Time Played: About 4 Hours
Completion Status: About 60%
(Normally I like to beat games, but this game has earned an early review.)

As I like to do, let’s get to right to it. This game is very fun if you are a fan of the “Punch Out!!” series. The gameplay is very similar in that you learn and memorize the patterns of your enemies and counter, dodge and fight back accordingly. If you’re into a good time on the cheap, you have absolutely no reason to NOT pick this up. It is definitely worth the purchase!
My score for Rage of the Gladiator is an 8.0

Looking more into detail, let’s touch on the graphics and design in general.
They are nothing that you’ll write home to your mom about, but you have to remember that this game is NOT retail and is a downloadable title. Ghostfire Games has managed to wrangle up a cast of full 3D characters with great animation that really sells you home and makes the combat feel very satisfying all while keeping within the limitations of the WiiWare filesize. While the graphics are not too impressive, there are some fun effects with particles and lighting that make up for this.

Great Animation. Boom Boom!

Ooo pretty lights!

The menus are sadly navigated by the D-Pad or Control stick on the Wii Remote/Nunchuck and I would have really liked some pointer controls. This was a weak choice in my opinion and makes menus that should be easy to navigate a slight pain. On the plus side, this game offers you 3 methods of controls. You can play NES style (with the remote on the side) if you really want that Punch Out!! experience. You can also play with the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo where the Wiimote acts as your weapon. And of course, for better swing detection, Ghostfire Games has enabled use of the WiiMotion+ in this game. I prefer this method of control, but don’t expect 1:1 controls as you can only attack in 6 directions (actually 4, but the game has the option of high/low side attacks.)

Very nice art, but cheap and confusing!

The storyline in this game is fairly cringe-worthy but keep in mind I’ve yet to play to the end of the game. Keeping this part short and sweet, my main critique is that the story feels very out of place and often feels unrelated to the action going on in the actual game. It is also delivered very poorly through static cinematic artwork (which normally involves a 1-3 minute zoom on a single picture.) This is the sacrifice we make when considering how much Ghostfire Games has pushed the size limits with the character models and animation.

Wut? I want to ride a horse too!

The audio is another positive point to take note of. Some of the music in this game is just excellent. Pieces with epic choirs really give the battles a sense of suspense. It’s nice to enjoy great music while someone is pounding your face in. The voice acting, while not horrible, is not the best. Nonetheless, I found it enjoyable and the voices fit the characters very well. The voice-over for the “cutscenes” however, was pretty bad.

And now, the final point: Lasting Appeal.
If we are going to spend 10 dollars on something, it should last us for some time right? Well this game isn’t going to last you a year. It might not even last you a couple of months. However, I find a lot of fun to be had in this game, especially if you are a big fan of “Punch Out!!” like myself and I can see myself actually coming back to this to pound some faces in. As you go through the game, you will build up your character RPG style with skills and combos to help you fight future foes. There are a lot of options and you have to choose between 3 categories of upgrades. Overall, I enjoyed this aspect very much and found this is something the game improved on from “Punch Out!!”.

I CANT DECIDE! BRAIN ANEURYSM!

The game includes a Challenge Mode which is a clever disguise for what is actually the 2nd part of the campaign. I would have liked an actual Challenge mode with objectives for each enemy like in “Punch Out!!” for the Wii, but it’s good they extended the game in this method (otherwise the main game would have been very short.)

This isn’t the greatest game in the world, but I can guarantee you will have a good time with it. While the 1000 points seems steep, 10 dollars is right around the proper value of this game and there is no reason for you NOT to pick it up!

So what are you waiting for?

Water Warfare brings a few good things to the table that should really be looked at by future developers of any upcoming Wii FPS. There is a variety of weapons, including everyone’s favorites: the shotgun, SMG, sniper rifle and bazooka.
However, this game also includes tons of wacky items such as the banana peel(which causes your player to slip,) and the Chirpy Hammer (which enables you to knock your opponent out for a good 2 seconds!) These items play a crucial role to winning in Water Warfare, as there are also healing and protection items (The Beach towel, and Rain coat.)
Water Warfare also allows for totally customizable characters. Pick your own hairstyle, face, and clothes!
One last thing that should be noted on are the maps. This game has 4 environments for you to play on, but each map can be played on in 2 sizes (Small and large) bringing the total to 8 (trust me, the 2 sizes are different enough to justify this.) To make these landscapes even more varied, the game utilizes a randomizer system for the obstacles.

