Nintendo Reviews

Packed in with each new Wii console is the game Wii Sports, which is designed to not only give value to the package, but also introduce the new control scheme Nintendo has centered its new console around.

n the same way that Midway’s Arctic Thunder was a spiritual successor to Hydro Thunder, Excite Truck is a spiritual successor to Excite Bike. Many gamers know and love Excite Bike, so the expectation is high to deliver an arcade style racing game that isn’t a “kart” style but not fixated on delivering realism. Excite Truck delves into this middle ground with a good portion of success in the gameplay department, but still falls short in delivering what it should have at the launch of the Wii.

One of the biggest films of the Summer 2006 season in Hollywood is Disney Pixar's Cars. The movie featured a world of living, breathing cars and a complete lack of all humans. THQ obtained the license for the videogames based on the film and they have done a remarkable job in creating the best game version of a Pixar film. Utilizing the resources of Rainbow Studios, Cars is a game that fans of the film will want to give a look. However, despite a very good attempt, all is not perfect in Cars.

Ten years ago, outside of Japan, a game like Chibi-Robo would only be available to the most hardcore. Only those who shelled out the money for an import system and took a chance on ordering an obscure and quirky title in the back of a game magazine would discover a game such as this. However, over the past few years, the US game market has become enlightened to the charm of quirky Japanese games, with the notable exception of dating games (let’s keep it that way, please). And with the stateside success of Katamari Damacy and the Nippon Ichi strategy RPGs, we’re likely to see even more of these in the future.

With this pedigree, there’s high expectations right off the bat for poor little Chibi-Robo. The assumption is, it’s weird and Japanese! It’s just got to be unique and unlike anything we’ve ever played. Unfortunately the reality doesn’t quite match.

Why have wheels, when you've got air?
Sonic Riders is Sega's latest racing game using the Sonic characters, but instead of being on foot (like in Sonic R), or using cars (Sonic Drift),Hoverboards are the vehicle of choice. I've heard complaints about the graphics, however I think they're very nice. Then again, these complains could have come from the PS2 version.

killer7 had people guessing ever since it was first unveiled way back in 2002. We were still guessing when it was shown unplayable at following two E3's. It will have players guessing until the very end, and most likely, it will have them guessing even when the credits are rolling.

The original Donkey Konga proved to be a critical and commercial success. It seemed that everyone-- players of all ages and all gaming skill levels--enjoyed drumming to Nintendo's first rhythm game. The game is played by beating on a pair of special conga controllers. The first Donkey Konga featured 33 songs that mainly consisted of classic or oldies tunes, and even a few video game remixes. It turned out that these were songs that almost everyone enjoyed playing, and Donkey Konga is still a great party game today. Still that, didn't many from noticing that soundtrack lacked anything modern or current. The sequel aims to remedy and perhaps attract a new crowd of buyers.

Though Nintendo is often known for doing things a little differently, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is still one of the stranger projects to come out of their Japanese studios. 2D platformers are somewhat scarce these days, so Jungle Beat can be a fairly refreshing experience. Players guide Donkey Kong through a series of levels by controlling him with a set of DK Bongos, the special drum controllers first used with the musical game Donkey Konga. Initially, I had some reservations about Jungle Beat.

The Urbz: Sims in the City is a step away from the classic Sims Suburbia we've all grown to know and love. In The Urbz it's not so much about what you know anymore, it's all about WHO you know. Popularity is key in this Sims game. To get anywhere in the game you must first rub noses with the high and mighty of the big city. As the game progresses you will meet new and interesting people throughout the city.

One of the biggest surprises this generation for Nintendo's GameCube was Capcom's Viewtiful Joe. A highly stylized action game that featured outlandish visual effects, a quirky super hero star and gameplay tweaked to perfection, Viewtiful Joe garnered quite a following. The game's unrelenting popularity has now inevitably lead to a sequel in Viewtiful Joe 2. Can Joe's new adventure possibly be as exhilarating as his first? Well, let's take a look and see...