All Reviews » Nintendo Wii Games

Punch-Out!!

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:02:58 +0000

Intro
The Punch-Out!! Nintendo Wii game falls under the Sports (Boxing) genre and it was released on the 18th May, 2009 by its publisher, Nintendo. The game is rated as E for everyone meaning that it may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief or mild language, and it is suitable for players who are more than 10 years old by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), while the game’s developer is Next Level Games. In the game, you will be playing the role as a young up-and-coming 17-year-old fighter Little Mac (the favorite underdog from original Punch-Out!! games of the 1980s) from the Bronx who, with the help of his trainer Doc Lewis, trying to find his way up through the rank by taking on a wide range of boxing opponents with different style of attacks such as Glass Joe, King Hippo, Von Kaiser, Great Tiger, Soda Popinski, Bald Bull and Aran Ryan, plus these boxers was designed in cel-shaded 3-D, complete with comedic fighting animations and back stories. With only 5 feet 7 inches tall and 107 pounds in weight, he will be fighting big size opponents with powerful punches.
The Punch-Out!! Wii game offers player with up to 13 types of opponents for you to challenge inside the ring, where 12 of which are characters returning from the previous games of the Punch-Out!! series. Each of the opponents comes with various style of attacking for you to learn and also learn how to counter the attacks. Some of the boxers include Glass Joe, a French fighter who has a weak chin and if you managed to throw in a few well-placed shots he will be defeated easily. King Hippo is a huge and powerful boxer who can be defeated with the right combinations to the head and body, along with the right timing going for the knockout counter attacks if you manage to survive his onslaught. Von Kaiser is a dangerous opponent with childhood difficulty history, thus turning himself into a mean fighter who eagerly punishes his enemy in the ring. Bald Bull is also one of the favorites among the boxer who have many vintage moves such as a terrifying charge attack. Aran Ryan is a crazy Irishman who uses his head to attack, and Bear Hugger is a 400-pound Canadian who likes maple syrup and tiny woodland rodents. The only new challenger in the game is Disco Kid who has flashy fighting style.
In terms of controlling, you can throw punches by using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers, while you can control hooks and jabs by combining motion control with control-stick movement. It can also be played with the classic NES-style controls by turning the Wii Remote sideways and use the 1 and 2 buttons along with the cross pad to throw hooks and jabs or to dodge attacks. In addition, players can also acquire special “Star Punches” which enables Little Mac to take more Health from opponents with just a single punch, plus using multiple stars in a single punch for more extra-powerful attack. Every boxer throughout the game has various weak points, and if you managed to hit them at a perfect time, this will enable you to collect bonuses. For instance, player can throw a leaping uppercut in the mouth of Disco Kid during his taunting pose for you to earn a star punch and this move will definitely rattle your opponent’s spine. Once you have been crowned as champion, you need to defend the title against your previous opponents that you managed to defeat. This challenge is much more difficult as the fighters will be using new strategies to try and defeat you for instance, Glass Joe, who previously has a rather weak chin, will enter the ring with a protective helmet, thus forcing you to only attack him with body blows, plus he becomes significantly stronger, along with a few new punches he learned and changing the timing of his old moves.

Apart from the single-player mode, the game also features a two-player mode where players can enjoy playing against friend and see two Little Macs squaring off against each other. The winner and the one who managed to produce enough punches will be transformed into an oversized Giga Mac and have the feeling of maneuvering one of the single-player opponents, rather that dodging attacks from opponents, plus releasing furious punches or, even taunting the other Little Mac in order to earn a star. There is also the Exhibition mode that provides players with three challenges to earn un-lockable goodies, where some of the challenges are fairly easy to earn, while many of them are much more difficult. Although the challenge is difficult, but it is still worth the effort and rewarding to the players involve, thus you will try new strategies in the process of defeating your opponent.

Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:26:02 +0000

Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity is a puzzle game that was released on April 6, 2009 with an ESRB rating of E for Everyone. It is published and developed by Deep Silver, featuring a real famous physicist, Professor Heinz Wolff. Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity is a game that enables you to draw blocks and balls and have them react to real-world physics. It is a game that aims at providing fun in a virtual environment that utilizes realistic physics as its core mechanics. In general, Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity is an “Incredible Machines” style puzzle game that requires you to simply place 2D blocks and balls in the environment and have them react in order to push a button placed in a strategic location. However, it is said that the Wii version feels too shallow to be a full retail product and seems like it would be much better suited as a budget WiiWare title. There are strategic layouts throughout any given puzzle in Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity that requires you to place blocks of various shapes, sizes and weights. The gameplays objective is to arrange them in such a way that when you hit “Play” a ball or cart will drop out of a designated spot on the board and run into anything you have placed in its path, setting them in motion. The level is completed when the level button is hit, and thus player progresses to the next level. Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity lays out an idea that works relatively well with the opportunity to whip up some crazy puzzle designs from the game’s creators. The solutions to every level are not restricted as Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity employs real-time physics instead of predetermined behaviours. Although the problems associated with Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity are small, but they are plentiful. It is also said that Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity never reaches its potential as players can tinker around with the gravity in sandbox locations. However, players are not able to create their own puzzles.

Reviews
In Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity, the most famous natural phenomena is turned from a curse in everyday life into something that seems warm and fuzzy in the safe confines of a video game. Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity provides you with a virtual playground that allows you to mess around with mass and momentum with a display of physics that more or less mirrors real life. However, the puzzle is said to be too mundane to maintain player’s attention. There are 100 levels in Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity which play out like a dimunitive Domino rally.

“Gravity has the right stuff to be a sleeper puzzle game, but it stumbles a bit with a design that’s a little rough around the edges. It feels too light on content for its pricetag, at least on Wii. The design seems better suited for the DS platform’s pick-up-and-play experience, but the technology isn’t quite up to the game’s potential.
The Wii and DS games share the exact same level designs and bonus games, but the Wii version ends up the real version to play since it has far more processing power to handle the physics engine. On the DS, if there are more than eight sizable parts on the screen the framerate tends to dip noticeably, and it definitely affects some of the more complex puzzles and sandbox areas that are unlockables in the product. Even with better tech in the Wii version, the game seems a little too pricey for the 30 dollars the publisher’s asking for; the 20 bucks for the DS edition seems like the more comfortable pricepoint.” (IGN, 2009)

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:19:58 +0000

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, also known as Night at the Museum 2 in some parts of the world, was officially announced on April 7 2009. It was released on May 5 2009, in advance of Twentieth Century Fox’s highly-anticipated theatrical release of the same name. The game comes under the genre of action and has an ESRB rating of E10+. It is developed by Amaze Entertainment and Pipeworks Software, and published by Majesco Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox for the Nintendo Wii. In the game, Ben Stiller reprises his role in the film as the voice of Larry Daley. Featuring the same scenes as in the movie, the gameplay will require Larry to explore certain exhibits in the museum. Larry will also need to swing from hooks using a rope and a flashlight to activate different contraptions. In order to start a battle, Larry will have to lead his enemies to a certain painting or statue and activate it for the object to attack. In addition to that, Larry will also have the ability to pilot vehicles such as the Lunar Lander, a Pitcairn Autogyro and Rexy the T-Rex.

