Wii launch game reviews

Excite Truck - IGN - 8.0
Closing Comments
I'm more of a Burnout and San Francisco Rush fan than a Gran Turismo and Forza gamer, and Excite Truck for Wii is definitely right up my alley. Excite Truck is clearly a first generation console game that will, without a doubt be outdone in the Wii system's later years. But as a game that bursts right out of the gate as a launch title for the system, Excite Truck is a fulfilling, fun, energetic arcade-style racer that features a good balance of technology and technique. There are a few spots in places that could have been filled, like its weak two player option and trick system, but overall this game definitely pulls off the intense racing rush that quality arcade racers offer.
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[quote name='botticus']Ouch, that's a pretty harsh score. Not entirely sure what separates Excite Truck as a "tech demo" from any other racing game, other than limited multiplayer.

Not necessarily going to disagree with the stated negatives from my playtime, though.[/quote]

I agree with you. It sounds like at least a few reviews are focusing on the lack of multiplayer to the exclusion of all else. Excite Truck is definently a game that I would pay $15 or even $25 for at some point just because it was a whole bunch of fun.
 
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam - IGN - 7.0
Closing Comments
It may be a bit flawed, but Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam still shaped up to be a pretty entertaining racer on Wii. In no way does the spin-off game stand up to Project 8 on the other next generation consoles, but as a “popcorn flick” equivalent to Hawk games, Downhill Jam is a decently entertaining and innovative game nonetheless. A somewhat dated graphical look hurts, though the game runs in 480p and 16:9 to counteract it. And while in-game music is a hassle to work with, there are some killer songs in the 40 track list. The stylistic look of the game is going to be hit or miss for gamers, and whether you love it or hate it, your opinion is justified. Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam is an odd game, but it still can be a blast to play, and the replay value goes up a ton when you throw a few more Wii-motes into the mix. A redesign for a franchise is always risky business, and while there are definitely things to change in a potential sequel, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam is a solid first step in a new direction for Wii players. More control customization and higher production value is definitely needed, though the game is conceptually sound and still pretty fun in short bursts.
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Im not a huge fan of the Tony Hawk series..but this is DEF a game to get once it's cheap. It's just one of them CAG-Games if anyone understands what I mean LOL
 
Read the Excite Truck review at IGN and that reviewer mentioned exactly some of the things that I think will make this game so appealing to me. I think it will be the first game I play on Sunday.
 
[quote name='Oops! I did it again.']Read the Excite Truck review at IGN and that reviewer mentioned exactly some of the things that I think will make this game so appealing to me. I think it will be the first game I play on Sunday.[/quote]Yeah. the game is not amazing. I'll not be playing it for 100 hours because it's so deep. It just looks (and is) fun. If I wasn't splurging a bit with the launch, I'd get it after a price drop or two, but I'm allowing myself one game besides Zelda that isn't a story-line driven game to get (in other words, I won't be getting Red Steel right away). I love arcade racing games, and this may not be the best, doesn't mean it's not a fun time.

I enjoyed my time with it at EB, and I'm really looking forward to messing around with it when I did a break from Zelda. And I imagine the falling 700 feet off a mountain effects will be cool in a dark room at night with some friends and some beers. ;)
 
I got a few minutes with ExciteTruck today, and it was ordinary beyond belief. The controls were easy to pick up on, but they didn't add anything to the game that differentiated it from controlling with a standard controller. Tilting the controller left and right did nothing to distinguish this from any arcade racer from the late 90's until now.

The collision detection also seemed to be a bit off in that I ended up crashing into a lot of trees when it appeared to me that my truck was not going to actually hit them. This could be because the game is pretty forgiving on hitting the icons, so maybe there is a bit of a "forcefield" around the truck.

All in all, I'm disappointed that this was the first game that I got to play on the Wii and that they didn't have the Nunchuk attachment so that I could try something a little more inventive.
 
Wii Sports - GameTrailers - 8.0

http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=743256

Reviewing games like Wii Sports is tough. It’s free with the system in North America so therefore our expectations are lower than for a typical game. If you live somewhere else where you have to pay for it, we do not recommend it. A couple of the games are rewarding for the long term, but most can be easily whipped into submission in a matter of hours. The visuals are also severely lacking. We understand that function is almost always more important than fashion, but these graphics are Nintendo 64-level. As a pack-in, Wii Sports is a great way to showcase the capabilities of the system, and is sure to become a party favorite. It’s also a glimpse into the future, when full-featured games will be built upon its fundamentals. We can’t wait.
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Trauma Center - Games Radar - 9.0

