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gigayak · 7 years ago

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EGX Rezzed 2018 Review

I just attended the Rezzed games event in London for the first time. This is a spin-off from the main EGX (originally, the Eurogamer Expo) with a primary focus on indie games. It also seeks to attract young budding games-makers and journalists to the industry. The weekend had a very relaxed theme and people were immensely friendly. The location in London's Tobacco Dock was also well-ventilated (very important when there are lots of gamers), there wasn't much queuing required (often none), and it made for a thoroughly pleasant experience for a Spring weekend.

There were a number of games that I enjoyed both playing, and looking at. Here are some of my highlights:

Onrush

Codemasters.com

There were, of course, smatterings of "triple A" titles, and the one which I enjoyed the most was a racing game developed by Codemasters called Onrush. This was a fast-based arcade-style racing game with various types of vehicles on a hilly terrain and it was setup as a 6vs6 competition in the expo. It reminded me of the Excitetruck remake on Nintendo Wii and MotorStorm on Playstation. The gameplay was very crisp, and it was obvious that the makers have put a lot of time testing the game to make sure it plays beautifully. The soundtrack was outstanding too. The release date is 5th June 2018.

Homo Machina

http://www.homomachina-game.com/

This gorgeous 2D exploration game from Darjeeling Productions is inspired by the medical illustrations of Dr Fritz Kahn. Think of the concept of the Pixar film "Inside Out" with tiny little humanoids controlling your actions. I just wanted to watch the game, can't wait for it to come out on mobile and tablet formats.

Bad North

https://www.badnorth.com/

This game caught my eye in the Nintendo Switch section (though it will be released on all formats) - a compact little real-time strategy game on rotatable islands inhabited by humble island dwellers who are under attack from Vikings. It may look simplistic but the minimalist charm and movements (e.g. the way the arrows and rain drop) were zen bliss.

Phogs

Image: Bitloomgames.com

This was such a wacky offering from Bitloom Games - you and a friend control a double-ended dog as you solve puzzles on various floating islands, with the aim being to feed a giant worm with either an acorn or a globe-shaped light bulb (!) The cooperative mechanic (both players sharing one controller) was amongst the finest I have every played, and the lovely pastel colours were joyful to look at. Loved it!

Me sitting on some Phogs-theme upholstery

Strange Brigade

Image: Strangebrigade.com

This cooperative third-person shooter by Rebellion Developments had an exuberant 1930s theme to it, I played a level as one of four diverse heroes fighting hordes of mythic beings in some kind of Egyptian setting. The visuals were stunning and the gameplay mechanics felt great, but the main attraction of the game was the over-the-top British pulp style narration.

Knights and Bikes

http://foamswordgames.com/

This hand-painted game set on a British island seemed to have an ET/Stranger Things/Super8 style theme to it, with an 80s feel and coming-of-age theme. In the small part that I watched, there was a clear emotional underpinning to the game which suggests a lot of heart has been put into the writing and design.

The Leftfield Collection

There were some awesome little indie games in the Leftfield Room - the ones which stood out for me were Wobble Garden: a spring and light based installation which provided a sensory experience unlike any other game I'd played before. Haiku Adventure had a beautiful Japanese ukiyo-e inspired landscape scene in a puzzle game which seemed to involve using Haiku to chill out a flock of assorted wildfowl.

Other Comments

The show also had some very nice retro games, and also had a few multiplayer units for games which had already been released. I particularly enjoyed re-awakening my old puzzling skills in Sega's Puyo Puyo Tetris. My younger brother Sina The Doc, who first suggesting we attend this expo, also enjoyed meeting some of his podcasting heroes and had a go on a game which appears inspired by the classic Theme Hospital, Two Point Hospital:

My younger Brother on the left, Sina The Doc

A nice weekend, maybe I'll come again next year!

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xb-squaredx · 9 years ago

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Hidden Gems of the Wii Part 2: Honorable Mentions

Aaaaaand we’re back with more Wii games you might not have tried! Yes, now…there are a LOT of Wii games out there and while it was quite infamous for shovelware, there’s definitely merit in digging deep and seeing if anything worthwhile can be found. Last time I talked about games I personally owned, but for these remaining games I have never played them, and there are many I didn’t even really know about before researching them. This is not, and will never be, a comprehensive list: there are simply too many games out there to go through, but this at the very least is a good starting point for building a potential Wii library…or just remembering that there was a lot of good stuff that hit the system! Let’s get started, once again in no particular order.

