Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Blade Runner]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/born-for-wii-blade-runner/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/born-for-wii-blade-runner/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/20/born-for-wii-blade-runner/#commentsFiled under:

It's always dark in the city. Always raining. The light from a thousand neon signs is refracted and scattered by the smog that hangs in the air, ominous and ever-present. Spinners pass by quietly overhead while those too poor to own a car travel by foot, hurrying with umbrellas clutched tightly and collars upturned against the cold and rain. A handful aren't even real -- fake, synthetic, the creations of man in his own image, now considered a threat and forbidden to walk the streets of L.A. For them, the chase is a fight for survival. They have no right to life. For you, it's just another day on the job. Retiring replicants is your business. You're a blade runner.

More than 25 years after its release, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner still stands as one of the best science fiction movies of all time. It's a haunting dystopian noir, a gripping mystery, and a special effects marvel. In a fitting tribute to the film, Westwood Studios revisited L.A. circa 2019 in their 1997 adventure game, simply titled Blade Runner. The events of the game play out in parallel to the story of Rick Deckard, as rookie blade Ray McCoy hunts down his own set of dangerous replicants. Westwood's point-and-click adventure was an ambitious project for 1997, but it succeeds on all fronts: it's consistently atmospheric, delivers a solid and well-acted script, and alters the traditional gameplay enough to be a fresh take on the genre.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, BattleTanx: Global Assault, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Blade Runner originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureblade-runnerborn-for-wiieajoystiqfeaturespcpoint-and-clickportwestwoodTue, 20 Jan 2009 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: BattleTanx: Global Assault]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/born-for-wii-battletanx-global-assault/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/born-for-wii-battletanx-global-assault/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/born-for-wii-battletanx-global-assault/#commentsFiled under:

Sometimes looking back at the games of our childhood days can be painful. More than a decade later, it's hard to imagine how Combat Cars for the Sega Genesis was ever...well, fun. Ah, the indiscretion of youth: hoarding your money, saving for that one, glorious moment when you pick out a new game to take home and devour, only to realize, years later, how terrible it really was. Still, blind purchases could occasionally lead to good things, and a few weeks ago I went home and recovered my Nintendo 64 from its years of storage exile for the express purpose of reliving some of those magical gaming sessions of my youth. In this case, the game in question was BattleTanx: Global Assault.

Likely one of the few good games to ever come out of the offices of the now-defunct 3DO, BattleTanx is about as straightforward as its name implies. The game turns 10 years old in 2009, and despite the fact that it looks and play like a Nintendo 64 game from 1999, it's still a lot of fun. Simple, arcadey gameplay, a multitude of tanks and a solid lineup of secondary weapons guarantee hours of mindless fun. The single-player is easy to plow through in short order, but fun enough to come back to -- and the real draw lies in the multiplayer, which rivaled Goldeneye, Smash Bros., and Mario Kart for four-player mayhem. Ready to take up arms with Battlelord Griffin Spade and Born for Wii as we assault the post-apocalyptic globe? Hit the link below.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Super Mario Sunshine, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: BattleTanx: Global Assault originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dobattletanxbattletanx-global-assaultborn-for-wiijoystiqfeaturesn64portTue, 13 Jan 2009 12:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Mario Sunshine]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/06/born-for-wii-mario-sunshine/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/06/born-for-wii-mario-sunshine/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/06/born-for-wii-mario-sunshine/#commentsFiled under:

Now that 2008 is tightly packed away into our memories and the glorious new year is unfolding before our very eyes, we're caught between looking backwards at what 2008 imparted upon us and anticipating what 2009 has to offer. Even though Born for Wii is all about looking backwards, it's hard not to be excited about what this year is bringing to the Wii: in just a couple months, the New Play Control version of Pikmin will be hitting the States, and it will be good times. But we've still got awhile to wait until then, and this week we're highlighting a sorely underappreciated Nintendo game of last generation: Super Mario Sunshine.

Mario Sunshine was released in 2002 as the first real successor to the groundbreaking Mario 64, and it was clear from the beginning that things were going to be a little different. For starters, Mario was on vacation on a tropical island, and soon found himself equipped with a water pack for cleaning up sludge. Though it was generally well-reviewed, Mario Sunshine has since become somewhat of a whipping boy in the fan community, and many claim that it didn't live up to groundbreaking pedigree Mario 64 established years earlier. Mario Galaxy managed to exceed its predecessors in virtually every way possible, but in the end, Sunshine still has things worth going back for. The wonderful tropical locale, the FLUDD-less levels, and some fun water pack puzzles all made Mario Sunshine a worthwhile endeavor, and a New Play Control version would give Nintendo the chance to polish its shortcomings and give Mario the vacation he deserved.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, NBA Jam, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Mario Sunshine originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiigamecubejoystiqfeaturesmariomario-sunshineplatformerportsuper-mariosuper-mario-sunshineTue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: NBA Jam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/30/born-for-wii-nba-jam/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/30/born-for-wii-nba-jam/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/30/born-for-wii-nba-jam/#commentsFiled under:

Nintendo knows how to sell you a console. Whether it's Tetris bundled with every Game Boy, Super Mario World packed in with each shiny new SNES, or Wii Sports freely tagging along with the bazillions of Wiis they've sold in the past two years, the gaming giant has a history of providing fun and enticing games as a free incentive to buy their consoles. This generation, Wii Sports has certainly become a runaway success -- there's probably an unsettling number of people who never even put another game in their system. And while Wii Sports can be a lot of fun, it's obviously a pretty simplistic experience that doesn't cover the range of entertainment sports have to offer. Sports videogames often get a bad rap for spawning milked franchises and little but roster changes from year-to-year, but every so often a game comes along and totally annihilates the formula. In 1993, that game was NBA Jam.

