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Hello and welcome to my first audio review,i am fg54.

I hope you enjoy.

Published and developed by: Frontier Developments
Genre: Adventure
cost: $10.00
Number of Players: 1 or 2

OVERVIEW:
One of the first things i would like to point out is that this game looks better then most full priced wii games out there thanks to its beautiful enviorment and artistic look, i still haven't goten tired of just looking at the game and shaking things around with wind.
The point of this game is to explore and solve puzzles with the wind as you get new powers.

SOUND:
this game doesn't have alot of sound effects, but what it does have. is a wonderful and relaxing background song that goes seemeengly with the game.

CONTROL:
you control your character with the nunchuck and the wind with the weemote, both are very responsive.

GRAPHICS:
gorgeous waterfalls, mountains, trees and even caves along with an equally impressive art style. make this game fun to look at.

GAMEPLAY:
this is an adventure game with some puzzle solving on the side.
the main puzzle is figuring out what to do next and where to go. due to the games lack of direction, there is no map or arrows telling you where to go, the only arrow i found was one pointing towards a powerup that was right netx to it, as if i needed it to figure out that the big shining rock was special. the game is also very short, about three and a half hours long and not alot of replay value.

REPLAY VALUE:
Unfortunatley, once you beat this game, there is virtually no reason to go back to it other then to play arround with the wind and to obserbe the beautiful enviorments, it is quite a relaxing experience, specially with the soothing music playing on the background.

CONCLUSION:
This is in my opinion the best wiiware launch title out there, so if you want to dip your toe in a gorgeous and interactive experience brough to you by wiiware, take off your socks and take them to your nearest pawn shop, purchase 1000 wii points, and download this sucker.

I give this game: four out of five stars

Because we all know exactly how it is, just to reinforce your state of mind about this game, since it hasn't really been released in Europe...

This is the reason I bought a Wii

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo in correlation with Game Arts
Players: 1-4
Genre: Fighting
Wifi: Yes

Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the third entry to one of the highest rated and best selling fighting games of all time, finally makes its way to the States, and soon Europe. Featuring a list of over 35 of your favorite Nintendo IPs, Brawl's maniacal furious fighting finally hits home. We all knew it was gonna be good, but just how good is it?

A story without a word
While Brawl never really does have a official(per-say) storyline, Adventure mode is a 8-10 hour journey that, for the most part, is the storyline. The story is such a jumbled mess that you can't help but just think "wow...are you joking? This is awesome!" In this story, you go through all 37 playable characters who are all taken straight from Nintendo's famous-franchise patent corner. They all learn, through one way or another, that they must help each other to fight off the invaders, to save not only themselves but all that they know. Now getting to the header--in this story, the characters never actually speak (with the exception of Sonic) which at first seems annoying, but once yo think about it, would Mario really sound like Mario if he was going over formulated battle plans in a high-pitched Italian accent? No. Yet, many of these characters do have voices, so the argument could be turned either way. In any case, the story really makes no sense, but it has to be that way in order to incorporate 1) People who live in a Mushroom(of all things) Kingdome, 2) People who live in a war of conspiracies and stealth, and 3) to incorporate people at one time lived as an animal in Mobius who live at the speed of sound. Get the picture? (It took me a while too) Oh, and this game has Wiinternet capabilities, meaning you can slash and bash your best friends over the Wiinternet. But be warned-- don't exceed 4 different consoles, or you will get lag like you've never lagged before. However, classic one-on-ones have narry a bit of lag, so should you limit it, you have no problem on the Wiinternet. Just be careful when you choose to play random players--games don't start till theres four, and that means massive lag.


Sonic and Dedede.