Reviews
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a rather short game that features the prominent likeness of Ben Stiller. The game is said to be blandly innocuous with very awkward platforming but offers up a few clever gameplay mechanics which provide for doses of amusement. In the game, Ben Stiller’s character, Larry Daily the protagonist leaves the confines of the American Museum of Natural History for the expanses of the Smithsonian where Pharoah Akhmenrah’s evil brother, Kahmunrah is threatening to do evil things using the power of a magical tablet that brings museum exhibits to life. The game lasts for about two hours or so, during which Larry befriends Amelia Earhart, battles Al Capone from atop a skeletal T-rex, pilots a lunar module, and meets an electrifying Ben Franklin. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian also tries to incorporate an educational counterpoint by adding in random historical facts which appear during loading time. There is also a voice-over option which players can activate while exploring the galleries for a virtual field trip. However, younger players might get confused between fantasy and reality as there is an inconsistency between the information conveyed throughout the game. The main objective of the game is to gather the pieces of Kahmunrah’s table that has been scattered around in fragments, earning a different special power for every one you find. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian features scenes which are easy to figure out but cute and cleaver enough to appeal to the game’s younger target audience. Some of the other sequences attempt at injecting some variety into the game, but they are all of an inconsistent quality especially in terms of platforming. Not only that, the controls are said to be imprecise, causing a frustration jaunt across a series of aircraft while the vehicle-based missions prove to be as frustrating. The game also has poor ho-hum sound effects and week cartoonish visuals that are prone to slowdown and make matters worse.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is surprisingly self-aware (and I don’t mean the few times where the fourth wall is broken). It knows it’s a licensed game, and doesn’t try to be more than a light, entertaining little collection of gameplay moments. Because of this, and because it actually uses the Smithsonian as a proper set piece, the game actually ends up being fun. Not exhilarating, not mind-blowing, but surprisingly solid. Good job, Pipeworks, you made a game that’s educational, simple, and, best of all, never outstays its welcome. (IGN, 2009)

Klonoa

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:06:58 +0000

Intro
Klonoa was officially announced on 6 March 2009 as a Wii remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, a 1997 PlayStation game. Before that, it had already been released to Japan on 4 December 2008. The game was later on released to North America on 5 May 2009 and to Europe on 22 May 2009. Designed by Hideo Yoshizawa, Klonoa falls under the genre of platform games and has an ESRB rating of E10+. Klonoa was developed by Paon and published by its original publisher, Namco Bandai Games. A wide array of fully rendered modern visual effects in real time were added to the remake of the game’s graphics, together with several other features such as the reversal of levels, unlockable costumes for characters and Japanese and English voice acting. The side-scrolling platform game is viewed from a “2.5D” perspective. In the game, players play as the protagonist, Klonoa in a two-dimensional fashion although the game is rendered in three dimensions, resulting in the ability for paths to curve and take corners. Not only that, players can also interact with sme of the objects outside of the path. In the game, players have to progress through “Visions” which are the levels by which the game is divided into, by following a path with defeatable computer-controlled enemies and puzzles that must be solved. At the end of every act 2 levels, players will have to defeat a boss in order to proceed. There is also a boss at the end of the Final Vision. Klonoa uses his weapon, the “Wind Bullet” to defeat enemies. The “Wind Bullet” is a ring that fires a burst of wind that lifts the enemy above his head if he is hit by it. Once the enemy is lifted up, Klonoa is then able to throw the enemy into another enemy or even utilize the former to execute a double jump. In addition to that, Klonoa can also perform a “Whirlwind” which temporarily slows down nearby enemies, during which Klonoa can float in mid-air for a short duration to increase the jump length if the jump button is held down. Environmental factors also help Klonoa to move by launching him up or forward when there are localized tornadoes and springboards to allow players to overcome obstacles. In addition to that, Klonoa also has the ability to change his outfit into a modernised version of his original outfit in Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.

Reviews
Klonoa is a remake of its original version that was released for the PlayStation more than a decade ago. It features updated visuals which look impressive and inviting even when compared to modern releases. Although it features a simple gameplay, Klonoa maintains its tight controls and clever level design, giving rise to a rewarding adventure that is a pleasure right from the beginning to the end. Although Klonoa has an abrupt ending that makes it too short and easy for its own good, the game is still well-made and has an exciting platform.

