Nov 26
2008
2008
TMNT, To My Nostalgic Time
By: The Almighty Bobfish Category: TMNT, Wii
OKAY, BY NOW I would expect we are all, at least in some way, familiar with Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. Arguably the four most skilled artists the world has yet seen. So skilled, in fact, that the four teamed up several hundred years after their deaths and banded together to fight crime and injustice under the tutelage of a little chip of wood they…
Uhm, sorry, I went completely somewhere else for a moment there. I was thinking of entirely the wrong people.
Okay, let’s start again.
Approximately twenty-four years ago a short series of comics was released featuring four man shaped turtles. They had, apparently, been mutated by some kind of strange, glowing green liquid which it as later revealed took the basic genetic makeup of the host and whichever animal had most recently touched it (in this case, four turtles and a ninja living in the sewers who spent most of his time around rats) and kind of spliced them together. Thus leading to four man-turtles and a man rat who took the babies as his own, training them in the arts of ninjutsu.
Later, it was altered slightly so that Splinter was a rat who had been a pet of a ninjutsu master who learned the arts by watching from his cage. Which, to be honest, I actually find to be just a little bit too silly. I’ve had pet rats and, whilst they are undeniably extremely intelligent animals, they simply do not have the capacity to learn something that complex. This may seem overly critical for something which is, essentially, a childrens cartoon, but I was there for the initial Ninja Turtles craze, and it feels a lot like the way Michael Bay Butchered the Transformers (though the change to the Turtles was much earlier).
However, this is mostly irrelevant to the review itself.
The game plays well, looks fantastic, and is superbly acted. It takes it’s story from the 2007 film entitled simply TMNT, and takes place in the form of flashbacks narrated by the four turtles and, on occasion, their Sensei Splinter. Spread across sixteen levels and a number of interesting and, though essentially repeated textures, surprisingly diverse environments. From the jungles of South America to the streets and rooftops of New York city.
Initially, you play as each of the turtles in sequence (Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michaelangelo), with each of them telling something of what their lives were like in the aftermath of their defeat of the Shredder. But from the sixth level onwards (apart from a few points where the story shifts in favour of Raphael as The Nightwatcher) you have the ability to call on all four turtles. First by performing enough acrobatics to fill a “family” bar, and then from about level nine or ten (I forget exactly which) they are all there right from the outset.
You also have the ability to perform certain family moves, such as Michaelangelo using one of his brothers as a weapon by spinning in circles holding him at arms length, or by calling on one of your turtle brothers mid jump to propel your forwards across large gaps. The latter can be irritating at points, as I found whilst mid battle. I would press the B button to switch to another turtle, but be propelled forwards because I had just jumped to avoid an attack. But as this was entirely caused by my own trigger happy finger, we can’t really hold that against Ubisoft.
Something, however, that we can hold against Ubisoft is their attempt to do a little too much with the game. To highlight the superb agility and creativity of the four heroes, they have been given the ability cling to ledges, jump from wall to wall and run along walls (much in the same way the Prince has done in Ubisofts other franchise). It’s the latter which causes all the problems. Whereas, with the Prince of Persia games, you had to press a button to do so, with TMNT it happens automatically. Which, in itself, would be no major problem, if not for the fact that they seem to have had a severe case of hatecentredcameraitis whilst making the game. So that when jumping from ledge to ledge, keeping the analogue stick centered left or right (or whichever way you happen to be traveling at the time) will have you slowly drifting towards either the wall or the camera itself. Especially annoying as you tend to travel much further than the next platform whilst making the arch across the wall, thus falling to a lower level, or more often, death.
Despite this, however, the game is still an extremely fun one to play. With enough there to satisfy the more serious gamers (including map challenges and concept art and the like to unlock) as the more casual players alike. The combat system is simple and flows nicely, it’s fantastically well animated for a Wii game and the turtles in fight banter can be really amusing. Often helping to take the edge off during the more frustrating battles (of which there are some). Unfortunately, it’s rather short. The whole game being finished in only six hours on your first play-through. Though the extra content does add some replay value.
