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I was, along with almost everyone else, were skeptical about Microsoft’s entrance to the videogame industry.  After the downfall of the Dreamcast by the success of the PS2, many thought the Xbox would fall into the same pit as Sega back then.  The company giant needed a killer app that would be like an “attention-getter” to lure the consumer into a new world on a new system: A game that would turn heads and would lead Microsoft to the path of glory for many years to come.  Of course I’m talking about Halo: Combat Evolved.

Taking place far into the future, Earth is being overpopulated and many of its inhabitants have colonized in other planets.  A war between Earth and the Covenant is waging in a distant galaxy.  And most of Earth’s super soldiers have been reduced in short numbers, one of them being located in the Pillar of Autumn, where Master Chief is residing for the upcoming fight.  When starting the game, you will be tutored in the first level on how the controls and other of the game’s features work, as I will explain shortly.  After completing the tutorial, the world of Halo begins.

Graphics: At the time the graphics for Halo were just phenomenal.  It was one of the best looking games on the Xbox when it launched with the system in 2001.  There was great detail in the shading, as well as the lighting effects on the many vehicles you will later control in later levels.  The environments were also a sight to see.  Each of the game’s levels: The Pillar of Autumn, the Halo landing site, an isolated island, to name a few, gave the game some variety as you progress from level to level.  The characters and enemies look pretty good too (unless you compare and contrast the character designs between Halo and Halo 2, and then Halo 3).  I can talk about the graphics all day, but I won’t go any further on this category since I want you to be the judge in terms of art style and design.  Anyway, onward to sound!

Sound: This has to be one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard in a first person shooter.  The main theme at the main menu is just haunting and epic.  The cutscenes in the game bring life to the levels, especially in action-packed parts of certain levels, where the classical instrumentation kicks it up a notch.  I’d like to give kudos Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori for composing the game’s superb music, and without a hint of rock n’ roll (as seen in the game’s sequel).  Let’s see how the game plays, shall we?

Gameplay: It’s one of those rare shooters that actually felt good to play.  Halo’s control setup works for left-handheld (Southpaw) and right-handed (Default) players, even controls that were originally used in games like the fps classic, Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64 (Legacy).  Focusing on Default mode, the left analog stick allows you to move forward and backward, strafe left and right; whereas the right stick allows you to look and aim at targets when using weapons.  The action buttons (B, A, X, Y) let you jump, melee attack (when either out of ammo and/or instantly killing your foes from behind), and reload and switching weapons (since you can only carry two at a time).  To shoot, press the right shoulder button.  The black button allows you swap grenades (the left shoulder button lets you throw them) and the white button lets you turn your flashlight on and off (in dark or hard-to-see places).  In case I forget, how does the helth meter work?  If you get hit a few times from oncoming fire, wait for a few seconds for your health bar to regenerate.  But if your health bar reaches zero, you have additional health at your disposal (think of this as reserves), but once your reserves reach zero, bye bye.  Luckily there are checkpoints that you can continue in when getting killed in action.  And I mean that there are a lot of them since most of the levels last about an hour long.  And if you quit the game’s single-player at any time, the game automatically saves your progress on where you left off at (this makes the game a little easier if you hate those shooters that let you start from the beginning of the levels you’re having trouble at).  This feature won’t work on Co-op mode, which I’ll explain shortly.   Moving on to multiplayer!

Multiplayer: Up to 16 players can play via splitscreen (2 to 4) or system link (5 to 16) in the many maps you can compete in.  You can even create your own game types (a fancy way of saying rules), since this is was the first time I’ve seen this feature in a first person shooter.  I’ve created a number of game types to play against my friends and family.  Another multiplayer feature, Co-op mode, lets you play the single-player campaign with a friend.  This makes the game experience even more engaging and entertaining (and a little easier in the hardest difficulty mode, Legendary). At the time this was the one Xbox game to play multiplayer-wise, until Halo 2 was released three years later.  Even though the Halo sequels have surpassed its predecessors, I still play the original Halo’s multiplayer from time to time (whenever I get tired of playing the maps ala Halo 2).