Midway's NBA Jam defined and popularized an arcadey, totally unrealistic and totally awesome style of gameplay for sports games. No fouls. Superhuman dunks. Turbo mode. Like the football series NFL Blitz Midway would develop several years later, NBA Jam passed up the finer points of basketball (like, you know, the rules) to focus on what really made the game fun. It's been several years since anything inspired by NBA Jam saw the light of day, and it's high time this timeless series returns to its former glory with a new take on its wacky, blissful gameplay.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: NBA Jam originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acclaimbasketballborn-for-wiijoystiqfeaturesmidwaynba-jamsportsTue, 30 Dec 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Stranger's Wrath]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/born-for-wii-strangers-wrath/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/born-for-wii-strangers-wrath/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/born-for-wii-strangers-wrath/#commentsFiled under:

After the dreary all-night study benders, frantic cramming, and endless writing that coalesce to produce the torturous period that is college finals, gamers around the country find time to kick back, relax, and play through the dreaded backlog that resulted from the flood of titles released during the holiday season. After playing through the wonderful Mirror's Edge, I set my sights on an older title I'd had sitting around for several months (thanks to the Xbox 360's spotty backwards compatibility). That game was Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath.

Released towards the end of the Xbox's life cycle in 2005, Stranger's Wrath was also the last game created by Oddworld Inhabitants before the studio shifted focus to creating cinematic movies. And it's a shame, because Stranger's Wrath succeeds at everything it attempts. It's fun, inventive, and as full of life as every other Oddworld creation. Follow along with Stranger (in both first and third person!) as he tracks down bounties in the Odd version of the Old West in this week's Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Stranger's Wrath originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiieajoystiqfeaturesoddworldoddworld-inhabitantsoddworld-strangers-wrathportshooterxboxTue, 23 Dec 2008 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Marvel vs. Capcom 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/born-for-wii-marvel-vs-capcom-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/born-for-wii-marvel-vs-capcom-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/16/born-for-wii-marvel-vs-capcom-2/#commentsFiled under:

Capcom has been on a roll this generation. First we got games like Dead Rising and Lost Planet which launched strong new IPs. Then the announcements started to hit. An Okami port for the Wii. Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop. Resident Evil 5 (which, judging by its recent demo, seems to be shaping up nicely). Street Fighter 4. Mega Man 9. Granted, not all of those games are making their way to the Wii, but on the whole they represent good times for gamers. Does it really get much better than that? Maybe it does.

As if the decade-in-the-making Street Fighter 4 wasn't enough to reinvigorate Capcom's fighting game base, the company decided to once again visit its vs. series with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Just launched in Japan, the new fighter already has adventurous message boarders and bloggers scrambling for imports and Twilight hacks, while the rest of us pray nightly for the miracle of resolved licensing issues and a domestic release. In the spirit of Wii gamers in the land of the rising sun playing the gorgeous Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, this week Born for Wii aims to celebrate with a look back at what may be the most legendary game in the vs. series -- Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiicapcomfeaturesfightingjoystiqfeaturesmarvelmarvel-vs-capcommarvel-vs-capcom-2porttatsunoko-vs-capcomTue, 16 Dec 2008 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Metal Arms]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/born-for-wii-metal-arms/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/born-for-wii-metal-arms/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/born-for-wii-metal-arms/#commentsFiled under:

In an industry perpetuated by sequels, we see plenty of gamers rabidly demanding new installments in their favorite series, whether it be the predictable Madden: Year Edition, Medal of Honor: Kill Some More Nazis, or Metal Gear Solid: Even Longer Cutscenes. Of course, there's also a vocal community crying out against the terrible process of franchise-milking, demanding fresh characters and fresher concepts. Every year there are a few surprisingly original titles from the big studios. This year EA has been surpringly generous with new IPs, publishing heavy-hitters like Mirror's Edge and Dead Space. In the past, we've gotten gems like Beyond Good & Evil and Zack & Wiki. Unfortunately, as we all know, new franchises mean new risks, and they don't always sell as well as they deserve.

Last generation, few games exemplified this tragic situation more than Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. Created by Swingin' Ape Studios, this wonderfully charming and surprisingly deep third-person shooter would be the developer's only project -- though they started work on the infamous Starcraft Ghost, they were eventually absorbed by Blizzard, and the game eventually disappeared. For whatever reason -- poor advertising, unappealing box art, or bad timing -- Metal Arms was overlooked by many a gamer. Those who gave it a chance discovered a lengthy quest chock full of hilarious characters, a genuinely original world, and a veritable ton of weapons, and that's why Glitch in the System is this week's game that's Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Wario's Woods, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Metal Arms originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiijoystiqfeaturesmetal-armsmetal-arms-glitch-in-the-systemportshootersierraswingin-apethird-person-shootervivendiTue, 09 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Star Wars Republic Commando]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/born-for-wii-star-wars-republic-commando/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/born-for-wii-star-wars-republic-commando/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/25/born-for-wii-star-wars-republic-commando/#commentsFiled under:

Star Wars games have a tough time. With a few exceptions, they generally end up steaming piles of bantha fodder. For every Knights of the Old Republic or Rogue Squadron there's a Super Bombad Racing or Revenge of the Sith. Still, each console generation manages to grab hold of a few shining stars of the Star Wars galaxy, and oftentimes these games are universally praised and well-received -- after all, anything Star Wars George Lucas didn't manage to screw up is something worth celebrating.

