Nintendophiles 11.12.08

Posted by Theo Fraser on 11.12.2008

A Smackdown vs Raw 2009 Mini-review kicks things off in Nintendophiles this week, followed by news of Mii integration in DS titles, Dragon’s Lair resurrected on Wii, Rare’s future plans for Nintendo platforms, and a last look at Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World.




Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Nintendophiles! I just wanted to begin by telling you about a night I had last week which centred around the craziest thing I have ever seen in my life (not to mention the craziest thing I have ever done). Basically, there's this quaint little village about half an hour away from my university in the South West of England called Ottery St Marys. Every year on Bonfire Night, they hold this tradition where the men of the village set barrels of tar on fire, and run around with them on their shoulders. And these are BIG barrels, which get progressively bigger as the night goes on. When you factor in the 5,000+ crowd that pack the streets and can freely run around in front of these big flaming barrels of doom, you start to realise that perhaps this isn't the safest form of entertainment. Health and Safety probably have a heart attack just thinking about it. In all seriousness, I have NO idea how they manage to get past Health and Safety, but it's not really my concern, so whatever. Anyway, I arrive in the village and am greeted by signs that say "YOU ARE HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK." Right, getting a little bit nervous now. And then I emerge onto this tiny little street, more of an alley really, and am confronted by a big burly dude charging towards me with this flaming barrel on his shoulders. I quickly realise he's not going to get out of my way; that's MY job. At this point I have split-seconds before feeling more than a little toasty, so I throw myself on the ground and cover up in the foetal position. Others have flung themselves against walls, and others still have simply grabbed someone in front of them as a human shield. Picking myself up off the floor, I notice my heart rate has increased tenfold, and despite my head being filled with sheer dread I realise how...excited I am by it all! The adrenaline just takes over. Most likely not a good sign, as my body probably thinks it's just had a near-death experience, but hey. And this was all just in the first 5 minutes. An absolutely mental experience, like no other.


Smackdown vs Raw 2009 was released across North America this past Sunday, but I've had a little bit longer with the title as it went on sale in Europe last Friday. As such, I thought I'd give a few thoughts on the Wii version after what amounts to 5 days worth of play. So without further ado...



The Smackdown vs Raw 2009 [Wii] Mini-Review!

As the resident Nintendo news reporter/analyst here at 411 Games, reviewing games isn't really my territory. However, as 411mania is well-renowned as a wrestling-oriented website, I figured an extra bit of Smackdown vs Raw coverage couldn't be a bad thing. A proper full-length review will no doubt follow from one of my colleagues in the next week, but for now, allow me to share my thoughts.

Smackdown on the Wii is a very difficult thing to judge. Do I take into account the versions on other formats? Do I refer back to Smackdown's lineage? Does last year's effort on the Wii matter? Do I focus on the hardcore wrestling clientele, or allow room for the casual audience who might not be familiar with past wrestling titles? There are a heck of a lot of issues to contend with.

As a Wii title, we almost HAVE to talk about the casual audience, and it's not a bad place to start as I think Yukes have managed to pull off a fine balance. With Smackdown vs Raw 2009 on the Wii, Yukes have really covered all the bases; this is one of the deepest wrestling games (in terms of actual content) on a Nintendo console since the acclaimed WWF No Mercy on N64, which should go some way in satisfying your hardcore Smackdown fan. Conversely, the gameplay is structured so well that practically anyone can pick up a remote and master the basics, whilst giving the more expert players the chance to explore some subtle nuances. The interactive entrances are genuinely fun to tinker around with, and the added momentum boost given as a reward makes it worth your while and rarely becomes a chore. The motion-control presented in the game is incredibly intuitively done, and it's hard not to get wrapped up in the moment. Ladder and Cage matches truly feel fresh, which is a definite first for the series, and Wii owners have got the best deal by far in this respect with the ‘definitive' way to play these match types. Overall, I have very few quibbles with the motion detection, save for the occasional deterioration into somewhat of a "waggle-frenzy" (i.e. frantically waggling the Wii remote in desperation to pull off a grapple), but it at least assures the motion is recognized.





