As I never really cared for what Nintendo did before the release of the SNES and then went on and promptly ignored both the N64 and the Gamecube, I never quite managed to grasp the fanboy mentality. Never understood why people liked Mario as a character to the unhealthy extent they usually did, or why they just kept buying Mario Kart games on every conceivable console. And then Mario Kart Wii came around for a play and, I’m afraid, I still don’t get it.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that Mario Kart Wii isn’t fun or a good game or anything like that; I’m just saying I can’t understand what’s so absolutely great about it. After all, it’s not much more than a polished cartoony racing game with Mario slapped on it, some imaginative levels, nice art, decent graphics and some meh online multiplayer options. Admittedly, it actually is a very polished game indeed, that can be quite addictive, extremely fun and something that really shines when played as a party game. Two-player same-room games are even better and do evoke that old feel of the Amiga-and-two-joysticks era, whereas the single player options are both numerous and entertaining. So, what’s not to love about it, then? Well, there’s definitely something missing.

Happily, I’m pretty sure I know what said something is, and it’s got absolutely nothing to do with the atrocious soundtrack or the vaguely amusing addition of motorbikes. Mario Kart Wii, you see, is too easy, too random and just doesn’t really let you show off your gaming skills. Power-ups are mostly unbalanced, luck plays a huge role and it’s a game really aiming hard for that elusive casual audience too… Hmmm, really. Fun, but hmm.

Oh, and if you are older than 12, well, I think you’d rather not touch that plastic steering wheel Nintendo is trying to sell.

Let’s start with the facts: a) the Wii is incredibly popular and relatively cheap to develop for, b) SEGA can’t stop itself from milking older fav franchises dry, c) both Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sega Superstars Tennis proved there’s still a lot of SEGA love left flying around, d) the Wii is brilliant for party, music and rhythm games or any combination thereof, and e) the Dreamcast has posthumously turned into a cult gaming phenomenon. Now let us sit, have some wine, try those lovely crackers, analyze them already self-analyzing facts and pretend we are SEGA. What would we do? Why, remake the brilliant, much-loved and very quirky Samba De Amigo for the Wii and then have some more wine. Shockingly, that’s exactly what SEGA came up with too (sans the wine bit). Go figure…

The game -Samba De Amigo Wii, that is- should be available in a few months and will feature the original’s trademark colorful graphics and dancing monkey, whereas the maracas will be replaced by the obvious choice of the Wii Remote - Nunchuk combination, which players will be happily able to calibrate to perfection. Now, a complete song list has yet to be revealed, but we can suspect the Hot Hot Hot song will probably make it. Oh, and the game will feature Mii compatibility, multiplayer options and a variety of game modes. How very promising.

Just a short post to let you know that the Commodore 64 ueber-classic Impossible Mission has been made available on the Virtual Console for a mere 500 Wii Points. Oh, and to point out that it hasn’t aged a day and still retains its hybrid puzzle/action charms. Joy, oh joy! So, if you care for a blast of nostalgia or want to find out just why this game has been considered a classic, better download it now. Alternatively, google around for the thing…

Wii Play, what at first seemed nothing more than a glorified demo disc bundled with a Wii Remote, has apparently turned out to be one of the most successful Wii games yet, having already sold over 10 million copies and still going strong. Or to put things into perspective, Wii Play is a more successful game than Halo 3. Impressive, right?

Now, as the whole Wii Play thing does indeed cost (marginally) more than a Wii Remote, and as the public doesn’t really always know what’s best for it, the question is, is Wii Play worth your time? Is this selection of mini-games any good? Well, in a nutshell, yes. You get a selection of nine high-score oriented, action-heavy, mostly multiplayer and at times suitable for parties mini-games, for something more than a fiver. Happily most of them are both good and addictive, though admittedly they all could use a bit more depth. Here’s a breakdown of what’s on offer:

-Shooting Range: This is a direct descendant of Duck Hunt and the first time the Wii showed its prowess in lightgun games. Players go from shooting balloons, frisbees, and cans to UFOs, whereas the occasional duck can be targeted for a small score boost. An excellent game with a descent amount of levels.

-Laser Hockey: Air Hockey with neon-lights, where the Wii Remote controls really shine. Fantastic fun and impressively realistic physics. Also a personal favorite.

