libertus

Having a mate who works in a game store is a real bonus when it comes to play-testing. I took my Wii to the shop and we spent some time checking out all the games we could get our hands on (the ones returned for exchange mostly), so that I could figure out which ones I wanted to buy. Hey… there’s no such thing as a free lunch and not making your customers feel ripped off is good business!

Warioware Smooth Moves

I already own this. After one day, I decided that it was a waste of money. Had I been able to try it out beforehand, I wouldn’t have bought it at all. Inventive use of the Wiimote, but too fast-paced and samey for my liking.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007

I like the golf on Wii Sports, but this doesn’t feel quite as good. There’s something not quite right about it, but maybe I’ll give it a bit more time.

Eledees

Ooh! A fully interactive environment in which you play a game of hide-and-seek with the wee energy creatures. Move around, grab and move objects, shake them, open and close things. Looks like it could be a fun adventure game. Going through the comprehensive tutorial takes a while, but seems worth it, and you can quit at any time.

Playing the game is quite fun - interstitial graphics are gorgeous, and finding the Eledees in a room can be quite a challenge. Part of it appeals to the vandal in me - picking up objects, throwing them around, smashing things…. I like it! Possible buy.

Rapala Tournament Fishing

I liked the simple fishing game on Wii Play. This is too complicated. No.

Tony Hawks Downhill Jam

I liked THPS on the DreamCast, but this is rather too fast-paced for my liking. Probably not.

Kororinpa

Just what I expected it to be - a cross between Marble Madness and Super Monkey Ball. Possible buy.

Spiderman 3

Didn’t even make 20 seconds of the weak-ass intro beat-em-up section. No.

Blazing Angels

Hmm… flight sim with guns… give it a bit more time. Maybe.

Mortal Kombat Armageddon

I was already bored of MK by the time MK3 came out. This has 64 characters to choose from and so uses gestures on the controller to perform some special moves and the fatalities, but I don’t have the time to dedicate to learning the game.

“Motor Kombat” is a MK themed racing game, which is crap.

Really, this is just terrible.

Bust-a-move

I liked the original. Same idea, but this uses the Wiimote for direct point-and-shoot, which is much better. Got a bit confused as to what some of the bubbles did, but overall it’s an improvement on the original and a fun time-waster. The shooting bonus game is also quite fun. Unfortunately there seems to be no way to quit a game while you’re playing, but that’s minor. Maybe buy.

Mercury Meltdown Revolution

Superficially similar to Kororinpa (guide your ball around a maze to a goal) except that the ball is a blob of mercury and so you can leave bits around the level. The graphics are also a lot snazzier, using a hybrid of cel and 3d. Going throught the tutorial shows off how very cool this game is and how beautifully it plays, but does not prepare one for how totally fucking brilliant it is in real mode. You have to split up the mercury, change the colours of each part and merge them back to complete the levels. Extraordinary and superb.

Rayman Raving Rabbids

Totally mental! Seen this before, so was already interested, but wasn’t convinced it would have much staying power to justify the cost. Looks like there are at least eight levels to complete. Highlights are; disco dancing, cow hurling and the wonderful first-person-on-rails plunger shooting. Maybe buy.

More to come as I get time.

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