If you plan on getting Halo 2 or Halo 3, rent or buy the original first, story-wise, as this will give you a better understanding of the Halo universe.  Once you are satisfied with the first Halo, then and only then shall you give Halos 2 and 3 a go.  Booyah!

INTRODUCTION

When I got my first game console, the NES, for Christmas from one of my uncle’s back then, the game that came bundled with the 8-bit system was a game that would later be one that would enjoy this franchise to the very end.  A game that kept me playing till I bought the enhanced version for my next Nintendo console.  That’s correct, Super Mario Bros. 3 is hands down the greatest game I’ve ever played and my all-time favorite game.  I have played every version of Mario Bros. 3: the original from the NES, the Super Mario All-Stars version on the SNES, the Game Boy Advance version updating the game with the short-lived e-Reader cards, and now that it’s on the Wii Shop Channel, I downloaded the game right away and started playing this classic.

GRAPHICS

Even thought the enhanced versions have improved their graphical power from the SNES and GBA, SMB3 is still one of the best-looking NES games and still stands even today.  At the time the graphics for this game went beyond the power of the NES, ensuring victory for the aging console during the early 90’s before the successor, the SNES, took over.  The sprites of Mario, and enemies, items, bosses, and even the levels themselves differentiated itself from other Mario games prior to this one.  It is by far the best-looking 8-Bit Mario title to date and cannot be happier with the hard work Nintendo did to polish the game’s graphics and shine so well that even veterans of the series will to this very day admire the pixilated art style of the Mario universe.

GAMEPLAY

Even after how many years, SMB3 still plays well even today.  For the Wii version, I would recommend the Wii Classic Controller since the Wii remote and the Gamecube controller do not play well when playing the many levels of this brilliant title.  The gameplay is simple: run and jump your way through various levels in 8 worlds.  But this was the Mario game that introduced the map layout of the series.  You can choose your path on what levels you want to complete, enter Toad’s house to get items, and even play some card games in the 8 worlds you encounter.  This also was a game that had suits Mario can use for certain levels.  From the Raccoon suit (allowing you to fly) and the Frog suit (use for more tight swimming in water levels), there is no end to what you can use and many different ways in completing the level.  It’s a very good innovation that would be used in future Mario titles (as you can see from Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii).  The boss battles at the end of the worlds are unique as well.  The bosses, Bowser’s spoiled Koopa kids, play different in each of the worlds you go to, and your new items come to great use under these conditions.  And you will be able to acquirer flutes that will allow you to warp to other worlds, which makes the game non-linear than the Mario games before this one.  Even if you’ve beaten the game before, you will return to play some more as this game is addicting.  You will come and come again to enjoy what was then and may be Mario’s best adventure in gamer’s memories.

MUSIC

If you like 8-bit music (I know I do), then you will enjoy the music Super Mario Bros. 3 has to offer.  Enhanced versions of the underground theme and the Airship theme will keep your noggin burned with these catchy tunes.  Even some of these sounds were enhanced on various Mario titles (especially Mario Galaxy and the Smash Bros. series).  If you do not like the 8-bit sounds, try playing the Mario All-Stars (SNES) or Super Mario Advance 4 (GBA) to hear the more improved versions of this game’s soundtrack.

CONLCUSION

If you like the Mario series, own a Wii console, and have 500 Wii Points, get this game now!  It’s a Mario game that needs to be in your Virtual Console collection.  You won’t be disappointed when playing this game as this NES title is one of the best-selling games in history.  Worth the 500 points and worth playing.

See Ya!!

INTRODUCTION

Over the years Nintendo created some of the most beloved characters in gaming’s history.  Characters like Mario and Link became part of gamers’ lives, and probably part of their gaming soul.  When Smash Bros was released in the final few years of the Nintendo 64, owners of this console could now create dream matches with their favorite characters.  When I played the first Smash Bros. game at my friend’s house back then, we would play this for hours, even playing matches with the maximum stock lives.  It was that good.  When Smash Bros. Melee was released along with the Gamecube’s launch, it would later become the most-played game I have ever played (and I still play it to this very day).  Now with Smash Bros entering Wii territory I can honestly tell you that this is one of Nintendo’s best games they ever conceived since Super Mario Bros. 3 (which is my fave Mario game of all time, and my fave game ever).  So before we draw swords and settle the score, let’s see what Brawl will offer for us long-time and new contenders, shall we?

