Tuesday, January 8, 2008

10 Games that are begging to be made for the Wii

There are some games that are just begging to be made for the Wii: here is my top 10.

Resident Evil Code: Wii

Not a port of the upcoming Resident Evil 5, but an original game in the series that retains the 3rd person gameplay of RE:4. Back in 2000 the Dreamcast received Resident Evil Code: Veronica, which was the first of the series to be fully 3D, and even though it was not a direct sequel it was not a lightgun game. The sales of both RE games released on the Wii so far have easily exceeded the expectations Capcom had for them. The thirst for a true RE game on the Wii is palpable and makes complete business sense.

Katamari Damacy

A Wii version of this game was initially rumored, but nothing has been seen or heard since. While the game's dual analogue 'tank-like' control scheme would not make the transition, the game's style and audience seem to be a perfect fit for the Wii. Tilt control could be used to replace dual analogue, and the game's simple graphics that have already graced the PS2/PSP, would also pose no computation problems. If Namco feels this game is better suited to the 360 audience rather than the Wii, their marketing department should be rolled into a ball and flung into space.

Wii Lightsaber game

Lucasarts have confirmed that the Wii will be receiving its own version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, but what Wii gamers really wanted was an original title that would really make use of the Wii Remote as their virtual lightsaber. Sword fighting has had a troubled past on the Wii; Redsteel being the primary offender, but Warioware featured 1:1 sword controls that could be copied by Lucusarts to deflect blaster bolts. Dragon Quest Swords has also used the on-screen pointer to help with the recognition of slashes. While a true 1:1 lightsaber may only be possible on Wii's successor, there is still huge potential this gen.

Pikmin

The original Pikmin was a good game, and its sequel was even better. The games use a cursor interface to select the Pikmin that is ripe for adaptation to the Wii pointer. In fact the Wii pointer could bring an entirely new dimension to the interface and add depth and variety to your orders and instructions. Pikmin 2 also features co-op modes that would greatly benefit from the online support that the Wii can offer. This really is a no-brainer.

Grand Theft Auto

I'm not talking about GTA4 here, but a version of the series that really focuses on the Wii's strengths. Godfather has already hinted at what can be achieved with the controls in 3rd person action games, and Resident Evil 4: Wii edition has proved that there is a market on the Wii for quality mature titles. The possibilities for immersing, unethical behavior using the Wii Remote is limitless and would create an excellent counterpoint to the main series. If a poor selling game like Manhunt angered certain groups, this game would send them into glorious apoplexy.

Pilotwings

Anyone who has played the previous two games that appeared on the SNES and N64 knows that the series is truly unique and appeals to the hardcore and casual community. Whether you just wish to explore the landscapes as birdman or guide your hang-glider through thermals to a gentle landing, the experience is nothing less than captivating. The possibilities on the Wii are endless, but larger more detailed worlds and tilt controls would be an excellent start. Perhaps even a co-op mode for the bi-plane, where one player pilots and the other takes out the targets? But please no flapping to make birdman fly...

Jet Set Radio

This series pioneered the use of cel-shading in video-games. It first began life on the ill-fated Dreamcast, and later its sequel arrived on the xbox: both performed poorly in the market place but were highly regarded by critics and hardcore gamers alike. 'Tagging' in the game required players to perform scripted motions with the analogue stick, but the Wii offers far greater accuracy and speed with its pointer and would allow gamers to tag the environment with an almost uncomfortable amount of realism. And of course shaking and spraying would produce the appropriate sounds from the Wii remote speaker. Need I say more?

Rez

Quite possibly the coolest game ever made, Rez was essentially a shoot 'em up that synergized sound, vision and gameplay to transport the gamer to its angular alien world. The game worked by having an on screen cursor that needed to be dragged over the targets, after which they would all be shot down in time to the music. More enemies targeted in in a single motion meant higher scores. Much like Pikmin, moving the cursor from dual analogue to the Wii pointer really opens up gameplay possibilities. Don't make me beg Sega.

Valve FPS

The FPS is a tricky genre on the Wii. While Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 and Metroid Prime: Corruption have amazing controls, the Wii simply does not have the power to match the A.I. and realistic environments that the PS3/360 can offer. If there is a developer that would be able to minimize the Wii's deficiencies and play to its strengths it is Valve. Portal is a work of genius and a genuine breath of fresh air, and if Valve could apply the same out-of-the-box thinking to a wii game, they would have a hit on their hands.

Burning Rangers

Sega has just blessed the Wii with a true sequel to Nights, but strangely its best control schemes make no unique use of the Wii at all. Burning Rangers was also a classic Sega Saturn game that put you in the role of a Fire Fighter, and with this game Sega has no excuses at all when it comes to the controls. The Wii remote would become your fire hose and it would create an experience not possible on other consoles. The heat haze effects and distortions would also be an ideal fit for the Wii as it shown itself to be quite capable when it come to post-processing effects. All in all if Sega were to again look at their back catalog of games to update, this would have to top the list. It's just a shame Yuji Naka, one of its original creators has left Sega to form his own company Prope.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi~ i 'm new here, i like your site, it was cool and nice, i will be back soon to see what new

Zapp Brannigan said...

Thanks.
I'm gonna update at least once a week.
The next post is about Factor 5; how they left Nintendo and then came back.

Anonymous said...

Jet Grind Radio for Wii please! It was so fun on dreamcast (didn't play xbox version) and the wiimote tagging would be cool.