The Wii's Finest
With the exception of Super Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. is the best looking Wii game out there. Character Models are absolutely splendid, and seeing many of your favorite Ninty characters for the first time in full 3D is really something else. These are the characters at the top of their game and style right here. The effects of each characters Ultimate attacks, from Mario's fire to Sonic's insanely fast Super Sonic speed all are done without a hitch, giving this game some of the best visual effects that Ninty has ever done. Animations, while fluid and work fine, could have been a little more...expressive. Explosive? its hard to find the right word, but they just seem too...overdone, seeing as almost all of Mario's (example) repertoire is straight out of the first Smash bros. This really isn't a problem so much as a fan annoyance. So far I've been ranting on about the great foregrounds and amazing effects, but what about the backgrounds? Good. But not great. Now, before you put a bullet into my head (Put the gun down please!) the backgrounds look fantastic. They are varied, and colorful and what not. But after playing each one a few hundred times, they get a little repetitive. And Adventure mode's backgrounds ARE repetitive, I'm not even gonna try to save them. But heres the deal--when your beating the crap out of the other players, who is gonna be looking at the backgrounds anyway? Ah, you see? Not really to big a deal anyway. Now, for the FOREGROUNDS of the BACKGROUNDS. The platforms and such are basically a bunch of textures, usually repeating textures(most things are...) but as far as the arena you fight in, they often change enough to keep the arena appealing to the eye for a good while while. Theres not really too much to say here...

Snap Crackle Pop. This time NOT rice crispies.
Sounds. Sounds in each fight are limited to what the player does, not so much the environments. Meaning, there is no ambiance or atmospheric sounds in Brawl.(honestly, its practically 2D, what do you expect?) In Adventure mode, the sounds are only varied by a margin from single-player, as very few enemies actually make sounds. The only real fighting sounds you hear in this game are those of the fighters themselves, pummeling enemies into the ground. While these are the only sounds, they were recorded and placed great. After a while, they do get a bit repetitive, but this game is an odd one for sure; no matter how many times you hear the same sound, it never gets annoying. I can't tell you why, I just can't think of an instance where I've ever gotten annoyed by Ike's constant screaming. A conundrum...As for music, this title sports some of the best original soundtracks ever to be taken straight out of another game. They take the song, beef it up, and throw it in Brawl. Music really does determine the mood in this game, as the final bosses dirge-style rock makes you wanna blow 'em a new one, while Mario's light-hearted, uh, 'Mario' style music just makes you wanna sit back and enjoy the fight, for recreational purposes. To be fair, this game has one of the most basic sounds and music in the industry, and yet, it all works so well....it sure is an odd one.

The Classic 4-player brawler returns in style!
Gameplay, drives this game. It is the fuel that, if changed in any way, would be the end of the great series. So it is a great thing that while they didn't change it severely, they tweaked a already great formula to make it even better, for the most part anyway. Brawl is like the other Smash bros before it; and adrenaline fueled 4-player beat or be beaten fighter, with a huge range of Nintendo mascots by its side. Its a Ninty fanboys dream. In Brawl, you also get a range of items to help you bring down the competition, from bats to pokeballs. A new idea from ninty made its way to this game in the form of Assist trophies. Que, you ask? Assist trophies are NPCs that, well, assist you during a fight. Each Assist trophy contains a different original Nintendo character that didn't make the cut into the game as a playable character. They all have some form of temporary effects behind them, such as time slowdown, throwing bricks, or even just getting on your nerves. Unlike Melee, items don't really play too much a part in determining a battle this time around. In fact, alot has changed from Melee. I'll start with the bad. The charm is gone. While i can't fully describe this, the charm is what makes people always come back to it, and makes people feel accomplished. Unlocking characters in the variety of often wacky ways was one of Melee's best traits. This has been ripped out of Brawl. You can literally unlock practically EVERY character simply by playing through Adventure mode. You find em, you got em. You don't even have to fight em. Another thing is trophy collecting. Without the minigames that Melee had in Brawl, trophy collecting isn't near as addicting as it once was. Music collecting a great addition, but its not the same. And Target test is the same for every character. I mean the EXACT same. The characters become less personalized by these small changes. Some of the best characters were taken out, though replaced, they really oughta be in there. Besides the extreme lack of old-world charm, Brawl is the greater of the three in terms of shear furious action. Multiplayer action is still great fun, and with a level builder(even if its a pretty bad one, comparatively speaking) local multiplayer is the new black. Classic mode is the same as always, you beat the crap out of a series of people before taking out the master hand. All-Star mode makes a triumphant return as well. Home-run and Infinite mode also return, this time sporting 2 player co-op. Boss mode is great fun after you beat Adventure mode, too. RIP, adventure minigames....