STAGE BUILDER

This was the main reason why I wanted Brawl in the first place: to create my very own stages (and even re-create some stages from past Smash Bros. games).  You choose how big or small you want your stage to be; a background for your stage (only 3 are available); and the music you want to use for your custom stage.  The content for your custom stages depends on what background you use.  For instance, if you choose the mountain sky background, you can add structures such as “mushrooms” in the stage.  Not all of the background-themed stages will have the same structures, but the parts and feature parts will stay the same (just the textures of the parts will relate to that specific theme).  You are limited to a number of content for each custom stage which can be bothersome when you come up with brilliant-looking stages like you and I.  You can save your stages either on your Wii’s flash memory or on an SD card (I recommend using the SD card so that you can create as many stages to your heart’s content).  You can even submit your stages online so everyone can try them out (you can only submit one stage a day).  The only few problems with the Stage Builder are the limited characters you can use for the stages’ title and your comments about it; and you can’t (I think) play your custom-made stages with your friends or anyone online.

TROPHIES, STICKERS, PHOTOS, OH MY!!!!

The trophies are back and there are more of them than ever before!  They are categorized in the specific Nintendo series like Mario Bros. and Pokemon, much more organized than on Melee.  But just like Melee, it will be hard to read the descriptive information for each trophy you have in your collection.  But it makes it up in terms of graphical detail.  The trophies in Brawl are much prettier than on Melee.  Since I’m an art enthusiast, I looked at every detail of these trophies for about 5-to-10 minutes.

The photo album feature is back and it has been vastly improved in Brawl.  Rather than going to a specific mode seen in Melee, all you do is pause during a match, align where the action is, and take a picture.  It’s that easy.  And you can save it either on the Wii console or on an SD card (like the stages, I highly recommend the SD card if you are the kind of person who takes multiple shots of Brawls).  And in trophy mode you can place up to 4 trophies in the desired background and take a snapshot of your trophies in different poses (for example, the trophies of Trace and Sylux in a picture of them going head-to-head on the planet Earth as the background).

The stickers are a new trend for this game, and something gamers will enjoy.  You can place these stickers on any of the different backgrounds and take snapshots.  These stickers play a role in the Subspace Emissary mode (which I will explain later).  There are over hundreds of stickers spanning Nintendo’s history (and some non-Nintendo ones as well).  To get these stickers, there are a few ways.  One way to get them is through Brawls: As you play matches, falling pieces of paper will appear.  Grab them and they will be added to your sticker collection.  Another way to get them is in the mini game where you shoot spaceships to earn stickers (You can also shoot trophies to add them in your collection.)

Other features in Brawl are Chronicles which is a collection of Nintendo games since they became a house home name in the video game market in the 1980s (you can unlock more list of games as you progress through Brawl).  The other feature is Masterpieces, where you can play demo trials of specific games from Nintendo’s past consoles.  This will give you an idea of how these games play if you decide to purchase them via Wii Shop Channel.  You can unlock more Masterpieces as you progress through the game.

THE ARTS

For the graphics, it looks much better than its predecessor.  The graphics look next-gen but can’t compete with rivals Sony and Microsoft’s respective consoles.  The polygon work (or polygon counts as some refer it to) is just amazing.  Some of the fighters in Brawl are pretty good, vast improvements from their Melee counterparts.  Mario looks very detailed, Pikachu is as cute (yet fearsome) as ever, and Bowser looks as good as he was in Mario Galaxy.  The cutscenes in Subspace Emissary are a sight to see, which I will explain about this mode shortly.  This is by far the best-looking Smash Bros game at the moment and one of the Wii’s most gorgeous-looking games since Super Mario Galaxy and No More Heroes.

