Nintendophiles 12.31.08: 2009 Preview Edition
Posted by Theo Fraser on 12.31.2008
The final Nintendophiles of 2008 brings you news of an N64 classic coming to the Virtual Console, details of the Wii’s new video download service, and a preview of all the top-tier Nintendo titles you’ll be seeing in 2009, including Mad World, GTA: Chinatown Wars, No More Heroes 2, Red Steel 2 and more!
Welcome one and all to the final instalment of Nintendophiles in 2008! We are on the eve of a brand new year which promises to bring us many great things in the gaming industry, but more on that later. Due to it being the week of Christmas, the gaming world has gone into hibernation mode and so there's relatively little news to report on. Aside from a couple of stories that broke over the last 7 days despite the holiday, I'll be devoting this week's column to looking towards the Nintendo titles you'll be playing throughout 2009. Without further ado, let's get those newsbits out of the way first.
Another N64 classic kicks the 09 VC catalogue off in style
Credit: Cubed3, Andriasang
The Virtual Console threw up some real treats for us this Winter, with Super Mario RPG and Secret of Mana becoming available for your delectation, to name but two of the stellar titles given new life via the Wii's download service. And whilst we don't know Nintendo's long-term plans for 2009 with regard to the Virtual Console, we have uncovered a list of games that will reach Japan next month, including Nintendo 64 party classic, Super Smash Bros.
Scheduled for release in Japan at some point throughout the month of January:
Getsu Fuma Den (Konami, Famicom, 500 WiiPoints)
Zoids Mokushiroku (Takara Tomy, Famicom, 500)
Nintendo All Star! Dairantou Smash Bros. (Nintendo, N64, 1,200)
Fantasy Zone II Opa Opa no Namida (Sega, Master System, 500)
Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu 2 (Nihon Falcom, PC Engine, 600)
Spriggan mark 2 (Naxat Soft, PC Engine, 800)
Champion Wrestler (Taito, PC Engine, 600)
Great news to see this finally released. Many will argue that it's a little obsolete in light of Brawl being a ‘Greatest Hits' compendium of everything awesome from the series, but I'd disagree. There is a contingent who still play this over Brawl & Melee, due to it widely being considered to be more competitive, and based more on actual skill rather than luck (you can't rely on those pesky Final Smashes here!). So I've got no complaints about its appearance on the Virtual Console. However, what I do take issue with is the price tag. A whopping 1,200 Points. That's not cool, my friend. It was completely understandable for Sin and Punishment, a rare title never before released Stateside. But considering Smash Bros. on the N64 wasn't particularly rare and the fact that it contains just 12 characters (a third of the roster seen in the Wii's Brawl), the extortionate price tag seems a touch unjustified. Let's not make a habit of it, Nintendo, eh?
Nintendo bring new video download service to Wii in Japan
Credit: IGN
Having said earlier that the games industry hibernates at this time of year, evidently someone at Nintendo HQ didn't get the memo, as they sent out a press release on Christmas morning detailing Nintendo's latest offering in the Wii Channels department; ‘Wii no Ma Channel', a video download service in conjunction with media company Dentsu.
The plan is to present original, family-oriented programming, although Nintendo have said the content will have no set genre or target. Initially, the programs are set to be free (although you'll most likely have to purchase the channel itself from the Wii Shop) but depending on a number of factors (the actual number of downloads, for example), some paid content may also make its way to the service. For those wondering how on earth anyone could offer free programming, reports suggest the scheme would be supported by advertising.
Set to launch in Spring, what differentiates this from other TV/video services on the Wii is the fact that it will be a full-blown Wii Channel accessed via the main menu, as opposed to a WiiWare service. Nintendo are currently looking into the logistics of bringing it to Western territories, but no solid plans have been revealed. Depending on the success of the service in Japan, I'd say it's very likely we'll see it materialise in some form or other by Summer.
The Ones to Watch – 2009
Across the board it looks like 2009 is going to be a stellar year for gaming, with Killzone 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5, and Halo Wars (to name but a few) all on the cards. In the final Nintendophiles column of the year, I always like to take a moment to run down some of the most anticipated Nintendo titles of the coming year, explaining why you should start getting excited about each and every one of them.
Honorable Mentions:
Tenchu IV - This one has slowly crept up on us (no pun intended) and it seems to be showing the potential to be really excellent. It looks great, it's just a question of whether or not the gameplay holds up, and if it can stay fresh. Stealth fans will want to keep this on their radar.
Dragon Quest X - All we know is that it's coming. But it's going to be big. With each DQ game selling millions in its homeland alone, there's no way Square Enix will let this be anything less than awesome.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers - With the grand total of 3 screenshots in existence for this title and no solid gameplay info, it's hard to stress this one as being a future killer app for the Wii. However, despite the lack of information, it is due for a late 09 release, and is said to be the nearest thing to a ‘proper' Final Fantasy title Wii owners will experience...for the time being. That's enough to get my seal of approval at this stage.
Mario & Luigi 3
If you've played either of the previous entries in the Mario & Luigi series, you'll know exactly what to expect and why it'll kick ass. The M&L titles really demonstrate Nintendo's ability to have fun with their most prized property, presenting the player with tongue-in-cheek dialogue, witty scenarios, and more than a few nods to Mario's former glory. Early screens show the Bros. attending to some sick Mushroom People/Toads, who have swelled up to the size of balloons; evidently the humor is still present in this threequel. Hopefully we'll see a few new ideas employed into the combat system to ensure it doesn't seem stale in comparison to the earlier titles.
Red Steel 2
Whilst we've seen hardly anything of Crystal Bearers, we haven't seen a SINGLE thing for Red Steel 2, save for Ubisoft's continued promise that it is on target for mid-2009. The original was a good little shooter, harnessing the innards of the Wii to present some attractive environments and effects. It was just let down slightly by a poorly-conceived sword fighting mechanic (the Wii remote wasn't capable of tracking the appropriate gestures, leaving a somewhat gutted and bland system) and the pointer controls often felt a little sluggish. With the title confirmed as being MotionPlus-enabled, these issues should be ironed out instantly, and with a good dose of TLC, Ubisoft have the potential to deliver us the ‘proper' FPS Wii fans have been crying out for.
Sadness
It's almost becoming a bit of a joke now, especially as I have featured Sadness on the ‘Ones to Watch' list each year since the inception of Nintendophiles. Originally scheduled to be on store shelves as we speak, the game was pushed back to a Fall 2009 release date with no explanation given, although rumors persist that MotionPlus technology has been accommodated. A while back, developer Nibris revealed that the Wii remote and nunchuk would control the main character's hands separately, so it's obvious to see how MotionPlus would be beneficial here. Being in development this long with almost nothing to show for it is almost always a bad omen, but I've been on the bandwagon for what seems like an eternity now; it seems a bit of a shame to jump off at the ‘last hurdle' (i.e. the ‘final' 10 months of development). I still think this has the tools to be utterly brilliant, but time will tell if Nibris have been spending their last 3-4 years wisely. Below is supposedly the first piece of unofficial gameplay footage from the game, although it has neither been confirmed or denied by Nibris, so take it for what it's worth.
MOON
Now this just looks awesome. Very Halo-esque, but set on the Moon...and in handheld form!
Renegade Kid seem to know what they're doing, and they've built upon the Dementium: The Ward engine fantastically to present some of the best visuals we've yet seen on the DS. It's an extremely impressive feat in that department; as always, the only grey area is whether it can match those highs in terms of gameplay. FPS titles designed with the hardcore gamer in mind are in short supply on the DS, so this comes as a welcome distraction from the usual fare. The experience promises to have a very cinematic atmosphere, which is also somewhat or a rarity on a Nintendo platform these days. Renegade Kid have put a lot of care and attention into this one, so let's hope it pays off. This is out in the US on January 13th, so reviews are imminent.
Sin and Punishment 2
Revealed at the Nintendo Fall Conference back in October, this came as a total shocker. The original ended up selling very well on the Virtual Console, so Nintendo must have put the call in to Treasure to get started on a sequel for the Wii. So far, so good; it looks lovely, and early footage suggests it's business as normal; which means plenty of explosions, screen-filling bosses, bullets galore, and all at double the speed of sound! Being an on-rails shooter, it's unlikely to do anything particularly new or innovative, but if they can tidy up some of the niggles of the first game and build upon the foundations that worked so well back in 2000, we'll be onto a sure-fire winner. Shooting puns = EPIC WIN!
