard, when it dawned on me that Nintendo really hit the nail on the head with the Wii Remote. In the home theaters of the future, it's going to seem downright awkward to interact with your display by sliding a mouse across a surface, when it feels so much more natural and intuitive to instead point a remote at the screen. And awkward is just how I felt in that instance.
I've occasionally used my Wii Remote with GlovePIE to move the mouse cursor on my computer, but before the Wii debuted, the idea of moving a remote through the air to control your PC seemed almost silly. But Gyration was marketing an air mouse that did just that. Unfortunately, using just a gyroscope and accelerometer to track motion meant that there was no relative position data available. You had to click the trigger button to tell the mouse pointer to move.
Nintendo may have taken inspiration from Gyration, because as early as 2001, the two companies were working together to design a new gaming interface. Although our Wiimotes would ultimately be based on different sensor technologies, some of the money Nintendo invested in R&D with Gyration may have paid off in the development of the form factor and break-apart design. It looks like after a few more years of research, Gyration's rigid "side car" add-on concept had evolved into the far more flexible Nunchuk.
In 2007, Logitech, maker of numerous gaming, media, and productivity peripherals introduced the MX Air, which improves upon the gyroscopic air mouse by using a MEMS gyroscope similar to the one inside the MotionPlus, but with one axis less. To address the issue of having no reference point to move against, the MX Air has a button to recenter your movement. I've used this trick for a few GlovePIE scripts, and I have to say, using the Sensor Bar as a reference point beats the pants off it.
The Darwin by Motus Games, has frequently been rumored as Microsoft's answer to the Wiimote, despite Microsoft having never confirmed any association with Motus or development of a motion controller. Just one look and it's easy to see how those rumors spread, as the Darwin apparently shops at the same clothier as the Xbox 360. The supposed codename for Microsoft's motion controller is "Newton," presumably in reference to Sir Isaac Newton, whose Three Laws of Motion were the basis of scientific and technological advancement for centuries. And from the name association, we could also infer that such a device, imaginary as it may or may not be, would detect gravitational and/or inertial forces. The Darwin does that by using an accelerometer and gyroscope, giving it characteristics similar to a MotionPlus-equipped Wiimote.
Is the Darwin the fabled Newton? Maybe some day we'll find out. No demonstrations have shown the Darwin moving a cursor across the screen, or aiming a gun in a shooter, so it may need some supplementary technology to give it the complete controlling functionality of our Wiimotes. If there's one thing Microsoft wouldn't want to skimp on supporting, it's the shooters.
Although some suspect the Darwin could alternatively be under development for Sony (and a change of clothes adds credence to that rumor), there's another motion-sensing controller under development that has been associated with the PS3, perhaps only because of similar nomenclature. The TrueMotion technology being developed by Sixense, is actually far more interesting than Sony's SIXAXIS.
Sixense TrueMotion is probably the next best thing to a MotionPlus-equipped Wiimote. It's got relative positioning with a magnetic field emitter as your reference point. But instead of accelerometers or gyroscopes, the magnetic field emitter acts like a fully functioning "sensor bar" to pick up the varied motions and positioning of the controller.
It's like playing a theremin, but instead of music coming out as you move your hand through the X, Y, and Z axes of the magnetic field, those coordinates are transmitted to the computer and used to move a mouse pointer, aim a gun, or swing a racket.
Sixense could potentially offer more freedom than the Wiimote's Sensor Bar, because you don't have to point the controller directly at it to get relative positioning data. The limitations of using a magnetic field still remain to be seen.
The Wiimote has so many functions, any rival company attempting to emulate it faces a daunting task. If Sony and Microsoft want to upgrade their controllers to the new gen, they'll be challenged to design or license alternate technologies and build them into a uniquely styled remote of their own. As gaming consoles take over the home theater and change the way we interface with technology, we may begin to expect more from all of our other remotes.
Every other week, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.
From an accelerometer, to an infrared camera, to a speaker, the Wii Remote is so packed full of features and tech, it's hard to imagine what an upgrade would look like for the next generation. But Mike gave it a shot, and you can read all about it in Revolutionary: The Perfect Controller, part 2.
Few genres can match the gnawing, unquenchable addiction of the puzzler. The classics like Tetris and Puyo Pop have populated virtually every platform under the sun in one form or another, and modern-day classics like Hexic and Zuma have undoubtedly caused more than one dreary office worker to find himself ejected from his cubicle. Sadly, just as many wonderful puzzle games have fallen by the wayside. One of those games is Wario's Woods.
Wario's Woods has an odd history for a game: released on the NES and the Super NES only a few months apart in 1994, two similar, though notably different, versions of the game were on the market at the same time. Though the game only differs slightly from Puyo Pop and its various clones, the mechanics unique to Wario's Woods make it one of the most addictive puzzle games ever made. The NES version of Wario's Woods has been available on the Virtual Console for two years, but the superior Super Nintendo version is nowhere to be found. We've seen nothing new from the series for nearly 15 years -- it's well past time for a revival. And for reals, this time.
Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Star Wars: Republic Commando, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
After visiting friends and relatives this Thanksgiving, I was left with something special inside. Was it fond memories? Was it a deeper connection with those who I love? Was it several containers of leftovers? Sure, I received a fair share of those, but the most significant thing I received this Thanksgiving was the flu.
I should have known. At least five different folks I saw over the course of the day claimed to be recovering from some form of the dreaded virus. Sure enough, by Friday evening I was sweating and freezing at once, aching all over, and debating on which end to point at the toilet (too much?).
Whenever I get sick, I tend to feel very isolated. While everyone else was out enjoying their four-day weekend, I was tethered to the bed. But it didn't take long for me to realize that I'm certainly not alone. Everyone gets sick sooner or later, and no one is truly immune. In fact, even our video game counterparts have their fair share of sicknesses that affect their goals. And thankfully, just like said counterparts, the infections are usually brief. Here's our Top 5 sicknesses to avoid.
The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
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In an industry perpetuated by sequels, we see plenty of gamers rabidly demanding new installments in their favorite series, whether it be the predictable Madden: Year Edition, Medal of Honor: Kill Some More Nazis, or Metal Gear Solid: Even Longer Cutscenes. Of course, there's also a vocal community crying out against the terrible process of franchise-milking, demanding fresh characters and fresher concepts. Every year there are a few surprisingly original titles from the big studios. This year EA has been surpringly generous with new IPs, publishing heavy-hitters like Mirror's Edge and Dead Space. In the past, we've gotten gems like Beyond Good & Evil and Zack & Wiki. Unfortunately, as we all know, new franchises mean new risks, and they don't always sell as well as they deserve.
Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Wario's Woods, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
I've occasionally used my Wii Remote with GlovePIE to move the mouse cursor on my computer, but before the Wii debuted, the idea of moving a remote through the air to control your PC seemed almost silly. But 
The Darwin by 
Few genres can match the gnawing, unquenchable addiction of the puzzler. The classics like Tetris and Puyo Pop have populated virtually every platform under the sun in one form or 