For the music, this is hands down the best soundtrack I’ve ever heard in my life.  With music like the Brawl version of Metal Gear Solid 4’s “Theme of Love” (which is just a taste of what we will hear in the upcoming PS3 title), many composers around the industry brought their talents for the game’s soundtrack.  Legendary composer (and my all-time fave) Koji Kondo spiced things up with a Latin version of the Super Mario Bros. ground theme.  You can unlock more music in a few ways: collect CDs in Brawls or unlock them by doing specific tasks.  I can’t tell you how many musical works there are in this game, but I can tell you there is A LOT of them.

GAMEPLAY: SINGLE-PLAYER

To not go into much detail, there is the return of Classic mode where you just beat up people; Stadium mode with the modes like Home-Run, Multi-Brawl, and Target modes as seen in Melee make their return in Brawl; and Training, where you brush up your skills against CPU fighters.  And there is Subspace Emissary, a new single-player story mode that isn’t as appealing as some (or many) thought it would.  If you ever played any of the Kirby games, that is how this mode is: go from level to level, door to door in a side-scrolling fashion.  It is a long story mode sans any acting, just cutscenes (this gets a bit complicated since none of the characters have voiceovers).  You can have a second player to help you play these solo modes, especially in Subspace Emissary.  Overall, it is still fun to play.

GAMEPLAY: MULTIPLAYER

For offline, you can Brawl with up to 4 players.  You can change the rules before you start a fight; choose the Brawl, Melee, and Custom stages of your choosing; and bring the fight even more chaotic by using Special Brawl where you customize the size, speed, effects (to name a few) of the upcoming battles.  With this much content, it will be hard to put down once you hold the controller.  Speaking of which, there are 4 different control configurations for you to choose: Gamecube controller, Classic controller, Wii remote, and Wii remote and Nunchuk.  I prefer the traditional controls of the Gamecube and Classic controller as the other 2 control schemes aren’t that comfortable.

For online, it will take a while for you and other players to start a match.  Here’s how this works: Choose your character, select a stage, and wait for other players while kicking around the sandbag until the battle begins.  And since this is a game for a Nintendo console, Friend Codes are in this game which is still a problem by many Nintendo players.  And you only have a few letters to use as your username.  I like the idea where when you go against Anyone, your name won’t appear, for protection reasons.  When playing this game online, I can see what everyone says about matches having lag problems.  When playing a match or two, there will be slowdowns and short freezes during heated matches.  Despite this, it is still fun to play.  In Friends mode you can add commented taunts when going against your friends.  You can also have Brawl updates where you can play others’ submitted stages, players’ photos, and even videos of players around the world.  There is Spectator mode, but I didn’t care much about that (Is Nintendo trying to make people to gamble in real life with this mode?!!!!)

CONCLUSION

Brawl is by far the best in the series.  Despite the long load times and online issues, the game makes up for it in the huge amount of content that has been scrunched together in one disc.  Many will declare this as the Wii’s “Best Game”, but I would say that it is one of “Nintendo’s greatest games in recent memories”.  Now that it is Nintendo’s fastest-selling title in their company’s history, the Smash Bros. series will continue to keep us gamers well entertained till the very end.  Live and fight within your soul cause the Brawl is ON!!!

Ever since the first Metroid Prime game back on the Gamecube, many gamers and fans of the series back then were skeptical of the first person perspective game play.  But once Prime arrived in 2002, many set their skepticism aside and enjoyed the exploration by this perspective.  Prime 2 came two years later, and even though it didn’t sell as much as its predecessor, it was critically acclaimed and also introduced multiplayer to the franchise (as evidence to the DS game Metroid Prime Hunters, or MPH).

