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Are you happy to see me? Or is that just a Snake in your pants? Solid Snake goes portable in a big way. Get ready for the biggest non-shock of the year: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is good. Very good. In fact, it's THE killer app that Sony fans have been waiting for:

1UP (95/100) - "All this translates into a game that essentially pushes the PSP in all of its features: graphics, portability, Internet, extra hardware doohickeys, and multiplayer. Sure, it might have hiccups (occasional ghosting, quirky A.I., the one analog nub), but Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is not only a fine MGS title -- it's also a damn good showcase for the PSP."
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IGN (90/100) - "It's been a long time coming, but this is what Metal Gear Solid fans, and indeed PSP fans have been waiting for: a title that demonstrates what the technology of the PSP can actually do, with a solid action title to boot. The GPS and WiFi scanning feature is excellently implemented, the online and single player modes are deep, and there are plenty of things to do by tracking down and recruiting new soldiers from various places. This is one of the games to add to your collection if you have the PSP."
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Yahoo (80/100) - "This is one of the PSP's best multiplayer titles, giving you essentially a two-for-one experience. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops isn't a must-have for everyone, but most gamers recruited into its ranks will be satisfied."

The game has shipped to retailers, so expect them in stores today or tomorrow. Rush in to your game store, and tell us what you think about the game! ...

Via IGN

Many of the early Wii titles put the new Wiimote controller to the test. Gundam Scad Hammers (to be known as SD Gundam G Breaker internationally) goes one step further. The Bandai Namco Japanese launch title is a true test of the longevity of the strap that comes bundled, and pre-attached, to every Wiimote. When playing this game, you'll want to heed the advice that starts off every Wii game and make sure that the strap is securely fastened.

In Scad Hammers, you take control of an SD-style Gundam unit in a fight against the ZEON army. Even without the Wiimote-based controls, the game feels a bit different from the usual Gundam fare. The fighting takes place from an overhead perspective. You play through 100 plus missions set in space, on the ground and under water, facing off against screenfulls of enemy mechs, ships and gun turrets.

Instead of standard missiles and guns, your Mobile Suit is equipped with a ball and chain as its primary weapon. Enter the Wiimote. All offensive moves in Scad Hammers involve swinging the Wiimote in some way. To perform a basic hammer-style attack, you swing the controller like a hammer. To swing your ball and chain around, you slash the controller left and right.

The game requires the nunchuck attachment, which you use to move your Mobile Suit around and jump during ground levels or dash during space levels. Standard buttons on the Wiimote are also used. Holding A down makes your Mobile Suit block. You perform a screen clearing super move by holding A and B down and swinging the controller around.

Above all else, you're encouraged to swing the Wiimote around like your life depends on it. The strength of your on-screen attacks correspond to the strength of your Wiimote swings. In order to get the strongest attacks, as indicated by a "Max Impact" registering on the on-screen power meter, you'll have to put quite a bit of force into your swings.

As you clear missions, you gather new items, which can later be equipped to your Mobile Suit for added attack and defense power. You also come into possession of up to 12 new ball and chain weapons, each with its own special attack, often providing even more ways to work your arm out.

Scad Hammers is missing a few things. There's no multi player play, no voices during the frequent dialogue sequences, and the levels (as you'll see in the new videos that we've posted) often lack music. Visually, the game offers progressive output (with Tamagotchi and Crayon Shin-chan not having this feature, I was worried someone in the Bandai Namco Group had a grudge), but it suffers from bland environments and slowdown when the screen gets busy.

While the game doesn't seem to be all that accurate in registering your swings correctly, due to the abundance of life and fuel power-ups, it doesn't really matter. Bashing away at screens filled with enemies is lots of fun thanks to the Wiimote mechanics. In fact, without the new controls, Scad Hammers looks like it would be pretty mindless and repetitive.

On the one hand, playing Scad Hammers for thirty minutes got my arm so physically tired that I had to take a ten minute break. On the other hand, isn't that the recommended way to play games anyway? ...