Star Wars: Republic Commando, developed in-house at Lucasarts, seemed to pass under the radar last generation, receiving less attention than most of its contemporaries. Those who gave it a chance were treated to a squad-based first-person shooter better than the Battlefront series and considerably darker in tone than most Star Wars games (hello, Lego Star Wars). Gritty, bloody, and atmospheric, Republic Commando is an underappreciated gem and a great opportunity for the Wii to bolster its rather meager library of first-person shooters.

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Gallery: Born for Wii: Star Wars Republic Commando


Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Cubivore, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Star Wars Republic Commando originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiifirst-person-shooterjoystiqfeatureslucasartsshooterstar-warsTue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Cubivore]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/born-for-wii-cubivore/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/born-for-wii-cubivore/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/18/born-for-wii-cubivore/#commentsFiled under:

Some games are a little out there. You've got your No More Heroes brand of weirdness, where collecting coconuts is as commonplace as mass murder and sexual innuendo. On another level, there's Katamari Damacy, where rolling entire cities into a ball is a perfectly acceptable way to repair the cosmos. And then there are the games that are so bizarre, so inexplicably removed from the norm, that they transcend weirdness in a way few things ever have. One of the games is Cubivore.

Though it was released for the GameCube six years ago, it's still hard to believe that Cubivore found its way to the West. Thanks to Atlus, a company known for publishing titles that don't exactly have mainstream appeal, one of the most inherently Japanese games ever made was displaced from its home turf. Cubivore's eccentricity is also its greatest strength -- those few gamers who weren't turned off by its quirkiness discovered an adventure like no other, a fight to survive and evolve into a stronger, faster animal...thing. Its unique, hilarious, downright fun, and Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Contra, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Cubivore originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureatlusborn-for-wiicubivoregamecubejoystiqfeaturesplay-on-wiiweirdTue, 18 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Contra]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/born-for-wii-contra/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/born-for-wii-contra/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/11/born-for-wii-contra/#commentsFiled under:

As gaming moves forward, the perpetual improvement of technology naturally leads to the Gears of War 2 creed: "Bigger, Better, and More Badass." Unfortunately, the trend of increasingly film-like 3D games leads to fewer and fewer 2D titles finding their way to home consoles. Many series, such as Zelda and Mario, have successfully transitioned to 3D. But others never quite recovered after the jump, and were always in their prime in the 2D era.

Take Contra, for example. This weekend, upon curling up with my DS -- a handy shield against things such as responsibility and obligation -- and spending a few hours being brutalized by Contra 4, I realized two things. The first was that I suck at Contra. But the second was that, in spite of suffering several emasculating deaths every minute 10 seconds, I was still having a blast. The game perfectly captures the feel of the series and is a worthy successor to the incredible Contra III, which is now 16 years old (so I guess it's about time, eh?). But the experience isn't quite perfect -- the DS's tiny screens only makes a difficult game harder, and the divide between them compounds the problem. It's been six years since the last sidescrolling Contra made an appearance on a console, and if Capcom's Mega Man 9 is any indication, a classic series like Contra has a home on the Wii. This week Born for Wii attacks aggressively with Bill and Lance.
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Gallery: Contra 4 DS

Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Grim Fandango, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Contra originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Actionborn-for-wiicontraContra-4joystiqfeatureskonamiretroRun-and-GunwayforwardWayForward-TechnologieswiiwareTue, 11 Nov 2008 12:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Grim Fandango]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/born-for-wii-grim-fandango/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/born-for-wii-grim-fandango/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/born-for-wii-grim-fandango/#commentsFiled under:

If spending your existence selling travel packages to the dregs of society sounds like a peculiar form of Hell, that's because it is -- quite literally. For Manny Calavera, life-after-death in the Land of the Dead is little more than a series of disappointing clients and missed opportunities. But things are astir at the Department of Death. Strange things. On the Day of the Dead, Manny finds his life as an indentured travel agent in serious jeopardy -- but could hope lie in the saintly (and recently deceased) Mercedes Colomar?