Hiyah

Does it ever end?
Replay value is something every smash bros game had going for it, and this entry is no different. With 37 playable characters across over 20 battle arenas, with friends this game can last forever. Not to mention all the different modes and gameplay varieties. In a classic Brawl alone you can change so many options to keep this game going, its astounding. A huge adventure mode will keep you, maybe not interested, but PLAYING it for a while. I highly doubt you'll go back to Adventure mode when you done, though. And since the charm of unlocking and collecting is taken out of this game, fighting is really the only thing to do after getting stages and characters. Internet multiplayer really extends the fun, but you need to have a few friends who can play you to get the most out of it. Still, the insane levels of customization you can do with this game will keep you for a long, long time. Just don't expect to find as much fun as Melee gave you. But lets face it, Melee spoiled us silly.

Lets get to it then! (Standing around like a bloody idiot)

Story: 3/5
C'mon, its practically not even there. Still, tons of points to Ninty for successfully bringing all its mascots together in a storyline, even if a bit broken.

Graphics: 5/5
The best yet seen on the Wii. Backgrounds could use a little more work, but everything else is so well done it doesn't even matter.

Sound: 4/5
While music is amazing, sound effects are repetitive, but not annoying. No ambiance.

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Its back and better then ever. Brawl's fighting mechanics are the best they've ever been, but it seems they forfeited style for shear greatness.

Replay Value/Multiplayer: 5/5
After the main game, theres so much to do it'll make your head spin. And fighting friends over Wifi is only one part of it.

Overall:

Truly the Wii's finest yet. Its what we've come to expect of Nintendo over the years, not this mini-game crap. This is proof that Nintendo's still got it.

Lets face it. Mario Kart Double Dash sucked. It was
just too slow and two riders was simply retarded. It added nothing of interest but I guess slower
karts.. Thats why when Mario Kart Wii was announced I was met with mixed feelings. If we
got anything like Mario Kart DS all would be well but if they threw another Double Dash at us
then its a whole different story!

As more details began to emerge and my fears of a slow kart went away by the seeing videos I
found myself with brand new fears of a "family friendly" kart game. A soft-core Mario Kart? No
thanks! The DS didnt get that so why the Wii?



Well now that I've spent some personal time with the game I have determined that while the game
is considerably more "family friendly" than the previous versions it is still very enjoyable. The
single player modes are very fast and locked at 60 frames, as I like it, and as much fun as it
should be. However, the multiplayer is, and will always be where its at with Kart and that is no
different here. Local multiplayer is fun and fast-ish.. The thing is it seems to be locked at 30
frames! Ick! Oh well.. Everything else is as it should be.

Here is where Kart shines. Online. Thats right. A Ninty game that is not only good online its
nearly FLAWLESS. There is literally zero lag and everything is amazingly fast. Connecting takes
seconds and its locked once more at 60 frames. Fan-freaking-tastic! My only complaint is that
Battle Mode forces you to be on a team so that no one loses alone.. LAME. Oh and friend codes
still suck. You can at least make rooms for your friends and even see if they're playing online
without even starting the game via the Mario Kart Channel which is pretty sweet.



Ninty once more has shown the world how to do a few major things on Wii with Mario Kart. Online
here is an enormous step forward and devs should take notice. THIS IS HOW ITS DONE. Thats not all
they did very right here though. Oh no, they also have pulled off waggle steering! While the Wii
Wheel is little more than an extension of the "B" trigger the steering is great. I have had no
interest in using any other control method and am even able to be just as competitive online as
anyone using a joystick.

My biggest complaint with this game is a little something called rubber banding. Basically if
you're in first place get ready to be snapped back to dead last. Don't worry though because soon
you'll snap back to first! Yeah its the family friendly crap again. No matter how good you are
you simply wont win every race anymore like in the karts of old. Tragic.

When Mario first jumped into the solo spotlight with his first NES game the gaming world would never again be same. He had a good run and when he hit 3D it looked like it would only get better for him. Sadly however his next game, Super Mario Sunshine, was not up to par with the previous entries and platformers as enormous hits looked like a thing of the past.

Now with the platformer gasping for air we needed something big to save it. Mario Galaxy is just that. This game proves platformers are still alive and with this instance classic we're gonna be seeing a whole lot more.

This game plays, looks and feels just about as good as it gets. Everything is fast, smooth, and most importantly of all FUN. You can almost sense what Miyamoto and Co. were grinning about when everyone called the Wii a gimmick. This game epitomizes Nintendo and the Wii itself.

