Wii Reviews coming in.

[MacRumorUser]

Some reasonable reviews coming in.

Excite Truck (not a european launch title for what reason please nintendo?)

http://wii.ign.com/articles/746/746278p1.html

7.0 Presentation
Solid amount of features that show off Wii capabilities, but don't expect to be overwhelmed by a huge feature list of options.
8.0 Graphics
Really fast visual engine with lots of texture detail and effects. Frame rate takes the occasional hit, but nothing alarming.
6.5 Sound
Extremely generic, southern garage rock that can be replaced with your own playlist through the miracle of SDs and MP3s.
8.5 Gameplay
Absolutely fast-paced, maniacal, yet intuitive and responsive racing game that features a great amount of energy and fun.
5.5 Lasting Appeal
If all you want is to see the dozen or so tracks then you can do that in a couple of hours...it's getting the Super Excite mode that extends the play. Multiplayer isn't a selling point.
8.0
Impressive OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)


nice. :)




Tony Hawks

http://wii.ign.com/articles/746/746341p1.html

6.5 Presentation
The overall style is pretty solid, but the weak interface and low res video is sub par. Working with track lists is annoying as well. Where’s “Free Skate” mode?
7.0 Graphics
It isn’t horrendous, but Downhill Jam leaves a lot to be desired. 480p and 16:9 was a great choice, but we need crisper visuals and a stronger graphics engine this generation.
7.5 Sound
The sound effect work is a bit basic, but the track list is solid. 40 licensed tracks is a good grip of tunes.
7.5 Gameplay
The controls work, but they need some fine-tuning. Sensitivity customization and the addition of manuals and reverts would help in the future. It seems a bit too basic as is.
7.0 Lasting Appeal
Depending on your intentions, Hawk could be a solid choice. Single player is decent, but multiplayer is where it’s at. 18 slots for saved ghost runs is a cool addition as well.
7.0
Decent OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)


mmm. doesnt really interest me that one anyway.



Call of Duty 3

http://wii.ign.com/articles/746/746145p1.html

6.5 Presentation
The Call of Duty series has always done a fine job of showing just enough story to push the gameplay, and COD3 for Wii is no different. No multiplayer hurts.
7.0 Graphics
The game still isn’t up to snuff graphically, but the sheer amount of destructible environments and constantly active world definitely helps. So does 480p and 16:9 display.
8.0 Sound
Surround sound is definitely missed from the 360 and PS3 version, but the audio is still essentially the same.
7.0 Gameplay
The main Wii control is about 90% there, but the game offers a mixed bag of battle actions. Some are fine, while others seem almost broken.
7.5 Lasting Appeal
In a game that’s nearly all about multiplayer, the lack of online (due to Nintendo) and split screen (due to Treyarch) is a spit in the face of Wii gamers. Luckily the single player mode is solid.
7.7
Good OVERALL

Good score, but its a desperate shame that it doesnt have multiplayer.

Also I though this was a bit dissapointing

Actually, the visuals seems to fall somewhere between the Xbox and GCN versions of the title. Sure you'll still see planes flying overhead, lightning cracking during a storm and muzzle flashes in the dead of night, but everything has a generally low-res look to it, and it just isn't up to snuff visually.

Whilst I dont expect HD graphics to match PS3 or 360, I would have hoped it was up a notch from the Xbox. I know it has the remote feature which is great and gets good feedback from that, but I just hoped for more oomph than a xbox, not less... :o I dont blame the Wii... I blame Treyach the developer.

[takao]

yeah reviews have mostly been OK for launch games just like it was to be expected

it's the same with every launch after all: a few big scoring titles and a few average bread and butter titles


that aside: anybody read that activision is already working on call of duty 4 ? what a surprise :rolleyes:

[MacRumorUser]

that aside: anybody read that activision is already working on call of duty 4 ? what a surprise :rolleyes:

and apparently tomorrow is Friday (gods been working on it) :D :D

Yeah i'm afraid when a franchise continues to be successful we will see sequels. At least they have gotten better generally.


Yeah 360 lineup was much the same, a few average or good games and only a couple of really good ones. Much like any launch really (including PS3 - only RFOM looking like the game to break the 9/10 barrier)

[Dagless]

Ah, the average games are reviewed. I was never impressed with Tony Hawks Downhill Jam, COD3? No way. Excite Truck has me interested a little bit but you know it's one of them kind of games that gets played to hell originally, then relegated to nothing once Mario Kart hits.

Mario Kart
F-Zero
Metroid Prime 3
Mario Galaxy
Zelda.

I'd be surprised if my Wii library expands beyond them games :) and Zelda's already had the reviewers going crazy.

[gloss]

Monkey Ball. Wewt.

I think that, Zelda, and Super Swing Golf are my queue for the year so far.

[MacRumorUser]

Super Swing Golf are my queue for the year so far.

I'm looking out with interest for that one. Looks like a cool everybody golf / mario golf clone...

[Malus]

I wonder if they are going to review the virtual console games?? Thats the biggest reason I'm picking up the Wii.

[Markleshark]

and apparently tomorrow is Friday (gods been working on it) :D :D

Yeah i'm afraid when a franchise continues to be successful we will see sequels. At least they have gotten better generally.

You think so? I have CoD2 and 3 on the 360, and I must say, 2 is a farrrr better game. 2 was developed by Infinity Ward, whereas 3 was developed by the same guys that did CoD2 - Big Red One on the PS2, which was, well, less an average. So I must say, compared to 2 (which still has to be the best game out on the 360 as GoW doesn't come out for another 30mins here in the UK) CoD3 was rather a disappointment.

[MacRumorUser]

You think so? I have CoD2 and 3 on the 360, and I must say, 2 is a farrrr better game. 2 was developed by Infinity Ward, whereas 3 was developed by the same guys that did CoD2 - Big Red One on the PS2, which was, well, less an average. So I must say, compared to 2 (which still has to be the best game out on the 360 as GoW doesn't come out for another 30mins here in the UK) CoD3 was rather a disappointment.


I think single player on 2 is better than 3. But multiplayer on 3 is far better than 2. :) I mainly play COD games online rather than single player.

[zap2]

No multiplayer for COD 3? WTF!!

Crazy!1 Well atleast online is coming in 07 for it

[gloss]

I'm looking out with interest for that one. Looks like a cool everybody golf / mario golf clone...

Apparently it's insanely popular in Korea, where it's played online. Look up Pangya Golf on Wikipedia and you'll see more.

Personally, I had a total blast with Hot Shots Golf on the PS2, and this looks to be similar, with the added benefit of the Wiimote. It's hard to beat as a group game.

[MacRumorUser]

Apparently it's insanely popular in Korea, where it's played online. Look up Pangya Golf on Wikipedia and you'll see more.

Personally, I had a total blast with Hot Shots Golf on the PS2, and this looks to be similar, with the added benefit of the Wiimote. It's hard to beat as a group game.

Yeah I loved that on ps2 and psp too (although i bought the import it was called everybody golf) and its very similar to mario golf on the cube..

I think this is one I'll defiently be adding to my collection - even though I normaly hate golf games like tiger woods I find these type a real blast...

[Haoshiro]

Yeah I loved that on ps2 and psp too (although i bought the import it was called everybody golf) and its very similar to mario golf on the cube..

I think this is one I'll defiently be adding to my collection - even though I normaly hate golf games like tiger woods I find these type a real blast...

Yeah, Mario Golf was made by the same studio (http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/camelot-software-planning/developed-by/)...

[MacRumorUser]

Yeah, Mario Golf was made by the same studio (http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/camelot-software-planning/developed-by/)...

LOL! That explains that. Sweet.

[Stadsport]

Hmm, seems as though they're taking their time with the final Twilight Princess review. Good thing.

[MacRumorUser]

Hmm, seems as though they're taking their time with the final Twilight Princess review. Good thing.

Yeah i was thinking that earlier today. All the other bits and bobs reviewed, and yet the one were dying for is still not reviewed. I think they want to torture us or maybe they will post it on the insider IGN section before they post it on the general wii section.

[2nyRiggz]

Most launch line up sucks...I'm waiting for zelda and MP: C


Bless

[Dagless]

Most launch line up sucks...I'm waiting for zelda and MP: C


Bless

most games suck on any console. It's the gems we're all after. The ones ya mentioned! incidentally.

