Reviews

The Wii version of  X-Men Origins: Wolverine suffers from just about every problem common to movie-licensed video games. While the combat system can be fun for a couple of hours, the game is heavily weighed down by repetitive enemies and bosses, poorly implemented and archaic design choices and a downright ugly presentation.

After seeing how well the Uncaged Edition of X-Men Origins: Wolverine for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was being received by fans and the gaming press alike, I had somewhat high hopes that the Wii version would be competent as well. These hopes were dashed within ten minutes of starting the game as I failed an obtuse quick time event and saw the game over screen before being forced to watch an unskippable cut scene for the second time.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the tale of a man that sets out for revenge after the woman he loves is brutally murdered in the Canadian wilderness. I haven’t seen the film, but it seems that this game parallels that story more so than the Uncaged Edition. Though it is rather generic and predictable, the story will undoubtedly be the highlight of the game for X-Men or Wolverine fans who end up playing this version of the game.

Almost immediately, it becomes clear that this version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine fell victim to the same fate that many licensed games on Wii do. It is a direct port of the PlayStation 2 version and was likely rushed to completion in order to get it released at the same time as the movie. Developer Amaze Entertainment (Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, Shrek the Third) have also implemented quite a few design choices that would have felt bad even five years ago such as invisible walls, hordes of mindless and generic enemies and doors that magically unlock after defeating said enemies.

Should you be able to overlook these core flaws, you will be left with a completely linear gameplay experience that lasts five or six hours and has little to no replay value. Players are tasked with simply moving from area to area while clearing out enemies that seem to spawn out of nowhere. There are some very light environmental puzzles to solve, but it is next to impossible to get stuck in this game.

Along the way, you will also be thrust into quite a few quick time events (QTEs) that are more annoying than challenging or skill-testing. QTEs are used to open doors, lunge to otherwise inaccessible areas and frequently during the game’s few, repeated boss fights. In many cases, failing a QTE will result in you seeing the game over screen and having to restart a section. I found this extremely frustrating at times, given that the game often gives you a three second window to perform an action, but rarely tells you which action. In one case, I actually found myself having to not perform an action in order to progress, though the game was telling me to.

Thankfully, X-Men Origins: Wolverine autosaves after every single section of the game, so you’ll never have to repeat more than a few minutes should you run out of energy, or experience the more common scenario of failing a QTE or mistakenly falling out of a level. I found this title rather easy from start to finish and little besides my patience was challenged during my play through.

A RPG-like upgrade system is in place, with health and attack enhancements available for purchase using experience points earned from felling enemies, completing missions or finding hidden observer droids. While it was satisfying to upgrade my health bar or unlock a combo, I quickly found that Wolverine became overpowered, taking away what little challenge or satisfaction the God of War inspired combat system started out with.

There is a rather deep combo system in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, however the game can be beaten by simply mashing on the attack buttons and without blocking enemy attacks. I was pleased that attacks were mapped to the B and Z buttons rather than to a Wii Remote or Nunchuck motion. Motion controls are almost exclusive to QTEs and rarely require any degree of accuracy. My biggest complaint about the controls is that as a port of a PS2 game, no Classic Controller support was added. Not only would the option provide greater accessibility for physically disabled players, it simply feels more natural for this type of game.

Speaking about accessibility, or lack thereof, X-Men Origins: Wolverine has no subtitles for people who are hard of hearing. I feel that subtitles, along with customizable control schemes should be standard across all games and platforms at this point and that there is no excuse not to implement these options.

The principal cast of the movie including actor-producer Hugh Jackman and Liev Schrieber lend their voice talents to the game, though the performances unsurprisingly feel lifeless and phoned-in. The enemies you dispatch always seem to have something to say, but this chatter is limited to a few phrases that repeat ad nauseum and sound like they were all recorded by the same voice actor. The rest of the audio presentation really fares no better. The soundtrack is extremely generic and sounds like that of countless action games and movies before it.

The graphics look quite bad, even by PS2 standards. This title does run in 16:9 and 480p, but suffers from a completely erratic frame rate, blurry textures and a bland colour palette primarily made up of greys and greens. The story is told through a patchwork of down sampled movies from the PS3/Xbox 360 version, in-game cut scenes and written text in between some missions. The whole package feels disjointed and unfinished and the end of the game is completely anti-climactic, offering little satisfaction when the surprisingly long credits roll.