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is by far one of the most beautiful-looking games on the Wii.  The controls are some of the best in a first person game.  The bosses are much more entertaining and challenging than its previous predecessors.  And the level design has vastly improved than the previous Prime games.  The game introduces voice-overs on the characters and enemies, a first in the franchise. (Sorry fans, Samus is still silent on this one, sigh…)  So with further ado, let’s begin the review:

Story

Samus heads to GFS Olympus where she heads to a meeting with other bounty hunters when the general of the GF Starship informs them of an unidentified flying object nearing its way to the Planet Norion, the main planet the Galactic Federation resides at.  After escaping Olympus, Samus and the other hunters head to Norion to stop the flying object from causing disaster.  I will stop from here since I want you to know more of the story.  But I will say that the next part of the story will relate to Phazon and what it can do, along with how it will play a role with the game play, which I will explain shortly…

Graphics

This is one of the most gorgeous-looking games I’ve seen, despite the Wii’s lack of graphical power that can’t compete with its rival consoles 360 and PS3.  The new enemy designs for the Space Pirates are just amazing.  I won’t spoil much about what they look like, but Retro Studios did an incredible job incorporating the game’s 3D characters and enemies as identical as their concept art.  You can also unlock the artwork if you complete certain tasks in the game.  (Think of this as Xbox 360 Achievements, but on the Wii.)

Game Play

Use the remote’s motion sensor to aim and the control stick on the nunchuk to move Samus.  Here are the button configurations for the game: A (Shoot), B (Jump), C (Morph Ball), - (Hold to select weapons/visors), Z (Lock on), 1 and 2 (Map/Info/etc.), and the newest feature for the series: + (Hyper Mode).  In Hyper Mode, you will be much stronger and powerful when you are going after your enemies.  It will deplete one Energy Bar when using this.  Using Hyper Mode too much will corrupt you and end your game, so use this feature carefully and wisely.  Not only will you be able to shoot in Hyper Mode, but you will also earn other Hyper weapons for you to try out in Hyper Mode (I won’t spoil them for you for I want you to find and use them yourself).  The Lock-On feature is by far the most improved in the Metroid Prime series.  When you lock on to enemies, you have to aim at them while locking on.  This makes it easier since you can aim and shoot at their weak spots when locking on to them.  Once you have the Grapple Lasso (at the beginning of the game), you can take off the armor and shields of enemies, making combat much easier and quick.  You can also use this weapon to complete puzzles in certain areas of the game.  I can talk more of the game play, but I want you to get an idea of how the game works when you try the game for yourself.

Exploration

The first few areas of the game will feel a bit linear.  But once you head to the Planet Bryyo, then the game begins to become non-linear.  Prime 3 stays true to the exploration aspects the series is famous for, and this one is no different.  The level design has improved over the second Prime game (as some complained about Prime 2’s level design being unclear and convoluted).  New features like the leap ledge when jumping to it will have a very short cutscene of Samus leaping to the ledge to higher ground.  This gives the game ideas for level design on FPS.  In past Prime games, the worlds seemed a bit small.  In Prime 3, the worlds are huge, especially on the planet Elysia (not gonna tell you about this planet, you have to see for yourself…).  The puzzles have vastly improved in this game as well, and less frustrating than the previous Prime games (mostly due to the control setup of the previous Prime games, in my opinion), but I won’t spoil or hint any puzzles in this review, I want you to discover and solve them yourself.

Conclusion

Metroid Prime 3 Corruption is the best Prime game I’ve ever played, and one of my all-time favorite Wii titles.  It may not compete with the SNES hit Super Metroid, regarded as the best game in the series by fans of this franchise.  I agree with those people on Super Metroid , but the reason why I declared Prime 3 “Best in Series” (mentioned in the beginning of this review) isn’t because Prime 3 the best of the Metroid franchise, but the Best in the Prime series. (My favorite Metorid game of all time is Metroid Zero Mission for the GBA.)  It is also a game that developers should look at if they are planning on making and releasing FPS on the Wii.  If Metroid Prime 3 Corruption is the pioneer of how to create a game with that first-person-shooting experience, then we will see other FPS on the Wii with solid controls in the near future (as seen on Medal of Honor Heroes 2 for the Wii).  Charge up your Power Bean, it’s time to save the galaxy!