Released in 1998, Grim Fandango was an inspired capstone to an era of PC gaming. Though Lucasarts published Escape from Monkey Island in 2000, Grim Fandango represents the last truly great adventure game from the company. Like far too many of its point-and-click brethren, Fandango failed to sell as many copies as it deserved. Few games can match the sheer originality and style Tim Schafer crafted -- a comedy noir set in the Land of the Dead with a Mexican motif is like nothing else out there. In honor of its recent 10th anniversary and place in gaming history, Grim Fandango is this week's game that's Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Eternal Darkness, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Grim Fandango originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureborn-for-wiigrim fandangogrim-fandangoGrimFandangojoystiqfeatureslucasartspoint-and-clickporttim-schaferTue, 04 Nov 2008 13:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Eternal Darkness]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/28/born-for-wii-eternal-darkness/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/28/born-for-wii-eternal-darkness/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/28/born-for-wii-eternal-darkness/#commentsFiled under:

It's almost Halloween, gamers: are you ready? For most of us, the approach of Halloween signifies a few things: a chill in the air as winter crawls ever closer, overdosing on candy, and concerned parents fretting over how many razor blades they're going to find lodged in seemingly innocent candy apples. For a few of us, it means wild parties and crazy costumes. But for all of us, it's the season for scares.

Of course, how you get your fair share of hair-raising excitement is up to you, but we here at Nintendo Wii Fanboy think there's a better way for you to spend your time than seeing Saw V this Halloween weekend. Close the blinds, turn off the lights, crank up the sound and settle down with one of the scariest, most original games of last generation: Silicon Knights' Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Everyone's favorite purple lunchbox was often criticized as being a kiddie platform to the chagrin of Nintendo fans everywhere, and Eternal Darkness did its best to challenge those claims when it was released in 2002. The game's rich narrative and diverse gameplay were a large part of its appeal (and critical acclaim), but being one of the downright creepiest games of all time sure didn't hurt. For messing with our heads and making us afraid to sleep at night, Eternal Darkness is the scariest game that's ever been Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Discs of Tron, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Eternal Darkness originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiieternal-darknesseternal-darkness-2gamecubenintendoplay-on-wiiportsilicon-knightsTue, 28 Oct 2008 11:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Cosmic Smash]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/14/born-for-wii-cosmic-smash/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/14/born-for-wii-cosmic-smash/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/14/born-for-wii-cosmic-smash/#commentsFiled under:

When you read "Cosmic Smash", does your mind instantly wander to brutal, over-the-top space battles full of massive explosions, flaming spaceships and blazing arcs of deadly plasma? Okay, so maybe that's just me -- but when I first heard of the name Cosmic Smash, the real thing wasn't exactly what I had pictured. Fortunately for my overly-active imagination, the actual game is almost as awesome as its name implies.

Cosmic Smash was originally released in Japanese arcades in 2001, and Sega soon followed up with a Japan-only Dreamcast release later that year. But what is Cosmic Smash? A futuristic, electronica-infused amalgamation of racquetball and Breakout. With a visual style that will instantly feel at home to anyone who's played Rez, Cosmic Smash keeps things simple with pristine environments and a pseudo-wireframe character. Cosmic Smash is like Wii Sports Tennis on steroids and LSD, and anything that meets that description is Born for Wii.
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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Cosmic Smash originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiibreakoutcosmic-smashdreamcastjoystiqfeaturesportsegawii-motionplusTue, 14 Oct 2008 11:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/born-for-wii-klonoa-2-lunateas-veil/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/born-for-wii-klonoa-2-lunateas-veil/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/born-for-wii-klonoa-2-lunateas-veil/#commentsFiled under:

Either someone out there has been reading Born for Wii, or we have impeccable taste. Still, if this keeps up, it's going to be hard for us to come up with game selections that make you go "Man, why didn't I think of that?" This week is a case in point: Namco went and ruined the surprise by announcing a remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile for the Wii. Really, though, that just makes this week's choice all the more likely to see the light of day.

The Klonoa series is often overlooked when gamers list off their favorite platformers. A certain plumber seems to snag the spotlight all too often. Still, Klonoa has a considerable cult following, and for good reason: the gameplay manages to be incredibly straightforward and fun at the same time. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is one of the most fun, lighthearted games of last generation, and its atmosphere and design make it a perfect match for the Wii.

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Gallery: Born for Wii: Klonoa: Lunatea's Veil


Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Lemmings, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiiklonoaklonoa-door-to-phantomileklonoa-lunateas-veilnamconamco-bandaiplatformerplaystationportTue, 07 Oct 2008 13:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Lemmings]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/born-for-wii-lemmings/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/born-for-wii-lemmings/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/30/born-for-wii-lemmings/#commentsFiled under:

If you're a gamer, chances are you've heard of it, played it, loved it. While not quite as ubiquitous as Pac-Man or Tetris, which have spread like wildfire across practically every platform known to gamingkind, Lemmings is one of the most recognizable franchises of gaming history, thanks to the endearing titular characters, inventive design, and brain-straining puzzles.

Before the proliferation of real-time strategy games in the mid 1990s, DMA Designs (who would later assume the name Rockstar North and go on to develop a little-known game named Grand Theft Auto) unleashed the irresistibly cutesy lemmings onto the unprepared gaming scene. Their target? The Amiga. And from there the tide surged forth onto a dizzying number of platforms. Nintendo's systems have played host to the lemmings many times, but never before has a console offered the series a perfect control setup. Lemmings is this week's pick for the series that deserves a restorative breath of life courtesy of the Nintendo Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Mega Man Legends, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Lemmings originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiicommodoredma-designsjoystiqfeatureslemmingsrockstarTue, 30 Sep 2008 13:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Mega Man Legends]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/born-for-wii-mega-man-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/born-for-wii-mega-man-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/born-for-wii-mega-man-legends/#commentsFiled under:

Mega Man. Mega Man X. Mega Man Zero. Mega Man Battle Network. With over 40 games in these series alone, one thing is obvious: there's a lot of Mega Man out there. The diminutive blue-clad hero has shown up on an impressive number of platforms in the past two decades, and often one game led to another, and another, and another, eventually spawning a whole bucketload of sequels. However, when Mega Man took a turn into the third dimension, the predictable half-dozen follow-up installments never materialized.