At first, I thought that this T-rated version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine would be a viable alternative for parents of young fans over the brutally mature and bloody PS3/Xbox 360 version, but I was quite mistaken. The blood is toned down quite a bit in this version but it is still rather prevalent. I was also surprised at how much foul language was in this title. Because of this, it’s hard to find an audience to recommend this version of the game to.

Frankly, unless the Wii is the only console available in your household and you are nothing but the hugest of Wolverine or X-Men fans I would suggest steering clear of the Wii version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine entirely. The Uncaged Edition on other consoles is a much better and viscerally satisfying experience for those looking for some mature God of War or Conan-style action and the DS edition is much more suited to a younger audience.

Positives:

+ Combat System can be Fun

Negatives:

– Ugly Presentation
– Disjointed Story
– Repetitive Enemies and Boss Fights
– More Frustrating than Challenging

Though it has only 20-30 minutes of gameplay, WarioWare: Snapped! serves as fun technical demonstration of the enhancements found in the Nintendo DSi. The title uses one of the DSi cameras to bring a sort of motion-controlled experience to the handheld console while retaining all the quirky charm of its predecessors.

The latest in a lifetime of moneymaking enterprises sees Wario open a theme park with the help of some familiar faces. Wario Park has four roller coasters to ride, each being a series of five themed minigames. One coaster features Wario, while the rest feature Mona, Jimmy and Kat and Ana respectively.

WarioWare: Snapped! is played entirely using the inner camera of the DSi to track the movement of your head and upper body. This creates motion-controlled gameplay similar to that found in games that use the PlaySation Eye or Xbox LIVE Vision Camera on home consoles. More…

The Nintendo DSi is laid flat on a table with the top screen tilted at a 120 degree angle in order to play WarioWare: Snapped!. At the beginning of each coaster, the game will attempt to calibrate the camera by having players align their face and hand with an on-screen indicator. The calibration checks that the play area is adequately lit and that a player’s skin tone contrasts enough from the background.

The technology certainly is not perfect; there are a number of factors that can influence the recognition of a player’s face or hands. Lighting and background colour are certainly the largest factors, however I had some troubles while wearing my glasses as well. The in-game manual also suggests that difficulties may be encountered in the case of thick facial hair, light hair colour or if a player’s eyebrows are obscured.

For the most part, however the motion recognition in WarioWare: Snapped! works rather well and does manage to provide a console-like experience anywhere a DSi can be set down. Intelligent Systems has made some concessions in gameplay to accommodate the new input method. Much like WarioWare: Smooth Moves on Wii, this titles pauses before each minigame to allow players to realign themselves or get into a new position. The time limit of each minigame has also been markedly increased to 20 or 30 seconds.

Upon completing the five minigames of each coaster, players are presented with a slideshow of themselves making the motions required to play, sometimes with enhancements drawn on them. These slideshows will appear on the title screen, however there is no way to save the photos or slideshows created by WarioWare: Snapped! and they will be erased if the DSi is closed or if players exit the game.

Saving photos or slideshows would have been a welcome feature as the four coasters have players making some very distinct motions that would be fun to share with friends. Wario’s coaster features big expressions and movements, Mona’s asks players to align their body with on-screen objects. A variety of actions are performed during the coaster featuring disco king Jimmy, while Kat and Ana have a second player join in the fun.

The whole package can be completed within half an hour, less if there is no one around to act as a second player. Those looking to get the most out of WarioWare: Snapped! will want to play through the interactive credits as well. This stage sees players moving their head in order to pilot a roller coaster through the names and titles of the staff in order to score points.

The audio/visual presentation is exactly what one would expect from a handheld title in the WarioWare series. Everything features a hand drawn look, bright colours and an oddball charm that has become synonymous with the series. The music and sound effects should also be familiar to those that have played the previous WarioWare titles.

Though very brief, WarioWare: Snapped! does a great job of showcasing what the Nintendo DSi inner camera is capable of. It’s not flawless, but it does succeed in bringing motion and spatial recognition to a handheld game system. Because there are no peripherals involved and the game can be played while seated, I’d argue that this motion control method is more accessible to physically disabled users than titles found on Wii or camera-based games found on other consoles.

WarioWare: Snapped! Would best be played by people within the first few days of owning a DSi. It is not much more than a tech demo, however it is an effective one and is definitely worth a look to those seeking a title that takes advantage of the DSi hardware and a provides a glimpse of what is to come in future games on the upgraded handheld.

