Nintendophiles 06.14.07
Posted by Theo Fraser on 06.14.2007
Pilotwings could be heading to the Wii, more Smash Bros goodness for your delectation, and a full blow-out on upcoming EA games ‘Boogie’ and FIFA 08.
Hey, I just saw the trailer for the new Transformers movie coming out in a few weeks. I didn't really watch Transformers when I was younger (I was always strictly a Power Rangers guy), but I've gotta say...it looks mighty awesome! And Optimus Prime is suitably shiny, which is always a nice touch. Mesa can't wait!
Before I go ahead with this week's Nintendophiles, I just wanted to address my fellow UK brethren. It seems to have gone under the radar a bit, but Final Fantasy VI will be released for the GBA over on these shores on July 2nd. In case you aren't aware of its sheer brilliance...well, it's brilliant. So buy it, bitches!
Wii Pilotwings is on the radar!
Credit: CVG
Quite a while back, when the Wii was first released to the general public, word spread that Nintendo were working on a Wii instalment of the Pilotwings franchise, which began life on the SNES, moving on to great success on the Nintendo 64. Release lists popped up everywhere with predicted dates for the game's arrival, but were promptly removed when no official word was heard. Whilst we still have no confirmation of the game's existence, major US retailer Gamestop have recently updated their release schedule, and interestingly list Pilotwings Wii as having a very rough estimate of a release date as December 31st. So by their account, it'll arrive at some point before the year is out.
This may not be the verification fans have been hoping and praying for, but Gamestop are a very reliable source, and have often broken news of a game's existence in this manner before, so it's not altogether unlikely. I'd say the December 31st date is more wishful thinking than anything else, as there is no way a developer could churn out a decent game in that short a time. Yes, Nintendo could have been working on the game since the Wii's inception, but then why the need for secrecy? A 2008 date is more probable, with Nintendo biding their time with the release of game media such as screenshots and videos, so as not to get in the way of their promotion of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Metroid Prime: Corruption, which are likely to be their priorities at present.
It'd be nice to think we'll hear (and see?) something official at the upcoming ‘E for All' show, so let's all cross our various appendages that Nintendo deliver the goods.
More Brawl shots, yay!
Don't deny yourself; you know it's mildly arousing looking at these brand new Super Smash Bros. Brawl screenshots! Check out Fox McCloud strutting his stuff in some of the latest pics, taken from the official Smash Bros. site which is updated on a daily basis. Fox looks fantastic here, possibly the most impressive character we've seen yet.
Plus, we have the sweet Yoshi's Island stage, which changes season as play progresses. NEXT-GEN PHYSICS, BABY!
Also revealed at the beginning of the week were the various control methods you can use to play the game. Basically, you can pretty much use everything under the sun... save for a SIXAXIS controller. Be it the Classic Controller, a Gamecube joypad, or the Wii remote, you can use whichever you find most comfortable to dish out all the Nintendo-themed punishment you can muster. This game gets cooler and cooler by the day.
"Soccer on the Wii? That'll never work!" Enter: FIFA Soccer 2008
Credit: Cubed3
With a franchise as big as the FIFA series, it was only a matter of time before EA brought it to Nintendo's new box of delights, so it comes as no surprise, but nonetheless still very welcome, to hear that FIFA Soccer 2008 will be hoping to score (har har) on the Wii later this year.
First, the bad news. The game engine is based off of the same engine used in last year's FIFA 07, meaning that the title will appear reasonably ‘last-gen', which is particularly unfortunate given the multi-platform nature of the game (i.e. little incentive to buy the Wii game over other versions).
However (and that's a pretty big however), the Wii version certainly has its pros, most notably the seemingly intuitive motion control. Whilst I'd scorn EA for not producing a new engine for the Wii, they should definitely be commended for exploring ways of best utilising the Wii remote. I'm not the biggest football/soccer fan in the world, but I'll gladly admit that it's got me intrigued.
Passing the ball will be as simple as flicking the controller left or right, obviously depending on which direction you'd like the ball to travel. The camera has been adjusted to suit the gameplay, to give more of a top-down view, ala the NHL games.
As for shooting and kicking the ball, your Wii Sports bowling skills will be put to the test, as you'll effectively perform a bowling gesture, mimicking a kick with your foot. But easily the best part is the way you perform a throw-in, in which the gesture is exactly the same as it would be in a real match. You merely lift the Wii-mote and nunchuck up to the side of your head, and throw them downwards, just as you would expect for a throw-in. And that's tremendous, in my opinion. It'll certainly be quite the workout for you, and I can see more than a few muscle strains occurring, but that's the sort of Wii remote implementation I'd like to see more of.
But wait, there's more! The final clincher is that FIFA 2008 multiplayer will be available over the Nintendo WiFi connection service! Yay! Sony and Microsoft players have enjoyed online FIFA for a little while now, but finally Nintendo fans get to join in on the fun. More tremendous news!
It's also been confirmed that Mii characters will be utilised in some kind of format, presumably as crowd members, but nothing has been set in stone. FIFA games are usually released in Q3, September or October time, so expect to hear more on this very soon.
I'm tempted to use the title "Boogie Wii-nderland", but I won't, as its crap
Credit: Cubed3, RevoGamers
More news on the EA front, this time turning our attention to the upcoming sing-and-dance-a-thon Boogie. This past week, EA released a picture of the microphone attachment (which unfortunately means we'll have to wait a little longer to find out any more info regarding the mystery audio recognition chip in the innards of the Wii-mote). And...well...it's black...with the EA logo emblazoned on it. I'm sure it does the job, but 0 points for stylishness. Guys, you realise the Wii is white, don't you? Anyway, there is actually talk of the microphone attachment being multiplatform, due to it having a USB dongle, so I guess the neutral black makes sense if that turns out to be true.
Alongside revealing the microphone, EA divulged a few more secrets regarding the game itself, so I'm gonna wheel out the bullet points to break it down for you.
Players shake the Wii remote in one of 4 desired directions to kick start the dance moves
‘A' button switches moves sets, and the ‘B' trigger is used for combos
The Nunchucks joystick or the remote's D-pad can be used to move your character
‘Z' button activates lip-synching (how that works is beyond me, however)
On-screen Pitch meter measures your singing voice as to how near you are to the original version of the song
40 tracks are currently lined up and will most likely be region-specific. Damn, does that mean no Britney Spears for us Brits?
So now it would appear that we know how the game will be controlled, and after hearing all of that I'm willing to bet that the game sells by the bucket load. Dance Dance Revolution is mega profitable due to its instant accessibility, and Boogie seems to take it one further with the addition of the singing element. All you budding popstars should be kept more than happy! This is definitely one to keep an eye on for all the casual gamers out there.
The 411 Games Crew
Andrew Mellick is back with another dose of Sony goodness. Laugh at the oxymoron there, and then check out this week's edition of The SIXAXIS!
In Gaming Trends, Vincent Chiucchi takes a look at the history of Pro Wrestling games. It's a must for all wrestling fans!
In this week's Fun Factor, Cory Moore takes a look at one of the newer Nintendo franchises, Mario Strikers! Check out his thoughts on the Gamecube original, and then go buy Mario Strikers: Charged for your Wii!
Damian Sarcuni remembers the 3DO in this week's Angry Gaming. Embrace the hate, my friend.
Next week, ‘Great Nintendo Gaming Moments' returns with a look at my personal favourite part of Goldeneye 007. I can smell your anticipation from here! See you next time.