http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=743304

You'll Love:
  • Unique controller use
  • Crazy gameplay scenarios
  • Creative story
You'll Hate:
  • Erratic difficulty
  • Some GUILT seem hellishly unfair
  • Not $50 different from the DS version
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Rayman Raving Rabbids - IGN - 8.3
Closing Comments
Rayman Raving Rabbids is a gamble for Ubisoft because it is so dramatically different from its predecessors. It's not a platformer, but don't let that deter you because it is still easily one of the better games available for Nintendo's new generation system this year. Ubisoft understands that Wii is about new ways to play and it has with Rabbids created a title that utilizes the Wii remote 70 times over. The majority of minis in the title are fun whether you're playing by yourself or with friends, although there are the occasional duds. The biggest drawback is that many of the minis are not designed for simultaneous play; instead you go in sequence. But even with that being true the experience is still engaging and addictive and the title's sense of humor is in a league of its own. It is almost unfair to label this effort a Rayman game because the real stars of the project are the bunnies, whose blank faces and inevitable agonized screams will make you laugh over and over again.
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Rayman sounds pretty good. I love Wario Ware, so I might just get this on Sunday.
 
Trauma Center: Second Opinion - Gamespot - 8.0
You don't need a surgeon's patience or precision to appreciate this quirky, inventive, very likable remake of a remarkable Nintendo DS game.
The Good: Fast-paced puzzle action gameplay shows off a lot of what the Wii Remote can do; surprisingly engaging storyline rife with the best kind of anime melodrama; multiple difficulty settings make the high level of challenge more manageable; controls do a great job of simulating some surgical procedures.
The Bad: While the presentation looks good, it feels dated--no support for widescreen 480p displays; some scenarios demand trial and error or punishing degrees of precision.
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Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz - Gamespot - 8.3
Banana Blitz stands as one of the first, best proofs of what the Wii is capable of. The Good: Single-player game makes intuitive use of Wii Remote; incredible variety of multiplayer minigames; gameplay initially more approachable, but can still present a potent challenge; gives series much-needed visual makeover.
The Bad: Lack of camera control can be frustrating in some boss battles; quality of multiplayer minigames wildly inconsistent; single-player game a little short.
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Yay, GameSpot's finally getting off their ass and writing some reviews.

Looking very good for those who love Monkey Ball, and honestly, the rest of the launch lineup is doing better than I would have expected.
 
Damn, so since I'm waiting till mid-Dec to play Zelda (due to lack of component cables and thus widescreen and proscan till then), and Wii Sports isn't enough to keep me and my kids busy till then, I'm looking at picking up Super Money Ball or Rayman. What do you guys think? They are similar in having collections of mini-games. I have SMB 1 and 2, but I'm not too crazy about them as I find them frustrating and tedious. While I'd give the main game a shot I'd be getting it more for the mini-games. It sounds like maybe it has more multiplayer options than Rayman, but the 2 player cooperative on rails shooting sequences in Rayman sound fantastic.

Now I'm really disappointed Elebits didn't come out at launch as I have that preordered already and that would have been enough. Now I'm feeling utterly un-CAGey in wanting to drop $50 on 2 games that will be bargain bin fodder by the end of 2007 :cry:. Maybe I'll let Gamerush's selection make the choice for me. I have credit to burn there, so if they have either of those games (but not the other) that'll make my choice :D. I guess I'm leaning towards Rayman otherwise, especially after reading that IGN review.
 
1up bucking the trend.

Super Monkey Ball - 7/10
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155333

Wii owners are probably going to be burned out on minigame collections way before WarioWare: Smooth Moves arrives, which makes Monkey Ball a nice compromise. It's hardly revolutionary, but it makes smart use of the Wii hardware as it straddles the divide between hardcore and casual gamers. Come for the intricate and frequently difficult single-player mode; stay for the entertainingly goofy minigames guaranteed to hook your most obstinate nongaming loved ones.
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Trauma Center - 6.5/10
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155334

One final thing: Don't let the score dissuade you from playing the game. It is enjoyable. Actually, it reminds me of that college professor who taught a fun class but didn't explain things very well -- in the end, you didn't learn as much as you could have. Second Opinion's fun, but in the end, you feel like you didn't enjoy it as much as you should have.
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Marvel: UA - GameSpy - 4/5
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=743387

Pros
Controls were nicely developed for the platform; co-op and arcade modes are plenty fo fun; plenty of missions and sidequests to keep you entertained for a long time.

Cons
Lacks the online multiplayer of the other versions; graphics are fairly poor; character progression screen is awkwardly designed.
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Super Monkey Ball - GameSpy - 4/5
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=743386

Pros
Single-player game offers familiar Monkey Ball gameplay with easy-to-grasp controls.

Cons
Touchy remote-control response results in hit-or-miss party games, with far more missing than we'd like.
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Damn 1up... why you gotta be hating.

I'm really looking forward to Trauma Center, even though I've never played the DS Version.
 
