10-21-2007, 08:10 PM
Everyone knows by now that Super Smash Brothers Brawl was playable at the Entertainment for All Expo, along with other huge titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Super Mario Galaxy, but those were far from the only titles to appear at the show. These are just some of the numerous other titles to appear on the floor along with a slight hands on look at the games. Some are slated to release soon while others are still in development.
Battalion Wars 2 (Wii): This game wasn't anywhere on my list of top priorities, but I'm glad I decided to step in and give it a try anyway. The controls are rather simple. The A button commands your troops to perform tasks depending on what you're targeting and what they're currently doing, the B button fires your weapon, the D-pad selects different units, Z locks you onto a target, analog stick moves your character and a flip of the nunchuk while moving left or right will make your character jump and roll in that direction. The game was extremely easy to pick up and start playing, and once you get into the game, it's a lot of fun. I honestly had a blast playing this game once the gameplay kicked into gear. The game really does hold your hand while you learn the basics though, which can be annoying for anyone with an I.Q. higher than that of a tree stump. It was also annoying that I couldn't skip the cutscenes. I'll learn what's going on later. While I only have 5-10 minutes to play the game, I just want to play; not read. My hopes are rather high for this game now and hope it stays entertaining with its release.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii): There's really not much to say about this title. I played it for about ten minutes, but only really needed two minutes to write this up. The game as I played it was identical to ]i]Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance[/i] for the GameCube. You play the game holding the Wii remote sideways. No nunchuk is required and it's probably a good thing. You really only need three buttons: confirm, cancel and help. The graphics look slightly better, but when combat goes into the 3D environment, the scenery behind the characters is still quite bland. Hopefully this will be tweaked before the game's release, but it's doubtful considering the game is already out in Japan. The story will still likely be the games shining point and the tactical planning used in combat.
Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast (Wii): We've heard about this game for a couple months or so and I don't think I heard anyone say they were looking forward to it or that it would be a good game. Well I'll be the first then. The game was actually a fun racer. You don't have to constantly pump the Wii remote and nunchuk to move; just to accelerate to top speed. After that you can simply cruise along and only need to shake the controls to speed up again (such as after hitting an obstacle) or to turn (shaking the nunchuk for left or Wii remote for right). Items are used to assist you or harm other racers, quite similar to Diddy Kong Racing. You collect bananas which allow you to use a boost move and you can hit the A button to smash through obstacles or other racers. It's not Mario Kart, but it was still a fun game to play. Not sure if it'd get tiring or repetitive for long periods of time though.
Link's Crossbow Training (Wii): The game is pretty simple and straightforward. Shoot some targets; don't shoot others. Hold down your fire button to release an exploding arrow. If you earn enough points, you get a little award. Yeah...that's pretty much it.
The Wii Zapper: As far as I'm concerned, the Wii Zapper is not worth it in any way. I used it on Link's Crossbow Training as well as Ghost Squad [brief review: it's practically identical to Time Crisis with some choices of how to go through the level]. It was just too clumsy to be very accurate. Only way I could get a real good aim was to hold it up and look down the Wii remote, but doing that made my shoulder tire within just a few minutes. I could see this getting some mixed opinions (D4rk said it was useful on Ghost Squad), but I personally don't want to use it.
WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 (Wii): Even though this is a multiplatform game, the Wii seems to be the only version with anything new. Simply waving the Wii remote performs striking attacks. Holding A while waving the Wii remote performs quick grapples while holding B and waving the Wii remote performs advanced grapples which often require the player to continue moving the remote in various directions to perform the attack. It was difficult to get used to the controls, but after only five minutes or so of playing, I was impressed at how intuitive the controls had become. If you're a fan of the SD vs Raw series, the Wii version doesn't seem to disappoint so far.
Civilization: Revolution (360): There is supposedly a DS and Wii version in production as well, but they weren't on display so the 360 version is what I got to play. The game is basically the same as Civilization from the PC, but on a console. You don't really lose anything, but from what I could tell, there's no real additions to it either. The DS and Wii versions may be a little more intuitive in the control department with their unique control systems. Playing with a 360 controller was a little awkward. The cursor just didn't seem to always go where I wanted it to be.