It’s unfortunate, however, that there were no attempts to make this a multi-player game. There are, after all, four turtles to choose from, and if the Ben 10 game allowed you to have two Ben’s on screen at the sane time, why could Ubi not allow two (or more) turtles even if the plot says they are not supposed to be there. Normally, I would let a lot of this slide due to the quality of the rest of the game, but as this is from Ubi, who really should know better by now, I’m going to have to lodge them as more serious complaints. Still, I enjoyed the game, and I would say that even people who are no fans of the Ninja Turtle franchise will also be able to find something to make the game worth playing.
Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Audio/Music: 8.5/10
Plot/Scripting: 8.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
This game also earns the Bobfish award for bringing a nostalgic tear to the eye.
Nov 08
2008
2008
Code Lyoko : Quest for Infinity (and cake)
By: The Almighty Bobfish Category: Code Lyoko, Quest for Infinity, Wii
>ORIGINALLY ONLY A moderately successful anime style series produced by the French company Antefilms some five years ago, Code Lyoko nevertheless made enough of an impact to warrant this swishdy little action platformer. Now, I haven’t actually seen the cartoon series myself (keep meaning to if that counts?) so I can’t comment on the relevance on a plot level, but I gather it takes place either between one season and the next, or some time shortly after the final episode. However, as the plot of the game seems to be entirely self-contained that shouldn’t spoil your enjoyment in any way. It certainly had no impact on mine.
I’ve never really been a fan of platform games myself (with the exception of some of the newer action/adventure types such as Tomb Raider which still feature elements of a platform game) but this one kept me entertained for many an hour. It’s very simple to play, with some straightforward use of the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities. Unlike some games which have you performing odd and unnatural contortions simply to show how “innovative” they are, this one keeps it really straightforward. A flick here, a wiggle there, nothing major.
This ease of access is continued in the difficulty of the game as a whole. Clearly, not one that was intended to be a huge, epic battle of wits and patience between you and your console, the whole thing can be run through fairly easily in a day or two. Though there is plenty of incentive to revisit previous locations (all of which are available from the scanner upon “completion” of the game) as you will notice that there are a number of obstacles along the way. Each of which you will ultimately find solutions for at later points as you find digital upgrade packages for your four heroes such as jumping from wall to wall, telekinesis and flight.
Basically, you play a bunch of high school students (five in total, though only four are actively playable as characters) that somehow or other have discovered a virtual world called Lyoko, which they have for whatever reason chosen to designate themselves as protectors to. Foiling the plans for world domination of a sentient computer program called X.A.N.A. All of this is explained in more detail in the cartoons so I apologise for my sketchy knowledge on the subject.
And that’s pretty much the long and the short of it.
During the progression of the game you visit (and often re-visit) a series of digital areas spread across a variety of environments, from forests to a volcano plateau. Initially, you can only reach one of them (a desert) but during the course of the first two or three levels you come across a vehicle which allows you to cross the digital sea and unlock more. This leads to a sort of sub-game where you control a funky little nav-skid type thing which offers a nice change of pace from the running around jumping on moving platforms and blasting the crap out of everything. Though, uhm, you have to shoot aquatic digital creatures or they’ll destroy your skid. But anyway, it adds some variety to the game. And between missions, you can head back to the Kadic school to catch up on the latest gossip with both teachers and other pupils alike.
It’s doubtful that the game will have much appeal to anyone other than fans of the series (and people like me who are suckers for cutesy, but grossly deformed, anime graphics). And that’s a shame, because it’s a much simpler game than the majority of the big titles and lacks the cloying intensity and sense of epic events. It’s a nice, simple, fun to play game, designed purely with entertainment in mind. Though it does also have a well scripted and involved plot as well. But hey, maybe you could at least buy it for your kids and sneak a little playing time for yourself when no-one’s looking. That way you get to play a great game and keep your hardcore gaming cred at the same time.
Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Audio/Music: 8.5/10
Plot/Scripting: 8.5/10
Overall: 8/10
Hey, I like cake alright? I never said there was any in the game
Oct 20
2008
2008
Avatar : The Legend of the last Airbender Aang (whew, both titles in one is quite a mouthful)
By: The Almighty Bobfish Category: Avatar, The Legend of Aang, Wii
This review is dedicated to the memory of Mako : 10/12/33-21/07/06
I ORIGINALLY ONLY picked up this game because there was very little on offer in my local gaming store when I was looking for titles to increase my library of games for my, at the time, newly acquired Wii. At the time I didn’t have a working television aerial or access to either Sky of cable, so I had not yet had the opportunity to watch the smash hit Nikelodeon series. All I knew about it was that it seemed to be influenced by old Chinese mythology and that, despite apparently being popular with absolutely no children in the world anywhere, it was an extremely successful cartoon.
I was apprehensive at first because, generally speaking, commercial success doesn’t really mesh with my specific tastes. Perhaps it’s simply because overexposure turns me off (which it certainly does) or perhaps it really is because I just have different taste to most of the rest of the world. Whatever the reason(s), on this occasion, the rest of the world and I are very firmly in agreement. The game itself is an engrossing and visually stunning experience, utilising the glory of cel-shading (something which I am a distinctly vocal proponent of) to its full potential to produce beautifully colourful and rich textures. One of those games where you can just stop and marvel at the simple elegance of the environment without ever getting bored. Something which, for me, the more (supposedly) advanced games often lack.
The characters, also, are expertly rendered, moving with an impressive degree of realism and, better yet, not falling foul of the bane of incorporeal scenery. Everything you come across, be it a rock, a tree or another person, is solid and will prevent any part of your chosen character (there are four, but I’ll get into that below) from passing through them. No hands or feet passing through walls or anything like that. At least, not that I could detect, and I usually notice that kind of thing because it’s something of a pet hate of mine.
The game has no overt ties to the series itself, although it does feature many elements from it. Including the full voice cast and a number of secondary characters who have appeared throughout the span of the first season. And though it is an officially licensed game, it’s standing within the overall cannon is uncertain. And, oddly enough, it isn’t a fully self contained story as you would often expect from a game like this. There are certain aspects of the plot which are left open as the story comes to a close. Perhaps intended for an, as yet, unreleased, sequel.
However, as previously stated, the game does feature many aspects from the show and seems to take place either in the space between the end of season one and the beginning of season two, or at the very least during the closing episodes of season one. The absence of Yue, who plays a significant role during the events of episodes 17 to 20 (the final four of the season) lead me to believe that it is afterwards. Though the plot of the game seems to have been based heavily on an earlier episode (number 17 to be precise) as it features a very similar premise, albeit handled differently.
Basically, the Fire Nation have gotten their mitts on some technological wunderkind and are forcing her to make monstrous new war machines for them to propel their war efforts to new heights. Part of this new plot entails the capture of benders from each of the other nations, Earth and Water, though not Air as they were wiped out a hundred years earlier. All apart from the Avatar (the only person capable of learning to use all four elements whilst everyone else is limited to one) who rather luckily managed to get himself trapped inside an iceberg and was perfectly preserved until two teenagers from the Southern Water Tribe found him whilst out fishing one day.
Being the Avatar, the de facto protector and peace keeper of the world, Aang cannot just sit idly by and let this all go on unchecked. So, he and his two friends Katara annd Sokka, the brother and sister who first found him, along with his loyal companion Appa, the flying Bison, and Momo, a lemur he found amidst the remains of his former home, set out to give the Fire Nation a firm slap on the wrists. And hopefully rescue the imprisoned inventor and the missing benders along the way. To do so, they must travel all over the world, from the North Pole, to the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu and one of the destroyed Air temples. There’s even a pit stop on a forgotten island thrown in for good measure. Initially, players take control of Aang, the twelve year old protagonist with a lot of weight on his young, narrow shoulders. But over the progression of the first three levels first Sokka and his boomerang, Katara with her healing water, and then Haru with his control of the very Earth itself are added to the list. Each of the four main characters appear on screen at the same time, fighting in tandem, with the option to switch between any of them via use of the motes thumbpad. Apart from during those occasions when they are not in the party of course.
