Nintendo Wii Fanboy

The follow-up to previous baseball title on the GameCube, Mario Superstar Baseball, Namco and Nintendo's next title, Mario Super Sluggers, has finally hit North American shores. Is it worth your time? Well, let's see what the critics have to say.

• GameDaily (80/100) thinks the positives outweigh the negatives: "Overall, the game plays great. The controls work perfectly, whether you're an avid baseball fan or a newcomer picking up the game for the first time. And if you're a n00b, several tutorials are available to help you out. Only two things hold Mario Super Sluggers back from diamond domination. First, despite having a terrific control scheme and lots of options, it's really just another Mario-licensed sports game. If you're looking for something past that, try MLB Power Pros 2008 instead. Second, there are no online options. It would've been great to form a league with your friends through the Wi-Fi Connection, but you'll have to settle for offline play."

• Nintendo Power (75/100) says it can be a bit clunky: "This baseball diamond loses some of its luster with occasionally confusing or clunky play (it's too easy to accidentally pitch or swing prematurely), but the game's simplified approach is great for sports-curious gamers looking to avoid the complexities of a real simulation." [Oct 2008, p.87]

• 1UP (B) found the game to be easy to pick up and play: "Super Sluggers succeeds and fails as most Mario sports games do. Its quick, arcade-style action is easy to get into and plenty fun, coming at the expense of the nuances -- and balance -- you'll find in a sim."

• IGN (74/100) thought Nintendo and Namco cut too many corners: "It's a shame Nintendo and Namco didn't go farther with this one overall, though. No online play? No major gameplay renovations, new modes, or improved style over three year old Superstar Baseball? With only Animal Crossing as current first party online offerings in the near future, it really doesn't make a lot of sense to cut corners with Sluggers."

• GameInformer (55/100) was quick to trash the game: "Go do something fun with your buddies rather than wasting an afternoon with this crap."

Gallery: Mario Super Sluggers

This year's Madden NFL 09 All-Play on the Wii has gotten a lot of buzz. The title has tried to cater to the Wii's casual crowd. Yet, it also attempts to keep its hardcore audience and not alienate them with all kinds of casual additions. It's a tough line to toe. Has EA Sports done it?

On to the review scores!

• Nintendo Power (90/100) is of the mind the game is the sports title to beat on Wii: "So while EA may not have lived up to its marketing directive, it's succeeded in creating quite possibly the best, most fully featured sports sim available on the Wii." [Sept 2008, p.85]

• IGN (86/100) says it's good, but hardcore gamers might not like some of the changes: "Madden 09 has done a great job of giving every type of player a little to love, but for the Wii-only hardcore out there, you're going to need to realize that times are changing, and Nintendo is synonymous with "everybody" now"

• GameDaily (80/100) thinks the game is easily recommendable: "Even though it lacks complexity, Madden NFL 09 on the Wii achieves more than enough to earn a recommendation. Its user-friendly controls and various modes will keep you scoring touchdowns well into next season."

• Games Radar (80/100) believes the game is a solid title: "Even so, Madden NFL 09 All Play is blazing an important trail to reintroduce lost football fans to the franchise. It's an undeniably fun experience that will please many in its target audience, and even includes roster updates and online play. Not to mention we're really starting to like a little waggle with our football. We may be old curmudgeons, but fun is fun, and Madden does a lot more right than not."

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is warking on over to the Wii today, and this excites us for two reasons. For one, we're entirely ready for the cuteness overload that is sure to engulf us while playing the game. Seriously, dressing up Chocobos in cute little class outfits? We're not even sure we can handle that level of adorability. The second reason is that it's a roguelike RPG, and we can definitely use some more representation for this niche genre on the Wii.

We don't want to play a bad game, though, so we're interested in seeing what the critics have to say before giving Square Enix our hard-earned $40. If you are, too, then look no further:

1up (B+) found many redeeming qualities about the game, as long as you're willing to embrace the roguelike challenges: "It's difficult, and it's often controller-throwingly infuriating, but the challenge is fundamentally fair -- and the game looks and sounds so good that you'll keep playing to see what comes next. The dungeons are surprisingly pretty for randomly generated affairs, boasting colorful corridors and flashy graphical effects. And the soundtrack is nothing short of amazing, a collection of lush rearrangements of Final Fantasy standbys."