The Simpsons Game (360): This game is also slated for the PS3, Wii, PSP, DS and PS2 (each having a few unique minigames), but the 360 version was on display. All the displays were portraying the 2-player version as well. Not sure about a single player mode, but multiplayer was rather fun. The two characters must use unique abilities to conquer tasks and work together to achieve goals. May not have a long life span, but it was fun for the few minutes D4rk and I played it.
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Wii): DDR finally comes to a Nintendo console and brings a slight twist with it. The game is basically the same as every other DDR available, but you must also shake the Wii remote and/or nunchuk when their specific icons move across the arrows at the top. It was difficult to hit the waves, but then again I couldn't get the steps down anyway. Should've had someone with a bit more skill at DDR try this out...
Contra 4 (DS): The Contra franchise has gone through some serious changes in its life, but most people agree the first installment was the best. Contra 4 goes back to its roots in grand fashion. The first level is practically identical to that of the first game in the series. The weapons are practically the same and there's a new action. You can now fire a grappling hook straight up to latch onto various areas. This game is definitely the return of a long lost game which never should have been lost and doesn't look to disappoint those who have been awaiting its grand return.
Da Blob (Wii): This is an interesting little game from THQ. The premise is quite simple. You play a blob. You absorb colors and paint buildings and such with whatever color you have. You get more points by painting more buildings. There are various challenges to complete, such as follow a certain path or painting a certain group of objects a certain color. It's nothing too detailed or high end, but it was still a fun play.
Nintendo issued Wii jackets: Everything Nintendo had setup on display had these jackets on the controllers. They are the exact same jackets Nintendo will soon be sending out to everyone who put in a request on the Nintendo website. When using the Wii remote in it's typical manner (pointed at the screen), the jacket makes little difference. However, if you're holding the remote like an NES controller, the tip of controller becomes slightly awkward to hold due to the enlarged rubber grip. It's free though, so there's no real harm in getting one.
That's it for the lesser titles that I found important. There were some other things, but I can't even remember playing them, so I can't very well write about them. Stay tuned though. The big names will soon be up as well.
Battalion Wars 2 (Wii): This game wasn't anywhere on my list of top priorities, but I'm glad I decided to step in and give it a try anyway. The controls are rather simple. The A button commands your troops to perform tasks depending on what you're targeting and what they're currently doing, the B button fires your weapon, the D-pad selects different units, Z locks you onto a target, analog stick moves your character and a flip of the nunchuk while moving left or right will make your character jump and roll in that direction. The game was extremely easy to pick up and start playing, and once you get into the game, it's a lot of fun. I honestly had a blast playing this game once the gameplay kicked into gear. The game really does hold your hand while you learn the basics though, which can be annoying for anyone with an I.Q. higher than that of a tree stump. It was also annoying that I couldn't skip the cutscenes. I'll learn what's going on later. While I only have 5-10 minutes to play the game, I just want to play; not read. My hopes are rather high for this game now and hope it stays entertaining with its release.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii): There's really not much to say about this title. I played it for about ten minutes, but only really needed two minutes to write this up. The game as I played it was identical to ]i]Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance[/i] for the GameCube. You play the game holding the Wii remote sideways. No nunchuk is required and it's probably a good thing. You really only need three buttons: confirm, cancel and help. The graphics look slightly better, but when combat goes into the 3D environment, the scenery behind the characters is still quite bland. Hopefully this will be tweaked before the game's release, but it's doubtful considering the game is already out in Japan. The story will still likely be the games shining point and the tactical planning used in combat.
Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast (Wii): We've heard about this game for a couple months or so and I don't think I heard anyone say they were looking forward to it or that it would be a good game. Well I'll be the first then. The game was actually a fun racer. You don't have to constantly pump the Wii remote and nunchuk to move; just to accelerate to top speed. After that you can simply cruise along and only need to shake the controls to speed up again (such as after hitting an obstacle) or to turn (shaking the nunchuk for left or Wii remote for right). Items are used to assist you or harm other racers, quite similar to Diddy Kong Racing. You collect bananas which allow you to use a boost move and you can hit the A button to smash through obstacles or other racers. It's not Mario Kart, but it was still a fun game to play. Not sure if it'd get tiring or repetitive for long periods of time though.
