Eye On '07: Wii
Wii, Wii, Wii all the way home.
Honourable Mentions
Far Cry: Vengeance
- Developer: Ubisoft Montreal;
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
Tricky one, this. It's the only game from a western publisher on the entire Wii list (three others are from Japanese third-parties, for a grand total of four - a telling demonstration of Nintendo's first-party focus), and it's here despite major misgivings, to be honest. Everything we've seen suggests disappointing graphics but the open possibility of a great control system and good gameplay to make up for it, but the jury is definitely out on this one. If it's good, though, expect its control system to be widely copied as every FPS title under the sun rushes out a Wii port.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers
- Developer: Square Enix;
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
One of the most underrated games on the GameCube was the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - which suffered because the majority of players experienced the terribly weak single-player mode of the game, and didn't have an opportunity to try out the fantastic multiplayer modes. Hopefully the Wii version will rectify that situation, not least because the reliance on having multiple GBAs and link cables will be gone. It may also be possible to play with friends over Wi-Fi Connection - and the action RPG gameplay of the title looks set to be expanded with the addition of Final Fantasy staples ranging from airships to summons.
Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn
- Developer: Intelligent Systems;
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
One of the finest turn-based strategy series of all time is making its way to the Wii - and after the fantastic GameCube outing for Fire Emblem, we're expecting great things from Goddess of Dawn (which is a translation of the Japanese title - they'll probably pick something suitably pretentious and annoying for the real English title). Controlling a game like this with the Wiimote should be a joy, after all, and playing Fire Emblem is never a chore in the first place.
Mario Strikers Charged
- Developer: Next Level Games;
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
The follow up to Super Mario Strikers isn't exactly a conventional football game, but it does look like it'll fit nicely into the party game bracket. How the control mechanism works will be vital to the game, of course - if they can find some way of combining Mario Strikers' ludicrous special moves and power-ups with a control system as tight and responsive as Wii Sports, we can see this being a firm favourite in living rooms up and down the land.
Sonic and the Secret Rings
- Developer: Sonic Team;
- Publisher: Sega
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
I felt like simply writing the words "Please be good please be good please be good" about 20 times for this description. What else is there to say? It's another 3D Sonic game, which doesn't bode well, but the team has gone for a radically different approach by putting the whole thing on rails to some extent, and allowing you to control Sonic by holding the Wiimote horizontally and tipping it from side to side. It could be brilliant. It could be mind-numbingly awful. Please be good. Please be good. I'm not sure my heart can take another bad Sonic game.
Trauma Centre: Second Opinion
- Developer: Atlus;
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
Yet another absolutely brilliant DS title makes the transition to the Wii, and in this instance the game is very much a port rather than a proper sequel - although there are new abilities and some new stages, as well as plenty of updated content, the game follows pretty much the same structure as it did on the DS. We're not complaining, though; the Wiimote itself means that the play experience is vastly different, after all, and there should be enough new content along with the new experience to keep everyone happy. Besides, maybe finally we'll find out why you have to make a Satanic pentagram shape on the patient's torso in order to activate the "healing touch".
Wario Ware: Smooth Moves
- Developer: Intelligent Systems;
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Wii Exclusive
- Gamepage
We don't have long to wait for this one - which is just as well, because ever since first hefting the Wiimote it's been clear that this is a system crying out for a good Wario Ware game. More so than any of the previous titles, this game is designed for group fun rather than solo enjoyment, and leaving your sense of shame at the door is a prerequisite. Each task shows you which pose you should adopt and then makes you work out what action to perform in that position - it's incredibly clever, incredibly silly and incredibly good fun. Yes, you can do some of the actions just by waving the controller around rather than assuming the position - but doing that just shows the world what a miserable sod you are. For the rest of us, Wario Ware is an almost guaranteed good time.