The Nintendo Wii launched about two and a half years ago, so the initial shine of novelty has started to wear off, if only a little. As such, Nintendo needed to bring something new, fresh and exciting to the console for E3 Expo 2009 in Los Angeles. Although not quite as groundbreaking as Project Natal from Microsoft, the Nintendo Wii lineup at the show still had titles worth noting. Check out our video gameplay compilation of some of these new titles:
Now that we’re visually stimulated with the live gameplay demos, let’s dive right into the nitty-gritty of a few of the new titles we’ve managed to tease you with.
New Super Mario Bros Wii
Easily one of my favorite games on the Nintendo DS is New Super Mario Bros. It took the tried and true platformer formula of the Mario franchise and updated it with new worlds, fresh graphics, and gameplay that is as enthralling as the originals. With New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo has essentially done the same thing, except they have now brought the franchise to the Wii.
The graphics style of New Super Mario Bros. Wii is pretty well identical to its DS counterpart, giving you the same kind of cartoony 2D visuals and marginally animated enemies. Stomping on goombas is just as refreshing and rewarding as it’s ever been, but with one very notable difference: four-player cooperative play.
With New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, there was the option for multiplayer gaming, but that was only comprised of competitive mini-games. With the Wii iteration, you transverse the stages of the regular story mode with up to four players: Mario, Luigi, and two Toads. I guess Princess Peach is the one in trouble. Again. Interestingly, you can kill off your “friends” the same way you did in the original Contra. If they can’t keep up with the pace of the rest of the team and fall off the edge of the screen, they die.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is set to launch in Q4 of this year.
Wii Fit Plus
The motion-based controls of the Wii Remote engaged an audience that may not have otherwise been interested in video games. The first Wii Fit continued this concept by popularizing the fitness game genre. Based on the resounding success of Wii Fit, it should not be at all surprising that Nintendo has a sequel coming down the chute.
Wii Fit Plus, realistically, offers you more of the same kinds of exercises and mini-games that you experienced in the first Wii Fit. You still get a series of yoga exercises, strength exercises, and that kind of thing, as well as 15 new balance games. You might remember going for a run with the dog in Wii Fit; now you get to ride an obstacle course on a Segway with that same pup. (Editor’s Note: It is a known fact that Michael Kwan is one of few people capable of crashing a segway)
Other new features include a calorie burning counter, the ability to create new routines, and even the option to have pet profiles. When Wii Fit Plus gets released in Q4 2008, it will be sold as a standalone game and as a bundle with the Wii Balance Board.
EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis
When Wii Sports hit the scene in 2006, we enjoyed the novelty of the motion controls, but we knew that this was only going to be a brief glimpse into the Wii games to come. The controls were over-simplified, by some accounts, so that the games could be more approachable. With the tennis game, your player would automatically gravitate toward the ball; you’d only be responsible for swinging.
At long last, this lack of control has been overcome courtesy of EA Sports. Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii offers a similar tennis experience as Wii Sports, except you can now tack on a nunchuk attachment, using the analog stick to control Roger Federer or Serena Williams. This game also makes use of the new MotionPlus attachment for more accurate swing mechanics.
The Wii version of EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis is available now.
Wii Sports Resort
Speaking of Wii Sports and the MotionPlus attachment, Nintendo has produced an official sequel to that original “demo” game in the form of Wii Sports Resort. It is fundamentally the same idea as the original, offering you a series of min-games, except you get 12 sports this time around and they all take place at the Wuhu Island tropical beach resort. The casual gamers who were fans of the original will probably like this one too.
In addition to the Wakeboarding event that you can see above, Wii Sports Resort also contains Disc Dog (frisbee), Power Cruising (Wave Race-style water event), Swordplay, Table Tennis (like in Wii Play), Golf, Air Sports, Basketball, Archery, Cycling, Bowling, and Canoeing. As mentioned, this title will also make use of the Wii MotionPlus attachment for improved motion accuracy.
Wii Sports Resort hits up Japan at the end of June with the international release following shortly thereafter near the end of July.
Red Steel 2
There is a misconception that the Nintendo Wii is only for the casual, family-friendly, kid-oriented crowd. While there is certainly a push toward this end of the market, there are also titles that are quite clearly not meant for a younger audience. Some of the more violent shooting games probably shouldn’t be played by little Timmy. Similarly, the original Red Steel involved slashing your enemies to bits using a menacing katana.
For the sequel, Ubisoft made a slight departure away from the Japanese culture depicted in the first Red Steel, instead taking a more country western approach for Red Steel 2. You’ll be a desert-themed metropolis, but it happens to be fairly high-tech. Known as the Swordsman, the protagonist wields both a gun and a blade.
Expect the use of the MotionPlus attachment, reduced levels of gore, and the lack of a multiplayer mode. Red Steel 2 is scheduled for release in Q4 2009.
For more E3 Expo 2009 gameplay videos, trailers and interviews, make sure you check out the Futurelooks YouTube Channel. We’ve stuffed it full of goodness that you’ll definitely enjoy.
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