Positives:

+ Motion Tracking Works Surprisingly Well
+ Retains Art Style and Charm from Previous Games
+ Takes Advantage of DSi Hardware

Negatives:

– Extremely Short, Very Little Content
– Cannot Save Photos or Slideshows

The latest Nintendo DS title in the The Sims series from EA, SimAnimals takes you through a lighthearted mission of returning the land to its original natural beauty. Playing as an omniscient hand you will take care of 10 different locations by cleaning them up, growing plants and attracting new wildlife.

This simple management game is charming thanks to its numerous goals and achievements which offer hours of game play that can easily be enjoyed in long sessions or short bursts. SimAnimals is reminiscent of the Viva Piñata series on the Xbox 360 and DS but unlike its counterpart, this game presents no real conflict and offers a more linear and manageable gameplay experience.

Starting out in a backyard, you will be introduced to the game’s basic functions. You are equipped with a backpack in which you can store practically everything, from seeds and plants to animals in need of protection and even rain clouds. As you slowly rebuild this garden, squirrels and bunnies will be attracted to the area.

Each area comes with two goals to achieve, whose completion will determine your medal ranking. These goals vary and generally include multiple steps like attracting an animal, letting you pet it, having it build a nest and it giving birth to offspring.

As you progress through the game’s new areas, you will unlock more and more types of animals and plants, which will attract other species and so on. Some areas will be littered with debris that you will have to remove before animals can feel comfortable. There is a total of 72 plants and 20 animals ranging from rabbits and birds to deer and wolves. Each species has specific requirements in order to establish its home in an area.

When tending to plants, you will find yourself constantly checking their status to ensure that they are well watered and have enough room to grow. Certain plants require more care than others. Some will only appear when the area is in very good shape and help to attract the fussiest of animals. Plants left untended for too long will die off.

Animals can also get scared and leave if they are not treated well. You will be able to gauge your progress within an area by checking the happy-point meter on the top screen of the DS. This bar counts the total of happy faces released by plants and animals to unlock two special abilities as it fills up.

At one-third up the meter you will gain the ability to create wind. At two-thirds through you can create lightning which is useful to remove large waste, but that ability can set plants and trees on fire. When the meter is full you will have unlocked the next area. There is no penalty for losing all of your happy points.

The controls are relatively simple. I found it easiest to use the d-pad to manoeuvre around the map; however, you can also touch the edge of the touch screen to move around the map in any direction.

Most of the game’s actions like tree shaking, petting animals and pollinating plants are performed using the stylus and shoulder buttons of the DS in tandem. Using the wind skill requires you to blow into the microphone.

The audio in SimAnimals is minimal but suits the game well. Levels contain no music but include subtle sound effects when performing actions like shaking trees, watering plants and earning happy-points. The menus play song loops of a cheerful and kid-friendly variety.

The in-game graphics feature basic 2D animated sprites and relatively detailed environments. The world map is very basic, a single image with sign posts pointing to the game’s ten areas. The colours could have been a little brighter, but I find myself saying that a lot on the DS. There are a few pieces of in-game art which remind me of story book pictures. A few more of these images would have helped give the game a bit more personality.

I have played some of the The Sims games in the past and was never very fond of them. However, I found SimAnimals to be a very enjoyable management-style game. Its seemingly unlimited number of unlockable plants and animals made me smile with every little bit of progress and thanks to its basic and forgiving gameplay, SimAnimals turned out to be a surprisingly good casual game.

Positives:

+ Lots of Gameplay for a Casual Game
+ Moves at a Comfortable, Manageable Pace

Negatives:

– Bland, GBA-esque Graphics
– Sparse Sound and Music

Third-party controllers have the tendency to be terrible, they break easily and so forth.  So how does the Mad Catz Official Street Fighter IV FightPad for Xbox 360 fare? Amazingly well: especially considering Mad Catz’s track record as of late with putting out crappy accessories like console skins, controller skins and substandard controllers.

The FightPad has an interesting shape; it reminds me of the revised Sega Genesis controller. One of the first things anyone will notice about the FightPad is the lack of analog sticks. This is because the FightPad is for fighting games, where analog sticks are almost never needed. But that isn’t to say it doesn’t have analog stick functionality.

On the back of the controller there is a switch that allows you to set the D-Pad as the D-Pad, left analog stick or right analog stick. This feature is useful for playing games that may otherwise be incompatible with a digital controller.

People who play fighting games on the Xbox 360 know all too well just how horrendous the D-Pad is on a standard controller. However, the FightPad D-Pad feels solid and very sturdy. It’s not perfect (I still have trouble sometimes, pulling off Hadoukens – down, down forward, forward+Punch), but it’s a massive improvement over the standard D-Pad.

