14 Most Anticipated Wii Games – 1st Quarter 2010

WiiNintendo lists their most anticipated games for the first 3 months of 2010.

Did we miss any? Don’t think one should be on this list? Post your list in the comments.

January 12th, 2010 – The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces

In The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, players hold the Nunchuk in the right hand as the flight control stick is tilted to roll, pitch, and yaw, while the Wii Remote held in the left hand is titled up to accelerate and down to decelerate in its role as the throttle. The somber story of a world that needs war to survive, based on a novel series by Hiroshi Mori and adapted into an animated film released by Sony Pictures in the US, is told with a combination of animated cut-scenes and voiced in-game sequences during battle.

—————————–

January 26th, 2010 – Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is Capcom’s seventh installment in its Vs. series, which includes the Marvel vs. Capcom and Capcom vs. SNK games. It is the first Vs. series game to feature 3D graphics on a 2D plane. This creates a 2.5D environment consisting of character models and backgrounds rendered in 3D, while gameplay remains on a 2D plane used in traditional fighting games.[8] Tatsunoko vs. Capcom does not have the more complex attack systems like in the Street Fighter series and some previous Versus fighting titles. The game uses a simplified three-button attack system with the option for a more simplified control scheme since it was developed with the Wii in mind.
[Screens]

——————————-

January 28th, 2010 – No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

Travis Touchdown, the series protagonist, is said to have withdrawn from the ranks of the UAA for three years. During those three years, Travis has fallen to 51st place, and Santa Destroy has been renovated into a tourist hotspot, with funding provided from various corporations.

Silvia Christel, Travis’ lover and introductory agent of the UAA, has returned to Travis to invite him back into the ranks once more.

Hinted that there would also be a strong theme of revenge, Bishop Shidux, manager of Beef Head video rental and also Travis’ best friend, is shown in a scene where various hitmen hold up his store, brandishing firearms.

——————————–

January, 2010 – LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Lego Harry Potter’s gameplay is similar to that of previous Lego games, with an emphasis on collecting. Casting spells is an integral part of the gameplay; few are available from the start, but more are unlocked as the player progresses. The wingardium leviosa spell, which almost all characters can use, enables the player to lift and arrange Lego bricks. Potion-making is another integral feature; potions can help the player complete levels or, if created incorrectly, have adverse side effects such as turning the player into a frog. Over 100 characters are playable, including Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor Quirrell, and Fang.

———————————-

February 9th, 2010 – Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll

• Use your Wii Remote™ or step on to the Wii Balance Board and use your whole body to get your monkey moving!
• New character, Jam, joins the cast of AiAi, MeeMee, GonGon and Baby for more monkey madness!
• 70 all-new mind-blowing puzzle levels have been created to test your skills.
• Work together with friends in the all-new Co-op Mode and blast away obstacles with the Wii Remote to clear a path for your monkey-rolling teammate on the Wii Balance Board.
• Test your stamina in the new Marathon Mode and try to complete all 7 Worlds in one sitting!
• See how well you can memorize each level…and then attempt them all flipped in Mirror Mode.
• Over 20 addictive multiplayer party games including fan favorites such as Monkey Racing, Red Light Green Light and Monkey Target. Also jump into some fantastic brand-new ones including Sky Diving, Sumo Smash and Firefighter!
• Burn “Monkey Calories” by playing the main game using Wii Balance Board. The more you move your body, the more Monkey Calories you will burn!
• There are dozens of achievements that can be unlocked by collecting bananas and burning Monkey Calories. Can you collect them all?

———————————-

February 9th, 2010 – Shiren the Wanderer

Shiren is a rogue-like, a term coined for a sub-genre of RPG games that asks players to brave deadly dungeons where they collect gear and items and live their way to the other side. Typically, rogue-likes are turn-based, meaning that for every action your character takes, the enemies in the dungeon get one in response. The genre is also known for breaking players’ souls over its proverbial knee, as the formula for success is a fantastic mix of skill and luck that will never play out the same way twice.

Shiren’s latest outing is more like a traditional Japanese RPG than it ever has been. With an epic story spanning 1,000 years, three playable characters, huge item and monster lists, and key scenes being delivered in full-motion video, even gamers who tend to run for the hills whenever someone says the word “rogue-like” will feel right at home here. This blog is for you, Persona and JRPG fans. I’m one of you at heart, and Shiren is right up your alley.

———————————-

February 16th, 2010 – Red Steel 2

Red Steel 2 is played in a first-person perspective where players can alternate between shooting and sword fighting. Swordplay has been refined with the aid of Wii MotionPlus. Players will be able to fight up to six enemies at a time, and will be able to deflect their opponents bullets with their sword. Gamers will also have the chance to fully calibrate Wii MotionPlus to their tastes. As the player progresses, new abilities and weapons will be available for the player to either purchase or earn.
[Check Out WiiNintendo's Exclusive hands on during a visit to Ubisoft]
[Check Out WiiNintendo's Exclusive Interview with Dev, Jason Vandenberge]
[Check Out WiiNintendo's Exclusive 26 minute presentation given by Jason Vandenberge]

———————————-

February 22nd, 2010 – Endless Ocean: Blue World

Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep features improved graphics and larger explorable areas than the previous game. Adventures of the Deep allows players to travel to six different diving spots around the globe, including new polar and river locations.