Via IGN

It would be a mistake to compare Kororinpa, Hudson's Japanese Wii launch title, with Sega's Super Monkey Ball. While both games involve rotating a maze around in order to guide a ball (or a monkey in a ball) to a goal, the Hudson title has some big differences.

Your goal in Kororinpa is to lead a ball from a start point to a goal point. Along the way, you're required to pick up gems that are scattered across the play field. Miss any of these, and the exit point won't open. You're free to restart the maze at any time, with gems that you've collected on previous tries remaining in your possession.

Unlike Monkey Ball, Kororinpa gives you full control over the maze. Using the Wiimote, you can make the maze rotate in all directions, even flipping it upside down. You'll find yourself turning the mazes in every which way in order to get past the many obstacles.

Mazes are full of variety. Some areas require that you guide your ball carefully down narrow pathways, making sure not to fall off the ledges. At other times, you have to rely on your ball's momentum to leap over obstacles. One stage that I encountered early on contained a section that felt like an actual walled maze.

The mazes are set in themed levels. The first stage is a forest setting, with the mazes made of wooden planks and leaves. The second stage is a candy land, with pretzels, bread and sweets serving as the walls and surfaces.

Koronipa brings a few physical twists to the formula. Some parts of the mazes have different surface properties, affecting the movement of your ball. In the forest stage, for instance, some areas are covered with sap, which slows your ball down. Other areas are covered in water and feel more slippery.

The game also includes a large selection of ball types, which also have surface properties that affect how they move. Some balls aren't even round. As you clear the mazes, you earn new balls which can be selected prior to the start of a level.

The big concern is, of course, the accuracy of the Wiimote-based controls. While the controls can feel a bit sensitive at times, on the whole, I haven't had too much trouble getting the mazes to move exactly how I want. I usually find myself holding the controller as if getting ready to throw a dart or a paper airplane.

I did die a whole lot as I made my way through the first twenty or so levels, though. Kororinpa's puzzles can be pretty tough, although so far I haven't come upon anything that I wasn't able to clear after a few tries.

The experience would be a bit better if Hudson had taken a bit more time with the title. There are some notable missing features, including a lack of real time camera movement. If you want to survey your ball's surroundings, you have to go into a menu. Strangely, the camera here is controlled not with the Wiimote, but with the d-pad!

The lack of visual finesse also doesn't help. This is one of the worst looking Wii games around, with no progressive support and visuals that look like they've been blown up to fill the screen. The visuals become glitchy at times, especially if you turn the maze in strange ways.

Kororinpa offers split screen two player support, vertical or horizontal according to your preference, with one player using the Wiimote and the second player using the nunchuck. I was able to try this out a bit and didn't notice any major glitching or slow down. In fact, I preferred playing as second player because the nunchuck actually feels better than the Wiimote at controlling the maze. Sadly, the nunchuck can't be used for single player play.

Outside of the main single player mode and the two player split screen mode, there isn't a whole lot to do in Kororinpa. The game doesn't offer additional challenges or puzzles, nor does it have any of the mini games that help extend the life of games like Monkey Ball.

With the basic presentation for the menus, the poor visuals, and the lack of options, it seems that Hudson rushed Kororinpa out for launch. Despite this, I've enjoyed the game so far, and couldn't stop playing once I started. Short load times and some intriguing maze design make this a fun distraction for early Wii owners, even if there aren't any monkeys in the balls. ...

Via IGN

With sixteen games launching simultaneously in Japan, there was bound to be a stinker in the bunch. Bandai Namco's latest adaptation of Tamagotchi has all the markings of a launch title that will soon be forgotten.

Tamagotchi Pika Pika Daitouryou (or Tamagotchi's Sparkling President, as the name translates to English) is a digital board game where you and up to three CPU or human controlled players attempt to become president. The player with the most popularity following a series of voting days wins.

Your popularity increases or decreases depending on how you perform on the board. Some spaces automatically take you through PR events, which serve to increase your popularity rating. One particular space, the "goal space," gives you a huge increases in popularity. The board also has shop spaces, where items can be purchased for decorating your office, also a good way to increase your popularity.