Elebits

Coming from Konami (you know, back when they sucked a little less!), this is an interesting…well, I suppose it technically IS a first-person shooter. Armed with a “capture gun” players must navigate areas in first-person to collect Elebits, little beings that are made up of energy. You use that energy to power various objects (TVs, lights and other appliances) with the goal to find hidden Elebits and reach a certain power level. You use the capture gun to manipulate objects, using the motion controls to throw and fling things, among other things, making it a decent demonstration of the Wii Remote’s applications in a first-person game. It’s almost like using the Gravity Gun in Half-life 2. The overall presentation is goofy and reminiscent of games like Katamari Damacy. I remember the game being shown off way back when the Wii was new, but never really searched for it once I got the console. Shame.

Excitetruck and Excitebots: Trick Racing

Remember the old classic Excitebike? Well…it got quite the interesting revival with the Wii. Excitetruck was a launch title for the Wii, and it later gained a sequel in Excitebots. Both games, despite one using trucks and the other using robots modeled after insects and other animals, are fairly similar in structure. You’re not just going fast, but also doing everything you can to earn stars in a match, after which you are scored. You have to perform tricks, drift, get huge air and all sorts of other things. Excitebots in particular ramps the challenge up, often shoving minigames into the middle of races that last just a second, like bowling or tossing pies…yeah, it’s a little weird. Both games were big on going fast, but like the original Excitebike, you had to make sure you didn’t overheat. Interesting racers to be sure…and as you can expect, there was a LOT of use of motion controls for steering. Fun stuff!

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Need to hack and/or slash? Well, then I have a game for you! Developed by Vanillaware (who are good at this kinda 2D beat-em-up hack-n-slash thing), this game is definitely a visual marvel. Full of slick animation, the game evokes a more traditional Japanese painting style, and it seems to flow pretty well. It’s fairly basic in terms of your moveset, but it always keeps moving and gives you enemies to fight. There’s a blade forging and cooking system that flesh the game out slightly as you create better healing items or weapons and while some might criticize the game as being a little repetitive, it’s lauded as being a good time regardless.

One Piece Unlimited Cruise

An episodic sequel to Unlimited Adventure, there’s a good reason I’ve never played this: it never hit North America, only localized in Europe. No English voices there either, just subtitles which is a bummer for me, admittedly. The game came out in two episodes, and I can’t say for sure just how much content is in each episode. Unlimited Cruise has a similar set-up to the past game, where you fight fake constructs of enemies from the Straw Hats’ past adventures, and it covers enemies not seen in Adventure (like Buggy the Clown) all the way to the next big story arc of Thriller Bark. It’s mostly more of the same, with some refinements here and there. I should mention that the games were later ported (both episodes in one as far as I know) to the Nintendo 3DS, so that might be a better place to look for them. Still…it’s One Piece, so that’s something!

Castlevania Judgment

Not the Castlevania internal-crossover you probably wanted! Still, it’s neat! Maybe a little janky, but neat! Judgment is a fighting game featuring characters from all across the franchise all brought together due to time travel shenanigans. Operating in full 3D, players unleash all manner of attacks through…waggle. Oh yeah, and the classic Castlevania sub-weapons can be used as well. Castlevania fans seem more than a little split on this one, but it can be fun. Just…try to ignore some of the redesigns or changed characterizations. (Maria is all about boobs now, for some reason). I could probably sell this a little better, couldn’t I? If anything, it’s at least worth playing just to know, you know?

Boom Blox

First-person party game…thing. You fire balls at structures made of blocks, aiming to take down as many as you can for points. The game has realistic physics applied to it, and you can adjust the camera using the pointer of the Wii Remote for a better angle. Not much more to say other than that it looks fun enough…oh yeah and Steven Spielberg was involved in this. I’m just as confused as you are.

De Blob 1 and 2

Interesting little platformers in which you paint the town…a multitude of colors! Now, looking back at this…Splatoon takes a LOT from this, doesn’t it? You know…besides the whole squid thing and it being a shooter and all. Anyway! In a world in which color (and fun) is being sucked away by an evil corporation you play as….a blob. A blob seemingly made of paint that can restore color to things as you roll and jump around. You can change the paint the blob is made of, and there are many challenges in the massive levels that require, say, a certain structure to be painted a certain color, or other challenges that might need mixing of colors to solve. The sequel, in addition to being multiplatform, improved on a lot of the first game, taking what many thought was already a fairly polished third-party title and making it even better.