Go Rayman. I really wish you were a platformer.

Also, does anyone else like Matt C.'s voice when doing the video reviews?
 
wow.. after that article proclaiming PS3 over Wii last month, and these review scores, I wonder how much sony has paid 1UP/EGM..
 
[quote name='io']Damn, so since I'm waiting till mid-Dec to play Zelda (due to lack of component cables and thus widescreen and proscan till then), and Wii Sports isn't enough to keep me and my kids busy till then, I'm looking at picking up Super Money Ball or Rayman. What do you guys think? They are similar in having collections of mini-games. I have SMB 1 and 2, but I'm not too crazy about them as I find them frustrating and tedious. While I'd give the main game a shot I'd be getting it more for the mini-games. It sounds like maybe it has more multiplayer options than Rayman, but the 2 player cooperative on rails shooting sequences in Rayman sound fantastic.

Now I'm really disappointed Elebits didn't come out at launch as I have that preordered already and that would have been enough. Now I'm feeling utterly un-CAGey in wanting to drop $50 on 2 games that will be bargain bin fodder by the end of 2007 :cry:. Maybe I'll let Gamerush's selection make the choice for me. I have credit to burn there, so if they have either of those games (but not the other) that'll make my choice :D. I guess I'm leaning towards Rayman otherwise, especially after reading that IGN review.[/QUOTE]

I'm still undecided between those two as well! The first two SMBs were good, but like you said they can get frustrating. MP looks like fun, but not fun enough to play more than once. I've been tryin to stay away from most if not all Wii previews until this past week so I was pleasantly surprised to see the BG&E team behind Rayman. I know they're different styles of games, but the quality I'm sure will be the same.
 
[quote name='botticus']They need to grade graphics on their merits. If the graphics on a Wii game are bad - meaning, it stutters, it just looks bad, etc, then sure, mark it down. But comparing the graphics to a system which it cannot match is foolish. It has no bearing on the developer's work or the quality of the game itself. Did reviewers criticize every SNES game for not being in 3D? Style also has to be a big comparison.

Only time I can really see this being applicable is in the context of a cross-platform game, where someone might actually be deciding between two of the systems (i.e. COD3).[/quote]

The sad thing is that most reviewers will pick apart a game's graphics simply by judging how well the models are built and how bad the aliasing is.

It's far more impressive to me if the models are textured well. Doom 3 got away with a lot more than it could have because the models were well textured. I showed D3 to a friend who's a 3D artist and he showed me how the models are put together and it's pretty damn interesting to learn that it's NOT anywhere near as complex as the visuals would have you believe. It's all in the incredibly detailed textures. Anyone who's been using the 360 in HD can tell you the difference visually is going to be in the subtle details, and that usually lies in the complexity of the textures. Dead Rising has like actual 20pt font on bulletin boards on walls as background material. The fact that they bothered to write anything is amazing. The fact that I can read it is even cooler.
 
[quote name='ajservo1']The sad thing is that most reviewers will pick apart a game's graphics simply by judging how well the models are built and how bad the aliasing is.

It's far more impressive to me if the models are textured well. Doom 3 got away with a lot more than it could have because the models were well textured. I showed D3 to a friend who's a 3D artist and he showed me how the models are put together and it's pretty damn interesting to learn that it's NOT anywhere near as complex as the visuals would have you believe. It's all in the incredibly detailed textures. Anyone who's been using the 360 in HD can tell you the difference visually is going to be in the subtle details, and that usually lies in the complexity of the textures. Dead Rising has like actual 20pt font on bulletin boards on walls as background material. The fact that they bothered to write anything is amazing. The fact that I can read it is even cooler.[/QUOTE]

And the fact that it adds little to nothing to the overall gameplay is rarely acknowledged.
 
I'd like to see a few Red Steel reviews today from the big 3 (IGN/GS/1UP).

Zelda should be the absolute last priority for reviewers. I mean really, who's waiting on the reviews to buy it? These third party games are absolutely depending on review scores.

Hopefully Red Steel fairs decently enough to warrant a purchase. If not, then It'll take a lot of thought to decide between SMB and Rayman.
 
It's rather annoying when these sites have over a week to play games to review, and in IGN's case, between three people, they get 7 reviews out. They better get at least two or three more up today.
 
[quote name='botticus']It's rather annoying when these sites have over a week to play games to review, and in IGN's case, between three people, they get 7 reviews out. They better get at least two or three more up today.[/QUOTE]

I'm not IGN's biggest fan, to be sure, but trust me when I say that that is A LOT under the circumstances. It's harder than you think. Surprises me that they've gotten that many out, to be honest with you (and several DS reviews besides).

I'm sure we'll see Zelda and a few more before the weekend.
 