One brilliant use of the Wii remote is the remote's speaker, through which various wrestlers will leave voicemail messages for you during the Road to Wrestlemania story mode. The slight ‘tinny-ness' of the speakers perfectly replicates that of a voicemail machine, so it sounds pretty convincing. The level of voice-acting is top-notch, and it's great to see Yukes didn't compromise on this in any respect; the Wii version has practically the same amount of dialogue as the 360/PS3 versions.

Of course, comparisons with the 360/PS3 iterations are inevitable. Yes, the absence of the Create-A-Finisher mode is a bummer, and sure, we miss out on some of the more complex innovations seen in the 360/PS3 versions. The complete moveset, for example, is still a fraction of what is seen on other platforms (although don't let this fool you, Yukes have crammed a ton of moves in, a huge improvement over last year's effort), and there's the obvious graphical differences. Placed side-by-side, yes, we see the Wii version's weaknesses highlighted pretty clearly, but take it on its own and its an incredibly sturdy wrestling title.

If I were to pick one major flaw, I'd have to say that the lack of a run button really does frustrate. I've come up against that time after time, and although it's not enough to ruin the experience, it is a regular annoyance.

If you have the choice between this and one of the ‘next-gen' versions, go for a 360/PS3 copy.
As an overall package, this doesn't take the King of the Ring crown. However, as a standalone wrestling title for Wii owners, you seriously can't go wrong. I'd never crown it a "No Mercy-beater", but in terms of depth (options, customization, etc), this is the real deal. Wrestling fans won't be disappointed; I can almost assure you of that.

And look at it this way. It blows TNA Impact sky high out of the water...


FINAL SCORE: 8.6




DS games to feature Mii characters
Credit: Cubed3

A sly update has been made to the Mii channel in recent weeks which Nintendo has been keeping very quiet about. By pressing A, B, 1, and then holding 2 on the Wii remote (upon accessing the Mii channel), a message pops up asking if you'd like to connect to your Nintendo DS in order to transfer Mii data. Only one title currently utilises this feature (Personal Trainer: Walking, an as-of-yet Japanese-only game which comes bundled with its own pedometer), but more are promised in the coming months. We already know that the new Wii/DS crossover title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time will employ Mii characters (your character will be able to ‘wear' your Miis face/head), and it's a pretty safe bet that the DSi WarioWare mini-games collection will utilise Miis in some form, but I'd wager that Nintendo have a few surprises hidden up their sleeves.

Wii-to-DS Mii integration had been talked about previously, with the entire concept originally designed for the DS, as Iwata demonstrated last year, showing some early pics of how it would have looked:





Anyone have any particularly good ideas for Mii usage on the DS? An advanced version of PictoChat? A Pokemon-esque stat-crunching game with Miis? Feel free to throw some ideas out in the Comment section below.




Dragon's Lair potentially headed to Wii
Credit: DS-X2.com

Popular arcade title Dragon's Lair could be making its way onto the Nintendo Wii at some point in the future, if a recent developer interview is to be believed. Last year, it was revealed that a spruced-up version of the original Arcade game was coming to the DS, with the usual added bonus of touch screen control, as well as the option of rumble pack support. Since then, however, we've heard next to nothing, leading many to think the port had been cancelled. Folks over at DS-X2.com sat down with Paul Gold from Digital Leisure Inc. to find out all the latest details on their upcoming projects. The relevant extracts are printed below:


DS-x2.com: During mid-2007 Dragon's Lair was announced for the Nintendo DS to be released in the first quarter of 2008 but yet nothing came of it, is the game still in development or has it been canceled?

Paul Gold, Digital Leisure Inc: We can't comment on the DS version of Dragon's Lair as Conspiracy Entertainment is the licensee for the DS version.

DS-x2.com: Any chances we could see the title on WiiWare later then?

Paul Gold, Digital Leisure Inc: As for Dragon's Lair/Mad Dog McCree on WiiWare, due to the size limitations of the service it wouldn't be a good fit due to the heavy video content. However, it would be great to see these titles as a disc based in the future and those are certainly possibilities.