Dokapon Kingdom

Ever look at a party game and wonder…why can’t this be more of an RPG? No? Well, here’s Dokapon Kingdom anyway. Originally on the PS2, it was later ported to the Wii…so it counts as a Wii hidden gem, right? On the surface it’s your typical party game, traveling along spaces, competing in mini-games and what have you, but quickly you’ll see that RPG mechanics have been added to keep things interesting. You spin a spinner in lieu of dice to decide where you can go on a massive game board and depending on where you land, you can liberate towns from monsters, buy items at shops or battle bosses, enemies or other players. The battle system is a typical rock-paper-scissors format, and going through the game there are spells and other items you can use to help yourself or hinder other players. Up to four can play, and if you’re in the mood for quick games, Normal Mode or Battle Royale can scratch that itch, or go for a more lengthy adventure with Story Mode. It’s considerably more complex than most party games, at least from what I see, but it has charm all its own.

Bully: Scholarship Edition

Yep, Rockstar Game’s title where you combat bullies (and possibly become one? It’s unclear) made it to the Wii…somehow. The Scholarship Edition was an enhanced port of the game on both the Wii and Xbox 360, featuring more missions, costumes and…classes to attend. You play as a new arrival to Bullworth Academy, overrun with bullies. Your character, Jimmy Hopkins, combats the cliques and tormentors of the academy…but don’t neglect your studies either! Classes are a collection of minigames that grant Jimmy certain abilities when passed. An open world adventure, while there is a story and many linear, required missions, you’re also free to roam and complete all kinds of optional quests and such. The game generated a LOT of controversy back upon release…but it almost seems rather tame now, doesn’t it?

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Friends assure me it’s the “best DBZ game ever made” and they might be right! Featuring an unprecedented 161 characters from all across the Dragon Ball series (that’s the original series, Z, GT and several movies as well as anime-only characters), it’s the most fleshed out of the Budokai Tenkaichi games. Released on the PS2 and Wii, the Wii version not only has motion control options but also online play….that was questionable…and also not able to function anymore, what with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection being shut down… As far as DBZ fanservice goes, few games can beat this. And hey, how many other games out there let you play as King Vegeta, or Arale from Dr. Slump? Huh?!

House of the Dead: Overkill

Oh hey, another rail-shooter game using the Wii’s point controls! See, there were some others out there! Not much to really say here: it’s a prequel to the House of the Dead series (if that means anything to you) and generally it is a fun, arcade-y little shooter full of zombie guts. What more could you want?!

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

Adult Swim’s hit animated show somehow landed a Wii game that’s pretty good! Published by Capcom, the game is basically Ace Attorney with a new coat of paint, but that’s not a bad thing. If this show was something you were into, you can definitely appreciate this game being VERY faithful to the source material. From the animation style being perfectly replicated to the overall humor and tone being kept in-tact due to the voice actors and staff of the show being involved, it’s almost like you’re playing episodes of the show. Oh yeah, and Street Fighter characters occasionally make cameos.

Rhythm Heaven Fever

The first of the Rhythm Heaven games to be on Wii, this is…one of the quirkiest rhythm games you’ll ever find. Filled with quick little challenges where you have to keep a certain beat, this is to rhythm games as Warioware is to normal mini-games. It’s got undeniable charm and is admittedly very oddball, but that’s not a bad thing, right?! But yeah….nothing much to say here. I have no rhythm, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying!

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love

The only (to my knowledge) Sakura Wars game to be released on the Wii, this is a continuation of the tactical RPG series. It’s also the only one to be released in the West so…this is all you get, so be grateful! Set in an alternate 1920s New York, the game is both a visual novel with heavy dating sim elements and…a tactical mecha combat game! Two weird tastes that apparently go well together! Rather than use a grid, instead your actions are dictated by a bar that decreases as you move and attack. Decidedly an odd game, but worth a look! Huh…wonder how they could afford mechas in the 20s…

Battalion Wars 2

Sequel to the game that hit the GameCube, it’s still not QUITE as well-known as the Advance Wars games that Intelligent Systems created. A fusion of real-time strategy and third-person shooter you take control over various units in battle, able to move around freely. You can choose to issue orders to other units and freely switch between them to help turn the tides. It’s worth noting that this game features a TON of online multiplayer elements but…due to the Wi-Fi Connection being shut down that part of the game is lost forever. Bummer, really.

