Spyborgs

Things have pretty much been kept under wraps concerning Capcom’s Wii game Spyborgs. When development started, the idea was to present a very kid-friendly cartoon-style action game with emphasis on minigames, like on-rails shooting segments and such. However, around halfway through development, Capcom decided on an entirely new focus for the game, resulting in something of an overhaul. Now Spyborgs is a stylish motionbased brawler, and perhaps the better for it.

So, just what is the game about, you might ask? Well…Spyborgs? Again, it’s all under wraps, but as you may have caught, “Spyborg” is a combination of “Spy” and “Cyborg”, meaning the main characters are probably some kind of cyborg that work for a secret organization. And then, I guess, something happens within the organization that has the Spyborg’s on the run. But again, that is something of a guess. You get the idea.

Recently, Capcom unveiled their progress in a hands-on demo. Originally, the idea is that there would be a five-character roster. Now, it’s been reduced to a distinct three, which is probably a better choice. The first is an agile she-ninja by the name of Clandestine, the second is a gigantic tank of a gorilla-looking robot named Bouncer, and the third is Stinger, who is best suited for ranged combat. Did I mention the game features co-op play? So it’s kind of the idea to experiment with the characters with another player, and figure out which combination of characters works best and for what levels. The gameplay itself itself mostly involves motions, and pulling off well-timed combos and special abilities.

The visuals have changed dramatically since the game’s overhaul. While the original graphical style could well have been compared with that of the kids-geared platformer Sly Cooper, it’s now more comparable of Ratchet & Clank. While cartoony in a way, it’s also very detailed and textured, and very cool. While the characters look like sophisticated robots they also have a lot of personality. Bouncer is very visually appealing for a tank-like character in a brawling game.

Capcom hasn’t exactly announced just when the final game will be released, but the idea is to get out before the year 2009 ends. From what we have seen, it’s a tough and intense co-op fighting game that is supposed to appeal to more than just the casual crowd that the Wii is so often known for.

About Little King’s Story

Little King’s Story is a Wii game based on much the same concept as My Life As King, though both games started development at around the same time. The idea is that the player is the King, and has control over essentially everything and everybody in the kingdom. Rather like Harvest Moon meets Pikmin, it’s a game about management and strategy, and has a very fascinating cartoony style that sucks you in.

Things at the game’s beginning play out in a very similar fashion to Where The Wild Things Are, and I guess a lot of other kid’s stories. Basically, the main character(a young boy) ends up magically transported to a world where he has been appointed King. The question is, is this young boy really in this magical kingdom, or is it all in his head? This is left a little open to interpretation. One clue may be that the cutscenes portraying the kingdom’s legends look like they were drawn with a crayon.

Surprisingly enough, Little King’s Story does not feature motion control or IR support. Still, the controls work perfectly. The analog on the nunchuk is used for movement, A is for talking and other actions, and the B trigger is for recruiting men and having them follow you to do your bidding. Press 1 to dismiss followers. The D-pad controls the camera, the C button zooms the camera, and pressing Z shows you your king’s line of sight.

The idea is (again, much like in My Life As A King) to build up your beginning town and spread out your kingdom. At first, you have this little house with a small throne room, and many of the men around you are slackers, but that changes over time. As you hunt for treasure and complete other tasks you earn gold, which can be used to fund the building of new structures, such as town buildings, or bridges, or a myriad of other things that help the people expand and grow. As the wealth of your kingdom builds, the more changes will take place in the economy. You will start to see more beautiful houses and carefully constructed buildings, and peasants will be clothed in much more elegant garb.

Little King’s Story is already out in Japan, and will soon be released in Europe. After that, it will come to North America. At the very least, it will serve as a more full-fledged offering of what My Life As King attempted to do.

Why Wii Sports Is So Popular With Video Gamers

Wii Sports is a game that initially shipped with the Nintendo Wii Console. Its popularity is partially due to realistic gameplay - not with the game graphics but due to how the games are played. They mimic real-world sports games.

For example, to hit the ball in the tennis game, one merely swings the controller to the left or right. One does not have to fiddle with a small controller pad to play the game. To hit a  baseball, one holds the controller similar to how one would hold a baseball bat. This is the most realistic game play we have ever seen for sports video games.

The games included are tennis, baseball, boxing, bowling, and golf. The boxing game requires a separate “nunchuck” which plugs into the controller.

All games include training, standard play, several multiplayer choices, and the ability to create your own characters.

The training allows one to hone in on one of three different actions for each sport. Just as in real life, training or practice helps to improve your performance. In tennis, one can focus on returning the ball or placing the ball within a specific area. In baseball, one can practice pitching or batting. Boxing training is useful for learning how to duck and weave and throw your punches at just the right moment.

The standard gameplay involves one player playing against the computer. In some modes, defeating a computer opponent will often result in the gaining of “experience”. With enough experience, your rank increases. One’s rank is cause for bragging rights among his or her fellow gamers.

The multiplayer option allows two, three, or four players to compete against one another. This is Wii Sports at its most immersive and rewarding. Its one thing to pit your skill against a challenging computer player, another to play with living, breathing people whose real-life movements (as well as yours) directly correspond with onscreen gameplay. Of course, each player must have his or her own controller.

With Wii Sports, you can create your own characters and save them for later use. To create your own character, one simply starts with a character from the “Mii channel”. The character can then be customized to one’s own liking. Some of these characters can be used in games other than Wii Sports.

Many gamers enjoy saving their Wii Sports characters to the Wii remote controller, and will take them to a friend’s house, and insert the character into the game at the friend’s house. This adds greater personality to the gaming experience.

Game reviewers have given Wii Sports positive reviews overall, but are quick to point out a few flaws. The game has also won several awards.

The Nintendo Wii Sports game provides hours of fun for people of all ages.