[2nyRiggz]

I hate how they won't review zelda when thats like the 1st game they had inhouse...bastards:)



Bless

[Flowbee]

I hate how they won't review zelda when thats like the 1st game they had inhouse...bastards:)

Gamerz Edge gave Zelda a perfect 10 (http://www.gamerz-edge.com/wii/reviews/zelda1.html).

Also, someone has posted scans of the complete Twilight Princess instruction booklet (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v325/bigopinion/TPManual/).

That should hold you for a couple of days...:p

[GFLPraxis]

I hate how they won't review zelda when thats like the 1st game they had inhouse...bastards:)





It's 70 hours long, it'll take the longest to finish.

[MacRumorUser]

It's 70 hours long, it'll take the longest to finish.

holy moses.. i dont really do 'epics' like this anymore. too many games, too little time, but I'll have to make the exception with Zelda. At least it will last me a year or so before I finish ;) :D

[Dagless]

70 hours? If I'm lucky I'll play for 1-2 hours a day when something worthwhile comes out. See you in several months!

[Flowbee]

Zelda Twilight Princess gets a 10/10 from 1UP (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155329). These reviews are going to sell some Wiis.

Twilight Princess is something you rarely see: a 60-hour adventure in which every moment is memorable. But then, maybe that's no surprise -- it represents the full resources and effort of the world's most powerful first-party developer, and thanks to all those delays, it's even enjoyed an extra year of polish and refinement. The question to ask therefore isn't "Is it any good?" but rather "Just how good is it?"

The answer? Truly fantastic. It's not a reinvention of the genre like Ocarina was -- but it's much better, because it takes all its predecessors' raw ideas, perfects them, and creates an experience that's at once new and familiar. It's rare to find a launch game that truly justifies the purchase of a new console, but this is precisely that. If Wii Sports is a game for everyone, Twilight Princess is for everyone who loves games.

[risc]

GameSpot Wii reviews:

Excite Truck 6.8/10

The Good: Good sense of speed; hectic gameplay makes you feel just shy of losing control of the truck.

The Bad: Not enough here to keep you interested for long; should have been at least a four-player game, if not online.

http://gamespot.com/wii/driving/excitetruck/review.html

Trauma Centre Second Opinion 8.0/10

The Good: Fast-paced puzzle action gameplay shows off a lot of what the Wii Remote can do; surprisingly engaging storyline rife with the best kind of anime melodrama; multiple difficulty settings make the high level of challenge more manageable; controls do a great job of simulating some surgical procedures.

The Bad: While the presentation looks good, it feels dated--no support for widescreen 480p displays; some scenarios demand trial and error or punishing degrees of precision.

http://gamespot.com/wii/adventure/traumacentersecondopinion/review.html

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz 8.3/10

The Good: Single-player game makes intuitive use of Wii Remote; incredible variety of multiplayer minigames; gameplay initially more approachable, but can still present a potent challenge; gives series much-needed visual makeover.

The Bad: Lack of camera control can be frustrating in some boss battles; quality of multiplayer minigames wildly inconsistent; single-player game a little short.

http://gamespot.com/wii/action/supermonkeyballbananablitz/review.html

[gloss]

I'm thinking of adding Trauma Center to my list.

[FleurDuMal]

Well, they just reviewed the Wii on Newsnight Review here in the UK, and it got a very positive review from all the panelists (apart from one who was far superior for such unimportant things).

Given that these people are more used to discussing the influence of post-structuralism feminism in late 20th century Russian playwriting, you can rest assure that they were the most casual of casual gamers. One even said that Wii Sports had phenomenal graphics...:eek:

[MacRumorUser]

Well, they just reviewed the Wii on Newsnight Review here in the UK, and it got a very positive review from all the panelists (apart from one who was far superior for such unimportant things).

Given that these people are more used to discussing the influence of post-structuralism feminism in late 20th century Russian playwriting, you can rest assure that they were the most casual of casual gamers. One even said that Wii Sports had phenomenal graphics...:eek:



Interesting spin. For an alternative perspective of the newsnight programme.

I watched it, but i would not say it was a glowing review by any means. The fact was 4 non gamers played it, and at the end of the interview all 4 non gamers said they would definetly NOT purchase one.