Gameplay consists primarily of a diagonally, top down roving beat-em-up style. Something akin to the Baldurs gate or Champions of Norrath style, with levels progressing via the accumulation of exp when defeating opponents such as Fire Benders, hog monkeys and wolves (amongst others). And though level twenty is the maximum, it will still take you until late into the game to reach it. At each level up your health and chi are increased and you earn one more point to allocate to the heroes skills. These are different for each character and reflect their respective skills. And although twenty skill points is not enough to have all skills available together, you go back into the character screen and shift them around at any time if you feel that your current selection isn’t working. Or simply just because you fancy a change.
Ultimately, the game has very little variety in the gameplay itself. It’s a pretty straightforward dungeon crawl affair, which is fine because that’s exactly what it was intended to be, the focus being a lot more on the progression from one plot point to the next. The plot development itself being shown primarily through cinematics at the beginning and end of each level, and in smaller doses via the quests that you will be asked to embark upon by various people you will meet along the way. Though there is also the option to make use of Momo to go scouting for hidden items (one quest on each level) and a tile game called four nations (which is also used to acquire some rare pieces of equipment) if you want a change of pace. Taking control of Momo, which can be done even after his sub-quest is completed, can be especially amusing when near people as he hears nonsensical sounds rather than words, what with being a lemur and all.
There are also a number of hidden treasure chests scattered throughout the game which can only be unlocked either via bending, or by having Sokka smash them open with his boomerang. This is done by copying various sigils which are drawn on screen by using your Wii remote. First you will see a demonstration of the sigil (which seem to be loosely based on Chinese) being drawn, then you will use the mote to recreate it as accurately as possible. In principal it sounds simple, and it is simple, but not quite as easy as it may sound. It’s not just the shape you have to duplicate, but also the order in which the lines and curves are drawn. As well as the chests there are various points such as Earthbending a path across a gap, or Waterbending a sheet of ice across a river, where you will be required to do the same.
Unfortunately, the game received a lukewarm reception from both fans of the show and the uninitiated as well. Some going so far as to call it both dully repetitive and uncooperative, with an uninspiring storyline. It must be said that, yes, as far as Avatar goes, the game cannot claim to boast the best plot when held up against the superb quality of the writing in the series, but neither can it be said that it was poor either. And as well all know, the transition from one medium to another is never an easy thing. And again, yes, this may not be the most successful attempt, but nor is it the worst.
On the whole, the game is thoroughly enjoyable. A suitably challenging, but not overly difficult game that was clearly intended to be a more sedate, relaxing gaming experience. There is a good balance between appearance (it really is a visually stunning game) and smooth, simple, gameplay mechanics. The one real failing I would say is that it does not support multi-player. With four characters to choose from throughout the vast majority of the game, it was definitely a bad choice on the part of THQ to not allow for at least a two player aspect. And it was a shame that Mako was not included to play Uncle Iroh who appears briefly, but does not speak.
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Plot/Scripting: 8/10
Overall: 8.5/10
Like what you read? Help support GamerzReviewz and buy Avatar: The Last Airbender-Into the Inferno
Oct 03
2008
2008
Baroque, an irregular and underrated pearl
By: The Almighty Bofish Category: Baroque, Wii
ORIGINALLY RELEASED SOME time ago for the SEGA Saturn, Baroque is an almost universally unknown game. Destined to be one of those forgotten, ignored gems of a bygone age (of gaming) until, for whatever reason, Rising Star decided a port to the Wii would be a good idea. This is not the first time that Baroque has been resurrected from beyond the pale either. A stint on the Playstation 2 bridges the span of the last decade and brings us to last year. I must confess, I’m not entirely sure why or how Baroque made it onto the Wii. Though I’ve been told it enjoyed no small success in Japan, the sales across the rest of the world have been less than inspiring. However, I’m glad that it did because it’s an extremely underrated game.
Unlike most traditional RPGs, the bulk of the game takes place in one, randomly generated, series of “dungeons” which make up something called the Neuro Tower. Whilst the plot is revealed in a rather unconventional and mostly non-linear fashion through a series of, seemingly, random encounters and actions that you, the unnamed hero, will make along the way. The specifics of what you have to do for the main plot are explained pretty much right from the off. But the rest of it requires no small amount mental leg work and a lot of trial and error.