“For anyone that says the pure platformer is dead, I’d tend to agree to a certain standpoint, which is why Klonoa feels like a breath of fresh air on a system that normally spits out mini-game collections and crappy sports packs once a week. Klonoa is a remake of the original, and it follows the template brick for brick, but for newcomers to the series it’s a must-play entry into the world of platformers. For returning fans, there’s still a nice bit of nostalgia to it all as well. I got a kick out of the original 12 years ago, and it’s been great coming back to the series. The visuals look crisp, though there’s better on Wii in the form of titles like Galaxy and Nintendo’s own Wario platformer, but it runs at 60 frames a second, and the core gameplay more than justifies the franchise’s reentry into the gaming world. It’s well worth the $30, and a great platformer with plenty of difficulty ramp-up to appeal to everyone. Welcome back Klonoa. Hopefully you get to kick your feet up and stay for a while…” (IGN, 2009)

Excitebots: Trick Racing

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:02:05 +0000

Intro
Excitebots: Trick Racing was unexpectedly announced on 26 February 2009, together with three other Nintendo Wii games under a release list. The game was released on 12 June 2009 to Japan and on 20 April 2009 to North America, under the genre of Racing, with an ESRB rating of E for Everyone. It was developed by Monster Games and published by Nintendo under the Excitebike series. Excitebots: Trick Racing is the fourth instalment to the Excitebike series and is the sequel to Excite Truck. The game features animal-themed vehicles and can be bought packaged with or without the Wii Wheel. Besides that, there are also short minigames during races in which there are pie throwing, bowling and soccer games. Players in-game achievements and scores are also tracked. In terms of gameplay, Excitebots: Trick Racing has modes which include six-player races as well as alternative games like poker which can be played anonymously or with friends using Nintendo’s Friend Code system. Not only that, players are also able to place bets on themselves with in-game tokens of which can be exchanged for unlockable items such as new paint schemes, statues and other various items. The playmodes included in Excitebots: Trick Racing are Excite Race, Super Excite, Mirror Excite, Poker Race, Minigames and Super Minigames, which is an unlockable “Hard Mode” for the Minigames.

Review
As compared to its predecessor, one can only think about them in terms of children’s toys. Excitebots: Trick Racing provides the active imagination element that Excite Truck lacked as transforming robot cars is deemed creative and complex on a whole different level. Not only that, Excitebots: Trick Racing also features an improved version of Excite Truck’s solid racing controls and sense of speed, with a sprinkle of dizzying array of wacky items, tricky stunts, and goofball challenges that make for hectic and hilarious races. Unfortunately, the action can sometimes feel a bit helter-skelter while the controls aren’t exactly pin-point accurate. In Excitebots: Trick Racing, animal bots are the stars of the show, with each robo-creature having a few different attributes that indicate, for example, how long its turbo lasts or how well it grips around turns. The bots are fairly balanced, which is particularly welcomed in online races in which players are able to see a wide array of bots lined up at the starting line. However, about half of the bots must be unlocked with the stars that you earn while racing. Each both can be decked out in 11 different colours as well as an expensive special outfit. Not only that, the bots are also amusingly animated.

“Excitebots Trick Racing is a great racing experience that I sincerely hope gets more attention and recognition than Excite Trucks ever did. Monster Games’ previous effort was fantastic, but this unofficial sequel is better in just about every regard. Not only does it play better — the controls are tighter and the challenges awesome and surreal — but it’s got more options. Collectibles. A very robust and engaging online mode complete with a great betting system. You can even send instant replays and with tracked-on bets to friends. The trick system is enjoyable. And all the big air and breakneck speed of Excite Trucks is back, plus some. My biggest gripes relate to level variety. There are 20-something tracks but most of them fall under five regions or so and start to blend together. The lack of WiiSpeak support online is a disappointment. Same goes for SD Card-based music playback. And I definitely do believe that single-player-only gamers are given the short end of the stick where unlockables are concerned because they are going to have to spend much more time with the title than those who make and win bets online.” (IGN, 2009)