That is not a 'glowing review' despite some good comments. Why ?? Well Nintendo are staking that they will be able to convert non gamers into playing the wii, therefore for 4/4 to say no isnt great.

Whilst one admited and it was fun and cited it could be addictive as his reason for not purchasing - the only other enthusiastic repsonse came from the youngest female panalist.

But she was also highly enthusiastic about the PS3 stating that she thought the graphics were amazing, which I think you were getting mixed up with the wii
One even said that Wii Sports had phenomenal graphics...:eek: - and she felt like she had been living a teenage boys dream for the week, having to review James Bond and play the PS3 & wii, but was glad it was over.

[bobber205]

I know you guys have all seen this but : http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155329

9.7! Whoot!

[2nyRiggz]

So zelda got scored: 8.8

http://www.gamespot.com/events/wiilaunch/story.html?sid=6161993&pid=928519&tag=topslot;action;1


Wii-specific elements feel tacked on; graphics and sound sometimes go from nostalgic to dated.

Hey I didn't say it...

I thought the graphics looked nice from what I've seen..I guess they have been looking at the 360 for too long.


Bless

[Oblivious]

And a 9.5 from IGN: http://wii.ign.com/articles/746/746691p1.html

"The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is, in my opinion, the greatest Zelda game ever created and one of the best launch titles in the history of launch titles – second only, perhaps, to the at-the-time ground-breaking Super Mario 64. It is also one of the finest games I have ever played. The experience is made better and not worse on Wii. The Wii remote and nunchuk add accuracy and speed to exploration and combat for a heightened sense of immersion."

:)

[rockthecasbah]

So zelda got scored: 8.8

http://www.gamespot.com/events/wiilaunch/story.html?sid=6161993&pid=928519&tag=topslot;action;1




Hey I didn't say it...

I thought the graphics looked nice from what I've seen..I guess they have been looking at the 360 for too long.


Bless

I agree, i thought TP looked very nice. The sound is like the typical Zelda sound, you want that more simpler stuff, but on the trailer it certainly had some great tunes. Whatever, agree to disagree i guess.

[Oblivious]

I know you guys have all seen this but : http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155329

9.7! Whoot!

It looks like that 9.7 is an average of reader and editor reviews. 1up editors actually gave it a 10.:D

[MacRumorUser]

.I guess they have been looking at the 360 for too long.


But they gave the graphics 9/10 :confused:

[Dagless]

I had a dream I was playing Excite Trucks last night. But it was sorta futuristic and had multiple paths, like Toads Turnpike crossed with F-Zero GX.

Also, before the mental dream I had a go on Resident Evil 4. My first go. And bloody hell, I said to Caroline "... and we need a next gen?". I found it utterly beautiful, paired with the incredible animation. A joy to play. If the Wii in a year or so is pulling graphics just a fraction better than that. well. Without a HDTV, who needs next gen :D Still can't believe a G3 with a 6 year old graphics card was pushing them graphics with such minimal, if any load times.

[smitty330]

But they gave the graphics 9/10 :confused:

I think...Well I kno it depends on who is rating it, but it also depends on what they are comparing it to. Lets say they were comparing Zelda:TP to aciraina of time, or to a differnt Wii game or even a GC game. Who knows, but All I know is that I can't wait to buy my copy tommarow morning and get started!!!:D

-Matthew

[Dagless]

Maybe they just looked at the graphics and said "oh, that looks good". Just as I can look at Metal Slug and say "that looks good", despite it being in a non-HD resolution and use no 3D. I look at some 360 games and think "that looks horrible" whereas some look high quality.

[coffey7]

i find the reviews to be biased. Even if they gave Zelda a 5 I'm sure it would still be great. No better opinion then your own.

[gloss]

Maybe they just looked at the graphics and said "oh, that looks good". Just as I can look at Metal Slug and say "that looks good", despite it being in a non-HD resolution and use no 3D. I look at some 360 games and think "that looks horrible" whereas some look high quality.

Graphics are somewhat relative...but I've found that good art design trumps high polygon counts any day. Being able to play in high res is nice and all, but the imagination that goes into creating something is far more fascinating to me than the ability to render it with more pixels.