Space: an endless world of infinite routes; new worlds never visited; new beings never discovered; new possibilities for evil to make their own universe.  Bowser and his minions are up to no good yet again as not only did he kidnapped Princess Peach (that was of course predictable) but is also going to create his own universe!  Mario is yet again in an epic adventure where he must go from planet to planet to work his way in saving not only Peach, but the universe itself from the hands of Bowser, The Koopa King.

Level Design

Ever since I saw the first videos of Galaxy, I said to myself, “This seems promising.  A new way to play a 3-D platformer.”  And when I got the game, I was like “wow” which came to all of us Mario fans when we started playing this game.  Rather than playing in an open field like the previous 3D Marios, you go from planet to planet where the objectives in each of them become crazy since you can now move Mario on that planet by going above and below, side to side, and immerse yourself on each of those planets.  The game play stays true to the Mario formula, now that you can play either open field or the classic side-scrolling style (depending on what planets you encounter during the level you are on).  Even the water levels are interesting since they are planets themselves, which means you can swim in orbits and this makes water levels from other Mario and other platform games a thing of the past.  There are some levels where they have you go upside down, right-side up, and even sideways, depending on what the backgrounds indicate in levels with this mechanism.  There are also traps that bring innovation to the next level.  For instance, there will be holes (some of them blue or clear) that if you touch them you fall off it and land into a black hole (which is where you lose your lives on).  I can say more about the game’s unique level designs, but this is just barely half of what I’ve described since I want you to see for yourself when you rent or buy Galaxy.

Game Play

There isn’t much with the Wii controls when you are exploring the planets as normal Mario since you flick either the remote or the nunchuk to make him do a spin attack.  Also as normal Mario you can shoot Star Bits at an enemy or other targets when you move the cursor (in the shape of a blue star) at it and pressing the B button.  And just like the previous 3D Mario games, you can use moves like Wall Jump, Somersault, Pound Ground, to name a few, when playing the game.  You can also use the wiimote to grab Star Bits if you can’t reach them.  Speaking of which, these Star bits can be used to feed the hungry Star-beings called Lumas, which will help you advance to other planets, give you challenges in those levels, and unlock new worlds for you to try out.  Be sure to collect as many Star Bits as you can.  Anyway, you will acquire power-ups like the Bee Suit, Fire Flower, and many others, which you can use the wiimote on each of them.  (For example, when you flick the wiimote when you are Fire Mario, you can shoot fire balls.)  When you ride a stingray in water races, you rotate the wii remote left and right to turn left or right.  Tight rotations give you sharp turns.  The only problem I have with Galaxy is the camera.  Nintendo should have improved the camera controls when you explore the planets when going underneath them, but overall the game is incredible.  There are more innovative controls and other features (such as Co-op) I haven’t mentioned in this review, but I want you to see for yourself on the rest of them when you try Galaxy out.

Graphics

Despite the graphical power the Wii lacks from its competitors, Galaxy does indeed look like a next-generation title.  The animation is smooth, the polygon work is indeed impressive, and the glossy finish on the characters, enemies, and levels definitely compare with games on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.  Even Bowser looks cool, with his red hair flowing and glowing during the cutscenes.  This is by far the best looking 3D Bowser I have ever seen, and overall the best looking 3D Mario game I have ever played.

Music

In most 3D Nintendo games, their games’ music had that MIDI feel.  But in Super Mario Galaxy the game isn’t in MIDI form.  It is orchestrated and the music is just amazing.  My favorite piece in the entire game is the Battlerock Galaxy stage.  (It is very moving.  You have to play the game and hear for yourself.)  This is probably the best Mario music I have ever heard and by far one of the best video game soundtracks I’ve ever heard, especially on a Wii game.  Koji Kondo, keep up the good work!!!

Conclusion

Super Mario Galaxy is just a game that redefined the 3D platformer.  It is a game that Wii owners have to own for its unique game play while the franchise stays true to its roots.  Nintendo never seizes to impress me with their games, and Galaxy is one of the reasons why the company giant is so critically acclaimed.  This is by far one of the most innovative games I’ve played, especially on an innovative console like the Wii.  Galaxy is the prime example of how to create a great platformer and I hope that other developers use this game as an inspiration when they make games on the Wii.  To seek new worlds and civilizations, Mario will boldly go where no plumber as gone before….