Boom Blox Bash Party

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:50:41 +0000

Boom Blox Bash Party was officially announced on January 28, 2009 and was developed right after the completion of its predecessor, Boom Blox. It was released on May 19, 2009 to North America and on May 29, 2009 to Europe under the genre of Physics-based puzzle game with an ESRB rating of E for Everyone. The game was developed by EA Los Angelas and published by Electronic Arts for the Nintendo Wii video game console. As with its predecessor, this sequel was also designed by film director Steven Spielberg. In contrast to Boom Blox, Boom Blox Bash Party features more than 400 new levels as well as the ability to download new levels and upload their own custom-created levels to share online. In terms of gameplay, Boom Blox Bash Party features one that is similar to its original’s with the addition of new mechanics such as a slingshot mechanic, and with less emphasis on the shooting mode. There are also new environments including underwater and outer space, new block shapes such as cylinders and ramps, as well as a more extensive multiplayer mode. In addition to that, players can also upload levels as well as download levels made by other players and Electronic Arts for this sequel, all of which have been reviewed by Electronic Arts themselves to filter out any inappropriate content. Players can also share downloaded levels made by any of their peers on from their Wii Friends list. Included among some of the levels uploaded by EA are the original levels from the original Boom Blox which are free for players to download.

Reviews
Boom Blox Bash Party is the sequel to Boom Blox that features additional levels, a variety of modes and addictive multiplayer action. Throughout the whole game, players aim at only doing one thing: destroy blocks. Boom Blox Bash Party adds a twist to the simple child-like game by incorporating a single-player mode that unfolds across a cheerful amusement park with areas that feature a different theme and variety of games through out the way. There are also different objectives for each respective level including knocking down a number of blocks within a time limit or accumulating as many points as possible in a limited number of turns which in turn rewards you with a bronze, silver or gold medal. As compared to its prequel which emphasized on careful Jenga-style block removal, Boom Blox Bash Party leans towards the destructive variations, including games such as knocking down certain blocks with baseballs or bombs and using the blocks themselves in a new slingshot mechanic. Not only that, there are also a new bunch of blocks of various shapes and materials, as well as a virus ball which infects certain blocks and spreads the deterioration among other pieces. These new additions add variety to the game, and results in more challenging puzzles.

“Bash Party is not a revolutionary sequel. This is still recognizably Boom Blox. However, it’s as though EA injected the experience with a serious supply of steroids. A ridiculous amount of fantastic new levels complete with unique attributes like varying physics, great new blocks and tools, a remade presentation complemented by a robust achievements system, a Boom Bux currency to buy upgrades, and more. And, of course, the same throw-and-break mechanics that made the original so much fun are back in full. You’ll be playing the title for months with friends. And the best part is, you could potentially be playing well into next year because of the superb editor and online integration. Wait until you see how easy it is to create and trade levels. If more developers took the time to approach Wii software this way, the online state of the console would be in a very different, altogether better place.” (IGN, 2009)

PDC World Championship Darts 2009

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:07:14 +0000

Intro
The PDC World Championship Darts 2009 is a Nintendo Wii game that falls under the Sports genre and it was released on the 29th May, 2009 by its publisher, Oxygen Interactive. The game is rated as E (Everyone) which means that it may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief or mild language, and it is suitable for players who are more than 10 years old by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), while the game’s developer is Rebellion. It is also rated as 3+ by PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) age rating system. The game was designed based on the Professional Darts Corporation’s tour where you will be able to play and choose any one of the 18 top professional darts players, including Phil “The Power” Taylor, Raymond “Barney” van Barneveld, Mark Dudbridge, Roland Scholten, Peter Manley, Ronnie Baxter, Wayne Mardle, Terry Jenkins, Dennis Priestley, Kevin Painter, Adrian Lewis, Andy Hamilton, Alan Warriner-Little, Andy Jenkins, John Part, James Wade, Colin “Jaws” Lloyd and Alan Tabern. You can even create a custom character of your choice by creating his name, personal details, preferred checkout, physique, clothing, nationality and dart type, as well as his style of throwing. The game also features new walk ins, licensed darts music, all new venues, sports commentary, player editor, new control systems with multiple assist modes, new career modes, and female darts players.