Link's Crossbow Training (Wii): The game is pretty simple and straightforward. Shoot some targets; don't shoot others. Hold down your fire button to release an exploding arrow. If you earn enough points, you get a little award. Yeah...that's pretty much it.
The Wii Zapper: As far as I'm concerned, the Wii Zapper is not worth it in any way. I used it on Link's Crossbow Training as well as Ghost Squad [brief review: it's practically identical to Time Crisis with some choices of how to go through the level]. It was just too clumsy to be very accurate. Only way I could get a real good aim was to hold it up and look down the Wii remote, but doing that made my shoulder tire within just a few minutes. I could see this getting some mixed opinions (D4rk said it was useful on Ghost Squad), but I personally don't want to use it.
WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 (Wii): Even though this is a multiplatform game, the Wii seems to be the only version with anything new. Simply waving the Wii remote performs striking attacks. Holding A while waving the Wii remote performs quick grapples while holding B and waving the Wii remote performs advanced grapples which often require the player to continue moving the remote in various directions to perform the attack. It was difficult to get used to the controls, but after only five minutes or so of playing, I was impressed at how intuitive the controls had become. If you're a fan of the SD vs Raw series, the Wii version doesn't seem to disappoint so far.
Civilization: Revolution (360): There is supposedly a DS and Wii version in production as well, but they weren't on display so the 360 version is what I got to play. The game is basically the same as Civilization from the PC, but on a console. You don't really lose anything, but from what I could tell, there's no real additions to it either. The DS and Wii versions may be a little more intuitive in the control department with their unique control systems. Playing with a 360 controller was a little awkward. The cursor just didn't seem to always go where I wanted it to be.
The Simpsons Game (360): This game is also slated for the PS3, Wii, PSP, DS and PS2 (each having a few unique minigames), but the 360 version was on display. All the displays were portraying the 2-player version as well. Not sure about a single player mode, but multiplayer was rather fun. The two characters must use unique abilities to conquer tasks and work together to achieve goals. May not have a long life span, but it was fun for the few minutes D4rk and I played it.
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Wii): DDR finally comes to a Nintendo console and brings a slight twist with it. The game is basically the same as every other DDR available, but you must also shake the Wii remote and/or nunchuk when their specific icons move across the arrows at the top. It was difficult to hit the waves, but then again I couldn't get the steps down anyway. Should've had someone with a bit more skill at DDR try this out...
Contra 4 (DS): The Contra franchise has gone through some serious changes in its life, but most people agree the first installment was the best. Contra 4 goes back to its roots in grand fashion. The first level is practically identical to that of the first game in the series. The weapons are practically the same and there's a new action. You can now fire a grappling hook straight up to latch onto various areas. This game is definitely the return of a long lost game which never should have been lost and doesn't look to disappoint those who have been awaiting its grand return.
Da Blob (Wii): This is an interesting little game from THQ. The premise is quite simple. You play a blob. You absorb colors and paint buildings and such with whatever color you have. You get more points by painting more buildings. There are various challenges to complete, such as follow a certain path or painting a certain group of objects a certain color. It's nothing too detailed or high end, but it was still a fun play.
Nintendo issued Wii jackets: Everything Nintendo had setup on display had these jackets on the controllers. They are the exact same jackets Nintendo will soon be sending out to everyone who put in a request on the Nintendo website. When using the Wii remote in it's typical manner (pointed at the screen), the jacket makes little difference. However, if you're holding the remote like an NES controller, the tip of controller becomes slightly awkward to hold due to the enlarged rubber grip. It's free though, so there's no real harm in getting one.
That's it for the lesser titles that I found important. There were some other things, but I can't even remember playing them, so I can't very well write about them. Stay tuned though. The big names will soon be up as well.