In 1997, Capcom took Mega Man in a radically new direction with Mega Man Legends, a 3D action-RPG for the Sony Playstation (and the N64 under the moniker Mega Man 64). It's an all-new Mega Man sporting a familiar look, but the gameplay is significantly different -- dungeon exploration, item creation, and weapon upgrading are just some of the RPG staples present in Mega Man Legends. Despite its differences from classic Mega Man, Legends is a fun game that succeeds in shaking up the formula. And with the last game in the Mega Man Legends spinoff now eight years old, this particular Rockman is destined to be Reborn for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Punch-Out!!, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Mega Man Legends originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiicapcomjoystiqfeaturesmega-manmega-man-legendsmegamann64playstationportps1Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Punch-Out!!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/born-for-wii-punch-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/born-for-wii-punch-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/born-for-wii-punch-out/#commentsFiled under:

Sometimes you just have a bad day. It happens to the best of us; even video game bloggers are not infallible. And after a rage-inducing, hair-pulling bad day, you can go home, curl up in a ball and listen to The Wallflowers in surrender, or vent some of that anger. By punching people.

But hold up there, tiger. You can't punch real people. That's, like, illegal. Enter the Wii: the best simulation for punching people outside of the real thing. Unfortunately, Wii Sports Boxing does not offer the realistic experience of mashing in someone's face Stallone style. Worse, no other boxing game since the Wii's release has really delivered a solid boxing experience. That could change in the near future with Facebreaker K.O. Party, forcing me to eat my words like a knuckle sandwich from Rocky Marciano. But if its Xbox/PS3 counterpart is any indication, there's not much chance of that. The same goes for Don King Prizefighter. This shaky reliability just won't do. We need Punch-Out!!

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Jet Set Radio, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Punch-Out!! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balance-boardborn-for-wiiboxingjoystiqfeaturesmike tysonMikeTysonnintendopunch-outwii-motionpluswiimotionpluswiisportsTue, 16 Sep 2008 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Jet Set Radio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/born-for-wii-jet-set-radio/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/born-for-wii-jet-set-radio/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/09/born-for-wii-jet-set-radio/#commentsFiled under:

Even though it's been eight years since Jet Set Radio was released for the Dreamcast, few games are its equal when it comes to style -- and even fewer have surpassed it. Jet Set Radio pioneered cel-shading in 2000, and just about every entry on the short list of games that out-cool it also followed in its footsteps. While Okami, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and No More Heroes all feature gorgeous toon-shading to the same effect, they also owe their beauty to the original, which brought the wild streets of Tokyo-to to life in an exciting new way. It's so stylish, it even gives 80's Prince a run for his money.

Jet Set Radio is a game of mad beats, madder cops and rad moves. You take on the role of the aptly-named Beat, the leader of an up-and-coming street gang in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo-to. Your gangs of Rudies, skate punks out to make their mark on the world, are the GG's. Your task? Usurp the territory of rival gangs, avoid the police, and tag your way to the top. And don't forget to jam out to some righteous tunes while you're at it. As developer Smilebit's first release, Jet Set Radio is a landmark title for the Sega Dreamcast, and it's their second game that's Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Sam & Max Hit the Road, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Jet Set Radio originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiidreamcastjet-grind-radiojet-set-radiojoystiqfeaturesportsegaskatesmilebitTue, 09 Sep 2008 13:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Sam & Max Hit the Road]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/born-for-wii-sam-and-max-hit-the-road/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/born-for-wii-sam-and-max-hit-the-road/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/born-for-wii-sam-and-max-hit-the-road/#commentsFiled under:

In 1987 Lucasfilm Games (now better known as Lucasarts) released a little game called Maniac Mansion. And while Maniac Mansion is a great game in its own right, the effects of its creation were considerably more significant -- it kicked off more than a decade of Lucasarts adventure games, launched the SCUMM engine that would form the framework for each adventure, and inadvertently led to the production of some of the best PC games of all time. One of those games was Sam & Max Hit the Road.

Arguably released at the height of the adventure game's popularity in 1993, Sam & Max Hit the Road is possibly the zaniest of Lucasarts's adventure titles. The titular characters were originally created for a comic book by artist/writer Steve Purcell, but they eventually found their way into Lucasarts when Purcell began working on games such as The Secret of Monkey Island. Sam, the leader of the pair, is a canine gumshoe decked out in the traditional film noir suit and tie. Max is a lagomorph, though he's often referred to as a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing" who has a penchant for violence. Together, they are the freelance police, and their original 1993 adventure outing is the perfect opportunity for the Wii to catch a classic.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Power Stone 2, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Sam & Max Hit the Road originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureborn-for-wiijoystiqfeatureslucasartspcpoint-and-clicksam-and-maxtelltaleTue, 02 Sep 2008 13:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Power Stone 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/born-for-wii-power-stone-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/born-for-wii-power-stone-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/born-for-wii-power-stone-2/#commentsFiled under:

"Welcome to the Power Stone World."

