New Super Mario Bros Wii

Heavy is the crown that rests on Marios’s head. Despite being arguably the most recognizable character in the history of gaming, with new games cropping up to spawn their own franchises, the battle for supremacy has never been greater. The question of how a character with over twenty years of history can continue to stay relevant in the constantly changing gaming landscape without becoming stale must surely be a constant thought in the minds of Nintendo’s brain-trust. Fortunately, if Nintendo has proven anything over the years, it is more than ready to show why it is still regarded as the head of the gaming industry.

With New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the company famous for its willingness to take risks for the sake of innovative ideas has opted to update its title character for a new generation of gamers. With the inclusion of the wii-remote as well as the added option for multi-players, Nintendo has added a few new variations to how people can play Mario, creating a gaming experience that incorporates the Wii’s motion sensor controls while still keeping as close to the classic remote as possible so as not to alienate those familiar to the franchise.

Anyone who has played a Mario game should be familiar with the premise of the story. Princess Peach has been kidnapped yet again, this time by Bowser Jr. and his villainous siblings (presumably to avenge their father’s latest defeat), and the mushroom kingdom has fallen. Now it’s once again up to Mario and Co. to rescue the Princess and free the kingdom from their clutches.

Immediately one of the major changes players should take notice of is the new multi-player function. Most, if not all, Mario Bros. games (excluding party games such as Mario Kart and Mario Party) have been either single player or played in turns. Now up to four players can traverse worlds and battle enemies simultaneously allowing both friends and family to take part.

Along with the extra players, new techniques are introduced that allow gamers to maximize their teamwork. Characters are given the abilities to carry and throw each other throughout levels. There is also a free for all setting that allows players to compete against one another to see who can be the most dominant at stomping their enemies.

As previously stated, the addition of the wii-mote is a relatively new feature to the Mario games. The game features several ways to incorporate the remote’s motion sensor controls to add extra depth to the game play. By shifting the wii-mote upward while pressing B, players can lift and carry objects as well as other characters. Shaking the wii-mote upward while equipped with certain items can cause any number of effects to better aid Mario on his mission.

Despite this being a new game, the story is not. The kidnapping of Princess Peach is to be expected as it has almost become a cornerstone of the Mario universe. If you have played Mario 3, you will no doubt notice more than a few passing similarities. Everything from the map to the villains appears to have been ported over with updated graphics to match. While the graphics are up to par with several recent releases, some consumers may be disheartened to find that the game treads over so much familiar territory to the point that some could consider it a remake.

Despite its short-comings, New Super Mario Bros. WII will no doubt be considered a “game of the year” contender. The Mario franchise has garnered a considerable group of fans consisting of both hardcore and casual alike. It is inevitable that a small pocket of these fans will be turned off by the use of the wii-mote over the classic controller. For those who do decide to give the game a try, you won’t be disappointed. The Mario games have always been both challenging and rewarding, offering hours of playability. Anyone who does decide to take the plunge will be hard-pressed to deny that Mario has a new jewel to add to his considerable crown.

New Super Mario Bro. Wii - A-

Wii Fit Plus

Wii Fit Plus

Looking for a way to burn calories and have fun doing it?
Nintendo’s got the solution you have been looking for. Bundled with a balance board that acts as both a scale and a sensor, Wii Fit Plus is a game designed to introduce gamers to various exercises that are sure to burn fat and improve their health all from the comfort of your own home.

The Wii Fit Plus is anything but traditional. Requiring someone to stand up and use their own body is unheard of among gamers who prefer to remain planted on their sweat-stained seats mashing buttons all day. The willingness to take this line of thinking and throw it out the window is what makes Nintendo unique. Their ability to create a game that, by all rights, should hold no interest for the gaming community and still make it one of the most fun and satisfying titles on the racks is a testament to why the company is considered the revolutionary giant of the gaming world.

Being an exercise-based game, the Wii Fit Plus requires its user to stand on the balance board where, after inputting your height and age, your weight and balance are then measured and a Wii Fit age assigned. Afterwards, you are presented with a menu of various activities and games to play with. They range from basic exercises to physically taxing games that will get your pulse pounding and the calories dropping. Most of the exercises are immediately accessible with more becoming available as you progress.

After completing each exercise, a calorie counter calculates just how many calories you burned. The number of calories cut is based on the difficulty of the exercise. This is a fantastic feature that encourages the player to continue working toward losing weight.

You can also create custom workout routines that allow the player to focus on a specific area of the body. Doing so helped me to lose three pounds in my first week. There are also four preset routines that include lifestyle, health, youth, and form.

Some of the more entertaining games include running an obstacle course, hula hoop, and dodging snowballs in a snowball fight. Many focus on maintaining your balance so as to improve your posture. Golf especially measures even the slightest change in your stance as you swing away with the wii remote.

All in all, this is a great game that will almost surely provide Nintendo with another bestseller. Its fun and informative, prompting gamers to pursue a healthy active lifestyle. Next time your thinking of going to the gym, invite a friend over and pop in a Wii Fit Plus instead. Working out has never been so fun.

Wii Fit Plus – A+

DragonBall: Revenge of King Piccolo

DragonBall: Revenge of King Piccolo

Video games based on anime franchises are notorious for being anything but fun. They more often than not consist of decent graphics and quickly cobbled together levels. Its almost as if the game developers know that the game will sell based on the franchises popularity, so why bother putting any effort in? Just last week, Bandai released DragonBall: Revenge of King Piccolo for the Nintendo Wii and its clear that while the game isn’t ground breaking in any way, great pains were taken toward making this a game that fans of the series can enjoy.

Based on the immensely popular DragonBall franchise, DragonBall: Revenge of King Piccolo is an action adventure game with elements of fighting and RPG games mixed in. The player plays as Goku, exploring levels and beating up thugs on your way to collecting Dragonballs. The game starts just before Goku’s encounter with the Red Ribbon Army, gradually building toward his climatic battle with King Piccolo.

The combat system lacks depth. Fighting is simplistic as it really only requires you to hit the A button repeatedly making the game feel more like a button masher. Building up enough energy allows you to perform a special attack, which isn’t uncommon for games of this genre.

Right off the bat, the level of detail is obvious as the graphics are above average in quality. The cell shading is truly outstanding and gives the impression that you are playing a cartoon.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the game play. There are several issues I had with the game, the first being its length. It is just too short. I managed to complete the story mode in two days, leaving the unlockables for a third.

After playing through the game and determining it to be too easy, I navigated back to the main menu in order to switch the difficulty setting. Imagine my surprise when there was none. This wouldn’t be a problem if the game was challenging but alas.

The versus mode felt rushed and almost thrown together so as to give the fans something to do after they finished with the game. I have no problem with the idea, but the execution could use a little work. It just wasn’t that deep though I would love to see this developed further in future games.

All in all, I have to admit that I did enjoy the game. It was never a chore to play and I even had fun, considering I was a fan of the franchise to begin with. My main criticisms stem from the fact that I just wish it could have been better. If these were to be improved upon, I believe the game would have a much wider appeal.

As it stands, Dragonball: Revenge of King Piccolo is a game that will most likely appeal to those who are familiar to the franchise. Serious gamers looking for a deep story and advanced combat system should look elsewhere. For anyone seeking a way to alleviate their boredom, Dragonball serves as a quick fix.

DragonBall: Revenge of King Piccolo - C+