In the E3 2006 Convention or later on, a Wii peripheral was displayed to the masses.  It was the Zapper add-on for the Wii remote that resembled the NES Zapper back in the day.  At the 2007 E3 Nintendo Press Conference Nintendo unveiled the final design of the Wii Zapper and most of us were scratching our heads on why Nintendo redesigned the peripheral.  In November 2007 I bought the Wii Zapper along with the game “Link’s Crossbow Training” that came bundled with it and I must tell you, it is a perfect way to enjoy the Wii Zapper.  So without further ado, let me start the review…

Graphics:

It’s the same as Twilight Princess.  In some levels you can see the polygon work on trees, mountains, enemies, and other things when you get close to them.  Nintendo should’ve polished this game a bit, but despite this it’s still stunning to look at, especially in the Desert and Snow areas.

Sound:

Most of the game’s soundtrack was borrowed from Twilight Princess.  Even though the music is MIDI, it’s probably the best MIDI music I’ve ever heard on any game, especially in the Shootout, Snowpeak, City in the Sky, and Temple of Time levels.  Thank you Koji Kondo, my favorite VG music composer.

Game Types:

There are three game types: Target Shooting, Defender, and Ranger.  In Target Shooting, you shoot targets within the time limit: Red ones give you normal points, Gold ones give you more points, and Bull’s Eyes on red or gold targets give you even more points.  Consecutive hits (which means to shoot targets simultaneously without missing, giving you a combo until you miss your target) give you more points while the Blue X targets, when it, will lose some of your points including your combo.  My rating for Target Shooting: 7.0 out of 10 since we’ve seen this all before in previous target shooting games.  In Defender, you shoot enemies within the time limit: Move the pointer to aim and turn.  Consecutive hits give you more points.  If you get hit by an enemy, you lose points. My rating for Defender: 8.0 out of 10 because it is just heart-pumping when there are enemies up close and come after you very fast.  And finally, in Ranger, you have to complete objectives in certain stages.  Control Link with the control stick (nunchuk) while aiming with the pointer.  I prefer to use the nunchuk without it attached to the Wii Zapper (which is optional since there are two ways to play the Wii Zapper: nunchuk attached or separate to/from the Zapper).  And if you succeed in killing all of your enemies, you’ll earn a bonus (just like the other modes too I’ve mentioned earlier) for your effort.  And yeah, you’ll earn consecutive hits if you precisely hit your enemies.  My rating for Ranger: 9.0 out of 10 since this will give you an idea of how first-person shooters (or third-person perspective) will feel, but there is limited amount of button configuration since you only use the B, C, and Z buttons, the pointer, and the control stick in Crossbow Training since there aren’t any nunchuk controls you can use in the game.  (You can use the A button, but that is used to pause the game.)

Game Play:

You can have up to 8 game files saved in this game.  There are 9 levels, each level containing 3 stages = 27 stages all together.  In order to unlock new levels, you need to earn a certain amount of medals to access them, mostly by earning 20,000 points by the level’s 3 stages combined, earning you a bronze medal (40,000 will give you a silver medal and 60,000 for a gold one).  With so many stages, most of them are pretty short, ranging from 60 to 90 seconds, and all of the stages are timed.  Just like I’ve mentioned earlier, if you shoot most or all of your targets before time runs out, you’ll earn bonus points (depending on how fast and accurate you shoot your targets will give you more points).  In all of the stages you have unlimited arrows.  But for Automatic Arrows, you only have a limited amount of ammo and they shoot faster than regular arrows (good for shooting many enemies and earning quick combos).  You can only get this by shooting flashing green enemies and the maximum is 100 and they deplete very quickly, so shoot wisely.  And finally, the Exploding Arrows let you shoot enemies or targets instantly by holding the B button until your cursor turns orange and then release to kill your targets quickly (if you are surrounded with a lot of enemies during the heat of battle or want to rack up your score a bit).