Man, we're off to a good start already! When a game is nice enough to welcome you to the experience just for making it to the title screen, and also offers you encouraging remarks like "You are the champion - keep it up!" it's got to be pretty awesome, right? Well, in the case of Power Stone 2, it is.

Released for the Dreamcast in 2000, Capcom's Power Stone 2 was relatively hot on the heels of its predecessor -- the original Power Stone hit the system in 1999. Power Stone 2 takes advantage of the Dreamcast's four controller ports, and like Super Smash Bros., it offers one of the most frenetic and entertaining brawler experiences for a group. Just make sure you don't play with that one friend who doesn't respond so well to losing -- your Power Stone experience may end with a large bruise. But I digress: other than 2006's Power Stone Collection for the PSP, the Power Stone world has been rather dormant. The colorful cast of characters, addicting chaotic battles and goofy nature of the Power Stone world make it a prime target for the next Wii multiplayer phenomenon.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Rogue Squadron, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Power Stone 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiibrawlercapcomdreamcastjoystiqfeaturesmultiplayerportpower-stoneTue, 26 Aug 2008 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Rogue Squadron]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/born-for-wii-rogue-squadron/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/born-for-wii-rogue-squadron/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/born-for-wii-rogue-squadron/#commentsFiled under:

Lock S-Foils in Attack Position. Not only is it a line any self-respecting nerd will recognize instantly, it's also the basis for many a successful video game from days gone by. It all started in 1993 with Lucasarts' X-Wing, which brought Star Wars to PC gamers in a big way. For the first time, they were really in the cockpit, fighting the Empire in glorious (by 1993 standards) 3D. However, it was the 1994 follow-up, TIE Fighter, that refined the flight-sim, Rebel-hunting gameplay to a buttery smooth degree of excellence. Well over a decade later, TIE Fighter still finds itself on many "Best of" lists. On the console side of things, however, it's an entirely different series that drew inspiration from the mighty X-Wing.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron on the Nintendo 64 took players outside the cockpit (at least, by default) of the beloved X-Wing, but still placed them in control of the craft, offering an experience that was more shooter and less sim than the successful PC games. However, it was the superior Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II, released in 2001 with the launch of the GameCube, that brought the spirit of the X-Wing to consoles. Developer Factor 5 and Lucasarts also collaborated on a third entry in the series, Rebel Strike, which lacked the "wow" factor Rogue Leader had in 2001, but did little to harm the good name of the trilogy. Now, nearly five years later, Factor 5 has been off doing other things, when they really should've been working on a new entry in a series that may just have been Born for Wii.

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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Dark Sector, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Rogue Squadron originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiifactor5flight-simulatorgamecubejoystiqfeatureslucasartsroguesquadronstarwarsTue, 19 Aug 2008 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Dark Sector]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/born-for-wii-dark-sector/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/born-for-wii-dark-sector/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/born-for-wii-dark-sector/#commentsFiled under:

Wait for it. Don't leave cover too soon. You're nearly surrounded. Bullets fly in from three directions, ricocheting off the paltry bit of cover protecting your crouched body. A grenade goes off nearby -- too close for comfort. And then it's time to strike back and slaughter another wave of enemy soldiers. You stand up, twist your body to the side, and throw, sending a spinning blade of death towards the hopelessly unprepared, screaming soldiers who soon find themselves lacking torso cohesion.

Released in March of this year for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Dark Sector is a far cry from its original incarnation as the first game shown off for this generation of consoles. It evolved into a Gears of War-inspired, Space Marine-lacking action title with an unusual Soviet setting. While on the surface the gameplay is rather derivative -- you'll be taking cover, aiming, and moving around in a manner that's instantly familiar to anyone who's played a third-person shooter in the past two years -- one thing sets Dark Sector apart from other games of its ilk. That thing is the glaive, a vicious, bladed boomerang that dominates the game's combat and puzzles. And while the glaive is enough to make Dark Sector a solid, though overall unremarkable, action title, it represents an enormous potential: armed with a retooled control scheme and a Wiimote, Dark Sector is, without a doubt, Born for Wii.


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Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, Viewtiful Joe, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Dark Sector originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiid3dark-sectordigital-extremesjoystiqfeaturesportps3shooterxbox360Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Viewtiful Joe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/born-for-wii-viewtiful-joe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/born-for-wii-viewtiful-joe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/born-for-wii-viewtiful-joe/#commentsFiled under:

Don't you just hate it when a menacing antagonist reaches through the screen at your local cinema, absconds with your girlfriend, and forces you to obtain all kinds of awesome powers in your quest to rescue her? Okay, so maybe it doesn't happen that often in the real world. But if you've played one of the best games of last generation, odds are it's a familiar story.