[Dagless]

Exactly, that's what I'm on about. Art Design rules supreme over any aspect of graphics.

[gloss]

Exactly, that's what I'm on about. Art Design rules supreme over any aspect of graphics.

I actually have this same attitude toward voice acting. There's this movement to fully voice act every little line in games these days...I've found that, with only a few exceptions, voice acting really, really takes me out of a game. It's as if they're trying to take away our imaginations one bit at a time.

A bit like books on tape. Bleh.

[FleurDuMal]

Interesting spin. For an alternative perspective of the newsnight programme.

I watched it, but i would not say it was a glowing review by any means. The fact was 4 non gamers played it, and at the end of the interview all 4 non gamers said they would definetly NOT purchase one.

That is not a 'glowing review' despite some good comments. Why ?? Well Nintendo are staking that they will be able to convert non gamers into playing the wii, therefore for 4/4 to say no isnt great.

Whilst one admited and it was fun and cited it could be addictive as his reason for not purchasing - the only other enthusiastic repsonse came from the youngest female panalist.

But she was also highly enthusiastic about the PS3 stating that she thought the graphics were amazing, which I think you were getting mixed up with the wii
- and she felt like she had been living a teenage boys dream for the week, having to review James Bond and play the PS3 & wii, but was glad it was over.

OK, I only had one eye on the TV as I was talking to someone at the time, but one thing you have to bare in mind is that if any of those panelists had actually admitted to enjoying something as base as a video game, they would have lost their place on the panel forever. They take themselves far too seriously for those sorts of things.

Nintendo may be trying to convert non-gamers into gamers, but they are never going to convert cultural critics with their heads so far up their backsides that they can't even see the tv screen. With that in mind, the Wii did quite well to get a few positive comments.

[Dagless]

I actually have this same attitude toward voice acting. There's this movement to fully voice act every little line in games these days...I've found that, with only a few exceptions, voice acting really, really takes me out of a game. It's as if they're trying to take away our imaginations one bit at a time.

A bit like books on tape. Bleh.

Haha, same here mate. I like the little comments by CPU players in Halo, but beyond that I just don't care for 2nd rate voices. Even in MGS1 some things they say are just too cheesy, I find it detracts from the seriousness of the plotline. But ah well.

[sikkinixx]

Zelda got an 8.8 from Gamespot.

Im suprised they gave gameplay an 8 out of 10, but gave graphics a 9. A 9+ for gamecube but they certainly aren't that impressive technically (art style is really nice though), im sure the Wii can do better. It seems like the sound took the biggest hit...I was hoping for big epic music..ah well, we'll see how it really is tomorrow :D

[GFLPraxis]

I don't get the anti-MIDI complaints. One review I read (that gave it a 10/10) correctly pointed out that the advantage of MIDI is that the music is dynamically adjustable and can change depending on the situation (grows tenser as more enemies appear, faster and lighter when galloping across hyrule with no enemies, etc), so for Zelda MIDI was probably a better choice.

[Dagless]

There was an interview or some kind of commentary from Chris Huelsbeck (highly regarded musician from yesteryear) who spoke about MOD over streaming music like what was used in new "CD" games :D . Saying that there isn't the dynamics to alter a song, it's very static. Pitch and loop moments can be altered, but overall he never liked static music. I've generally been with that opinion too, I've always used dynamics in music myself. suppose it depends on the game...

[FleurDuMal]

Wow...I just saw the Zelda video review over on ign, and I was seriously impressed. It may have just convinced me to buy a Wii for Xmas.

When you watch the video, wait for an example IGN show of a cinematic at around 4 minutes in. It really does look remarkable. Certainly not 'kiddy', like people criticise Nintendo for.

http://media.wii.ign.com/media/748/748589/vid_1746383.html

[MacRumorUser]

Nintendo may be trying to convert non-gamers into gamers, but they are never going to convert cultural critics with their heads so far up their backsides that they can't even see the tv screen. With that in mind, the Wii did quite well to get a few positive comments.

now if the wii launched in the 'Tate' we'd have a far more positive spin from them ;) Though Francis Bacon already did toilets, so Wii has wouldnt be that much of a leap for the Tate modern culturally ;) :D

Yeah the wii did alright, but I felt after watching. Why did they bother really ? Is anyone who would be remotely interested in getting a wii watching newsnight review... then I realised.... I was watching it :D

[psycoswimmer]

Regarding the OP's Call of Duty review.