Multiplayer:

Up to four players can play in multiplayer, and you only need to use one Wii Zapper to play this mode.  Choose the stage and the number of players.  You can either choose the Link Icons or you can use your Mii as a data file.  Unfortunately, the only thing the Mii avatar does is shows your stats and won’t appear in the game’s stages (it’s only purpose is for it to be displayed with your score on the game’s screen) other than Link. Once the player is done playing their round, he or she will pass the Wii Zapper to the next player.  Once the game set is finished, the results will show which players won, earning them a star for their victory.  Unfortunately the stars you’ve earned in multiplayer won’t be saved (as far as I know) to your Mii’s file.  This is good as a party game if you have more people playing the multiplayer mode, which has a high replay value.

Link’s Crossbow Training’s sole purpose is to let you get the hang of the Wii Zapper’s control mechanic and the game does a very good job doing it.  You can play the game without the Wii Zapper, but what’s the point in doing that?  Games like Medal of Honor and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles will help the Wii Zapper during the Wii’s lifespan in the years to come.  By the time you fully master Link’s Crossbow Training, you will also master the Wii Zapper and all its glory and innovation.  So aim, shoot, and have fun!

Ever since this game was released for the PS2, Okami was critically acclaimed for its graphics, gameplay, and innovation.  Okami didn't break records for Sony's console and became a rare find in various game stores.

Two years later, ReadyAtDawn games announced they would release this title on the Nintendo Wii since many gamers thought that Okami would work well with the wii remote when painting commands in the game world.

Now that Okami has entered Nintendo territory,  I can honestly tell you that this PS2 port is everything we fans have been waiting to play.  Even if you never bought the PS2 version, the Wii version is still a great title to enjoy.

STORY
The world of Nippon (or Japan) is being plagued with darkness and elements of evil as the citizens of this world have no hope in terms of peace.  The main character, Amaterasu (a female wolf), once fought alongside with a warrior named Nagi against an evil that was Orochi a century ago.  After her long slumber, Ammy loses her brushstroke abilities and has to journey throughout the game to acquire them all.  With the help of Wandering Artist Issun, he and Ammy will journey to uncover the truth of these uncertain events and bring peace to the land.  Other than the game's intriguing story comes some funny dialogue.  I won't say much about this as you should give the game a try.

GRAPHICS

The Wii version in my opinion has better graphics than the PS2 original.  It's much sharper and more colorful than what you see on the PS2 with blurry and less-than-colorful graphics.  The art style was one of the main reasons why I love this game so much.  It is cel-shaded with the lines in the characters moving (like what you see in the animation of the Cartoon Network show Ed, Edd n' Eddy) even if they do not move.  It is by far the best cel-shaded game I've ever seen for the time being, and it is one of the best-looking games on the Wii.

GAMEPLAY

For the Wii version of this game, you will have to learn the controls a bit since Okami has a steep learning curve.  You can swing the remote to attack with the weapons you will find and use.  Speaking of which, you can choose a weapon you are most comfortable with along witht a sub weapon which will aid you in certain combat conditions.  With the Celestial Brush you can make commands with the remote such as Slash and Bloom, to name a few of your acquired moves.  You can use these to solve puzzles and even in battle.  With battle, you can earn money easily by how fast you beat your foes along with how long you can stand in these battles (in other words, try not to lose a lot of damage or you won't recieve bonus money after the battle concludes).  There is a lot to say about this game, but I want to leave that up to you in the end.

MUSIC

This is one of the best pieces of music I have ever heard.  Some of the music I like in the game are when you are in Shinshuu Fields and when you are about to enter the boss room.  The game stays true with the japanese setting and mythology by the music that is implemented in the areas and worlds you encounter.  There are some funny moments in the music such as the Sparrow Inn theme.  I would like to own this soundtrack (even though you have to order it outside the country you are residing).

CONCLUSION

Okami for Wii is one of the best games I've played in a while.  The controls are solid, the graphics are prettier than what you saw on the PS2 version, and everything else about it is just in pure perfection.  It is a game that Zelda fans and gamers in general should try out and see for themselves how brilliant Okami really is.