-Pose Mii: If you’re looking for a weird and truly frenetic two player game that really works well with alcohol, this one’s for you. Not much fun in single-player mode though. Oh, and the thing has you rotating, posing and positioning Miis in psychedelic bubbles.

-Fishing: Totally unlike fishing in Zelda and devoid of any entertainment value whatsoever.

-Billiards: A rare chance for some excellent billiards fun. Gamers play 9 Ball Billiards using the Wii Remote as a cue stick and it really feels right. Quite an elaborate attempt really, that -provided you actually enjoy pool- never truly gets old.

-Charge!: The player rides a cow and over scarecrows in a surreal yet brilliant racing game where high-scores are all that matters. The control method is not unlike the one used in Excitetruck and it really works. Unfortunately there is only one track to race around.

-Table Tennis: Pong with fancy (well, relatively speaking) graphics. Great, mindless, simple, classic, reflex-based fun.

-Tanks!: Theoretically this is the deepest game in the collection and the only one that benefits from the use of the Nunchuk. On the other hand, it’s just an updated version of the ancient Atari Combat, with 100 missions (80 of them must be unlocked) and a few new gameplay tricks. Moderately fun, though oddly addictive.

-Find Mii: Here, crowds of Mii characters will… err… crowd on the screen and the player must pick out the ones matching a certain description. Pretty pointless.

I really do try to avoid mediocre games, you know. They are such a sad waste of time really, and our time is quite unfortunately too finite (yes, cheerful, I know) to waste. Also, I prefer not to defile this very blog with their presence, though in some cases the bits of the gaming public that do enjoy ButtonSmasher just have to be warned. Worms: A Space Oddity for the Nintendo Wii definitely is such a case I’m afraid. And yes, I’ve been a pretty devoted fan of the series since 1995. Even thought the 3D Worms offerings weren’t that bad…

Anyway. Better start with what’s good about Space Oddity. Let me see now. Well, it’s quite obviously a Worms game for the Wii, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s got the charm, style, classic mechanics and lovely 2D cartoon visuals to prove it and it can be reasonably enjoyable. At times. Quite happily it doesn’t do anything bad to the console either and definitely wont hurt the cat. Or dear granny. Oh, yes, and you can even play it with/versus a friend and try to relive those glorious Amiga gaming days. Well, that’s all there is to it apparently.

On the other hand, if I wanted to be as verbose as a particularly verbose thing, I could talk for days about what’s absolutely rubbish with the thing. Unfortunately, you see, everything is wrong. From minor things like the lack of online multiplayer options and the fact that the graphics aren’t as crisp as they ought to, to the irritating change of weapon names, to the bloody unforgivable stripping down of weapon and gadget options to a puny 17. But still, I believe I could put up with these faults and even pretend to like the included mini-games, just in order to enjoy the game from the comfort of my couch, if the controls were decent. Which the aren’t. Frankly, I’d say they are almost broken, what with the cursor constantly sticking to the edge of the screen, the incredibly unintuitive way of scrolling around the battlefields and simply selecting and firing a weapon is too fiddly to describe. Avoid!

If you absolutely have to play Worms on a Nintendo console, better give Worms Open Warfare 2 for the DS a try and you’ll be happy in that properly 90s way again. Better yet, try the Xbox Live Arcade version. It’s got online multiplayer for a fraction of Space Oddity’s cost after all.

Endless Ocean for the Nintendo Wii is not a game. Not by far. There are no goals set for you to achieve, there is no way of losing or winning, no way of getting lost, confused or even mildly annoyed. There is no challenge. No bloody stress or horror. No blood. No puzzles to be solved. No naked mermaids. Nothing. Still, Endless Ocean is immensely enjoyable in a properly interactive way. And it’s fun playing with the thing too. You could call it an interactive toy, I guess, or, better yet, a relaxing, educating, beautiful, interesting, interactive toy that’s heavy on underwater exploration.

Said, uhm, interactive toy is all about simulating the beauty of diving into (mostly) tropical waters, exploring reefs, petting sharks, gawking at multi-colored fish and generally discovering the beauties of tranquil aquatic ecosystems. And all this from the comfort of your couch, without getting wet or in close contact with any creature that weighs almost a ton and sports a few dozen sharp teeth. Besides, I think that avoiding SCUBA diving is rather good for my health and I’m pretty sure I’d get tired just by hauling all the necessary gear to the boat. Oh, and I wouldn’t get to find any treasure lying around in real life either.