Another stand-out feature is that the right bumper and trigger are on the front as opposed to on the top of the controller. This gives the FightPad a more arcade feel and provides a 6-button layout popular with fighting game fans. It also gives physically disabled gamers more access, which is huge plus.

As far as applications/tests go, I’ve been able to test the FightPad with Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Soul Calibur IV, and Bionic Commando: Rearmed (I can’t find my copy of Ninja Gaiden II). In all three titles it worked flawlessly, save for some Hadouken attempts in SSF2THDR.

The only real con I can see about the FightPad is the Turbo button. For some reason, I can’t get it to work by holding it down for a few seconds as stated in the manual.

The Mad Catz Official Street Figher IV FightPad is a surprisingly well-built third-party controller and quite helpful for physically disabled gamers because it provides easier access to two shoulder buttons.

Brian’s Note: Though we reviewed this wired controller on the Xbox 360, it is also available for the PlayStation 3. It is available in five editions featuring the characters Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, Blanka and Akuma. Unfortunately, in Canada, the FightPad is available exclusively at EB Games at the jacked-up price of $59.99.

Budget software publisher UFO Interactive Games has brought three arcade SHMUP (Shoot ‘em up) titles from MileStone Inc. to North America in compilation form. Fans of the old-school, hardcore genre will be able to play two of the included games for the first time on a home console without importing.

The compilation is dubbed Ultimate Shooting Collection, though many SHMUP fans would agree that the games included here are more of the mediocre variety. There are some emulation quirks, but the package features complete soundtracks, multiple control options and the ever-popular TATE mode for those brave enough to turn their TV on its side.

Chaos Field was previously available on GameCube in North America while Karous (Raven) and Radirgy (Radio Allergy) are available here for the first time and exclusive to Ultimate Shooting Collection. Karous and Radirgy were both released in Japan on the Dreamcast, with the latter also seeing PlayStation 2 and GameCube releases there.

Needless to say importing Japanese consoles and software is an expensive endeavour, so finding these three games on one disc for an asking price of $30 is a great deal provided you are a fan of the SHMUP genre.

The three games are all vertically scrolling SHMUPs and because they were made by the same developer around the same time, they come off as very similar to one another. I’ll break down the characteristics of each game.

Chaos Field is probably the most unique of the three. It consists of a series of boss battles against single, large opponents as opposed to levels filled with hundreds of generic enemies. Like Ikaruga, players can switch between two parallel dimensions, in this case called fields.  The Order Field makes enemies weaker while the titular Chaos Field is more difficult to survive in but yields more points.

Players can choose from three ships, each with its own speed and weapon characteristics. All of the ships are equipped with a sword attack that can be used to dispatch of enemy bullets. Each ship also has unique Lock On and Wing Layer special attacks.

Radirgy sets itself apart with its colourful cel-shaded art style and mobile phone inspired interface. Three ships of varying speeds are available to use. Players also choose from three types of attacks; a wide shot laser, a large bullet bubble attack and the 1-2-3 laser.

The sword attack in Radirgy can be used to attack enemies as well as to eliminate enemy fire. A shield will appear in front of the player’s ship if they stop firing for a couple seconds as well.  Keeping with the mobile phone feel of the game, players will receive e-mails containing bits of story or helpful information about bosses.

Karous is very similar to Radirgy in both look and gameplay. It also employs a cel-shaded look, though much darker in colour and feel.  In Karous, the player’s ship will be upgraded as they play. Shot, sword and shield can all be leveled up to a maximum of 100. Karous also uses a unique bomb system that shields the ship and destroys enemies and incoming fire surrounding it.

All three games provide users with options commonly found in arcade to console ports.  Difficulty level, starting amount of lives and intervals at which players earn extra lives can all be tweaked.

Karous and Radirgy are both presented in the traditional way for most console ports of vertically scrolling SHMUPs. The action takes place on a vertically oriented field in the centre of the screen surrounded by empty space on both sides.

Chaos Field is presented in the 16:9 aspect ratio on this compilation and is not compatible with TATE mode. Karous and Radirgy both support TATE mode, which looks fantastic on a widescreen TV. As with many Wii games, Ultimate Shooting Collection is not true 480p, leaving small black bars on the sides of the screen.

Ultimate Shooting Collection is a bare-bones affair as far as compilations go. Essentially this is just three ROM images on a disc wrapped in a menu. There are no videos or interviews to be found here. There are no unlockable games, nor any artwork to view.