Shiren the Wanderer

Actually the THIRD game in the series, but the first to come out in the West, this is a rougelike developed by Spike Chunsoft back when they were Chunsoft! The series in general is considered to be highly acclaimed and like…required playing if you call yourself a rougelike fan…or something. That’s all the reason you need, right?!

The Fatal Frame series

A horror franchise known as Project Zero in Europe and Zero in Japan, not EVERY installment has been on the Wii, though several have been and if I’d recommend one, I’d have to recommend all of them, really. Starting with Fatal Frame II: Wii Edition, most of the games have been released on Nintendo hardware and after a certain point Nintendo gained co-ownership of the IP alongside Tecmo Koei. Typically playing as young girls, the main gameplay hook is exploring super creepy places armed with only flashlights and the “Camera Obscura,” a magical camera that allows you to harm ghosts by taking photographs of them. It’s not enough to just repeatedly snap pictures. You waste film and do little damage. Really, you’re supposed to keep the ghosts in frame for as long as you can to charge up power and THEN you really let them have it with a power shot! So yeah, most of the series can be found on Wii and hey, even the Wii U has its own title getting ready to finally come out over here so…I’mma plug that.

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams

While this game is somewhat contested, I figure I should bring it up if only because it’s a SEGA IP that doesn’t get a lot of exposure, save for cameos now and then. A platformer with a heavy emphasis on flying through rings, it serves as a sequel to the original game. Most can agree that the soundtrack and visuals are certainly superb, but the controls (well, motion controls) are a little more controversial. Considering SEGA seems very hesitant to do ANYTHING that isn’t Sonic, this might be the last we’ll see of NiGHTS for quite some time, so snatch this up if you see it, maybe.

Disaster: Day of Crisis

Coming from the same studio that produced Xenoblade Chronicles…wow this is an odd one. Consider this game to be “Disaster Movie: The Game!” A cheesy, arcade-y romp through several disaster scenarios, the game is a mixture of light third-person exploration (in which you have to save victims of various disasters) and first-person light-gun sequences. I can recommend this game for the goofy charm alone, from the hammy voice work to the fact that healing involves eating hamburgers the size of a man’s head in one bite. Sad thing is…it was never localized for North America, so you’d best have a European Wii.

Okami

The last game that Clover Studios made, it’s arguably their best. With an eye-catching art style based on Japanese paintings, Okami follows Amaterasu (or Ammy), the sun goddess taking the form of a wolf, as she fights to save the world from all manner of monsters in a feudal Japan. An action-adventure game, Okami’s biggest feature is the ability for Ammy to draw special symbols with a Celestial Brush, an ink brush that triggers effects in the world depending on what you draw. Draw a straight line to slash at foes (or the environment), a swirl to create a gust of wind and more. The Wii version (it was on PS2 before) features motion controls to draw the symbols, but whether it’s an improvement on the original controls or not is up to interpretation. Still, it’s a fine game and had it done better, Clover would still be around. Well, they ARE still around…they’ve gone on to be PlatinumGames, so it’s not a total loss.

World of Goo

Hey hey, here’s a Wiiware game! World of Goo is a charming puzzle game in which you use balls of goo to create structures to get these little goo balls across various stages. Your mission to get a certain number of goo balls to the goal. It’s a simple concept but you can expect things like this to ramp up in complexity the further you get into the game. Not much more to say here, other than that it’s a neat idea and one of the stand-outs when it comes to games to hit Wiiware.

The Trauma Center series

A combination of visual novel and surgery simulators, the Trauma Center series has seen many releases on both the Wii and DS. For the Wii, there’s Trauma Center: Second Opinion (an enhanced version of the original DS game), Trauma Center: New Blood and Trauma Team (featuring an entirely new cast). The games have you performing a variety of surgeries, with protagonists of the first few games discovering they have a supernatural ability known as the “Healing Touch,” allowing them to temporarily slow down time and treat victims more efficiently in hectic situations. Now, this is developed by Atlus, so you can expect the story to be relatively meaty and for the games to get really, REALLY tough but it’s OK! You’ve got the touch! You’ve got the power!

TMNT Smash-Up!