IGN (84/100) thought that this title had a lot of polish, and that Squeenix fans should run to pick this one up: "On the surface, Chocobo's Dungeon appears to be another watered-down entry with its kid-friendly presentation and seemingly simplistic gameplay. But spend a little time with it and layers of depth slowly reveal themselves. This is one of the most engaging, challenging experiences on the Wii, proving that a kiddie presentation doesn't have to mean shallow gameplay."

We can hardly believe it, but Majesco's Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy finally got released. It's in stores right now. And now that it has the distinction of being real and not just some constantly-delayed pipe dream, reviewers can play it and register their opinions.

But, really, how good can a Western-developed remake of a freeware PC shooter, with an editor mode attached, be? The answer is apparently "really, really good."

1UP: A -- Ray Barnholt found Blast Works both a worthy shooter and an awesome game construction kit: "The core game is cute and clever -- probably not a tide-changer, but it's definitely unique enough to be worth something within its genre (it's an awesome sequel to Tumiki Fighters, at any rate). And if you've got the desire to design games (and share them with the world via Blast Works' included online tools), the editor will teach you some basic fundamentals."

IGN: 81% -- Daemon Hatfield heaped more than 81 percent worth of praise on Blast Works: "With BlastWorks, what you get for your $40 is a unique, lengthy shooter, a powerful editor for creating your own levels, plus access to unlimited user-generated content from the game's official website, BlastWorksDepot.com. This is a great package, and although it's not going to appeal to everyone it's great to have something so unique in the Wii's library."

Game Informer: 80% -- Even the lowest-scoring review on the list doesn't have many huge complaints: "It's certainly not perfect; the difficulty balancing is rough around the edges, and the co-op multiplayer is ruined by the fact that the camera doesn't pull back, resulting in total chaos as each player's hunk of junk grows in size. However, I'm pretty addicted to Blast Works, and this addiction might never end due to the amazing level editor and online community functions, which gives players the ability to create anything and everything in the game and share them for free online."

With LEGO Indiana Jones releasing this week, many of you were likely dying to get your hands on it. But, wouldn't you like to see what some reviews say before you decide if this is a rental or a purchase? Well then, check out the snippets of text below.

• IGN (80/100) liked what they played, lauding the game for keeping the formula fun: "Traveller's Tales has once again delivered an experience that boils down to smashing stuff over and over again while searching for secrets, while also managing to make that formula fun and addictive. It's certainly not a huge leap over the LEGO Star Wars titles, and in fact still has some of that series' issues, but it's no less enthralling and certainly a fun adventure worth taking on."

• Gamespy (80/100) says that the game is quite fun, even if a bit simplistic: "The gameplay may be relatively simplistic, but with their great sense of humor, clever level design, and tons of hidden secrets, gamers of all ages can enjoy them. Now the real question is, how long do we have to wait until we see a LEGO-ized "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"?"

• Gamespot (80/100) found the game to be quite charming: "Lego Indiana Jones serves as the expected progression from the Lego Star Wars games. The great pacing, humorous cutscenes, and challenging-but-not-cheap puzzles make this the most enjoyable Lego game yet. It's not the hardest game, but it has enough hidden goodies to make you play through more than once. Both newcomers and diehard fans of Traveller's Tales' previous Lego offerings will find plenty to enjoy here."

• Nintendo Power (75/100) says: "Ultimately, the main draw of LEGO Indiana Jones is playing through many of the movies' most memorable moments in the charming LEGO style, and the game definitely succeeds in doing that." [July 2008, p.87]

Excluding those who went over to the Nintendo World Store on Monday, today is the first day that U.S. gamers can purchase Wii Fit for themselves. It's clear that Nintendo's fitness game is going to sell like hotcakes, but is it worth fighting through crowds and waiting on lines in order to pick one up? Here's what the critics have to say:

IGN (80/100) thinks that Wii Fit isn't a perfect workout tool, but was ultimately impressed by the title: "To its credit, the device is no joke. It very accurately measures your every subtle movement and momentum nuance as you step and shift to and from on the Balance Board. It's much more accurate than the WIi remote and it independently analyzes the input from your left and right foot, compiling the data into something meaningful and potentially encouraging within the context of the challenges, whether you're doing yoga poses, push-ups, or partaking in a host of mini-games created specifically for the device.