Nostalgia runs thick in this game with all the foes you've grown to love/hate from the past making their returns along with a few new ones. For any fan on Super Mario 64 this game is as simple as pick it up and start where you left off before on SM 64. Also at times you'll get this fantastic switch to a "2D" mode that couldn't be more like the even more retro SNES Mario games.



Now since we all know how great this game plays (Let me stress this once more. It plays better than ANY Mario game in the past in my opinion.) let me now move on to how it looks. These ARE the best graphics on Wii period. Metroid Prime 3 looked great and all but this game just is gorgeous. The screen shots simply don't do the game justice. To fully appreciate it you need to see it in action. It is gorgeous.



This time around you get several new "suits" for Mario to wear and each one is more awesome then the last. One of my new favorites is the Bee Suite if nothing else because it looks ridiculous. Nothing is funnier than Mario dressed like a bumble bee. Another good one is the Spring Suit. Its pretty much what you think.



Presentation- 4.5
Very high production values, co-op, Wiiconnect24 and its slick to boot.

Graphics- 4.5
Best on Wii period. Everything looks like a dream at a solid 60fps all the time.

Sound- 5
The best music and effects ever on a Mario game. Using a full orchestra for your music is genius.

Gameplay- 5
This is where the game shines. It plays simply perfect. From the controls to just how it feel. Everything is great.

Lasting Appeal- 4.5
More than 40 galaxies each completely different than the last, 120 stars to collect, and Wiiconnect24 support to show off you accomplishments. Can it get much better?

Overall

As close to perfect as you can get..would of given it a 4.9 but there is no star for it. I will never give a game a 5 but man.. this was close..

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few months you've heard off Wii Fit. It was announced at last years E3 convention and has been on everything from the Today Show to the Ellen Degenerous Show. As predicted by many this thing has officially blown up. However we all know that media coverage doesnt make the game good. Thats why I'm here to tell you.

My first feeling about this "game" was that it would be essentially Brain Age for your body. That seems like a good description now after spending some quality time with the game. It gives you an arbitrary Wii Fit Age as well as reading you BMI (body mass index) and weight. I would recommend following your weight and ignoring the rest.. BMI is notoriously inaccurate as it does not take into account body types. Basically a ripped muscle bound freak would be called fat.. On to the hardware.



The WiiBo is a solid piece of hardware. Its heavy and feels very solid. You would have to try pretty hard to break it. Then again what would you expect from a first party Nintendo product? It is even more precise then the Wiimote and the first time you use it you'll see that too. Its pretty amazing. The only issue I see is if your hands get sweaty they may begin slipping off the board in push-up drills or things like that. I haven't had that problem but others have. Wear cloves I guess. Wii Fit gloves.. Crap what have I done?! You watch.. Someone will make those.

The interface on this game is simple and shallow. Just what you would want in a game that is targeting literally everyone. My mother has no issues using it and she has problems emailing people links to web pages. They did a great job keeping everything clean fresh and simple. You can hop on, do your daily optional body test then start doing yoga, aerobics or whatever you want in seconds.



I almost feel odd calling this a game. Yoga, while far more fun then I thought it would be, is typically not a game component. I would have never seen myself enjoying Yoga on a game and yet here I am. It really feels like a Nintendo has made something great here with the WiiBo. The WiiBo is at the center with different branches like Skate It, Wii Fit, We Skii and others. Well We Skii is crap but you get my point. For those of you wondering how much of a workout it can be dont worry. Its a workout. The first thing I did was hit strength training. After 20 minutes of doing lunges, push-ups, and jack knives I was getting tired. Heres the trick. Push-ups generally arent that difficult. However try doing them slowly while keeping your balance perfect. Not so easy now eh? The longer you go it just keeps getting harder to keep you balance perfect and you will get sore. This is not the Wiitis people complained over in Wii Sports. This is a real workout tool.

Dont get me wrong though. This should never replace actual workout. Its just a potential part of a real workout routine. Its something to along side an actual hard workout to keep in shape or get there. That being said its one of my favorite games on Wii and I highly recommend it!

Okami
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Clover Studio
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1

Okami was a game that I was first intrigued by simply because of its art style. The game looked absolutely gorgeous and it had my interest immediately. Knowing little more than that about the game, except that my sister planned to buy it day one, today I got to play it. It immediately felt like LoZ:TP wolf mode in good way. Like Zelda with way more style. Well not quite Zelda.. But close. You begin with none of your actual powers (Sound familiar?) but that doesn't last long at all. In 2 hours you should have 2-3 of you brush techniques acquired and you'll be well on your way. You'll be wondering how this game will stretch to 30 hours but apparently it does! The brush work is fun, quick and easy especially when compared to the PS2's offering 2 years back. Other than the lackluster dodging with the nunchuck this game feels like it was built for the Wii.



