Nintendo's Next-Gen Console: Wii
© Nintendo
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and more!
By: CAPTAIN GORDON EDWARDDate: Wednesday, November 22, 2006
With two consoles being released within 2 days of each other, plenty of games have hit the market. Something different from the PS3 launch though is that there are a lot of Wii games that can be played. The competition has also held off, so that it is much more limited when it comes to the market place. If this is any sign of what is the most popular system out of the two is, at least from a developer’s perspective, it seems that Wii is winning it by a long shot. In any event, just by typing this, I am aggravating Wii shoulder, which I got from Wii Bowling a little too much. Because of that, it is on to the show.
Yggdra Union (GBA) - Coined as a follow-up to Riviera, it should be a very entertaining experience, even if it loses out on the social aspect of the game. This should be one of the last Atlus GBA games, so you had better believe they are going out with a bang.
Brain Boost: Beta Wave / Gamma Wave (DS) - If you wanted more Brain Age styled games, well here is the place to go to expand your mind. Both of these should be fairly similar to the other styled games, and since they are at a reduced price they should be a good buy.
College Hoops 2K7 (X-Box - X-Box 360) - More of those... What you call... Sports games. This time it is a slightly updated version for the X-Box brands.
Rainbow Six: Vegas (X-Box 360) - When you mix the world of Rainbow Six and Vegas, you can assume that whatever happens in it, stays in it. Oddly enough the creators of the game were being sued, so you have to wonder if there is enough hardcore content to warrant it. In any event, be prepared to defend against terrorists in a city that really does not sleep.
Superman Returns (PS2 - X-Box - X-Box 360 - DS) - A tall building jump away from the Superman 64 game, finally a good Superman game has been made. Similar to Hulk, or even Spiderman 2, you will have the ability to venture around the city. Perhaps people can finally get over the 64 game because of this.
Capcom Classics 2 (PS2 - X-Box) - Here is a game that I have personally been playing, and it is quite fun. While the game lacks too much depth, since it is just a compilation, you can easily pick it up and put it down whenever you have a few moments to kill.
Justice League Heroes (PSP) - If you have read my review of the PS2 version a while back, this will be the game to buy if you want a decent Batman game. This is a great alternative to Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
Excite Truck (Wii) - Oddly enough a similar game that was released for the NES is one of the launch titles of the Wii. Starting the trend of holding the controller differently than the other games on the system, you will use it turned sideways. If you were lucky enough to get the Wii, this will be a game to play.
Need for Speed: Carbon (Wii) - A port of the Need For Speed: Carbon game. Of course it also uses the turned sideways Wii-mote.
Monster 4x4: World Circuit with Wheel (Wii) - A game that features the attachment of a wheel to the Wii-Mote. Be prepared for a good old time, if you like Monster Trucks. I thought Monster Trucks died as soon as this became the 21st century... Oh well.
GT Pro Series (Wii) - Ubisoft is also trying to cash in on the new world of racing games, so it has included a game more akin to Gran Turismo, which features over 80 different cars. It is a good day to play racing games on a Wii.
Cars (Wii) - A port of the previously released Cars game.
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Wii) - Perhaps this is the top skateboarding game of all time. Since it is similar to a racing game, you will be using your Wii-Mote sideways, though it might be a bit more interesting if it were pointed forward like a skateboard. As you get a little air, rotate it to quickly do interesting tricks, and pick up a lot of points. This could be the revolution that the series desperately needed.
Call of Duty 3 (Wii) - More than just a port of Call Of Duty 3, it uses the Wii-Mote to battle the weapons out of your enemy’s hands for you to use. I am very excited about playing this game since it offers plenty of Wii-specific gameplay.
Red Steel (Wii) - Perhaps if you wanted more than just a gun game, now you can switch between guns and swords. You will physically swing your sword with different angles, to bring a world of hurt to your opponents. This was the original mature game for the system, and while it promotes interesting ideas, it does not implement them well enough. Hopefully the follow-up will improve the features. How do I know there is a follow-up? I thought all games these days had one.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Wii) - If you were tired of the previous Super Monkey Ball games because you could not jump... Well this is the game for you. Just by flicking the Wii-mote upwards, you can send your character into the air. Likewise they have been known for some pretty fun mini-games, so this will be an interesting game for the Wii.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii) - A port of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance game... but Wii-Ized. Now you can use the Wii to mimic the character's actions to activate them on screen. Sure you might get a little tired of it, but at least it will be fun for a while.
Madden NFL 07 (Wii) – This is a sports game that I can finally get behind, because with the new Wii-Scheme you will be much more interactive with the characters. Moving the Wii around will change how you pass, or even kick a field goal. It is finally a change from the norm.
Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Wii) - What else can I say other than this game is beautiful, and a heck of a lot of fun. It is quite similar to the DS experience, but you have a lot of new tools to play with, and it will keep you busy playing doctor for hours on end. It is at least ten times as fun as playing "Operation" with metal tongs.
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) - A fantastic and fun game for the Wii, which will probably be sold out everywhere. It is honestly the strongest launch title that I have ever played over the years, so it is definitely worth picking up. It will feature Link, and you can use the Wii-mote to fish, swing your sword, and shoot arrows. While it only pushes Gamecube level graphics, it still is a very beautiful game. Of course this has also earned my magical, not forgettable, Game of the Week award.
Rayman: Raving Rabbids (Wii) - Another must have Wii game, where you will have a giant load of mini-games to complete. Shooting plungers at Rabbids have never been as fun as now, and it will simply be an addicting game all around.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Wii) - A standard port of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2... say that 10 times fast.
Rampage: Total Destruction (Wii) - Continuing on the trend of breaking buildings around the world, Rampage gives it to you on a whole new level. It should be a lot of mindless fun, with a lot of characters, without that bothersome storyline.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Wii) - A standard port of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature From the Krusty Krab (Wii) - A standard port of SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature From the Krusty Krab.
Happy Feet (Wii) - A standard port of Happy Feet. Of course since it is a movie game...
Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (Wii) - A port of the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. I think that is the last of those television games.
Rapala Trophies (Wii) - If you could not get enough of the fishing games on Zelda, or if you were unable to get it, this should expand on all aspects of that game. With the Wii-Mote, be prepared to rotate your hands in circles for hours.
In the end, yes there were a lot of ports from the other systems, but there were still a lot of options. There are plenty of games on this list that anyone should have a lot of fun with. If you do not have a Wii yet, buy one because you are going to be set up with a lot of options for great gameplay. If you are able to get your hands on Zelda, prepare to say good-bye to your friends for quite some time. All and all, this is a happy Captain Gordon signing off.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? CaptainGordonEdward@Gmail.com