For example, on this playground stage, the jungle gym may be in the center-field your first time around, however, the next time you play, don’t expect it to be sitting in the same place.

While this game features some great single-player modes in the form of Missions and Skirmishes with bots, it really shines when it comes to the multi-player. This game not only includes 2 player split-screen, but also allows for matches between up to 8 players via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (Details on Game modes can be looked at Here.) Sadly, you cannot team up with a friend and take on the interweb together, but either way you will have fun pwning someone.

Those who love FPS are probably already playing The Conduit (which admittedly IS a better title than this) but you will still find lots of fun in this title’s mission-mode, single-player skirmish, and multiplayer ranked matches which stole me from High-Voltage Software’s gem for a good 4 hours (and I intend to return). Sure the graphics arent jaw-dropping, but it’s on WiiWare, and considering that, it boggles the mind to think what Hudson could have done with a full retail game.

And for those wondering, this game’s easy control setup and interface also serve as a great way to bridge your casual parents or siblings into the world of the First-person shooter. If you haven’t rushed to the Wii Shop Channel already, you are a darn fool!

And for 800 Wii Points, why would you want to miss out on this?

-ArakniD

-MetroidMan5000

I bought those 2 Wii games that people didnt give a chance (but you really should!) so now, I demand Street Fighter 4 on the Wii!

There is absolutely no reason we shouldn’t have gotten it like the other 2 current gen consoles.

And for those few of you reading this and you agree with me, lets make it heard!

Street Fighter 4 on the Wii!
Here’s an online petition I found, so get signing(even if they are cliche and probably dont work. . . )!

And after the jump, I include counter-points as to why SF4 on the Wii is entirely possible.

Graphics
Ok, this is a no brainer, but I’m pretty sure us Wii gamers are used to our system having less-powerful graphics. Trust me Capcom, we don’t care about graphics, just don’t dumb it down too much (like you did with Dead Rising, I guess. . . )

Controls
If it’s possible on this monstrosity

Then I see no reason why it wouldn’t be possible on this:

Street Fighter 4 Wii – Classic Controller Bundle, anyone?

Also, Hori has already made a fighting stick:

!

Online
Give me a break, Wii has had decent online and good DLC for a while now, this isnt even an excuse.

If you have anymore arguments as to why SF4 isnt possible on the Wii, comment!
I’ll be sure to post a rebuttal.
Until then, take it up with my girlfr. . . . . I mean. . .
Chun-Li.

-ArakniD, out!

Why not have some fun.

So dust off those 3D glasses(The red and blue ones) and lets party! Here are some 3D Super Smash Bros. Brawl images I made!

(Sidenote: at my local Wal-Mart they had some Hannah Montana shit set-up and there was a plethora of free 3D glasses to take. That’s where I found mine.)

(Click to enlarge them)

More after the jump!

Have an idea for a game you wanna see in 3D?

Leave a comment and I’ll see what I can do! !

Wiiseguys Special Feature! DS Demo Reviews!

Ok so the week of June 30 was pretty dead so I waited until this week to do Part 2 of the demos.

That way I can have 3 titles to review for y’all!

So enjoy!

Part 2: The “Very Little Amount of Demos” Edition!

–After the jump (of course!)

PictoImage

Well this should be an easy review…

This game tries to do something most of us are familiar with. Pictionary. But the only thing is, it fails in the very aspect. It shows you drawings (mostly drawn by 7 year olds, and that is not an insult to the game, it actually says the age of the person it was drawn by) and then you have to guess what they are drawing. Ok, sounds good right? But first off, the handwriting recognition fails epically, so you end up using the touchscreen keyboard. Lame. If I wanted to play Pictochat, I would have. Speaking of which, there IS multiplayer….

..but in all honesty, playing Pictochat Pictionary with 2 DS’ seems alot better since the point in PictoImage’s multiplayer is to draw it, and then pass the DS so the person can guess, then pass it back so the ‘artist’ can draw Round 2, etc.

Verdict: Pass. This game sucks. Just stick to Pictochat. The only plus that PictoImage has over Pictochat is colors, and colors make Pictionary too easy ANYWAY!

Carnival Games

Ok. I’ll be honest. I never played the Wii iteration of Carnival Games. Sure I’m here trying to support you guys in trying games that are outside of your comfort zone, but that was just one game I will NOT try. Buttt..

Since Nintendo is offering a free demo of the DS Version, I’ll give it a shot.

From what I can tell, this game is a decent MiniGame collection for younger kids.