Combat is fast and fun but not as often as some action games. Theres plenty to keep you interested in between battles however. I found myself enjoying myself doing practically nothing because of how it looked. Just running through a cave is almost fun. Other than that there are plenty of side quests and smaller missions to keep you very busy for a long time.

My biggest complaint is easily the voices of the characters. They sound like the people from Animal Crossing if their vocabulary was badly reduced. Very unpleasing to your ears. Its a wordy game too so get used to high pitch mumbling noises.



With that being said its an amazing game. My biggest complaint is something that most would find trivial and has no serious effect on the game. If you have not played Okami or maybe its been a while you absolutely have to buy this game. For a budget title this game is simply amazing. $40. Go buy it. In fact buy 5.

Score:

Wii Review by zzt
LostWinds
(Avalible on Wii shop channel under WiiWare)

Publisher: Frontier Developments
Developer: Frontier Developments
Genre: Adventure
# of Players: 1
Price: 1000 Wii points ($10)

Overview:
In LostWinds you play as Toku, a young boy who finds a piece of the Spirit Stone that contains the spirit of wind Enril, and the two set off on a quest to seal off an ancient evil that has invaded the island of Mistralis.

Gameplay:
In this game the player uses the wiimote/nunchuck combo.The nunchuck is mainly used to control Toku, the little boy. He climbs and reacts automatically. The most you have to do is push Z make him pick up objects. Then comes the main reason this game is so great, the Wind. The Wiimote is used to control the on screen cursor (the spirit Enril) to put the power of wind in your hands. Just move the cursor, and a sudden breeze wisks by anything nearby. This in itself is very amusing as people react, trees sway, and the grass and flowers flow at the mere signs of the wind. Then the A and B buttons come into play. Holding A creates a gust of wind, letting one do a number of things, the first and formost of which is letting Toku jump. Just draw a gust of wind under Toku and he is wisked upwards. Later you can draw what is known as a "slipstream" with B to create a wind current, of which I will let you discover its uses. As one of the first Wiiware games, I just have to say this kind of gameplay is so refreshing. There WILL be moments that you think to yourself " that is just amazing..." when you discover the true power of the wind.


Graphics:
There are some games that have good gameplay but poor graphics, and vice versa. This game on the other hand lets you have your cake and eat it too. What I mean is that while the gameplay goes above and beyond, the graphics are PHENOMENAL! The pictures almost speak for themselves. The game takes place on a 2D plane with 3D graphics with maybe a bit of cellshading. The style seems to be a mix of Native American/Aztec. The closes thing it resemebles to me is LittleBig Planet, a PS3 game for crying out loud! Seriously though, there are many games on the Wii that cost 5 times this much and do not look anywhere near this good. I can only hope other developers take a que from this and start taking advantage of the Wii as such.

Sound:
Another one of my favorites. The sound also takes a que from the Aztec/Native American style as it consists of drums and flutes. There seems to be only this one song through the main parts of the game but it is so beautiful and calming you will not mind. Battles do have a small melody that comes into play when enemies are in the area.

Replay Value:
Alas, every rose must have its thorn. If there was one issue with this game, it is its length. The game time clocks in at about two and a half to three hours, maybe four if you find all the secrets. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT let this turn you off, as this is really only a quality over quantity issue. The time you spend with this game is one of a great experience. Not since Okami has a game inspired me this much. Also remember that the game is only $10. You will more than likely want to play this one again from time to time, so take that into consideration.

Conclusion:
What a game. After playing this, I cannot wait to see what else can be done with the Wii and its WiiWare. The graphics and gameplay are great, the sound is wonderful, and the only reason not to get this game is if you are looking for a high energy, bloody, gory, action intense game. Even if you did somehow mistake this game for one, you would still have a great time.

Score:
I wish there was a way to give a score with only a quarter of a point off (like a 4.75) but I have to work with what I have. Due to the relative short length of the game, which is only a small complaint, mind you, I give this game a:



IMAGES COURTASY OF IGN