Thoughts on some newer Wii games I rented

[+Cafeman]

No deep analysis, just thoughts after a couple of nights of foolin' round with:

 

1. Spider-man Web of Shadows.

 

It is still fun to web swing thru NYC, but not as fun as in Xbox Spider-Man 2. Still quite similar to that game. Graphics aren't bad at all, and spidey has lots of pretty cool animations. But after a few hours of playing, all I had done was learn new moves from Luke Cage and beat up gangs and symbiotes.

 

You can switch between Spidey end symbiote-dark-suit spidey by shaking the nuncheck to the left or right. However, another move you soon learn has you moving the nunchuck down -- every time I tried this , it also registered a suit-change move, which was dumb.

 

It was fun, certainly more depth that Spidey: Friend or Foe, but I started to grow tired of it already.

 

2. Sonic Unleashed.

 

Despite wanting to like this and the fact it starts of with good potential ,after a few nights playing, we realized we'd played too many "Werehog" night levels and too few typical Sonic day levels. Graphics are good (yes, good "For a wii game"). Music is good, cinemas with Sonic or Eggman are all entertaining and good, and a few times I was having fun. But its easy to see what is wrong -- too much pointless talking to people! Even though its not as bad as that Sonic 360 game 2 years back, Sonic team seems determined to ruin Sonic games with too much boring filler things. I won't buy. Will try on 360 when I buy one in Feb.

 

3. Star Wars: Force Unleashed. Graphics range from acceptable to mediocre. Gameplay starts off fun -- you are Darth Vader with wicked force powers. It was great to use the nunchuk and wii-mote to grab objects / enemies and hurl them or choke them. It was fun to cut down wookies and imperials alike with your saber. Although, it is really a kill-a-thon and I found myself also *not* liking being the bad guy, mowing down wookies. I guess I like wookies. Still, I grew tired of it soon too, won't buy.

 

I didn't spend a ton of time with any of these. ANybody really like any of these (Wii version) ? Or anybody also not dig them? Or are the 360 / PS3 versions superior? Just wondering.

[Cybergoth]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had high hopes at least for Force Unleashed. How far did you get into it? I hear the main story is just some 5-6 hours long?

[moycon]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had high hopes at least for Force Unleashed.

 

I haven't heard very good reviews about any of the versions of SW : Force unleashed.

I have it on my list....but it's a < $20 list.

[liveinabin]

Force Unleashed's only real selling point was the physics engine and visuals. Strip some of both away for the Wii version and it loses what little point it had.

 

I really want to buy a new Wii game but I'm damned if I can find anything.

[BydoEmpire]

I liked Force Unleashed on Wii better than the 360 demo - it was just more fun to play. I had a heck of a time trying to target what I wanted on the 360, whereas I never had any problem on Wii. I guess it's a case of less stuff going on being better. The graphics seemed pretty bland, although the controls felt right and overall the game was a lot of fun for the hour or so I spent with it. I'll probably Gamefly it to finish the game. Probably not something I'd spend $50 on, though I definitely enjoyed it.

 

I Gamefly'd deBlob a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. That's definitely worth checking out if you want an off-beat platformer (though it's not really a platformer in the truest sense). You play a blob that can acquire different colors, and your job is to roll through the city coloring buildings and other structures. Each level has a variety of challenges (paint this area in 30 seconds, paint all these building orange, etc). It works pretty well. The controls and presentation are solid, and I liked the unique premise.

 

I'm not a big fan of the "cooking mini game" games, but Order Up does a great job of being a complete game. There's a lot to do outside of the actual cooking gameplay (unlocking specials, hiring assistants, buying spices, etc), the presentation is excellent, and the controls are logical and responsive. You actually run a series of restaurants and crazy characters come in and order stuff off the menu (which you expand by purchasing new recipes with tip money). There's a lot more depth than you might expect. An oddball title, but definitely worth checking out.

 

I haven't played it yet, but I'd really like to try Shaun White Snowboarding on Wii - it looks like it might be good. I believe there is already a thread about it...

 

It's an older title, but I picked up No More Heroes for <$20 at Gamestop. If you missed out, that's another one worth owning. Which reminds me, I need to get back to that game and finish it up...

Edited February 1, 2009 by BydoEmpire

[KrazyKaiju]

I really liked Force Unleashed. The Wii version has a lot of problems, but the force powers were fun and the story is good. On the other hand I detested No More Heroes. I know all the game mags gave it high ratings, but I hated the characters and the art style. The whole game felt half-assed and unfinished to me.

[Ryanw]

Yeah my friends who had force unleashed for the 360 didn't like the Wii version but I really enjoyed it. The only problem was the fact you can beat it in 5 hours taking your time.

[DaytonaUSA]

Force Unleashed's only real selling point was the physics engine and visuals. Strip some of both away for the Wii version and it loses what little point it had.

 

I really want to buy a new Wii game but I'm damned if I can find anything.

 

 

Yea join the club.

 

However, in the Wii's defense, I didn't like Unleashed on the 360 either...

[+Cafeman]

I liked Force Unleashed on Wii better than the 360 demo - it was just more fun to play... The graphics seemed pretty bland, although the controls felt right and overall the game was a lot of fun for the hour or so I spent with it. I'll probably Gamefly it to finish the game. Probably not something I'd spend $50 on, though I definitely enjoyed it.

 

==> For the benefit of those wondering if they should get this game on Wii -- I also had a lot of fun for about an hour or two with the Wii version. It wouldn't be quite as fun without motion controls. But on the other hand, it started to get repetitive as you control Starkiller and I tried to do basic platforming yet the camera won't show you where to jump. The 2-player VS match didn't seem fun at all to us -- seemed like random flailing about. It ain't no Soul Calibur.

 

But I'm not totally panning the Wii version of Force Unleashed; it is definitely worth a rental, and maybe worth a sub-$20 purchase but only if you love Star Wars and want to feel like you are using the force, physically reaching out with the nunchuck, grabbing something, then literally throwing your left arm to the left or right to throw the thing on-screen. It's also awesome to thrust both hands forward and do a powerful dark-side Force-push! The story wasn't bad. But still, even though I like SW as much as the next guy, I grew tired of it quickly.

[Shawn]

I really enjoyed force unleashed from start to finish.