At least that’s what I thought. The game is pretty challenging for little kids. I asked my little sister to try it and she just said “Ugh… this is too hard.” SO HEY! That works for me!

Now, if you are my age, and are looking for a minigame collection, may I recommend Wario Ware Touched? Carnival Games has a decent selection of minigames, but they aren’t very fun. And if little kids have trouble with scoring 1 point, after you do indeed score, the game gets HARDER! The barrel gets smaller on the barrel toss, the line to draw for the Dunk Toss gets crazier. It’s just a mess. I’d rather play the Wii version where I can at least look forward to true to life movements.

Verdict: Pass. Unless you really hate your children and like seeing them suffer, dont even buy it for them.

Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2

Ah. I remember playing the first Trauma Center and falling in love with a series. It reminded me of Old School PC games where you would performs operations. But, of course, knowing me, I never really followed to series past the first game. Blame sick kids in Africa (for those who played the first one, I hope you know what I am talking about. I couldn’t beat that stage…) Anyways. For fans of the series, take note:

Don’t expect any epic changes or revolutions in gameplay. It’s still the same ol’ Dr. Stiles, who apparently still needs instructions from his hot anime nurse on how to perform surgery.

And while that sounds like a negative thing, it isn’t! The Trauma Center series is one that most people (I really don’t want little kids playing these games, blood everywhere, it gets pretty graphic. Also DS CG Boobs.) should play!

Verdict: Buy it!! Pick this up along with the first Trauma Center for the DS, and hell, go crazy while you are at it! Pick up the Ace Attorney series too!

I thought you were pretty already!

Anyways, so I booted up Wii Fit for the ‘daily routine’

and thats when I noticed something odd!

My beautiful trainer had a different hairstyle!!

I was in shock! She didnt even leave me a myspace comment telling me to comment her new pictures in regards to her new haircut!

So then I got curious, and I had to check up on old “Male Trainer”

and wouldnt you know it?  He had a new ‘do also!

Here’s a picture, sorry for the crap quality, but I didnt have time to start up the footage machine and take screenshots, so cell phone it is.

Outlined hairstyles after the jump.

Even though the Nintendo Channel has been out for a while, I never felt it was a good time to start up this Wiiseguys feature.  But, due to the excessive amount of Movie Game demos, I figured it was the perfect time to start this up, because we all know how bad those can be.

So this is part 1 in the Nintendo’s On-Going efforts to make you want to buy games through downloadable demos.

Part 1: The Movie Games

–after the jump!

Before we begin officially, I would like to state one thing.  Poor Team17 has created a really wonderful DS game! It is called Worms: Open Warfare 2.  I am a long time worms fan, and I played the first in the Open Warfare series, and let me just say, it sucked. Bad.  But Nintendo, not too long ago, had a demo of Worms: OW2 and it is just perfect.  For long time worms fans or those looking for the best turn-based blower-upper game, this is it, and I highly reccomend you purchase it! I did, thanks to the Nintendo Channel!

Ok lets get to this, note that they are not ALL movie games, but mostly:

Wall-e

Sigh. I was a bit nervous when I saw so many movie games.  “Here we go,” I stated.  Big mistake on my part.  This game is FUN!  A bit simple sure, but for an environmental puzzler, it’s super cool.  In this game, Wall-e interacts with other robots, switches, ramps and platforms in a very unique way.  Your main goal, or so it seems, is to interact with different kinds of garbage (ie: regular garbage and explosive) in order to activate switches and defeat enemies, all while attempting to reach a door at the end.  The first few levels in the demo left me wanting to play more!!

Verdict: Rent it! Seriously, its funny, and who doesnt enjoy a good environmental puzzler every now and then? Buy for your gamer jr.

The Incredible Hulk

Boy, did Wall-e leave me excited for the rest of the demos! But damn it! I was wrong again! This game sucks.

The end.  Controls are functional, but what the hell? You run as hulk, and you punch bad guys who dont even react to your hits. They just die.  The coolest thing is the Weird Hulk Rage thing when you hit the X button.  He goes super fast and starts screaming and stuff, for like 5 seconds.

Verdict: Pass. Forget this game, go watch the movie.  If you’re rich, buy it for you dog so he can poop on it, then light it on fire, meanwhile recording all of this and put it on youtube so we can see it.

