Magic Obelisk Confirmed for WiiWare 28th December -1.052009-12-23 08:00:45dascrow
Game Arts has today announced that action-adventure game The Magic Obelisk will be available on WiiWare in North America on 28th December 2009. This represents the first original title to be released in ten years by the Japanese developer.
The game has over 30 stages, with a storyline that features a tree spirit called Lukus who has the ability to turn himself into a tree. His main wish is to find the perfect spot to take root and then use his powers for good to help people around the world. Kind of like the tree version of Miss World. However, Lukus can only move in the shadows, so it’s your job to help him by taking control of Popo, a light spirit who can create shadows by shining his light near the mysterious Magic Obelisks.
By following Lukus on his journey, players will get to experience a vibrant fantasy world, where they must overcome obstacles, solve puzzles and meet new characters, both friendly and not so friendly.
As you can see from the screenshots, the game reflects Game Arts’ dedication to a fresh “story book” look for the game.
“It has certainly been a long time coming, but we’re very pleased to give North American gamers a chance to play The Magic Obelisk, a game that has been truly a labor of love for us,” said Kazuki Morishita, president of Game Arts. “It is our goal to bring players not only addictive gameplay, but also an emotional response to characters and their dependence on one another.”
The Magic Obelisk will be available for download for 500 Wii Points from 28th December 2009 in the North American store.
Unique Wiiwaa Puppet-Controlled Game Announced-1.052009-11-19 20:10:17Maura S
Whatever will they think of next?! It seems not a day goes by without someone thinking of somewhere interesting to stick a Wii Remote, and today Zoink Games has announced possibly the maddest thing we’ve seen yet, Wiiwaa, a game that comes complete with a special plush toy puppet (pictured) that has a slot in which you can insert the Wii Remote. You then play the game by moving the puppet around, with the puppet’s movements being reflected in the gameplay as the Wiiwaa creature in the game explores the onscreen worlds, plays mini-games and follows the adventure storyline.
“Use your Wiiwaa puppet to control this little fellow just like a puppeteer would do,” said Klaus Lyngeled, creative director, Zoink Entertainment, and concept originator. “Walk, jump, dance, do crazy somersaults – whatever you do with your Wiiwaa puppet directly affects the Wiiwaa in the game. This innovative control system makes it super intuitive to tell the creature where to go and what to do. I don’t think there has ever been a simpler and more natural way to play a videogame. Just pop in your controller and your Wiiwaa comes to life on the screen!” Check out the video below, it actually looks kind of fun!
To find out more about the game, which does not yet have a release date, visit www.wiiwaaworld.com.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Review4.052009-11-06 13:07:54Maura S
When compared to the likes of the recent Clone Wars Republic Heroes, a game that was so bad it made you want to gnaw your own arm off with frustration, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 shows how a popular licence should really be handled on the Wii. It’s not the most awe-inspiring or ground-breaking game you’ll ever play, that’s for sure, but it faithfully represents the much-loved Marvel universe, and by doing the simple things right it ends up being a really enjoyable old-school style brawler with some truly impressive set pieces and showdown boss battles as well as a gripping storyline.
At the start of the game, you find yourself controlling one of a four-member team of Marvel Super Heroes as they attempt to storm Castle Doom in Latveria. You can either play on your own, with the other characters being controlled by AI, or have three of your friends join you. At certain save points you will be able to swap in new characters from a pool of those you’ve already unlocked. There are 24 Marvel characters to unlock through the course of the game in all, including the likes of Blade, Ms. Marvel, Deadpool and Daredevil, although you won’t get to play as all of them because of the plot twist in the middle of the game, where, without giving too much away, you’ll be asked to pledge your allegiance to one of two factions, either Pro-Registration, defending national security, or Anti-Registration, fighting for personal freedoms.
The gameplay is basically just lots of linear exploring and frequent brawling, with the odd simple puzzle thrown in. Provided you have enough Fusion Power you can join together with your three teammates and unleash devastatingly spectacular Fusion special attacks such as Billiard Ball and Collect and Smash. Generally the controls are easy to use, although most of the time you’ll probably opt for melee combat moves rather than the slower special moves. One of the better moves that you’ll learn at a certain point is to grab enemies and shake the Remote to steal their weapons and beat them with them. Very satisfying!
Clearly a lot of work has gone into depicting each individual character as accurately as possible, so that you really do feel as if you’re playing as a genuine Marvel legend, not just a generic video game character. For example, when controlling Hulk, you really feel the weight and bulk of him: he’s much slower than the others to move, but he also packs the heaviest punch. Needless to say, it’s a complete blast running around as Hulk and smashing things up! In contrast, Wolverine is much faster and lighter on his feet, and his claw slashes are more precise and deadly. The same goes for the rest of the characters: each of them has their own special signature moves, and most of them will be called on to use their unique power at some point in the game.
As far as the graphics go, well obviously the Wii version can’t compare to the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it certainly pushes the Wii as far as it can go, with plenty of detail in the interiors in particular, and some jaw-dropping FMV cutscenes. The many explosions, crashes, bashes and flashes all look suitably OTT and eye-ball singeing, so you don’t feel like you’re missing out too much on the greater graphical detail.
And of course, what the Wii lacks in terms of ultra-lush graphics, it makes up for with the inventive ways in which the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are used to solve puzzles, such as shaking the Remote from side to side to lift up rocks to rescue trapped civilians, or to topple a statue. Possibly the only aspect of the control system that didn’t seem to work too well was using the C button on the Nunchuk to jump, which feels a bit unwieldy, especially in the middle of a frenzied battle.
While Marvel: Ultimate Aliance 2 certainly won’t win any awards for game of the year, if you’re into seeing some of your favourite Marvel characters beating the kryptonite out of everything that does and doesn’t move, driven by a typically grandiose plot, you could do a lot worse than give this one a go.