Viewtiful Joe was released for the GameCube in 2003 as one of Capcom's exclusive titles for Nintendo, though the exclusivity deal didn't last long; just like Resident Evil 4 and Killer7, Viewtiful Joe was released on the PS2 as well. Side-scrolling beat 'em ups are few and far between in the 3D era, but Viewtiful Joe brought back the genre in a big way, with stylish action and movie-inspired powers that shame the competition. And while the gameplay is the real meat of what makes Viewtiful Joe great, the game's sharp wit, pop-culture inspiration and wonderful setting really elevate the experience. Viewtiful Joe 2 continued the tradition, but it's been over three years since the sequel's release, and the series' two spinoffs, Red Hot Rumble and Double Trouble, don't satisfy this gamer's desire for a fully-fledged Viewtiful sequel. Trilogy, anyone?

Continue reading Born for Wii: Viewtiful Joe

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Viewtiful Joe originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiigamecubejoystiqfeaturesTue, 05 Aug 2008 11:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Four Swords Adventures]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/born-for-wii-four-swords-adventures/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/born-for-wii-four-swords-adventures/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/born-for-wii-four-swords-adventures/#commentsFiled under:

The games in the Legend of Zelda series have evolved over the years into sprawling, epic adventures. But ever since the release of the original in 1986, one thing has remained constant -- Link, more or less alone, must save the world. Typically this involves finding the Master Sword, rescuing Zelda and sending Ganon packing for his evil deeds. Discounting the rightfully-maligned CD-i games, only once has the series truly deviated from this formula, resulting in the birth of a little game called Four Swords.

Four Swords was a small multiplayer adventure added onto the Gameboy Advance port of A Link to the Past. It represented a new direction for the series, allowing gamers to link GBAs and work together to defeat the evil wizard Vaati. The game was successful enough to warrant a full-fledged console sequel in 2004: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. The GameCube iteration took most of the elements that made Four Swords a fun multiplayer experience and expanded them, incorporating a (slightly) more complex story and a longer quest.

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JoystiqBorn for Wii: Four Swords Adventures originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Nintendo's little purple cube was released in 2001, gamers were put in an unusual position -- the old standby, a Mario platformer launch title, was nowhere to be found. In the trusty plumber's stead was his brother, standing on his own for the first time in a ghost-battling adventure. There were other solid launch titles, of course, such as Factor 5's Rogue Squadron 2 and Nintendo's own Wave Race: Blue Storm. These were the familiar. And then there was Pikmin.

Pikmin came straight from the mind of Shigeru Miyamoto, and like many of his landmark creations, it offered gamers something new. A delightful mix of strategy and discovery, Pikmin defied real-time strategy conventions and put gamers in charge of the smallest, most innocent army of creatures in gaming history. In 2004, Pikmin 2 brought a second protagonist to the series, allowing for far more multitasking and considerably more inventive puzzles. Four years have passed, and many of Nintendo's heavy-hitters have received sequels. Now that E3 is upon us once again, it's time for Nintendo to reveal their upcoming projects -- and what could possibly be more Born for Wii than Pikmin 3?

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JoystiqBorn for Wii: Pikmin originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiie3-2008e308gamecubejoystiqfeaturespikminportTue, 15 Jul 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Beyond Good & Evil]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/born-for-wii-beyond-good-and-evil/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/born-for-wii-beyond-good-and-evil/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/born-for-wii-beyond-good-and-evil/#commentsFiled under:

When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote his famous philosophical work Beyond Good and Evil in the late 19th century, odds are he didn't think that it would be a source of inspiration for video games over a century later. Namco proved him wrong with their trilogy of Xenosaga RPGs, each of which had a subtitle referencing a Nietzsche work (such as "Jenseits von Gut und Böse"). But it's another wannabe trilogy that owes its moniker to Nietzsche that's up for recognition.

Beyond Good & Evil was published at the height of the Christmas rush in December 2003, and despite its war-on-all-fronts release on the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC, it simply failed to sell. The game received widespread critical acclaim, but competition from other games caused it to be given a jarring price drop mere weeks after its release. Even so, those in the know played Beyond Good & Evil and saw it for what it was -- a fantastic adventure with a unique world and an appealing cast of heroes. And though it took four years, Ubisoft finally gave a sequel the green light -- so it's time to show the original game some much-deserved love.

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JoystiqBorn for Wii: Beyond Good & Evil originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurebeyond-good-and-evilbeyond-good-and-evil-2bge2born-for-wiigamecubejoystiqfeaturesmichel-ancelpcportps2stealthubisoftxboxTue, 08 Jul 2008 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Castlevania]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/born-for-wii-castlevania/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/born-for-wii-castlevania/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/01/born-for-wii-castlevania/#commentsFiled under: ,

For more than 20 years, gamers have been taking whip in hand to navigate Dracula's dark castle and defeat the villain and his minions again and again. Castlevania has evolved considerably over the past two decades, with recent games in the series largely adopting the incredibly popular Metroidvania style of gameplay that first showed up in 1997's Symphony of the Night. The older games typically offer a more classic platforming experience, although RPG elements such as a leveling system worked their way into the series even as early as Castlevania II: Simon's Quest in 1987.

Castlevania has also braved the world of (gasp!) three dimensions with mixed results over the years, but in general Konami has managed to retain the feel of the classic 2D Castlevania adventures on an expanded scale. Rumors of a Wii game titled Castlevania Judgment have been floating around the intertubes for quite awhile, but when the news finally broke -- a Wii Castlevania really was coming! -- it wasn't quite in the form people expected. The terms "3D fighting game" and "Castlevania" don't really go hand-in-hand. Even if the fighter is a success, Wii gamers deserve a true Castlevania experience, and that's why the series is this week's entry into the library of games that are Born for Wii.

