The Conduit 2 - Nintendo Wii

It’s sad but painfully true fact that in light of the technical leaps and bounds made on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, the latest games on the Nintendo Wii look several years older than they should.

This was a nagging feeling I had when playing Goldeneye last year and once again I found myself thinking the exactly the same thing when I started playing The Conduit 2.

Hell, even my other half must have noticed it, asking me if I was having one of my “retro moments”, when in actual fact I was playing the latest FPS on the Wii. And beyond Sing Star, she has practically zero interest in video games.

Still, if there’s anything time has taught me, it’s that no matter how old a game looks it should not affect how well a it plays. Super Mario Brothers is still great. As is The Secret of Monkey Island. As is Doom and many, many others.

Sadly, the dated presentation is not the major problem with The Conduit 2. It’s the tedious motion controls.

They just don’t work for me. Whether it was addition of the wii motion plus and the sensitivity levels, I don’t know. But no matter which way I amended the settings, I just couldn’t get into the swing of it.

With the motion plus, I just found that Agent Ford would stare up at the sky or towards the ground. I ashamed to say it, but it was almost like all my previous knowledge of playing a FPS game was wiped from my memory and I was playing with dual sticks for the first time.

Yep, give me a dual stick controller any day.

Sadly on the classic controller, things are not that much better. Controls were pretty unresponsive and the layout of the classic controller makes FPS gaming on the Wii a somewhat awkward and uncomfortable experience.

As far as the plot goes, it picks up after the events if the first game yet oddly enough the game makes no effort to tell you what on Earth is going on. Basically Agent Ford is hot on the heels of John Adams, following him through a conduit to an oil rig in the Bermuda Triangle.

As things progress, you get the impression that things are a bit more comical this time round. Instead of trying to be an earnest tactical shooter like the Halo series, The Conduit 2 plays out more like a schlocky sci-fi, complete with big monsters and b-movie inspired villains. Not to mention the odd one liner that usually falls flat on the ground, barely raising a smirk let alone a smile.

So cue plenty of running down dull corridors and taking out ineptly trained henchmen who have about as much skill with a weapon as a Star Wars storm trooper.

Now, maybe I’m being a little unfair on The Conduit 2 – despite it’s flaws, there were elements of the first game that I quite enjoyed.

For starters, it was the first game on the wii that attempted to bring motion controls to the FPS genre. Now in a market that includes lasts years Goldeneye and several Call of Duty titles, that novelty is gone. So when a game like this comes out, it really needs to excel itself.

But the single player experience just left me feeling “meh”. I’ve seen it all done before and more importantly, I had a better time in the process.

Aside from the single player campaign, The Conduit 2 boasts a multiplayer mode. A welcome feature to those who don’t own a 360 (I would say a Playstation 3 too, but at the time of writing PSN still isn’t back up and running).

Offering up to 12 players online and 4 players on one console, it’s good to see that the split screen market hasn’t completely died out.

So, should you get The Conduit 2?

Well, I personally couldn’t get to grips with it. The dated visuals and the controls were enough to put me off playing a game like this on the wii for a long time.

But if you enjoyed the first game and you don’t mind waving your arms around to a newly released game that already looks dated, The Conduit 2 might float your boat.

Verdict: 6 out of 10

The Good:
Somewhat comical
Good to see a multiplayer mode

The Bad:
Horrid controls
Poor AI

Aside from a few cameo appearances in other Nintendo Wii games, titles dedicated completely to the king of swingers have been few and far between.

The last game to prominently feature the gaming worlds most famous ape, was Donkey Kong 64 on the Nintendo 64. Prior to that, it was the seminal Donkey Kong Country series on the Super Nintendo.

And that’s where Donkey Kong Country Returns swings into action.

A 2D platform featuring many elements that will be familiar to fans of the original games, you control Donkey Kong – along with his mate, Diddy Kong – as they progress through a variety of worlds, fending off the various Tiki Tak members and monged out animals.

So what’s it all about this time? Well, in a nutshell, the Tiki Tak tribe have come out of their volcano, hypnotised all the jungle animals and got them to steal Donkey Kongs secret stash of bananas.

Naturally, this has irked Donkey Kong off a bit – so he takes it upon himself and Diddy Kong to go and find out what all this monkey business is about.

The controls are easily accessible, allowing the player to use two set ups. The first being the traditional set-up with the wii-mote and nunchuck, the second with just the wii-mote held on its side.

The game does occasionally require a bit of motion on your part. Namely for when Donkey Kong needs to pound his fists into the ground, you are encouraged to shake your controller up and down. This mechanic opens hidden sections and can also be used to stun various creatures that stray a little too close for comfort.

The game allows up to 2 players, with one controlling Donkey Kong and the other controlling Diddy Kong. If one of the players happens to die, they can be rescued by the other once they hit a floating DK barrel – much like the multiplayer set up in Super Mario Brothers Wii.

