Joystiq hands-on: Project Treasure Island Z (Wii)
Gamers, especially the American audience, will first notice the risky kiddie graphic and character style in the single-player-only game. Project Treasure Island Z has a lot of substance beneath that saccharine layer, but Capcom faces a significant challenge in selling the game to older players.
I asked about the target audience and age for the title, and a company representative admitted that it skewed young at first glance. However, she mentioned that Capcom will work to market the game to a broader group, including hardcore, dual-system gamers.
After getting past the graphics, I picked up the Remote -- the only means to control the game -- and swung into action. I moved my character by pointing and clicking on-screen. "Zack" (no relation) interacted with the environment when I clicked on objects. But the point of Project Treasure Island Z is the method of those interactions.
The puzzles are based on properly moving the Remote after figuring out what to do next. It wasn't enough for me to know to move a lever; I had to pull the Remote in a lever-like motion. Other examples include sawing a tree and ringing a hand-bell that's a morphed version of Zack's golden, flying, helper-monkey friend.
No, I didn't make that up. Again, this game will be difficult to market to people above the age of 12, but the gameplay may sustain players' interest.
And the Wii doesn't need any more mini-games. What I tried has the potential to be more than a series of mini-games strung together -- the gestures felt like actions and part of the adventure instead of individual games -- but that's another delicate issue Capcom needs to handle.
The sense of repetition may become the biggest problem in the game. Each area lasts between several minutes and a few hours. And if you die, you star that stage over. We writers found many ways to kill ourselves accidentally, repeating the several-minute demo five or ten times in a row. The longer stages are going to be later in the game, after you learn the basics of staying alive, but even repeating short stages grew frustrating. (Didn't we learn anything from the great-but-flawed Dead Rising?)
Capcom says the game will have about 40 hours of unique play, and it will appeal to a passive multiplayer crowd. I have fond memories of sharing one-player games (or one-at-a-time titles) with friends, and I agree that this may be fun to play with a group. Still, I'd like to see a deep, multiplayer Wii game with cooperative physical movements; why not have two people each hold an end of a saw?
Maybe that'll happen in Project Treasure Island Z 2. For now, we applaud the risk in this $40 Wii game, and we hope it turns into fun title for all gamers.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Todd @ Apr 13th 2007 8:54PM
Uh oh. No blood? Not sex? No violence? Will us silly Americans really be interested in this game without the death, destruction, and grand theft auto?
SynikaL @ Apr 13th 2007 9:45PM
Sorry, call me what ever the hell you want, but this game looks way too childish. I haven't had that problem with a game's presentation in a VERY long time.
-Kimosabae
Dome @ Apr 13th 2007 10:16PM
Alright, this game can go with the other kiddie crap pile next to sonys ps3 (jp jk jp jk jp) dont mean to start a fanboy war but it was just the perfect timing. Now dont get me wrong some kiddie games are VERY fun examples: Loco roco and Little big planet. But games dont get any better with motion controls nor does it make it innovative. 3rd party developers are working more on the motion controls and less on the game play. And im not saying the wii sucks im saying MOST of its games suck so lets not attempt to kill me over my opinion.
john @ Apr 13th 2007 11:04PM
If you don't want people to criticize your opinion then you're the one playing the childish games.
Rob Accomando @ Apr 13th 2007 11:33PM
That sawing motion looked a little funny...
3cubedminus3squared @ Apr 13th 2007 11:51PM
How the hell can you say Little Big Planet is fun when you haven't even played it? I won't be laying either. I have too much crap going on right now so I just play racing & RPG games now.
Perkins @ Apr 14th 2007 12:17AM
I don't know, it has potential. I think it's wise for games on the Wii to employ a cartoony visual style, as it can't really compete with the 360 or the PS3 in terms of graphics. But maybe this is just me being defensive because I want a good point-and-click style adventure game on the DS or Wii
please be safe,g @ Apr 14th 2007 12:33AM
This looks like its going to be a lot of fun, and along with Sudas No More Heroes, the start of developers actually getting to grips with the control system and figuring out what it can do.
Can't wait to play it.