1UP (83/100) thought the game offered a good workout, but didn't necessarily make exercising fun: "A couple of days into the game's workout regimen, I didn't want to keep playing -- it is exercise, after all. But I persevered, and eventually I improved at the minigames, felt physically challenged on some exercises, and generally felt better after racking up 15 or 30 minutes a day of Wii fitness. But I never really wanted to play. Which, I suppose, is the rule of exercise -- it's exhausting, but keep it up, and you'll feel great at all other times of the day. That's mostly how Wii Fit is."

GameDaily (80/100) was somewhat bothered by the fact that Wii Fit isn't multiplayer friendly: "The most noticeable omission is serious multiplayer or a party mode. Like DDR or Wii Sports, it's actually fun to watch other people play and would be great to be able to switch off trying out different activities without having to retreat to the Wii Fit main menu and load a new profile. Furthermore, the fact that games only accommodate one balance board at a time seems almost anti-Nintendo. Isn't this supposed to appeal to the whole family?"

Gamers these days seem to be obsessed with the divide between what's "casual" and what's "hardcore." Often, software is immediately labeled for one group or the other. That's why it's nice to see games that bridge this gap, like Steven Spielberg's Boom Blox. There's nothing better than a title that everyone can enjoy. Did people enjoy it, though?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes:

• 1UP (100/100) loved the game so much that they gave it an A+: "Boom Blox is simply a laundry list of great features and options wrapped around an incredibly fun, expertly designed, and well-tuned puzzle game. Sure, its cute veneer won't do it any favors with the more intense console crowd, but I found it charming and refreshingly cheery. It's a casual game made for a casual crowd, but it's far and away the best one I've ever played."

• IGN (81/100) enjoyed a lot of the game's features, but felt that the title's biggest strength was its addictive multiplayer: "EA has really capitalized on the Wii remote to give you pinpoint accuracy as you make throws with real, calculated velocity -- throws that interact with block formations encased in genuine physics. You will find the single-player offering robust and varied, but the multiplayer mode -- compatible for up to four gamers -- is tantamount to crack cocaine in its ability to addict. And while there are hundreds of levels to keep you busy, there's also a full-blown stage creator that works hand-in-hand with WiiConnect24."

• Wired (80/100) praises the game's mass appeal: "Boom Blox does what so many Wii titles wish they could, by splitting the difference between casual players and lifelong gamers. You can pass the Wiimote to your grandma or a 5-year-old and they'll have a ball with its clever mix of brainy puzzles and satisfying explosions. But hard-core players like me will find a surprising amount of depth to the gameplay and a satisfying, addictive challenge."

The beautiful, imaginative Okami was perhaps one of the most-requested ports among Wii fans, and at last we're going to get a chance to get our hands on it. From the early reviews, it looks like it has been worth the wait ... though, surprisingly, the title's lowest score (by far) to date has come from Nintendo Power. As far as everyone else is concerned, Okami seems to be a smashing success.

Electronic Gaming Monthly: 94% -- EGM found the Okami port flawed, but worth every moment of the imperfect journey. "Okami's paintbrush-on-canvas mechanics that drive combat and interaction with the world seem perfectly suited to the Wii Remote but simply aren't reliably precise ... Still, it's one of the few games that can overcome shaky fundamentals in light of an astonishingly engaging adventure. Easily my (Nick Suttner) favorite Wii game."

Nintendo Power: 75% -- When Nintendo Power recommends the PS2 version of your port, there may be a problem. "Quite simply, the controls just didn't make the jump to Wii as well as they shold have ... Okami is a work of genius, but you should play the original game instead of the Wii version if you can."

IGN: 90% -- Matt Casamassina enjoyed the controls, and the port itself, even more* than the original -- which was 2006's Game of the Year at IGN. "Now, you can play the game in 480p and 16:9 widescreen, and you can do so using the Wii remote, which controls Amaterasu's celestial brush with a level of speed and accuracy never before possible. It's implemented so triumphantly that it actually changes the pace of the game, effectively speeding everything up ... Okami's strengths on Wii far outweigh any of its weaknesses. Wii owners can pick the game up for only $39.99 and those who do will be walking away with an outstanding title full of great adventure of a caliber typically reserved for titles starring Link and Zelda. I still think Twilight Princess is Wii's best adventure, but Okami is more than a worthy alternative. Support this game -- it deserves nothing less than your full attention."

*Note that despite liking the Wii version more, Casamassina scored this Okami lower due to the time that has lapsed since the original, and due to unchanged and unfixed issues.