The PDC World Championship Darts 2009 is a Wii game that comes with an improved and accurate Wii Remote control system which was developed with the help from 14 times PDC world champion Phil “The Power” Taylor. Players will garner experience playing as a professional dart player or using a customize character competing and winning the tournament in the Professional Darts Corporation circuit in order to qualify for the PDC Order of Merit rankings. You will get the chance to compete in the Career mode where it involves playing in seven PDC tournaments such as the US Open, UK Open, Las Vegas Desert Classic, World Match-play, World Grand Prix, German Darts Championship, and the World Championship. Apart from that, it also feature single exhibition matches, practice sessions, and customize tournaments which caters up to eight playing opponents. This single exhibition and the practice mode (playing in the local pub) enable players to practice on how to master the game before taking on the challenge of the Tournament mode.
For the controlling aspect of the game, the PDC 2009 comes with throwing assistance options that helps player to accumulate scores of 140 and 180. The system helps adjust the amount of precision required during throwing, and the higher assistance you selected the higher possibility of hitting the target. There are also three difficulty levels for extended play which include amateur, professional, and master. During a particular game, player need to point the Wii Remote to the screen to aim and by holding down the “A” button, it will lock on the target. In addition, you need to grip the remote like a pen, then motion it towards the screen by thrusting your hand forward just like throwing a dart and releasing the button as the power gauge passes into the optimum zone.
The PDC World Championship Darts 2009 also feature the 18 four-player party games which include a new mini game called ‘Half It’ where you will try to hit individual numbers, doubles, trebles, or the bull’s-eye. The targeted hits will be added to your score and if all you miss all the three shots, the score is halved. Other party games provided in the PDC 2009 is Killer, Cricket, 21, Shanghai, and Around The Clock. Its multiplayer options include an eight-player tournaments and two-player single matches, while it does not support online multiplayer gaming. The game also comes with game statistics where at the end of every match the statistics will be displayed, plus it also store high-scores and trivia. The game’s commentary is provided by real-life commentator from television’s “Voice of Darts”, Sid Waddell and Russ Bray, along with the experience Bruce Spendley as the match referee. In terms of sound effects, you will be able to hear the realism sound of flying darts, clinking glasses in a pub, chatter and laughter during the game.

Little King’s Story

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:01:54 +0000

Intro
The Little King’s Story is a Nintendo Wii game that falls under a combination Role-Playing Game, life-simulation, Real-Time Strategy, and Adventure genre. It was released on the 21st July, 2009 by its publisher, XSEED Games / Marvelous Entertainment. The game is rated as T (Teen) which contain violent content, mild or strong language, and suggestive themes meaning that it is suitable for players who are more than 13 years old by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), while the game’s developer is Cing Incorporated – Town Factory. The game’s storyline begins with a young boy named Corobo who is shy and, without many friends. During his walk in the forest not very far from his village, he stumbles on a mysterious and powerful crown that can grant him the ability to charm a person and making him or her follow his instructions. The shy little boy suddenly becomes King of the village after being informed by Howzer, the bull-knight, thus Corobo begins on a mission to turn his village into a kingdom. You will be playing the role as the King in an interactive fairy tale world (a few wooden huts, and a scrappy wooden shack castle) where you will be managing the village population to create new territory, look out for treasure, build new buildings, as well as trying to conquer other nations to create a single unified kingdom.

The Little King’s Story begins on an island where you will play the role as the Little King (Corobo) who found a mysterious gold crown and suddenly become the ruler of a small village known as Alpoko. He will be accompanied by an adviser, Howser the Bull-Knight and your trusted companion, Pancho. Your quest is to conquer the world and find enough treasure to start improving the village. As the King, you will have to deal with lazy and unemployed citizens, thus this is where you need to build a training school to enable them to be Hardworking Farmers (experts at digging up hidden treasures) or Military Grunts (who can fight against the Monster Uma) each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Every guardian in the mini-bosses game that you defeated enables you to create more followers such as the Animal Hunter (warriors that specialize in ranged combat), Merchant (savvy businessmen who are invaluable when it comes to financing your ever-expanding campaign), Carpenter (handy men and women who specialize in building stairs, bridges and other forms of development), Chefs (specialised combat characters) or building a logging camp where you can train lumberjacks who can smash a big tree into small pieces. For every complete mission, the King would be able to expand the team, creating new unit and train the subjects with new skill.
In terms of control, the game utilized a combination of the Wii Remote (to let you send subjects out, call them back in, add members to your team or change their formation) and Nunchuk analogue stick controls more on its target and movement. As for the game play, it offers battles against powerful enemies that require the usage of different strategy, while the smaller encounter is where you fight with relatively powerful creatures that have bounties on their heads. This mission allows you to collect more money in between the large battles so that you will be able to expand the kingdom and upgrade your team. There are also battles against other rival Rulers which offer different boss fights, ranging from a King who wanted you to match him intellectually through a series of riddles, or to the one who challenge you to a game of pinball. Once you have conquered a number of regions, the Little King would be able to provide a town square with a suggestion box enabling you to receive feedback from your loyal subjects regarding your style of ruling. As for the sound, the game provide famous classical music to match accordingly to each scene, while the introductory movie uses vocal arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero and the title screen calls you to stand proud at Pomp and Circumstance.

