Wipeout may be one of the most aptly-titled television shows of recent history. The series is a mix of game-show and slapstick comedy, with contestants falling all over themselves (and each other, and the numerous obstacles placed in their way) in the hopes of gaining a cash prize. Wipeout: The Game follows the show’s format to the letter, and manages to capture most of the fun with none of the pain.Each game consists of four rounds and can handle up to four players. First, all players take turns on the initial obstacle course with its signature threats, including a wall of boxing gloves and the big red balls. The balls are one of the first options to really admire the physics engine of the game, as your on-screen avatar is helplessly flung from one to the next with little real chance of making it across. (more…)

The 2000 N64 title Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth was a critically-acclaimed and insanely challenging shooter, one which unfortunately wasn’t ported over to North America until 7 years later on the Wii’s Virtual Console. Perhaps due to the game’s American popularity, and perhaps as an apology to its non-Asian fans, we now have a sequel. And even though it took developer Treasure more than ten years, Sin and Punishment 2: Star Successor is well worth the wait.The new game is even better than the original, engaging all levels of players without sacrificing challenge. Previous Treasure games like Ikaruga and Radian Silvergun are renowned among players for their hardcore levels of difficulty. Star Successor, however, offers three levels of difficulty and one of the smoothest control schemes yet on the Wii. Whereas other system controllers require you to aim and move the character with the same buttons, the Wii remote enables split-second aiming as well as movement. (more…)

Here at Nintendo Wii Game Reviews, it’s our duty to play the bad games along with the good. That way, you don’t have to. Robin Hood: The Return of Richard is one of those unfortunate games that just doesn’t cut it. It’s disappointing when a smaller company’s game fails, since they’re working with less resources than the big-shots, but it’s hard to view Robin Hood as much more entertaining than an iPhone game. Oh wait, what’s thisit was ported to WiiWare from the iPhone? That changes everything!In all honesty, Robin Hood would make for an entertaining few hours if you stumbled across it online one day. Enemies come in endless waves and you shoot them with the A button, reloading with the B when necessary. The arrows are invisible, and enemies disappear when hit, so don’t look forward to any interesting death animations, either. Anybody looking for something more than this will be sorely disappointed, though, and as such, it’s hard to justify the 5.00 WiiWare asking price. (more…)

Japanese video-gamers love monsters, and they’ve got the franchises to prove them. Pokemon has been successfully transplanted to the point where it might be considered an American icon as much as Japanese, and Monster Rancher enjoyed a brief period of success. Monster Hunter is a more mature series than either of those, and coincidentally also the one that hasn’t caught on as easily. Monster Hunter 2 for the Playstation 2 did have some success, but something still wasn’t clicking. Now comes Monster Hunter Tri, and this time might be the charm.The most obvious thing about the game is that it is big, in so many ways. First, there are the monsters you’ll hunt. The models fill the screen and provoke wonder and fear (I have to kill that thing?) in equal parts. An early encounter with a Wyvern named Lagriacrus makes this point for the game very succinctly. The game’s scope is also huge. Considering all the exploration and customization possible, it’s very easy to spend over a hundred hours with the game. And that’s not even counting online play. (more…)

When LEGO first started concentrating on video games in the late 1990s, I was a skeptic. But somehow the company has made a name for itself producing family-friendly titles that capitalize on a license and still appeal to serious gamers. The company can now add LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 to that illustrious list.Gameplay will be familiar to anyone who has played a LEGO game before. Players advance through the game by collecting and exploring. In the Harry Potter universe, this includes unlocking spells and mixing potions. Spells are all recognizable from the books and necessary for successful gameplay, such as using Wingardium Leviosa to reach higher bricks and Lumos to defeat plant enemies. Mini-games come into play with “Student in Peril” missions, where players compete challenges to help a fellow Hogwarts classmate. (more…)