Football games, not unlike adventures and strategy games, don’t need fancy graphics, never truly age and are more than tricky to get right. They are, you see, one of them gameplay driven genres. That’s why Sensible Soccer still is a better game than the latest FIFA, that’s why thousands of people still enjoy Kick Off II and that’s why Football Manager -one of the most successful gaming franchises ever- is in essence a game without graphics. So, what are your options in digital football gaming, I pretend to hear you ask? Well, read on, read on.

Football Manager

Football Manager, the venerable series that began life as Championship Manager, has always been an immensely addictive time sink of a management game, an impressive ever-evolving database of the international world of of football and an incredibly fun game too. Nowadays, it can also be said that FM is a true football RPG, and one of those games we all take refuge in when our teams get disqualified/relegated/ridiculed. Traditionally FM 2008, the latest and best version of the game, is available for PC only, but you can also grab a stripped down version of the game for your PSP or go for FM 2006 for the Xbox 360. Oh, and a MMO should soon be released.

Pro Evolution Soccer

Pro Evolution Soccer is a rare yet happily popular attempt at realistically recreating football. There are no crazy scores here and precise crossing is a matter of technique. It really feels proper. Now, Pro Evo might lack FIFA’s official shine and impressive graphics, but -believe me- it still is the better game. By far. Makes for quite a brilliant party game too. Pro Evo 2008 can be played on the PS3, PS2, PSP and -provided you don’t mind less impressive ports- on the DS. The highly innovative Wii version of the game, a footie RTS of sorts, will soon be reviewed.

Sensible Soccer

This is the best football game ever. Want to know why? One word: pace. Care for more words? Well, how about after-touch, one button gameplay and lovely pixel-art graphics? To properly enjoy Sensible Soccer you should really play it on an Amiga, but lacking one, I guess you could try the equally retro PC or Atari ST versions of the game. Alternatively the best way to get some faithful yet up-to-date Sensi action would be via the Xbox Live Arcade. Sensible Soccer 2006 (PC, Xbox, PS2) is decent, as is the Mega Drive/Genesis version available via a certain TV plug-’n'-play thingy.

FIFA

Not much of a fan of the franchise really, but I must admit it’s quite enjoyable. And looks rather good too. FIFA 2008, quite obviously the latest offering in the long running series, can be played on virtually any console, meaning versions for the Wii, PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, DS and PSP have already been released.

Younger readers will be shocked to know that the survival-horror genre, just like many of the enjoyable things in life, is a French invention that first manifested itself as the 1992 critical and commercial hit Alone in the Dark or -as game journos came to name it- AITD. AITD, then, the first, best and still unrivaled survival horror game, and of cousrse something you absolutely have to play, went on to spawn three sequels. Actually, make that two decent sequels and one sub-par reimagining of the franchise in 2001, and do try to forget its filmic adaptation.

And now, in the year of our lord 2008, Alone in the Dark is coming back and hitting every major format from the PS3 to the Xbox 360, the Wii, the PC and the still enduring PS2. It’s so close you can even preorder it and, most probably, this will be a pretty wise pre-order too. The game, you see, might not be set during the 1920s or feature any traditional adventure gaming elements (let alone a properly Lovecraftian atmosphere), but it definitely looks fantastic, sounds spooky and will also sport some of the most innovative combat & physics mechanics imaginable. Besides, it all takes place in the astonishingly overlooked Central Park…


Oh, and here are some very reassuring words from Alone in the Dark lead designer (and apparently fan) Hervé Sliwa:

“We have great respect for the first Alone in the Dark and we want to respect the legacy of that, but we also want to put our souls into the new game. I would say the new game is not a sequel, it’s a new approach to the game with new innovations and new rules. Of course you don’t need to play the first one to start this one, but we have little connections between the two games.