The random, and at times utterly chaotic, nature of the game is likely to put off a lot of potential fans. At least initially. But give it a little time and everything starts to make a warped sort of sense. And the overall atmosphere of the game make it an absorbing and, to coin a word, baroque experience. In more ways than one. For those who don’t know, the word baroque has a number of meanings, and several of them are applicable in this case. Most notably in the meanings of irregularity and being so extremely extravagant as to be in bad taste. Both of which the game has in deliberate bucketloads.
The bizarre, twisted nature of the landscape and the various characters you will interact with are enough to give even our good friend Mister Burton a run for his money. Serving as a stark contrast to the “normal” characters you will also meet. And whilst the visuals themselves are rendered in standard definition, as is the norm with the Wii, this in no way diminishes their impact. It would be inappropriate to describe the game as beautiful, but the quality of the sprites would certainly earn it the badge of stunning. In a warped, gothic (or perhaps baroque) kind of way.
The game itself plays in a pretty straightforward fashion. Much like any other dungeon crawler you move from one level to the next, working your way down to the bottom of the Neuro Tower where you have two options which will affect how the game ends. Though, it never actually does end as such. Yes, you can finish off the story, and all of the sub plots, but as the levels are generated randomly each time you enter you can return time and time again. But be aware, each time you finish a dungeon (either by reaching the bottom or through death) you will be returned to town with your character reset to default.
Kind of.
It’s not quite that simple. As you will discover, there are certain methods to get around this to a certain extent. Although there is no way (at least, none that I have found) to retain your level and experience, it is possible to carry across other things such as items and brands (which can be used to enhance yourself or your equipment) via the use of the consciousness orbs. This does, however, require you to manually chuck them in and thus lose the use of them at that time. Also, you must do this each time you enter the tower as they do not carry across from one visit to the next once you have retrieved them.
All in all it’s quite an odd game, and is unlikely to ever garner any significant popularity. Which is a shame because it’s so radically different from just about everything. I personally found it to be a very refreshing change. Something that was both familiar and unique at the same time. There are enough aspects there to appeal to fans of games such as Baldurs Gate, as well as a large dose of style for those of us who are less interested in the particulars than the overall feel, but still a great deal of substance for the deep thinkers. There’s even the option of playing the game in first person to appeal to FPS fans, though that is admittedly a bit of a stretch as the main focus of the combat is on melee.
Graphics 8.5/10
Gameplay 8/10
Audio/music 9/10
Plot/Scripting 9/10
Overall 9/10
Sep 21
2008
2008
Order Up! for Wii
By: Charlie Jones Category: Games, Order Up!, Wii
When a buddy showed up with this game, I wasn’t really interested. Cooking is not my thing - and virtual food isn’t even edible. But I thought I’d give it a try anyway, and the results were surprisingly not bad. It’s not game of the year by any means, but does provide for some entertaining game-play in the faux restauranteer world.
The scenario: you’re an unproven new chef in the small town of “Port Abello” (yuk, yuk), with high hopes of rising up the culinary ranks to become a real somebody. You purchase a local diner, and ready to unleash your blossoming talent onto the palettes of the local town-folk.
As you may have gathered, the main game-play component of Order Up! involves food preparation - you’ll need to slice, dice, fry, grill, and more all with accuracy to receive a good score. It’s not overly difficult, but does take some getting used to, and is satisfying to conquer. You’ll also need to keep your patrons happy, and can use the points earned doing so to upgrade your restaurant, hire new help, buy additional recipes and purchase spices.
As you do this successfully, you’ll earn a higher rating and have the opportunity to purchase a more advanced eatery. Rising all the way from a little greasy spoon to a fine dining establishment.
I found myself getting into a comfortable and enjoyable rhythm. And in true form you’ll notice, as with most Nintendo Wii Games, that their amusing characters and fun cartoonish visuals make the game-play all the more appealing. However, take note that Order Up! is a rather short offering, as we sat down in the late afternoon and had it finished before midnight. Besides that point, even if you’re not the cook in the family, you might be as surprised by this one as I was.
Recent Comments