Let’s Tap

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:53:30 +0000

Intro
The Let’s Tap is a Nintendo Wii game that falls under the Party genre and it was released on the 12th June, 2009 by its publisher, Sega. The game is rated as E (Everyone) which means that it may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief or mild language, and it is suitable for players who are more than 6 years old by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), while the game’s developer is Prope. The Let’s Tap is designed with an easy to pick-up-and-play control concept where players can put the Wii Remote on a box or a flat surface and do the tap sequences of either light, medium or hard, which in turn allows you to jump hurdles and create environmental effects. The game is designed with simplicity in mind to cater for all level of players whether from hardcore gamers to people who do not even familiar with videogames. Every family member can play the game with its easy controls, along with five game play modes which include Tap Runner (running races), Rhythm Tap (a rhythm game), Silent Blocks (a block puzzler), Bubble Voyager (a 2D side-scrolling shooter) and Visualizer (an abstract drawing mode).

The Let’s Tap is a party game that comes with a unique motion controls using the Wii’s technology where players need to place Wii Remote face-down on a cardboard box, and tap your feet with the rhythm to interact with the game. This game comes with a tutorial to help provides information on how to use its unique control scheme. The Wii remote is quite sensitive, therefore a simple tap or minor vibration can even be detected. Players can also navigate its menus by just pointing at the screen. One of the game play modes is the Tap Runner which is a racing game where players need to tap their way to the finishing line. Players need to tap on the card box lightly or harder enabling you to avoid or jump over an obstacle. It offers up to 16 different courses with its own difficulty level, which include slides, hurdles, springboards, ice wall, tightrope-walking, trapeze-swinging, electric fields and warp gates. Earning four medals in a four-race series enables you to move on to the next level. Apart from engaging in a single playing mode, it also support up to four AI animation or four players to be involved in a multi-player gaming simultaneously.
In the Rhythm Tap, players will be able to tap following the rhythm of various ranges of music which include 16 abstract and forgettable J-pop, dance, and instrumental songs to unlock, plus a further four if you earn the highest rating on all tracks. You can tap along with the rhythm that scrolls across the screen from right to left with a light, medium or hard tap in sync with the on-screen tap indicators. It also supports multi-player where up to four players can play the game simultaneously. Silent Blocks’ puzzle game play is a challenging game where it requires the skill of player in removing coloured circular discs within a tower without making the tower collapse. Player need to strategically use light and hard taps to remove blocks one at a time. The tower will become unstable if the tap is too fast or too firm, while if the removed blocks consist of three or more of the same colour and it ends up next to each other, they will combine becoming a single, more-valuable block, plus you will be receiving bonus point to your score. Additional colours will be introduced if you proceed to the next stages. This mode also supports multi-player gaming (up to four players).
The game also has a Bubble Voyager game play mode which is a 2D side-scrolling shooter that challenges you to maneuver your character through a landscape and avoid obstacles, lasers, and also an angry squid. Light taps will enable you to move upwards and forwards, while a firm taps will fire missiles to gun down your enemies. This mode also supports multi-player gaming of up to four players simultaneously. Last but not least, there is the Visualizer game play which is a single player mode that allows player to draw different patterns according to four themes such as Fireworks, River, Paint, Gem Game and Ink. This mode provides two types of variations. Firstly, player can create light, medium, or firm taps, or draw a specific shapes by just tapping the right pattern, such as smiley-shaped firework, a sumi-e drawn cat, or a painted dandelion. As for the second Visualizer variation, it requires you to tap three balls of the same colour into a single container to progress further. In addition, you will be able to unlocked new ball colours, and finish the game after replacing all the balls with the highest-ranked colour. The Let’s Tap Wii game also comes with an ambient electronic soundtrack that fits in according to the design and game play modes, while the sound effects also blends along with the action that the game provides.

Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs

Mark — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:49:42 +0000

Intro
The Help Wanted 50 Wacky Jobs (also known as “Job Island: Hard Working People” in the UK/EU) is a Nintendo Wii game that falls under the Simulation genre and it was released on the 05th December, 2009 by its publisher, Hudson Entertainment / Konami. The game is rated as E for everyone meaning that it may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief or mild language, and it is suitable for players who are more than 10 years old by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), while the game’s developer is Hudson Soft. The game comes with up to 50 mini games that players need to win to earn some money in order to save the world. Some of the storyline provided in the mini games include, a meteor which is on its way towards earth and as a player, you need to do your part to save the planet from destruction by earning enough money to purchase the anti-meteor gadgets from a TV shopping channel. For you to succeed, you need to perform much better than the other workers because the 50 mini games are considered as jobs and a successful worker will be paid accordingly for each and every mini games won.
Apart from the saving the earth from a meteor job, the Help Wanted 50 Wacky Jobs Wii game also comes with other storyline such as playing the role of a red carpet interviewer where you will have to run around the celebrity red carpet and wait for them to give interviews, if you managed to be the first interviewer and also catch famous star, you will be earning more money. There is also a mini game for managing a BBQ grill where players need to twist the skewers of meat using the Wii Remote preventing them from burning. Playing the role as a farmer, you must quickly harvest all carrots and also milk a cow. Each of the jobs requires the skill and concentration of the players involve.

The game offers three levels of difficulty, and apart from the single-player campaign, the Help Wanted game also support competitive multiplayer modes where players can enjoy playing with friends and compete against each other to earn the most money in a particular mini games.
The main objective of this game is to save and protect planet earth from meteor disaster. As a teenager who is concerned about the danger, you will be assisted by your grandfather who also has the same feeling about the whole crisis. From him you will learn that to delay and destroy the meteor, an anti-meteor gadget can be purchased only with points through a television shopping network. In order to earn the points, other items need to be purchased which include uniforms that unlock new jobs, support items that can boost job performance, and memorabilia that looks good in your trophy cabinet. Therefore, to earn more money you need to work by playing with all the mini games. One job equals to one day of the in-game calendar. You will be able to destroy the meteor in a few weeks time and right after that, another threat from outer space will definitely follow suit. The more money you earn in a particular job will enable you to get closer to become professional in the field, and after qualifying as a professional worker you will be up against tougher jobs but with much more income in a day. The game offers up to nine job opportunities to choose from in a day.
In one of the mini game, you will be able to cruise around a well-stocked patch of sea where you can throw in your fishing net by using the Wii Remote. Other than that, you can also use the remote to iron out wrinkles as a Dry Cleaner, memorize and repeat a sequence of images as a Newscaster, trying to haunt visitors as a Haunted House Crew member, and pulling out rotten teeth as play the role as a Dentist. Some of the mini games are quite short where you can finish it in just a few minutes, while some of it is quite difficult that you will have to use support items in order to complete it. In some of the day, you will find only a few numbers of opportunities, or you might be offered a mystery job that comes with a double pay. There will also be special character appearances throughout the day during the game where you will come across Burglars, mischievous siblings, traveling gamblers, and grandparents which can either help you or do more harm to your task. In addition to these events, you will notice your progress through the game as the date will be change, receive package deliveries, increase of salary, and updates on the meteor.