The project started in my mind 10 years ago when I was on a trip to New York city, my first trip to the US. Just after I arrived, I was walking in Manhattan and I went up to Central Park. New York at night is lights everywhere – the city that never sleeps. I arrived in front of Central Park very late at night and the park was very dark. I was in front of this huge dark square and it was really weird – it was such a contrast between the dark square in front of me and the lights in the street everywhere. It was like a parallel world, the world of the light and the world of the darkness – it was amazing. At that moment I had a flash in my head that it could be a great playground for a new Alone in the Dark game. When I came back from the trip I had lots of photos of the buildings around the park and I started to imagine lots of different situations and possibilities for the game, different scenarios in the park, adventure plots and so on. At that moment I was working on Sheep Dog and Wolf, so I put all my ideas in a box. After Kya: Dark Lineage we found out Atari had the brand and we had the opportunity to propose a new project, so I took all my ideas out of the box. We had a brainstorm at Eden and proposed the first ideas for the new game and that was the start of the new Alone in the Dark.“

Outside the happy place that is the world of indie, homebrew and even PC games, in the rather bland deserts of mainstream gaming, that is, things can get pretty boring, pretty fast. Publishers churn out samey game after samey game while only paying attention to current trends, holiday deadlines and ad budgets. Innovation is feared, games are considered as franchises, sequels are a constant plat du jour and pushing graphics is still considered the way forward. Gaming really isn’t the wildly interesting beast it used to be. It’s mainstream, safe and unoriginal. Heck, even whole genres (niche or less so) are periodically wiped out.

Enter Nintendo and the Wii, a console so underpowered, so (relatively) cheap to develop for, so ridiculously popular and with such a uniquely versatile controller, that, not only allowed, but actually encouraged developers and publishers to innovate and even revisit them so-called dying genres previously only available for the PC gaming crowds or us retro gaming maniacs. A breath of fresh air really, even when taking all those shoddy Wii-ports and mini-game collections into account.

In what practically is less than a year the Wii has already been graced with a variety of puzzle games, strategy games, pinball games, 2D games and retro remakes, though the most impressive trend has been the revival of the rather forgotten and sadly unpopular genres of the light-gun and the traditional adventure game. The Wii Remote, you see, is perfectly suited for both point-and-click and point-and-shoot action, whereas the console does indeed prove itself as a welcoming home for the unususal. To realize the fact we already got such great additions to those genres as Ghost Squad, Zack & Wicki, The Umbrella Chronicles, CSI Hard Evidence and Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None, is to realize that something is finally changing. What’s more, there is… ah… well, more to come.

If you haven’t noticed, well, this is the second part of ButtonSmasher’s top third party Wii games feature. So, uhm, in case you’ve missed the first part and think you actually care to have a quick read, then, by all means, do click here.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Ok, it’s not the best rhythm game out there, but it definitely is the best one the Wii has to offer. Yes, despite the atrocious rendition of a certain classic punk song and the slightly unbalanced two-player mode. Just ignore the game’s minor flaws, battle the rather steep learning curve, grab your small toy guitar and click away to some truly classic tunes. On par with Wii Sports when it comes to party games.

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

It’s lovely, humorous, immediately accessible and the first game to (almost properly) let you swing a lightsaber with your very own Wii Remote. What’s more, being a compilation of the previous two LEGO Star Wars games that also features tons of extras, updated graphics and a few reworked levels, The Complete Saga offers amazing value for a very modest price. The kids will love it too you know.

Trauma Center: Second Opinion

Not unlike Under the Knife for the DS, Second Opinion is a unique and innovative offering casting you as a doctor in an oddly stylish soap-opera like environment. The game looks great, the Wii controls are spot on, the difficulty is almost cruel and the operations feel realistic enough to create the necessary tension. Brilliant and gory!

Scarface: The World is Yours

Scarface definitely isn’t much more than another brutal GTA clone, but being one of the rare examples of said sub-genre on the Wii and also being a game about one of Al Pacino’s best movies, it just had to make this very list. Thankfully, it’s a very solid game too, what with its excellent controls, fun gameplay, smart physics, gratuitous violence and passable graphics. Typical video game entertainment.

Dewy’s Adventure

As far as under-appreciated games out there go, Dewy’s Adventure must be the champion of the last two or so years. How very unfair, I say. Besides its fantastic graphics and lovely retro tunes, you see, this is an excellent, tough and quite innovative platform game with a few smart puzzle elements and some very interesting game mechanics. Oh, and don’t be fooled from its cute exterior, for this is a bastard to beat.

Honorable mentions

- Eledees (a.k.a. Elebits)
- Sonic and the Secret Rings
- Rayman Raving Rabbits
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympics
- Metal Slug Anthology