Slaziman @ Apr 14th 2007 3:11AM
Could work out. But, you don't use a Nunchuk? Meh...
Hunter @ Apr 14th 2007 8:56AM
Oi,
Does everyone need a reason to bitch. The game is too kiddie - so no games should be made for kids? Motion controls don't improve gameplay - yeah cause while Wii bowling is fun, but it would have been a hell of a lot more fun pushing a button twice? Adventure games can benifit from motion because it will give more puzzle options. Not everyone has to enjoy motion controls not everyone has to like the games coming out on the Wii, but don't speak for everyone when you say Motion controls do nothing for gameplay because for some of us they do. Sports games will benifit first a full blown baseball game will be great when it comes out you will simply put the chuck on to field. I am not trying to kill you over your opinion, but you need to own that opinion rather than apply it to everyone. Most Wii games suck should translate to: Most Wii games suck to me, or I do not enjoy most motion games.
As for the Wii it has a chance to make adventure games more playable on consoles, not due to motion, but rather point and click which it looks like this game employs in spades.
gLitterbug @ Apr 14th 2007 8:57AM
I was hyped for this game since I first saw some concept art and screenshots. It's got a great style going on (which of course is only for up to 12 year olds OMG kiddie look its colorful and has no blood) and if the accidental death issue isn't too big it might be the first game that uses the "minigames"(which is a horribly overused term by now for anything else than pressing a button once for a simple action) in a way that make them seem natural and not tacked on.
If it really comes out for budget price here in europe too, I'm probably sold on it already.
Joe @ Apr 14th 2007 10:04AM
Mini-game (min-e-gay-m) (noun): A simple individual game lasting for a short amount of time.
Doing a game action is not a "mini-game". It's a part of the metagame. Use the term correctly or you'll be referring to Mario jumping as a "mini-game" next. "What annoyed me most though was the series of mini-games in which you pressed the left arrow to move the character left". I mean, come on.
And not every game has to be targeted towards an older audience. Like many of the commenters said, it doesn't have to be a gore-fest GTA knockoff to qualify as a good game. Those who dismiss the colorful visuals immediately and write off the game as "too childish" need to (ironically) grow up. Some of the most kiddy looking games have been the most fun, so give it some more time before you put your ultimate judgement on it.
Evan @ Apr 14th 2007 10:07AM
Why is it "risky" to make a kiddie game?
Some of the best selling games of all time are "kiddie" games like Pokemon and Mario. Even Nintendogs outsold Halo! There are millions of kids under 12 with game systems. Back in the NES generation, the whole game industry was built on kiddie games, and Nintendo sold 60 million NES systems mostly to kids and parents, and there are just as many kids now as there was then!
Yes I own a 360 @ Apr 14th 2007 11:22AM
I don't understand why everyone likes Gears Of War. That game is so bad and overrated. I would play this over GOW in a second.
Zell @ Apr 14th 2007 12:09PM
I, for one, am very excited over this game. I love the cel shading, the humor and the game play in the video I've seen. I'll be keeping my eye on this one and will be first in line, pushing the 9-year olds out of the way for my copy.
Mr Khan @ Apr 14th 2007 1:43PM
Well, in my personal case, i only think a game is too kiddie if they deliberately try to pander to the tastes of children
Games that are deliberately dumbed down or sugar coated, not games like Kirby or Loco Roco, but like a lot of children's cartoon/movie licenses
I could go either way with this, but as it is my DS/Wii Fall/Winter 2007 palate is far too crowded
What should i bump off my list? Fire Emblem, No More Heroes, or Phantom Hourglass?
Seedy @ Apr 14th 2007 2:35PM
A game that has more colours than 'HD brown'? Fuck yes! Sign me up!
John @ Apr 15th 2007 10:17PM
It looks gorgeous, I would totally play it, and I'm 37 ("I'm thirty-seven, I'm not OLD" (Quest for the Grail)).
This is the sort of thing I look for, I'm not at all into God of War type things...
But I wonder how many others will buy into this? It looks too complicated for youngsters, and I don't think there's that many people like me out there who this will appeal to.
I think there is, but if so, these guys are going to have to appeal to those gamers and let them know this is out there. And how so?
I dunno.