House of the Dead: Overkill
Much like Sin and Punishment 2, with this being an on-rails shooter, it's probably nigh on impossible to try and convince people that this is going to be the next big thing. How innovative can an on-rails shooter be? Where Overkill promises to succeed, however, is in its style. It oozes style from every festering, zombified pore, and with its ever-so-slightly light-hearted edge this looks to be a bag of fun right from the word ‘go'. The title features just six weapons, but there will be an emphasis on upgrading each gun, adding an RPG-vibe to the proceedings. What we've seen so far is very slick. Find out this Spring if this is truly "the hardcore you've been waiting for."
Don't get me wrong, I think Wii Sports Resort will end up being a ton of fun, but what gamers can really look forward to here is the debut of this new MotionPlus technology that will allow us to fully experience the Wii as it was originally intended. Accurate targeting, the ability to trace your EVERY movement...this will revolutionize gameplay all over again, just as the Wii did when it first went on sale. But going back to Wii Sports Resort, one also has to bear in mind that we still only know 3 of the 10 sports/activities on offer. With 7 other events left for Nintendo to reveal, there is still a heck of a lot we don't know about this title. What other gems has Nintendo got in store for us? I'm chomping at the bit to see how well this new attachment works, and Sports Resort will be the first place to see what it's capable of.
No More Heroes 2
Travis Touchdown returns for a second outing, and this time he's out for revenge! SUDA 51 wants a slightly darker, more serious tone for this sequel, but don't worry, the video game references and cheeky nods to the player, breaking the fourth wall, will remain. Could this be another candidate for added MotionPlus [strike]lightsaber[/strike] beam katana duels? It's an awesome prospect, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up at this stage. For this sequel, it's basically a case of "more of the same, please." The combat was absolutely fantastic in No More Heroes, so very little is needed to be tweaked in that sense. The main area that needs improving is the open world, which fortunately is the one area SUDA said was "less than satisfying", assuring us that this would be a priority. Aside from that, we want more crazy bosses (and with early footage showing a six-limbed woman on a jet-pack, I'd say we're on target with that one), and some new and exciting jobs in between the ranked fights. Get that done, SUDA, and you're on your way to perfection. Oh, and yes, this is technically a cheat entry as it's scheduled for a January 2010 launch. I just wanted an excuse to write about it again.
GTA Chinatown Wars
The family-friendly DS walks into the wrong part of town this April, as Rockstar plaster the little screen with guns, hookers, blood, drugs and general mayhem. Set on the series' staple Liberty City, featuring two of the three islands from GTA IV, this is set to be BIG. Yes, capitalised BIG. Some have scoffed at the visuals, but really you need to see it in motion. At a firm 60 frames per second, it runs smoother than Iwata-san's silky-soft hair (seriously, I want that man's conditioner!), and with so much going on on-screen at any one time, it's really quite an achievement. For the most part, it's your standard GTA fare, but we'll also have the bonus of numerous touch screen minigames, which *shock horror* actually don't suck and are placed very appropriately. From jump-starting a stolen car to tattooing rival gang members, you'll do it all on the touch screen. GTA has never been so intuitive.
MadWorld
And now we come to the big one. The game likely to cause the biggest media frenzy since the Manhunt 2 incident, the ultra-violent MadWorld. And that's not an understatement. This is in all likelihood one of the most violent games you will have ever played. Don't let the black and white tones fool you; once the red starts gushing, it won't stop until the walls are dripping. The title's main appeal is in finding creative ways to deal that finishing blow to your opponent. With such an expansive and open world before you, you can approach a kill in many ways. Skewer an opponent on a pole, use the pole to bash them into a bus, pick up said bus and then drop it on them from a great height. Or just burn them. Or toss them head-first into a spiked pit. Main character Jack is clearly a charming fellow. And this is clearly unlike anything else on the Wii. Out March 31st, you'd best prepare yourself...
And that wraps up 2008 for Nintendophiles! I hope to see you back here next week for the first edition from 2009. Have a great New Year's Eve everyone!