[quote name='Tybee']I'm not IGN's biggest fan, to be sure, but trust me when I say that that is A LOT under the circumstances. It's harder than you think. Surprises me that they've gotten that many out, to be honest with you (and several DS reviews besides).

I'm sure we'll see Zelda and a few more before the weekend.[/quote]I understand, but considering GameSpot has 3 Wii reviews, and 7 PS3 reviews (I believe they got the PS3 just a couple days before the Wii), some reviewers are working harder than others, unless they just have a bigger PS3 staff over there.
 
[quote name='botticus']I understand, but considering GameSpot has 3 Wii reviews, and 7 PS3 reviews (I believe they got the PS3 just a couple days before the Wii), some reviewers are working harder than others, unless they just have a bigger PS3 staff over there.[/QUOTE]

Don't know about the size of the PS3 staffs for either pub.
 
I really wish a Red Steel review'd pop up before tomorrow night. I'm def. buying Zelda and Rayman, but might pick up Red Steel if reviews are good.
 
Well, when I went in to get my PS3 at EB, I bought Rayman. I felt bad for not buying any PS3 software ;) so I gave the manager a full retail game purchase, painful as it was. I probably could have bought it tomorrow night when I go to the midnight launch but I didn't want them to run out (they had about 5 copies). Just a warning - he said they didn't get enough Wiimotes to fill the preorders let alone have any more available for sale. I preordered one so I need to get there early to make sure I'm not the one left out.

I had called Gamerush prior and they said they didn't even have Rayman on order. Then I went in there later and they just got a copy of Monkey Ball. Just 1 - I guess if I want it with GR credit I had better get it ASAP. Though I think I still might wait. I'll be kicking myself if I get bored of Wii Sports and Rayman and need something else though :D.

Gamerush got 1 and only 1 of the following: DBZ, Madden, SMB, Tony Hawk Downhill Jam. They didn't get my preordered Zelda yet.
 
I'm going to have to skip the ign review for red steel... why the hell is it not up by now? oh well, I'm gonna buy it and hope for the best. I can always ebay it if it sucks terribly....
 
The vibe I get from Red Steel is that by this time next year, there's gonna be a sequel.

Which makes me want to pass on it.

So I'm down to Zelda and Monkey Ball as definites, but I need a third.

This helps free up TIC at Gamestop, which I guess I can use for accessories or something.
 
so...zelda reviews thus far:

GameSpy: 5/5
Gamerz-Edge: 10/10
Lawrence: 9.9/10
GamersMark: 9.6/10
UnderGroundOnline: A (95/100)
TSA: 9.6/10
Nintendo Power: 9.5/10
1up: 10/10
ANM: 9.7/10
GoNintendo: 9.9/10
GameInformer: 10/10

I have to say, I'm really let down. Only 3 10s.
 
By the way, does anyone else have Rayman? It seems very cheaply packaged. For one thing, the cases seem flimsier than GC ones. Also, it has the melted "re-sealed" shrink wrap look to it. But I know many Ubisoft games for the GC were like this too. The other Wii games I saw at GR had the normal folded shrinkwrap (but the cases were just as flimsy). I will open it later just to make sure it is OK, but I can't imagine it had been opened and resealed - they must come that way.

Also, PS3 cases are stubby (ie, shorter than what we are used to). It is a minor thing, but really threw me off when I saw them. Plus they are clear plastic :D.
 
I bought Rayman and Red Steel today on impulse.. May end up returning Red Steel, depending on how things go sunday morning, and reviews
 
Ok, I think I got it. Zelda + Monkey Ball + Rayman.

Zelda cuz it's Zelda. Wtf.

Monkey Ball because I got that as a launch game for the GC for Christmas, so there's a nostalgic element.

And Rayman because the video review makes it look hilarious.

I might get Trauma Center soon, or possibly wait until Elebits.

I think I can wait on Red Steel for the time being.
 
[quote name='botticus']I understand, but considering GameSpot has 3 Wii reviews, and 7 PS3 reviews (I believe they got the PS3 just a couple days before the Wii), some reviewers are working harder than others, unless they just have a bigger PS3 staff over there.[/quote]
They've had the PS3 for two weeks and the Wii for one week. Just looking at their current reviews that are up, they have had about 4 or 5 people working on the reviews that they've had up for both the PS3 and Wii. With the glut of games coming out this week, it's no surprise that we haven't seen a mountain of reviews this week for either system.
 
[quote name='lordwow']Damn 1up... why you gotta be hating.

I'm really looking forward to Trauma Center, even though I've never played the DS Version.[/QUOTE]
judging from the DS game, TC will be worth the money, it is a great game. but its fucking hard
 
lack of multiplayer really seems to be hurting Call of Duty 3.

regardless im still psyched for this game. im holding it in my hands right now. cant wait.
 
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