Looks like Dragon's Lair fans have got something to look forward to then. Personally, the series hasn't ever been my cup of tea, but I'm always supportive of developers trying to expand the Wii's already-vast catalogue, especially when it concerns an oft-overlooked genre such that Dragon's Lair fits into.




Future Rare plans for Nintendo platforms (or lack thereof)
Credit: GoNintendo

The mailbag section of Rare Interactive's website is often an interesting and sometimes humorous read, updated every couple of months with various fan questions and the like. The latest edition feature a couple of interesting Nintendo tidbits, most notably talk of future DS projects.





Regarding future DS projects:

We have nothing to disclose on DS projects at the moment, but I'd say big brand spin-offs would be more likely than all-new properties, the DS market being so vast that the extra push of recognisable IP is often needed to help a title stand out. But who knows? One of our designers might come up with a brilliant idea for a stylus-controlled game about wafting aside clouds of cow flatulence, and we'd be off like a shot.


On Banjo Kazooie/Banjo Tooie coming to Virtual Console:

No immediate plans to put Kazooie or Tooie on Virtual Console, as you might expect now that they're both due out on Xbox Live Arcade.


Q. In Diddy Kong Racing, there is a boss named Tricky the Triceratops. Is this the same Triceratops from Star Fox Adventures?

A. Yes, they started out as the same character, as Dino Planet was initially a 'sequel' to DKR (it was called something else too but I can't really remember). It even had Wizpig in it again. Then it changed to more dinos and Tricky stuck around, then it changed to Star Fox and we really should have renamed him but didn't.


I just included that last one as I thought it was a cool little piece of trivia. Anyway, although no specific titles are in development for the DS, it does appear as though a spin-off from one of Rare's existing franchises will be making its way to the small screen at some indefinite point in the future.

Sucks about no Kazooie/Tooie on VC, I would have thought Nintendo would have had more of a say in matters, but evidently that's not the case. Judging by the tone of the responses, it doesn't seem like Rare look at Nintendo any more favourably than they have done since the split in 2002, which left the two parties feeling bitter towards each other. Of course, the company released Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise a couple of months ago on DS, because Rare aren't stupid; they know they'd be foolish to miss out on such a large demographic. If Pocket Paradise goes on to sell incredibly well, Rare may have to reassess how they look at Nintendo platforms. A Banjo DS game seems destined for success in my mind; I sincerely hope company politics aren't the only things holding it back from becoming a reality.




Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World opening cinematic

I say it every time, but I can't underscore enough how much I loved Tales of Symphonia on Gamecube. I'm still clueless as to why it didn't receive glowing reviews, but I'll content myself in the knowledge that it must have sold somewhat reasonably here in the West for Namco Bandai to even consider releasing a sequel.

Released in the US this past Monday, RPG-starved Wii fans finally have something to sink their teeth into. To celebrate the occasion, how about we check out the game's fantastic anime opening cinematic?







The 411 Games Crew

The 411 Games Podcast is back, so you'll definitely want to check out what the 411 Games team has to say on the controversial issues surrounding LittleBigPlanet, the latest Guitar Hero news and more!

Derek Robbins has the latest on Resident Evil 5 in this week's B3yond the Report. Don't miss out!

Chris Evans looks at the impressive Left 4 Dead in his latest instalment of The PC Centric Extravaganza.

The Select and Start News Report by Vincent Chiucchi presents Lawsuit of the Week, a new Sonic collection, the cancellation of the Heroes video game, Activision making an idiotic move, amongst a whole host of other topics.

Joe Roche continues the Rare love with Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts news in this week's Full Circle: 360 News Report.

Derek Robbins has even MORE Rare content in the latest edition of The 10th Hour as he presents the Top 10 Rare Games.


Alrighty, I'm off to get back to Smackdown vs Raw. Jericho's Road to Wrestlemania story seems pretty awesome so far (I've done CM Punk's and John Cena's already) with an interesting take on the whole Save_Us angle. It's good stuff indeed!

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