Here’s a Super Smash Bros. clone that doesn’t suck! Well, depends on who you ask, I suppose, but it’s better than most for sure. That might have to do with the fact that some of the developers from Super Smash Bros. Brawl worked on this (not Sakurai though!). So essentially it’s a fighter with a lot of emphasis on jumping around and unleashing your attacks in a manner most Smash-like. It’s not a TOTAL ripoff, featuring health bars for all characters, various mobility maneuvers not available in Smash Bros and…well…it’s got turtles in it! Ninja turtles! If you’re a fan of the series it’s actually a rather decent fighter that pays tribute to various facets of the series. Unfortunately, since Ubisoft was involved….Rabbids are playable in it. I know. I hate them too. Still, if you’re in the mood for a Smash clone, look no further!

Wario Land: Shake-it!

I’m…torn about including this here. If you look at my review, I came away kind of disliking the game overall. It had some interesting ideas, but I felt it overused motion controls to the point of being tiring. Despite that, the game is the last Wario Land title we’re likely to get for some time, so it’s worth checking out on that point alone. The game DOES look great, being made of animated cels that look SMOOTH and has a great soundtrack, so it’s not all bad. It’s just…not up to standards set by the past games.

Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure

We’ll end this with one last game. Created by Capcom, it’s a charming merger of puzzle game and point-and-click adventure. Newbie pirate Zack with his monkey companion Wiki are in search of treasure, and stumble upon the animated skull of Captain Barbaros, who promises the pair he’ll lead them to his personal stash of treasure if they find the rest of his body. From there, players guide the duo through a variety of stages, solving puzzles and investigating the areas in search of even more treasure. You guide them through the Wii Remote’s cursor, and use gestures with the Wii Remote constantly. Pulling levers, mixing liquids, and more! A charming game that unfortunately didn’t sell well, so it’ll likely be tough to find. Kinda fitting in a way though, huh? A game all about finding hidden treasure itself becomes a hidden treasure!

The Conduit Series

This is a franchise made by some well-meaning, ambitious people: High Voltage Software. They resolved to both A) make a first-person shooter on the Wii and B) make it something that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other giants of the genre on the other consoles. To that end they developed an engine designed for the Wii that allegedly made it somewhat graphically comparable to the other two HD systems. Your mileage will vary on how well that worked (the Wii can only do SO much), but the general consensus seems to be that the result, The Conduit, was both a looker and a surprisingly solid game, albeit with a few flaws. Many of these flaws were rectified in the sequel, Conduit 2, an overall more polished experience. Both games feature your kinda standard (possibly cheesy) FPS plots, and while not on point all the time with levels and such, most noted the motion controls made things smooth and both games had celebrated multiplayer modes. Unfortunately…from what I know the games weren’t smash hits, sale-wise, and of course…the Wi-Fi Connection being down doesn’t do the online any favors. It might not be perfect, but from what I see High Voltage put in the effort and deserve a little recognition for that.

The Red Steel series

We’ll end this with a series that was VERY promising at the start of the Wii’s life, but unfortunately was marred by rushed production, unrealistic expectations and questionable design decisions. Am I selling you on this one yet?! Anyway…one of the first games developed specifically for the Wii, the first Red Steel is a first-person shooter involving sword combat, and has you taking on the Yakuza…while the sequel abandons the first’s setting, art style and controls. Really, Red Steel 2 is pretty much a sequel in name only, but it also proved to be DRAMATICLLY improved from what came before. The first is still on here if only out of respect for what it was and what it was trying to do, while the second game is apparently really worth it. You play as a cowboy samurai in that one! That already sounds cooler, doesn’t it?! So yeah, don’t get into Red Steel looking for a polished, perfectly controlling Wii FPS, but do know that it DOES get better in time for the sequel.

Just like that, we’re done! Finally. Like I said, there is a TON of games I know I must have missed, but this is a better list than most, I’m sure! The Wii is a console with a ton of games on it, and statistically that means that a lot of those games are a waste of time and money, but there’s plenty of quality out there if you know where to look. Fighters, RPGs, hack and slash games, and even some games that are tough to define…you’ll find that and MORE on the Wii!

Until next time.

-B

#xb-squaredx #blog #wii #elebits #excitetruck #harveybirdman #dokaponkingdom #traumacenter #fatalframe #wariolandshakeit #houseofthedeadoverkill #xenobladechronicles #zackandwiki #NiGHTSjourneyofdreams #alotmoregames

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