Nintendo recently showcased a few first-party Wii titles at the Game Developers Conference held in San Francisco, and The Wiire's Senior Editor Shawn White received hands-on time with them. Below are impressions of the four titles made available.
Super Paper Mario
Previously announced for GameCube, this paper-based platformer is now set to release on Wii this April. The game harks back to the old-school platforming of the original Super Mario Bros but with a unique twist: the game world can be switched between 2D and 3D perspectives for fresh puzzle-solving and platforming challenges.
Players hold the Wii Remote sideways in classic Super Mario Bros. style, using the D-pad to move Mario left and right (in addition to up and down when in 3D perspective). Pressing up on the D-pad when near another character or sign will initiate a conversation or bring up the message, respectively. The A button switches back and forth between perspectives, while the 2 button makes Mario jump.
In many ways, Super Paper Mario is like its predecessors sans the turn-based battles, which establishes a better overall sense of pacing. The game premise is that Peach, Bowser and Luigi have been abducted by a mysterious top-hatted villain. Bowser and Peach are then forced to wed, which opens a rift of dark energy that threatens to engulf the entire universe. Of course, it's up to Mario to save the day. Players won't just control the pudgy plumber, for Peach and Bowser will partake in the platforming as well with their own unique abilities. The good humor and witty banter the Paper Mario series is associated with also returns for Super Paper Mario.
The levels shown included one similar to the first Super Mario Bros. world with colorfully trippy paper-thin backgrounds, and a desert area inhabited by oddly shaped townfolk. Impressively enough, Infinity Systems seems to find fresh ways to incorporate the paper theme in each new game, even if it's only in subtle manners like how Mario warps down a pipe.
Super Paper Mario is shaping up to be an entertaining start to the second quarter of 2007 with its combination of old-school Super Mario Bros. design, Paper Mario humor and aesthetics, 2D/3D puzzle-solving and accessible controls.
Mario Strikers Charged
The GDC 2007 demo focused on the offline multiplayer aspect of Charged (the game is expected to feature an online multiplayer mode, as well), so I squared off against a Nintendo representative and, surprisingly enough, won.
Fans of the original Super Mario Strikers for GameCube will feel right at home with Charged. Players select a team captain and then their teammates. Captains in the demo included Mario, Peach, Bowser and Donkey Kong, while teammates included Toads, Koopas and Boos. Balancing out the abilities of your team members is important to winning.
Charged is played with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The Nunchuk's analog stick moves whichever character is being controlled at a given moment, while the C button activates power-ups such as Mario's ability to grow super large and destructive or Koopa's tossing of shells around the field. When the ball is in your possession, a press of the A button will pass it to the nearest teammate - assuming an opponent isn't in between ready to intercept. When you don't have the ball, you'll still use the A button to switch between teammates, and can flick the Wii Remote to smack an opponent - preferably the one holding the ball.
The B trigger is used to kick the ball and the longer one holds down the button, the stronger the shot becomes. Holding down the trigger long enough initiates a power shot. Mario's power shot, for example, has him leaping into the air and kicking the ball at the goalie in a fiery rage. The opponent then has an opportunity to block incoming shots (there's usually more than one) by pointing the Wii Remote at the screen and hitting the A button at the right time to block the ball with on-screen goalie hands.
Judging by the demo, Charged doesn't appear to use the Wii Remote's motion-sensing capabilities too extensively, outside of goalie-blocking and flicking it to smack an opponent - not necessarily bad, as it makes the controls easy to learn and the action constantly frantic and fun. The visuals are a slight step up from the GameCube original, but certainly aren't the best representation of Wii's graphical capabilities.
Mario Strikers Charged is expected to release in North America this summer. A Nintendo representative I spoke with mentioned that the game may see a European release prior, but could not provide a concrete confirmation.
Big Brain Academy
Are you smarter than the average bear? The goal of Big Brain Academy is to find out just that, but the GDC 2007 demonstration of this sequel to the Nintendo DS game used your average conference attendants in place of bears.
The demo showcased the multiplayer portion of Big Brain Academy Wii. Using Mii avatars, two players race to the finish line by completing a series of mental challenges that require quick thinking skills in addition to quick reflexes. In one game, four numbered blocks would be vertically aligned and another number would be placed in the corner of the screen. The goal was to use a hammer, controlled by the Wii Remote, to swiftly knock out enough blocks to equal the given number. Other games focused on memorization abilities - for example, an oddly-shaped person would ride by on the screen and players would have to remember various facial and body features so as to make a correct choice about which one passed by. Three difficulty settings - easy, normal and hard - could also be selected, and I can attest that hard mode deserves its title.
For players interested in Wii Sports and Wii Play, Big Brain Academy Wii will likely prove most entertaining. Like those aforementioned titles, Big Brain Academy doesn't push the visual or audio envelopes, but does make effective use of Miis and just the Wii Remote. The single-player is expected to feature 15 activities in five categories: memory, analysis, number crunching, visual recognition and quick thinking. I can't speak much to the value of that mode as it wasn't playable, but if the DS version of Big Brain Academy is any indication, it will be particularly addictive. The multiplayer makes for quick, lighthearted fun that any member of the family can participate in.
Big Brain Academy is expected to release on June 11, 2007. The Wiire will aim to provide a full review closer to launch.
Pokemon Battle Revolution
In a puzzling twist, Nintendo showcased Pokemon Battle Revolution at GDC... in Japanese. Why they didn't translate this rather limited demo into English is beyond me.
For this demonstration, DS units were used as controllers. I faced off against a young lady from Destructoid, except we battled the language barrier more than each other for a time before realizing the controls work much like all other 3D Pokemon games. Using the DS touch screen, players select a Pokemon, then an attack, and then an opponent Pokemon that will receive the attack. Once set, those pocket monsters handle the rest, performing their respective battle animations on-screen. Once they're finished, the cycle repeats.
Speaking of battle animations, it's clear Nintendo and Genius Sonority put much effort into the visuals. The special effects, environments and models are some of the best on Wii yet, and the Pokemon interact in a more physically visceral manner that lends a bit more excitement to battles. Players will also have the ability to create their own customized trainer in the final version. In terms of game structure, Pokemon Battle Revolution will be far more akin to the Nintendo 64's Pokemon Stadium titles than GameCube's Pokemon Colosseum or XD: Gale of Darkness.
Pokemon Battle Revolution will be the first Wii title to incorporate online play, but that feature was not available to try at GDC. Due to the DS-Wii connectivity, players wanting to battle their friends over the Internet will first have to exchange their Pokemon Diamond or Pearl friend codes. Nintendo has not mentioned if people just using Wii will have to swap system codes or if a random matchmaking option that does not require friend codes will be included in the final version.
Pokemon Battle Revolution is slated for a June 25, 2007 release. Look for a full review from The Wiire around that time.