Some spaces require that you clear mini games in order to get popularity. The game has two types of mini games. A set of smaller "Gocchi Games," designed to mimic cheap LCD-based digital games, use the left, up and right buttons on the d-pad for controls. Full-fledged mini games make use of the Wiimote for direct control. The game has all the basics, including using the controller as a flashlight to search dark rooms and using it as a steering wheel. The minigames can be replayed separately from the main board game.

Each set of turns is considered one full day, with every seventh day set as voting day. The player with the most popularity on this day gets an emblem. Following all voting days, the player with the most emblems becomes president. You can set the number of voting days depending on how long you want the game to last. A seven day period takes about 30 minutes of play time.

Most of the time, Tamagotchi feels like only half a Wii game. The menus don't allow you to point and click to select options, something that feels strange after having played the Nintendo-designed Wii games. Almost everything is done in the old fashioned way -- selecting with the D-pad and pressing A to confirm. This is okay for some options, but there are times when direct pointer controls seem like an obvious choice.

Outside of the mini games, the Wiimote is used in only a few areas. In order to launch dice into the air for your next move, you slam the Wiimote down like a hammer. Bandai also managed one of the dumbest uses of the Wiimote I've seen so far. To switch to the statistics screen, you're required to strike the Wiimote down like a hammer. This has to be done with a surprising amount of force, or the game won't recognize the motion. In addition to just asking for an accident, this is inconsistent with the traditional controls found in the rest of the game.

Tamgotchi also has some presentation issues. You can't skip opponent turns, which means watching CPU-controlled players do even the most mundane tasks, like purchasing items in a shop. The only area of rival turns that you can skip is one you might want to watch: mini game play. Load times aren't much of an issue (I'll remind you of what happened the last time someone tried to launch a system with a board game), although there are a few awkward pauses here and there.

Visually, while the board is colorful and the Tamagotchi characters are as cute as ever, Bandai Namco clearly wasn't trying too hard. The game doesn't even offer progressive output.

In Japan, the Wii launched with six games that can be considered "mini game collections." Tamagotchi is probably the least interesting of the bunch. Japan made the first DS Tamagotchi game a platinum hit. That's unlikely to happen here. ...

Via IGN

We've already reviewed Hajimete no Wii based off the Australian version, which is known by the game's clever English name of "Wii Play." So what's the point of writing about the Japanese version, which launched with the Wii on 12/2? Well, in addition to alerting you to the new movies and screens that we've posted, we wanted to emphasize just how great a choice the title is for those wanting to kick off the Wii experience for beginners and, surprisingly, gaming veterans alike.

Hajimete no Wii includes nine games, as described in depth in our review . Initially, you have access to just one of the games. Play it (even just for a bit) and a new game opens up. You'll be able to unlock all the games in just a few minutes of play.

As one might expect, the includes games are, on the whole, simple -- hence the Japanese surname, "Your First Step to Wii." The games provide a good introduction of the various ways in which the Wiimote can be used, both as a direct pointing device and as a replacement dummy device for everything from a table hockey paddle to a shot gun.

Despite the simplicity, the games offer a lot of hidden depth for those looking to go after high scores. They also show how to properly implement Wiimote controls, a lesson that that some of the other Japanese launch titles could benefit from. The solid execution makes us want some of these games expanded into full games -- particularly the pool and tank games. Add a few options, Nintendo, and you could sell these things for full price!

Hajimete no Wii is also one of the few games to make full use of your Mii collection. You can chose to play as one of the Miis in your library (even one that was sent to you). The Mii appears as your in-game alter-ego in some games. In the pool game, the Mii's face is a sticker on the pool ball. The table tennis game has other Miis in your collection appear as spectators, with the number growing depending on how long you can keep up a rally.