Kung Fu Panda

Man, stupid hulk.  But this point, Im very upset.  Kung Fu Panda? HA! Yeah right give me a break.  Actually no.  Wrong, AGAIN! This game is AWESOME!  Some of the attacks from the enemies are weird and as a panda, you dont exactly move fast enough to dodge them, but wow the controls rock!The D-Pad (or the buttons for you lefties) controls the movement, left and right to move, up to jump, and down puts you in a Samus style ball form (sorry, no panda bombs, it’s rated E) while the stylus controls the attacks.  Touch the screen and time will stop while you are touching it.  This lets you move the stylus in different directions to determine which attack you will do, as shown on the bottom.  Then release your touch, and Ska-boosh! Unleash your panda kicking ass fury!

Verdict: Rent! It’ll be fun! While it lasts!  Buy for your little gamers!

Contra 4

Wow. Its been a long time since I’ve played Contra.  If you love the series, you’ll love this.  Old school contra, dual screen action, grappling hooks, intense stuff!  Real good time, but from the demo, really hard from the get go, so dont get it if you can admit you are a noob.

Verdict: Buy. Go for it, its been out for a while, its probably cheaper now

——————————————————————————-

Hope you guys enjoyed the reviews, and I’ll put up a new batch once the next set comes out.

And no, I refuse to review Cake Mania 2.

So, every now and then we get one of those unique gems on Nintendo’s long-awaited “WiiWare” service.

But the real question is: Is Gyrostarr one of those titles?

Is this a title worth deleting your Virtual Console copy of Samurai Shodown and “cleaning the fridge?”

Let’s Be super honest here! There’s not much on WiiWare right now! Of course you have the awesome stuff like Lost Winds, and TokiTori, and Lost Winds.  And of course, we can’t forget about Lost Winds.  These are all amazing titles, with great gameplay and of course, that epic feel of replayability!  And then you have your somewhat mediocre titles:

Well guess what, you can add another title to that “Awesome” list, and it’s High Voltage’s second journey into the world of WiiWare: Gyrostarr!

Gyrostarr is a fast paced vertical scrolling shooter.  The stage set-up is very similar to those of the Sonic the Hedgehog bonus stages, being a seemingly endless halfpipe.  The presentation can only be described with one word: intense.  Seriously: You havent seen this much crap going on since the olden days!  One thing you can relate the style to is Geometry Wars.  Of course, with gaming these days, this style is really fun.  Intense at times, but it just adds to the overall environment and theme going on.  Sure there isn’t exactly a storyline, but if you are looking for an old school feeling vertical shooter, read no more.  This is a really, really good one!

Great control, graphics are fine and fun, the learning curve is perfect, if it exists at all, and it provides a good time for hardcore gamers who feel like shooting crap.  The multiplayer mode is fun too, but dont expect to base a whole party around this feature.

But of course with every game there HAS to be some flaws.

1.)  The motion controls are less then decent.  They get the job done, but really, the Wiimote sideways D-pad controls are so much better!  the only problem with Gyrostarr is that no matter how much you tilt the Wiimote in one direction, the ship goes the same speed, thus feeling really unresponsive.  Standard Controls are great, use them!

2.) Spoiler! The bonus stages are a barf fest.  Maybe it’s just me, but what is pretty much a virtual roller coaster going at super high speeds with so many different colors and flashy things passing by makes me really sick.

3.) Confusion.  No lie. I dont have an HDTV, so maybe this game looks better with one, but in the beginning I found myself getting really confused.  “Wait, is that an enemy or a power up?  Do I get the shiny blue things?  What the hell was that?”  You’ll see

Final Verdict: Buy it! It’s really fun! makes time pass by like no one’s business! Fun to play in short bursts with your buddies to pass some time. It’s worth the cleaning of the Fridge, and the 700 WiiPoints!

-ArakniD

]]> http://wiiseguys.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/wiiseguys-written-review-gyrostarr/feed/ 5 wiiseguys I took this from Wiki, dont kill me! Wait! I picked 1985 first! You cant copy me! I dont care if you can see my answers!!!!! Come on, Pokemon Ranch ISNT that good. Glorified Pkmn boxes ftl http://wiiseguys.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/super/ http://wiiseguys.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/super/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:09:12 +0000 luigipwns http://wiiseguys.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/super/ ]]> Welcome to Wiiseguys! This is Luigipwns, but you can call me Luigi. He is Mine and ArakniD’s first review!

This Super Mario Galaxy review is out of this world and possibly the last Super Mario Galaxy review you will EVER have to see, so enjoy and look forward to our other reviews coming soon!!!

Click the thumbnail to watch the video in Revver!