Adventures of the Deep was designed with a plot which players may choose to follow. The plot centers around a woman called Océane (Europe) or Oceana (North America), whose late father was a dedicated ocean explorer, and whose target is to continue his investigation into the Song of Dragons, a song apparently lost in the Pacific Ocean. She is helped by her grandfather, Jean-Eric, whom she lives with.
Here, the player is seen to have encountered a creature which may turn hostile.

The ability to dive with a dolphin as a companion returns from the first game, and players will now also be able to ride them to move quickly through the water. Players can also sell salvaged treasure for money that can be used to buy items to decorate their private reef and aquarium. Potentially dangerous creatures such as sharks and crocodiles will now elicit a warning for players and may even attack them; players will be able to drive them off using a new tranquilizer-like tool called the Pulsar which calms them down. The Pulsar can also be used to heal any creatures the player finds that are unwell.

Adventures of the Deep features online cooperative multiplayer that allows players to communicate using the Wii Speak peripheral. As with the first game, players will also be able to take pictures during their dives, which can now be saved to an SD card.

———————————-

March 16th, 2010 – Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of The Moon

Protagonist Seto exploring an eerie and abandoned world, seemingly populated only by haunting ghosts and demons. Players utilize the Wii Remote™ as a flashlight to illuminate Seto’s surroundings, solve puzzles and interact with the environment. Gamers are immersed in an intensely cinematic experience where desolate, strangely beautiful atmospheres filled with gorgeous graphics and stunning lighting effects are brought to life by an emotional musical score. Explore the narrative of a lonely and lost soul as he encounters memorable characters and discover the back story behind scavenged items that provide insight on people’s last days before the apocalypse.

———————————-

March 30th, 2010 – Mega Man 10

Mega Man 10 will have three playable characters: Mega Man, Proto Man and an as-yet unnamed character. Nintendo Power has revealed two Robot Masters so far: Commando Man and Sheep Man, the latter possessing the Thunder Wool weapon. An easy mode will also be included in the game (which has been compared in difficulty to Mega Man 2) that alters levels, such as placing platforms over spike pits. There will also be a ‘Mega Man Challenges’ mode where players can practice their skills. Returning features from the previous game include an in-between level item shop and downloadable content.

———————————-

March 30th, 2010 – Max & the Magic Marker

Max & the Magic Marker is a physics based 2D platform game, in which the player controls the boy Max and his Magic Marker. While Max enables good old platforming fun, the marker pro­vides the game’s signature feature: the ability for the player to draw directly inside the game world where everything drawn becomes physical objects. This feature is used to complete levels and overcome challenges but it also provides the player with a unique tool that in itself is fun to play around with.

The objective of the Max project is:

• To reinvent and celebrate the 2D platformer
• To make a game that you can play with – not just play
• To utilize the drawing mechanic in an speedy action game
• To make a game that is for everyone

———————————-

March 31st, 2010 – Sin and Punishment 2

The game can be controlled using one of four control methods: Wii Remote with Nunchuk, Wii Zapper, Classic Controller (as well as the Classic Controller Pro) and the Nintendo GameCube Controller. Playing as either Isa or Kachi, the player traverses through on-rail levels, moving and shooting independently. Attacking enemies can either be shot at from afar, or melee attacked when they are close enough. Some missiles can be melee attacked to turn them against enemies. Getting successive enemy hits whilst remaining unscathed increases the score multiplier.

———————————-

March 31st, 2010 – Super Meat Boy

The game will carry the same basic premise as the Flash version, and sees players taking on the role of a small animated cube of meat who must save his girlfriend Band-Aid Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. Players must guide Meat Boy to the end of each level, using his wall clinging ability, whilst avoiding buzzsaws, salt, and other various death bringing obstacles. The game will contain over 100 levels, unlockable content and multiplayer co-op and versus modes, as well as a four player party mode. The multiplayer modes will also feature playable characters from other independent games, which must be unlocked by the player by collecting Band-Aids in the game. Completing a level with an ‘A’ grade will unlock a harder alternate level. Occasionally warp zones appear that warp the player to either an indie game, where players can play as and unlock characters such as Tim from Braid, or retro levels, which are shown in 4-bit, 8-bit and even Game Boy style graphics. These levels will also have retro rules applied to them (such as a three life limit). There will also be a replay function, showcasing failed attempts simultaneously, and a full level editor.

———————————-

March 31st, 2010 – Monster Hunter Tri

Monster Hunter Tri will set a new bar in the action/adventure genre with the introduction of new features and game play elements as the multi-million unit selling franchise makes its debut on the Wii system.

One of the most strikingly beautiful titles ever developed for Wii, Monster Hunter Tri depicts a living, breathing ecosystem where man co-exists with fantastic beasts that roam both the land and the sea. Featuring both online and offline cooperative modes, players can join online hunting parties with up to four players or play with two players on a single TV for select quests. Players also have the option to face Monster Hunter Tri’s challenging quests as a single player experience accompanied by Cha-Cha, an AI hunting partner whose tracking and trapping skills will prove invaluable in the hunt. New items, weapons and armor sets will also be available to assist the hunters as they embark on the most incredible Monster Hunter adventure to date.

[Pre-order any of the games listed above in WiiNintendo's Online Store!]

Around The Net: