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February marks the start of something new ... and the end of something lovely, too.  Den of Wii as a blog is no more; the force is being shifted into www.DenOfGeek.com, where you can get the Dennis teams views, rants and raves about all the formats of gaming, from the point of view of real gamers.  So we'll still be on hand to tell you the latest Wii news and reviews, etc. You might even discover other stuff that interests you along the way ...

As well as gaming, Den of Geek handles everything that's brilliant in a geeky way.  Cult TV, movies and icons will cram their way through the net onto your screens at home.  Don't click away until you've taken a dekko for yourself!

Thank you to everyone who has ever read, commented on or used our web site here at Den of Wii.  We love you and we'll miss you in this intimate form we've known and loved.  For those of you who would like to trace the work of those involved, you can catch me (Kim Kaze) and the team who contribute over at the Den of Wii Facebook group, which we'll keep running for now so you can comment, throw rotten veg - anything, really.

Once again, thank you all very much for being with us, and we'll see you over at Den of Geek!

-=Kim Kaze=-
Editor, DenOfWii.com

Here's a quick introduction to the game for those who didn't read our first article on the Wii edition (naughty!):

You fly around in 2D space as a small spaceship and other ships come at you.  Shoot them & collect the gems they drop.  That's the simple beauty of Geometry Wars as a concept, like arcade games of old.  Simple and addictive - all about the high score. The ships are all represented as small, geometric shapes such as diamonds, triangles and circles. The music is high energy and repetitive, not that we think you'll notice nor care.  It suits the mood of the game perfectly and should only annoy the most fussy gamer. (cont...)

I'm not quite sure how they've done it, but the creators of Geometry Wars: Galaxies have crammed the adrenaline surge and buzz from a roller coaster into a game. You have to focus so hard, be aware constantly of your surroundings and react perfectly each and every time.  The game just sucks you in more and more ... and more.

It's a challenge for sure, but a rewarding one; one that tells you that if you try one more time ... get it just right ... one more time ... push yourself that little bit harder, that elusive gold can be yours. In fact it will be yours.  Just once more.

I feel like I'm 10 and back in the arcades of my youth. Just. One. More. Go!

At least it does if I'm using the Wii Classic Pad option.  With the Wiimote controlling the direction I shoot and the nunchuk where my ship goes, I'm not as sold. But perhaps I just need more time with it. Or I'm just old...

 

The Internet is a funny place sometimes, peoples opinion can quickly become fact and vice versa. One case in particular is the new NiGHTS game for the Wii.  Much talk has been made of the control system, how unwieldy it is and how it ruins the game.

I can only presume those having said such things were at the end of a long day, didn't bother to read the manual and were already on their third Stella of the evening, because in my experience, the control system is fine. The Wiimote on its own is certainly usable, though perhaps not quite as precise as you might like. Add the nunchuk and all is well; NiGHTs being perfectly controllable with the analogue stick, allowing you the freedom to enjoy the world that Segas Sonic team have created for you.

That's not to say getting to grips with how NiGHTs flies is easy; it takes a certain amount of practice to fully master the tricks at your disposal, but rather then being a frustrating attack of control frustration, the finesse is in there for you to find ...

It's been out in the arcades since 2004 (with Ghost Squad Evolution appearing in 2007). Launched firstly in Japan, followed by the US and then Europe & the UK, Ghost Squad has come to the Wii, which can only be seen as a positive thing for the more mature gamer.  Rated 16 by ELPSA and making full use of the Wii Zapper unit, could this be part of the answer for gamers wanting more 'punch' on their Wii at home?  We look to see if that's the case.

The first observation worth talking about is the arcade nature of the title, which may be alien to some not raised in the arcade environment, pushing 10p coins into slots.  In short, the game is exactly that - short.  Don't expect a lot of levels that takes you days to complete, the entire game playing field is only three levels long.  Sounds terrible, doesn't it?  But ask any arcade gamer and they'll quickly tell you that in arcade titles, the learning curve within the levels is very stern; there's plenty of variety in tasks to do and different ways that you can go ... 

Are you excited about Christmas?  It's coming .... the goose is getting fat! If your wallet is heading the opposite way however, you may be wondering what Wii games you can even afford to splash out on this festive season.  After all, money doesn't grow on trees.

But zappers do!  For the measly RRP of £19.99p, you can purchase (in a slimline box, no less) a brand new piece of Wii hardware and a game thrown in.  Or ... is it hardware at all?  Technically, the zapper is a glorified piece of housing.  It's a case for what you already paid for (a Wiimote and Nunchuk).  Are you getting ripped off, or is this the deal of the season?

Well, here's what we think.  Link's Crossbow Training is a fairly short, but lasting shooting title, arcade in style.  Imagine pushing the silver coins in, seeing the lights go off and the corny midi music start up.  That's you playing this game.  There's no plot to solve and it's probably the shortest adventure Link's ever been on, but that doesn't mean it hasn't got charm.

What you'll notice

The first thing that is different about this game is the official linking in with the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing; quite an accolade.  The main events are all actual Olympic challenges that the real competitors face, and the variety is lovely.

Graphically and in terms of sound, we've seen both better and worse on the Wii so far. It doesn't look like a dog, but it is cartoony in style.  Probably a turn off for some traditional gamers.

What doesn't work so well

Is it just a pointless crossover?  Can Sonic and Mario actually be 'fun to play' on a level playing field?  Some say yes to the first, and no to the second.  Several players we tested this game on didn't like the theme or the fact that it was a merger.

The controls DO vary from game to game.  This is both a weakness and strength; some game controls are very frustrating whereas others are easy to get to grips with straight away.  This may lead to less patient gamers giving up on certain events and this will severely hamper their chances of enjoying, or getting any lastabilty out of the game.

This week we begin our story at the end of the brutal Megadrive vs Super NES console war.  It was one of the most exciting times in gaming with Sega fronted by their platforming superstar "Sonic the Hedgehog" battled a bloody war with Nintendo and the legend that is "Super Mario."  It was so heated that I actually remember arguments in the playground over which company was better.  It was like supporting a football team.

Meanwhile, Sony decided they wanted a piece of the console pie and released the Sony Playstation in 1994.  Back then, little would have suggested that Sony's console and sequel would knock out Sega and have Nintendo on the ropes for years.  Why am I telling you all this?  Back in the console wars, the idea that you'd have a games company that did not have a platforming figurehead was unheard of.  Nintendo had Mario.  Sega had Sonic.  And in 1996, Sony had Crash Bandicoot.

What with Christmas coming, the festival, family, holiday season well and truely upon us and the likes of Keith Chegwin and Alan Hansen swinging their weight around, the 'get together quiz' gaming catagory has come alive with fresh offerings to add to the growing pile of Buzz! games that some of us have grown to love (and others to hate, it has to be said).

Some quiz games go down the tried and tested avenue of providing a catagory for you to shriek at; sports, music, kids questions etc.  Some prefer to present themselves as an all round general knowledge quest for the gold, and this is where EA's Smartypants can be found.  For ages 3 and up though, the packaging alone should tell you that it's aimed at kids and their families.  Or to put it another way, unless you've been to school in the last few years, you probably won't be smart enough to answer half the questions ... especially the ones about Harry Potter.

It's been many a year since I've played a Spyro game, the last one being Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer back in 1999. The series obviously has maintained a decent level of popularity as next year marks the tenth year in the business and you only have to ask Bubsy the Bobcat how hard that is to achieve. Now I have a little place in my heart for Spyro. OK so it may have got labelled a kids game due to the cutesy graphics but it was very popular with past girlfriends who up until they played Spyro had little interest in games. That was because it was accessible and interesting. I, myself enjoyed the little Dragon's adventures so when I was asked to review the new game for the DS I was genuinely quite excited. Eight years have passed since the last one I played and Spyro has been passed from Insomniac Games (those responsible for the critically acclaimed Rachet and Clank series) to Krome Studios (who are responsible for a bunch of games I've never heard of) and has gone via many other games designers. Can Krome continue the magic whilst evolving the game?

Before I even slipped the cartridge in, I took the unusual step of handing it over to my young cousin, Thomas, to get a child's perspective on the game. Cue much irritation on his part, complaining of several things before reaching for the manual. "Oh dear," I thought. Let's be honest, how many of us have ever reached for a manual on a game before? That gives me the impression that things were not being explained properly. After a half hour's play, he put it down and described the games as, "puzzling but in need of more action." To be totally honest, I think he was being a bit too kind.