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JoystiqBorn for Wii: Castlevania originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiicastlevaniacastlevania-judgmentdsjoystiqfeatureskonamiplaystationportps2wiimotewiiwareTue, 01 Jul 2008 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: ChuChu Rocket!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/born-for-wii-chuchu-rocket/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/born-for-wii-chuchu-rocket/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/born-for-wii-chuchu-rocket/#commentsFiled under:

In spite of its untimely demise, the Dreamcast still lives on in gamers' hearts due to a small library of now-classic titles, ranging from the grandiose, such as Shenmue, to the bizarre, like Space Channel 5. Falling closer to the latter on the weirdness scale is ChuChu Rocket!, a unique Dreamcast puzzler that's noteworthy for being one of the last great games to come out of Sega's Sonic Team (I mean, really -- Shadow the Hedgehog?), and for taking the Dreamcast online with four-player multiplayer -- no small feat in 2000. Just like Katamari Damacy, ChuChu Rocket! succeeds on the strengths of simple-but-addictive gameplay and irresistible charm.

ChuChu Rocket! makes no attempt to hide what it is -- a pure puzzler, free of all frivolities and unnecessary dead weight like a story. The concept is quite straightforward -- your only goal is to guide a group of mice (or, in some levels, just one mouse) into a rocket. In many cases, this involves avoiding cats who are roaming the puzzle terrain, waiting to make a mouse sandwich out of your little ChuChus. Both the mice and the cats move in the exact same fashion -- they head in a straight line until they hit a wall, which will cause them to turn right. It's a little like watching a group of lemmings, but, thankfully, the mice move just a bit faster.

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JoystiqBorn for Wii: ChuChu Rocket! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiichuchu-rocketchuchurocketdreamcastjoystiqfeaturesmultiplayeronlineportpuzzlesegasonic-teamTue, 24 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Katamari Damacy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/born-for-wii-katamari-damacy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/born-for-wii-katamari-damacy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/born-for-wii-katamari-damacy/#commentsFiled under:

Katamari Damacy rolled onto the gaming scene in 2004, bristling with the unanticipated fury of a budget title with mass-market appeal. Damacy's success and popularity in the United States, where it has quickly achieved a devoted cult following, is remarkable for a game that's so distinctly ... Japanese. However, anyone who's played the game can instantly grasp the appeal -- a delicious layer of charm coats the inner goodness of straightforward, addictive gameplay, and that's why Katamari Damacy is this week's game that is Born for Wii.

When the irresistibly alluring, slightly fruity King of All Cosmos accidentally destroys the heavens, his solution is a novel one -- roll up piles of junk and send them skyward to replace the fallen stars. Fortunately for us, he's far too lazy to do the grunt work himself. And that's where we come in as the tiny Prince, charged with the daunting task of restoring the stars to the sky with the aid of a magical ball (a katamari, of course) that sticks to damn near everything.

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JoystiqBorn for Wii: Katamari Damacy originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beautiful-katamariborn-for-wiijoystiqfeatureskatamarikatamari-damacynamconamco-bandaiportps2Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: new column reimagines franchises on the Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/born-for-wii-new-column-reimagines-franchises-on-the-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/born-for-wii-new-column-reimagines-franchises-on-the-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/born-for-wii-new-column-reimagines-franchises-on-the-wii/#commentsFiled under: ,


Always willing to entertain the question "what if," our friends at Nintendo Wii Fanboy have introduced a new column, Born for Wii. In the first edition, Panzer Dragoon Orta is re-envisioned as a Wii title. Control scheme diagrams are included, as well as a proof of concept with the PC version Panzer Dragoon played on the Wii remote. Go on, let your imagination run wild.

JoystiqBorn for Wii: new column reimagines franchises on the Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiinintendo-wii-fanboynwfpanzer-dragoonpanzer-dragoon-ortaWiiXboxWed, 11 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Born for Wii: Panzer Dragoon Orta]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/10/born-for-wii-panzer-dragoon-orta/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/10/born-for-wii-panzer-dragoon-orta/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/10/born-for-wii-panzer-dragoon-orta/#commentsFiled under:

You plummet down a dark, twisting tunnel, barely registering the lights that flash past because you're too busy juking one moment and jinking the next, avoiding death with a flick of your wrist. As enemies crowd around you, spewing missiles from every direction, you expertly guide a stream of deadly fire, targeting your opponents with a steady hand and an uncanny precision that, within seconds, leaves you and your dragon alone, hurtling down an empty passageway toward destinations unknown.

Or at least, that's how it could be. Welcome to the inaugural edition of Born for Wii, a new weekly column looking back into the annals of gaming for titles that could be adapted for the Wii in new and exciting ways. This week, we'll take a look at Sega's highly appreciated but criminally undersold Panzer Dragoon series.

Continue reading Born for Wii: Panzer Dragoon Orta

JoystiqBorn for Wii: Panzer Dragoon Orta originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-for-wiijoystiqfeaturespanzer-dragoonpanzer-dragoon-ortaportsegashootersmilebitxboxTue, 10 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EST