Okay, if everybody could just stop what they're doing, and focus here, please. You, with the Mountain Dew. You, with the shoes. Let's concentrate. Mario Kart Wii is flipping and somersaulting its way to all major regions later this month, so roughly now would be a good time to start getting excited. If you really need any further encouragement, let's see what the reviews say*:

NGamer UK -- 88%: NGamer UK claimed that not enough effort had been expended on the local multiplayer mode, that balloon battle "still stinks," but that the online modes were well-executed, and that overall Mario Kart Wii is "a really solid Mario Kart with a terrific online setup. There's plenty here to make up for the disappointment of local multiplayer, but it does stop short of magnificence."

Eurogamer -- 80%: Meanwhile, it looks like yours truly may have spoken too soon when it comes to the Wii Wheel -- according to Eurogamer, the peripheral is "ergonomically brilliant, satisfyingly solid and adorably chunky." Which is good news, considering the gimped Classic Controller and GameCube pad controls. They seemed to like the rest of the game as well: "Ultimately, the sheer sensory pleasure of playing Mario Kart Wii - from the charming animations, to the bopping tunes, to the sugar-rush boosting, to the exquisite steering - far overcomes the few concerns we have about it. It still has to be docked a mark for the awkward structure and compromised battle modes - but it's still unreservedly recommended to anyone for whom Mario Kart is a gaming cornerstone. And really, that should be everyone."

Nintendo Power -- 90%: Nintendo Power was more effusive in its praise, claiming that: "With more features, modes and multiplayer options than ever before, fans should be revved up to get behind the wheel." [May 2008, p.86 -- excerpt found at Metacritic]

* Also worth noting is Famitsu's 37/40 score, a combination of one ten, and three nines.

In last week's bevy of releases beginning with 'O,' one title stood as a shining beacon of hope ... rather, we shined a beacon of hope on it, crossing our fingers that the quirky Opoona might rise from the ashes of its lackluster Japanese reception as a worthwhile title. Instead, it looks like the nunchuk-controlled RPG is destined for the annals of mediocrity. Alas, poor Opoona, we hardly knew ye.

Games Radar: 60% -- Ultimately, the tedium seemed to get in the way of the game's best qualities. "The already threadbare plot comes to a grinding halt every time you have to take a 10 minute detour over to the ol' licensing office and get your job level increased. The incredibly inefficient city design is unnecessarily confusing as well, adding even more time to your errands. It's extra frustrating that you have a wireless PDA device that constantly downloads new data and could just as easily receive the job/license info while you're out doing the quests ... Give credit to Opoona for trying to wedge a lot of new ideas into its paper thin premise, but the half baked 'lifestyle' elements can't hide the fact that it's a very simplistic and ultimately uninteresting RPG."

1UP: 50% -- Like so many titles, fascinating, but flawed. "Despite its good looks, Opoona really stumbles in its localization. The game's English translation is rough and lifeless, with multiple typos and characters that barely sound different from one another, not to mention out-and-out confusion when NPCs say things like "head to that door" when there are multiple doors in a room -- confusion like that unnecessarily slows down progress.

Opoona's heart is undeniably in the right place. As an RPG, it's pretty standard, yet it manages to be just plain comforting thanks to its quirky looks and sounds -- and even its easy one-handed control option. The game only really stresses you out when you're figuring out what job to do next and where to go, but once you clear those barriers -- and don't always expect grandeur -- it's not a bad trip."

Nintendo Power: 70% -- The Nintendo mag found unrealized potential. "While Opoona boasts nice backgrounds and music, and is fundamentally solid, it's definitely rough around the edges ... These flaws, fortunately, don't ruin the game, but don't expect something with a lot of polish."

Sega's decision to release Sega Superstars Tennis in March was a bold one: Many companies moved their releases out of the way of Nintendo's major offering -- and those games aren't competitive multiplayer games starring a cast of iconic video game company mascots from different games, battling on a variety of stages inspired by the games from whence the characters came.

No, we don't think Sega Superstars Tennis is a direct response to or an attempt to compete with Super Smash Bros. Brawl -- if it were, we wouldn't see Sonic in Nintendo's game. Sega Superstars Tennis is a smaller release, meant, we would guess, to bridge the gap between "casual gamers" and Sega superfans. Or, to be more cynical, to be a Virtua Tennis sequel without the likeness rights. Did Sega and Sumo Digital serve up an ace or a fault? Or is the game best analogized by some other tennis term? The reviews seem to range from the ecstatic to the nonplussed. Hit the post break for reviewers' opinions!