There are however, complete soundtracks for all three games; 39 tracks in total. These music tracks are unlocked and available for players to listen to the moment they boot up the disc. While I didn’t find any of the music to particularly shine, this is a nice inclusion for fans or those that become fans while playing.

Also noteworthy is the fact that players can use a GameCube controller or Classic Controller in addition to the default Wii Remote and Nunchuck combination. This feature provides many options for players depending on their preference of analog sticks and d-pads.

Ultimate Shooting Collection probably won’t create a lot of new SHMUP fans and those already interested in this compilation are probably aware of the games included and their reputations as middle of the road titles.  Many of these fans also know that very few SHMUP titles make it over here these days and will probably be happy to play anything they can get.

At $30 this compilation is technically a steal regardless of content. Getting all three of these titles in your living room a few months ago would have cost hundreds of dollars. UFO Interactive Games has done a great service to hardcore SHMUP fans by bringing Ultimate Shooting Collection over at a reasonable price.

Positives:

+ Great Value
+ Included Soundtracks
+ TATE Mode

Negatives:

– Bare Bones, No Extra Features
– Mysterious Load Times
– Games Included are Mediocre

Set 100 years after the first Castlevania game, this reimagining of a 1989 Game Boy favourite sees you guiding Christopher Belmont through a treacherous mansion in search of Dracula, who has risen to terrorize humanity once again.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth looks, sounds and plays like a souped-up SNES title and most closely resembles Super Castlevania IV. Though the game takes place in six somewhat linear and strictly-timed levels, there are still plenty of secrets to uncover in Dracula’s castle.

When you start the game you are greeted with a myriad of difficulty and control options that allow you to customize your experience. In addition to standard difficulty settings, you can adjust the amount of lives you start with and toggle whether or not Christopher is knocked back when struck by and enemy.

You can play Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth with a Wii Remote on its side or with a Nunchuck attached. You can also use a GameCube controller or a Classic Controller and both action buttons are fully re-mappable in all four control options. Everyone should be able to find a control set and difficulty level that they are comfortable with thanks to the simple, yet often overlooked inclusion of customizable controls and traditional controller support.

Once in the game, you are thrust immediately into action. For the uninitiated, classic Casltlevania gameplay typically has you lumbering through levels with your trusty whip in hand while you are assaulted by otherworldly creatures like zombies, skeletons and, of course, vampire bats. Christopher Belmont controls like a tank wearing lead boots, though his movement is easy to get used to.

Along the way, you will encounter powerful sub-weapons such as axes, knives and holy water. These sub-weapons are fuelled by hearts you collect by destroying candles and other various light sources. You can also collect gold and jewels that add to your score and food items that replenish your health.

Though the game is quite linear compared to open-ended Castlevania titles such as Symphony of the Night or Order of Ecclesia, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth is full of breakable walls, branching paths and even shortcuts through levels. Exploration is usually rewarded with a powerful weapon or high-scoring items.

You can earn extra lives through score, which can come in quite handy as this game is decidedly old-school in ways beyond the look and gameplay. When you lose a life, you are respawned at the last checkpoint. Should you lose all your lives and need to continue, you will have to start an entire level again and if you turn the game off you will be forced to start from stage one.

Luckily, making your way through the game only takes about two hours, so average players could easily tackle it in an afternoon. Replay value comes from trying to find all the secrets and shortcuts in the castle and maximizing your score, just like it did 20 years ago in many 8 or 16-bit era games.

Though each stage has a strict time limit, I found that there was always plenty of time to explore and dispatch enemies. Each stage has a sub-boss in addition to a boss encounter, but they are generally short so there’s no need to cache time. I found the game much more rewarding when I took the time to thoroughly explore each level.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth is a great-looking game and surpasses the original SNES offerings in a number of ways thanks to modern processing power. Large on-screen characters, muliple scrolling backgrounds and great lighting and rain effects are punctuated by flawless 60fps performance. The game also features some display options that you can tweak to best suit your television.

The music is also quite well done and sounds like it is straight out of a vintage game. Konami games always had some of the best music on the NES and SNES and the work of Manabu Namiki is easily up to the high standards set more than 20 years ago.

With the possible exception of adding online leaderboards, I can’t think of a single thing  would change about Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth. It finds a great balance between old and new and is scaleable enough to be enjoyed by both casual fans and those looking for a stiff challenge.

If this game was released as a sequel to Super Castlevania IV on the SNES, many of us would have gladly paid full price for it. Any fan with even a passing interest in 2D side-scrolling gameplay would be well-served to spend $10 on and a few hours with Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth because it is a shining example of the genre as well as one of the best retro remakes available on any platform to date.