All this for 1,000 yen plus the cost of the included Wiimote. It's too bad that Nintendo couldn't get Hajimete no Wii ready for the American launch, but next year, when Wii Play sees release, if you find yourself in need of another Wiimote, this should be a no-brainer. ...

Via IGN

The Wii has only been out for a few weeks, but the Wiimote has already been used as a baseball bat, a golf club, a steering wheel -- and, well, just about everything you can think of. With the Japanese launch, you can at last add biplane to the list. And not just any old biplane. Wing Island, from Hudson, shows just how capable Nintendo's new control device is at mimicking a biplane piloted by a man-sized bird.

Wing Island takes place on a chain of islands located in the world of man-sized, bipedal birds. You play as Sparrow Wing Jr., a young pilot who's decided to follow in his father's footsteps (the birds also have human limbs) and serve as a professional jack of all trades of sorts. Sparrow and his friends, Puffin Chirp, Crane Splendid, Swan Sweet, Hawk Old, and Owl Fatman take on jobs of all forms that require their expert abilities in a plane.

Bird-based background story aside, Wing Island hints at good things for future arcade-style flight games on the Wii. Your plane can be controlled exclusively with the Wiimote. You ascend and descend by tilting the controller in the corresponding direction. To turn, you rotate the remote left or right. The speed of your turning depends on how fast you rotate the controller. Acceleration and deceleration are handled with up and down on the d-pad.

You can also perform some acrobatic moves. Thrusting the controller forward gives your plane a burst of acceleration. Pulling the controller towards yourself results in a quick deceleration. Shake the Wiimote left or right, and your plane does a quick 180 turn.

If you have a nunchuck attached, you can make use of it as well. The analogue pad allows you to move the camera around, a useful feature for some of the missions. You can also use the nunchuck for the quick acceleration, deceleration and 180 degree turn as described above.

It took me just a couple of missions to get used to the control scheme (and for those who need additional help, the game includes a strictly optional step-by-step training mode). I'm not the biggest flight fan out there, but with this control scheme, even I was having fun. The gameplay is clearly on the arcade side of things, with sharp turns and no option for an in-the-cockpit view.

Wing Island makes use of this flight system for a mission-based story mode where you take on missions as (back to the birds) Sparrow and his friends. The game offers a variety of mission objectives set across separate islands. On the first island alone, I had to search for missing cows, fight a forest fire, drop crates off in specified locations, and destroy balloons on a flight path. You start off each island with a set of selectable missions, with new ones appearing once you've cleared these.

The biggest enemy in the missions, at least in the early ones that I played, was the time limit. While your plane incurs damage when striking walls and other obstacles, there's no threat of immediate destruction when flying haphazardly. The controls don't seem to include an option for firing, so dog fighting apparently won't be a part of this game.

Some missions have Sparrow flying all by himself. Others put you in control of a group of five planes. You have direct control over Sparrow, but the other planes follow your every move. You can change between three formations by tapping the A button.

There's lots of replay value in Wing Island's single player modes of play. Missions have some random elements -- random placement of cows or shipping targets, for instance. You can also replay missions for higher rank, resulting in more cash, which can be used to purchase new planes and parts for upgrading old planes. If you're tired of the story mode, the game includes a free flight mode, allowing you to fly through the islands free of mission objectives and time limits, and a trial mode, where you race against the computer or another opponent in split screen.

Wing Island won't do anything to convince you of the Wii's hidden visual powers, although it has a solid, glitch-free look, complete with the progressive output that's lacking in a few of the Japanese launch games. The game is also quick to get into thanks to minimal load times and minimalist presentation for the storyline. Most of the story sequences that precede missions are text based, with small still pictures. While this is a bit disappointing considering the curious background story and the hilarity that ensues when the birds do speak using their bird talk, it's good for those who just want to get into the skies.

Just as the early titles on certain next generation systems attempt to wow us with high tech visuals, the early titles on the Wii attempt to show off how the Wiimote can deliver new control schemes. Wing Island certainly does that, while delivering a fun, arcade-based flight game in the process. ...

Mr 2X posted this news:

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