WTF. No multiplayer? You've got to be kidding me. I play CoD2 at my friends house on xbox 360 a lot. I love the game, and I wasn't expecting the graphics to be anywhere near as good as the 360. But no multiplayer, split screen OR online? That's just.. plain stupid.

[risc]

Well here is 1 I didn't expect after all the hype:

Red Steel 5.5 / 10

The Good: Interesting take on first-person shooter controls; nice explosions and destructible environments.

The Bad: Clunky sword-fighting sequences slapped into the middle of all the shooting; inane story chock-full of painful dialogue and voice acting; numerous noticeable bugs and glitches.

http://gamespot.com/wii/action/redsteel/review.html

[2nyRiggz]

^I'm surprised red steel scored that much...I knew that game would suck arse hard.



Bless

[rockthecasbah]

These low scores for Red Steel are so disapointing, now i really don't know what to do... i want a FPS but i'm not sure if Far Cry will be good either, it seemed that Red Steel had a the advantage until i saw these reviews..i may as well wait before i blow $50 and try to bum a play off someone else for myself :(

[sikkinixx]

..."even when you're about to die, it's simply not possible to draw a gun during a sword fight. Haven't any of these people seen Raiders of the Lost Ark?"


lol that guy who reviewed Red Steel is awesome just because of that.

[2nyRiggz]

Wow they really killed red steel and now red steel holds the worst next gen game score so far....glad I was never in the line for that game but far cry/wii sports and excite truck are downers for me....I'll just get zelda.

Guess I was wrong about the worst score
http://www.gamespot.com/events/wiilaunch/story.html?sid=6161992&pid=934602&tag=top_stories;title;1

Bless

[SamIchi]

I think only Zelda will do. Launch games always suck unless it's from Ninty themselves. I wish they had somekind of multi player game at the launch. GC's SSBM launch title was the best. You can't beat that.

[bobber205]

I think only Zelda will do. Launch games always suck unless it's from Ninty themselves. I wish they had somekind of multi player game at the launch. GC's SSBM launch title was the best. You can't beat that.

I don't think it was launch... :D

[MacRumorUser]

Actually lads if you think about it - Zelda isnt really a wii game (its a cube port), and remember it was only a few months ago they announced a specific 'wii' version - up to that point we all assumed there was 1 version, just that when you put it in the wii it used the remote.

I posted at the time it was obvious they have done this just to ake sure there was at least 1 game in the Wii lineup that was noteworthy.

without this cube port - the Wii has possibly one of the worst launch line ups ever. :(

Nintendo need to get Smash Bros, Metroid & Mario Galaxy & Strikers out ASAP. It's bad enough that even some of the more 'average' launch titles arent arrving in Europe till march, so the launch is even more 'limited'.

:o

[Dagless]

Personally I think this is the strangest launch we've had. It surpasses them all for me. That includes DS. It's all down to Wii Sports and Wii Play.

If I had to chose either Wii Sports+Play or Twilight Princess, even going off how much I ****ing love the Zelda series, I'd still pick the 2 showcase titles. I'm looking forward to them 2 games more so than any other Wii, 360 or DS game. Maybe it's me but this launch has a different feel to it. I feel comfortable that there are 2 games I know I will be spending a lot of time playing, especially with friends around.

I hope these 2 titles are a sign of things to come. If they keep the Wii- thing going I'll be a very happy bunny.

[JMax1]

The name of this thread should really be "Wiiviews"

[SamIchi]

I don't think it was launch... :D

Indeed, but it came just in time before the end of the year, hence a great holiday break with family and frineds and the cube. :D I'd be happy if there was some other great game coming out for the Wii before the end of the year, but that doesn't seem like it's goin to happen.

[gloss]

The name of this thread should really be "Wiiviews"

Comic genius.

[Sharewaredemon]

Stuff is looking pretty promising, I'd really like to play one and see what it's like.

RIDGE RACEEEEEEEEEEEER