As one might expect, the flood of reviews for Super Smash Bros. Brawl available now all talk in favor of the game. In fact, there are multiple perfect scores for the game, from a variety of different outlets. Did you expect anything different? Well, we didn't. This might top Ocarina of Time as the #1 ranked game of all time.

• Nintendo Power (100/100) says : "Rarely has any title delivered so much amazing action, such a wide variety of modes, and so many hours of value. It doesn't get any better than this." [Mar 2008, p.82]

• GamePro (100/100) finds only a small amount of fault in the game, however it isn't enough to drop the score down at all: "It takes elements of past SSB games and refines them, which is great, but players expecting an entirely new experience won't find it here. Still, it is a well round game that doesn't disappoint and it's a must buy for every Wii owner."

• IGN (95/100) thinks it's one of the best titles of this generation: "You will play the game to death when you get it. But unlike so many single-player hits, Metroid and Mario included, you will still be playing and consequently loving Brawl in the months and years to come. It is one of the great multiplayer titles of the generation and simply not to be missed."

• GameTap (90/100) loves the lasting flavor: " Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a Wii game you can play forever...or at least, until the next Nintendo console arrives."

We've been eagerly anticipating the release of No More Heroes for a long time. There aren't too many titles that offer Wii gamers a mature experience, and we're looking for more diversity in our libraries. With No More Heroes, Suda 51 attempts to sate our cravings, while at the same time making the game ridiculous and quirky. But, is it any good?

You can release the breath that you've been holding; it looks like No More Heroes lives up to all the hype (or at least, most of it).

Need some proof? See for yourselves:

• IGN (78/100) thinks that despite the game's shortcomings, No More Heroes is worth getting: "No More Heroes isn't the most polished game out there, and it certainly has its fair share of quirks all around, but it deserves to keep its place in the libraries of the more serious Wii gamers just the same. Suda 51 promised a violent, stylistic spectacle, and he delivered."

• GamePro (90/100) raves over the game's combat and its use of the lightsaber: "For every gamer who's felt disappointed by tacked-on motion controls, I present the game that has completely captured the essence of the Force. No More Heroes? Try No More Competition."

• NGamer (94/100) says that the playing No More Heroes is a unique experience: "The mishmash of visual styles, music and the world's most flamboyant dialogue has no comparison to anything else; it's impossible to put the game in a box, except to say that it is unquestionably, undeniably, unequivocally No More Heroes, and you have never played anything like this before."

Our blogger in the UK, Chris, provided us with a review of the title last month (thanks to the game releasing in his territory before ours, for a change) and spoke his mind concerning the undersea exploration within. After providing his honest opinion on the title, many here who were otherwise dead-set on picking this one up (this blogger included) then began to contemplate the other releases this week. Soon, its place among the "must-haves" for the week was in question, and we started thinking about picking up one or the other.

What about you all, though? Have you picked up Endless Ocean and found the critics to be off their rockers? Is this game awesome and nobody but IGN knows it?

Let's get to the reviews:

• IGN (80/100) says: "There are enough missions, from becoming a tour guide for other divers to photographing rare fish, to keep you busy for hours, but you might just prefer the pointless exploration to accomplishing set goals. Add in a two-player online mode and there's a lot to like about this scuba-diving simulation, even if some of its basic controls are wonky and its action-oriented scenarios limited. Did I mention it's only $29.99?"

• Game Informer (60/100) thinks: "Have you ever wanted to be as cool as Aquaman, except without any super powers? You could swim around, make friends with fish, and...well, that's about it. That is exactly what Endless Ocean delivers, giving players a chance to pet all sorts of underwater wildlife and watch them float by. The few other distractions, like taking pictures and filling an aquarium, provide only the barest incentive to keep going."

• Eurogamer (60/100) labels the game: "Endless Ocean is simple to the point of being quite dull, and certainly no masterpiece. But sometimes all a game needs to do is offer you something different, and it's an honest relief to play something that doesn't shout in your ear, set any time limits, or feature a single explosion; a game whose raison d'être is just beauty and peace. Playing this game is almost like taking a holiday from gaming. If you can live with that paradox - and if you can find it reasonably cheap - it's worth dipping a toe in these calm, blue waters."

• GamePro (25/100) magazine critiques: "Endless Ocean's underwater atmosphere is soothing and relaxing but it lacks a crucial element: fun." [Feb 2008, p.84]