I got the new Punch-Out for Wii today and have been reveling in the nostolgia and reliving the combos required to beat each opponent. Currently I’m stuck on that frackin’ Great Tiger, who uses tricky teleportation punches to win. Cheater. My older brother Brooks was always better at this game. Where’s a good wing man when you need one?
If you have a DS, please head to your nearest Wii, game store, or DS kiosk to download a free demo of Rhythm Heaven. The above video does a better job explaining the game than I ever could, but in short, you tap, flick, hold, and slide the DS stilus in rhythm with the music to produce a desired effect… say building robots on an assembly line. It’s as crazy as it sounds, but also a lot of fun. I haven’t played a game that made me smile this much since World of Goo. The full version comes out April 6.
I downloaded World of Goo yesterday on Wii, and it’s crazy good. Played for like four hours already. If you like clever writing, brilliant puzzles, Tim Burton visuals, or Danny Elfman music, you must get this game. Something special like this comes only once every 1-2 years — don’t miss it.
Amazingly, the game was created by only two people. It is available as a download on Wii for $15 or on PC for $20. A demo can be downloaded here.
When I first heard the news that Steven Spielberg was working on an exclusive Wii puzzle game, I was skeptical. What does he know about videogames, especially non-story ones like Boom Blox? On the subject of his pedigree: Sure he directed “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Jaws” and “Saving Private Ryan,” but he also directed “A.I.,” “Temple of Doom” and “War of the Worlds.” I think you can appreciate where I’m coming from.
After playing the game, however, I’m happy to report that Boom Blox is not just a marketing ploy or a misguided idea by the venerable movie director. It’s an inspired, console-appropriate and rewarding game — particularly for single-player challenge-seekers — even if it appears to be something that Spielberg wouldn’t be involved with.
In March 2007, BBC technology editor Darren Waters wrote, “LittleBigPlanet is perhaps one of the most dazzling demos I’ve seen in the last 10 years.” More than a year later, after an extensive hands-on in late April, I can only say the same. LittleBigPlanet looks, plays and feels incredibly fresh — even for an unfinished game. It’s no wonder Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime was covetous of developer Media Molecule after the exclusive PlayStation 3 title was revealed last year. Here’s an update on its development.
Mr. Bright Side, here, back with more. This time, I focus on the increasing role of videogames as rehabilitation products, surgical guiding lights, brain developers, an aid to cancer researchers and tools for paramedics training — no, I’m not making this stuff up.
The paltry entry on video games from the Microsoft-owned encyclopedia currently has only one sentence regarding Wii’s popularity: “The introduction of Wii made Nintendo once again a major player in the video game industry.”
That’s accurate. And I wouldn’t expect up to date specifics — this isn’t Wikipedia, after all. But the language seems to deemphasize reality upon further reading from the same paragraph which quickly shifts gears:
Hawk’s back with more sick skateboard combos in Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground — does the game prove itself on the Wii? Blake Snow reviews the skate park sim developed by Page 44 and published by Activision.
Amid the myriad of mediocrity and contrary to popular belief, there are several high caliber Wii games deserving of your time. These are the best so far limited to only one mini-game and excluding GameCube ports. Let the listing begin!
To fade or not to fade, that is the question.
Fact: Nintendo’s Wii is on track to outsell Sony’s record-setting PS2 at 115 million units sold. That’s according to comparative NPD sales data for both systems. No other console has sold faster in its first eight months of availability than the Wii.
Despite its undisputed initial success, however, several industry pundits remain unconvinced. “The Wii will fade,” they say, suggesting that the machine’s novel motion-controls and antiquated graphics will soon cause the system to wane in popularity.
Smooth Harold is penned by Blake Snow, a freelance writer and new media expert living the good life with a wife and three kids. The site covers what he does for a living, what it's like to be a father, what he thinks about his surroundings, and what he does to entertain himself when not talking in the third person. He can be reached by email.
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