Sadly, the single player game only allows the player to play as Donkey Kong and despite the fact that the Diddy Kong’s jet pack prolongs the length of his jumps, I can’t help feeling that the addition of some sort of mechanic where you can switch characters, would have opened a few more opportunities.

One of the first things that struck me with the game is how hard it is. The level design keeps things fresh with the various sections of DK Island that you’ll encounter, but the fact that Donkey Kong only has two hearts in his health means that he is quite vulnerable. On many occasions I found myself cursing the damn dirty ape.

Luckily, for those that can’t be bothered, the game does offer the player the option to have the level completed by Super Kong once they have been killed eight times in one level.

Graphically, the game is strong and in my humble opinion, is possibly the best looking titles on the wii. The sound also does its job in recreating the feel that the original games had on the Super Nintendo, with the music featuring all the original themes and signature tribal drum beats.

Ultimately, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a great platform game. The level design is inspiring and Nintendo have once again produced a top banana.

Be warned though, it is tough, very tough.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

The Good:
Great level design
Looks fantastic
Accessible controls

The Bad:
Probably a bit tough for beginners
Can’t switch between Donkey and Diddy

Goldeneye - Nintendo Wii

Regarded by many as one of the best first-person shooters of all time, GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64 is fondly remembered.

Naturally, when Activision announced they were bringing out a new GoldenEye game, I had mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand I was excited by the prospect of playing a revamped GoldenEye – imagine how great it would look using a modern game engine, and how brilliant it would feel to run around using two analogue sticks instead of one (curse that N64 controller!).

On the other hand, I had many fond memories of the game – the different techniques used to complete levels, the intricate level design and best of all, the ground-breaking graphics.

I didn’t want all that tarnished with a knocked off, sloppy remake.

GoldenEye was RARE’s baby, and the fact another developer had got their grubby little mitts all over it concerned me somewhat.

Well, have you played the original N64 game recently? I have, and you know what? It’s actually quite rubbish and probably best left in the past.

The AI is about as intelligent as agent Goodnight, and the graphics look as realistic as a CGI Pierce Brosnon surfing on an airplane wing, whilst escaping an avalanche.

So, with my rose-tinted glasses off, I am now more than prepared to have a crack at this remake, courtesy of Activision.

The first thing that strikes you about the game is Bond himself – he’s not played by Pierce Brosnon this time, he’s now played by the current 007, Daniel Craig.

It’s a strange fit that gives the game an almost “alternative reality” feel to it all. Not only has Bond been replaced, but so have the supporting characters.

At first I was taken aback by this, but as I progressed through the game it made sense. This is a different take on it and as a result, it’s a completely different world. This is also reflected in the level design.

The environments are not as futuristic as they were in the original game, and like Daniel Craig’s Bond films they have a somewhat gritty feel to them. The facility actually looks like a facility, and not some underground IKEA-inspired base.

I’m also pleased to report that the AI is vastly improved. With Russian and Janus operatives hiding in dark corners and trying to outflank you, they actually prove themselves to be quite a bit of a challenge at times.

Like the original there are different objectives to complete, but should you fail the game will carry on with the easiest setting. Meaning once you’ve completed the level, you go onto the next one, but should you be a completionist, you can revisit them later.

Rather interestingly the game makes no secret of Bond’s profession as a spy, and actually encourages the gamer to tackle certain levels with a stealth mentality.

If you alert the guards to your presence one of them will sound the alarm and then before you know it you are outnumbered, outgunned and well, dead. This makes a refreshing change, and keeps the game’s proceeding flowing along quite nicely.

The game also offers a very competent multiplayer mode. Easy to get into and offering up plenty of different options, it is mildly enjoyable and definitely worth checking out.

My main gripe with GoldenEye is the controls. I’m not really a fan of the whole Wii-mote set up, and after several attempts to get my head round it I just gave up and settled for the Wii classic controller. Unfortunately, while it is a solution to my inability to play like every other Wii-owner out there, the controls can feel a little unresponsive at times.

Visually, the game stands up quite strong on the Wii. While it doesn’t reach the heights of the other two machines on the market, it looks surprisingly good.

Audibly, the game stands up pretty well. The music, scored by David Arnold, naturally sounds very Bond-like, hitting all the right notes at the right time. If you shoot a guard, you’ll hear a dramatic stab that fades once the guard has been taken out, a neat little trick that adds a sufficient amount of tension.

Overall, Goldeneye is a surprisingly solid package. Despite what could of so easily been just another update/rip-off, Activision have treated the original with a nice level of respect and modernised it.

GoldenEye has a license to thrill.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

The Good
Feels like a Bond game
Good level design
Good multiplayer

The Bad
Unresponsive controls at times

Sonic Colours - Nintendo Wii

Poor old Sonic.

For the last few years it’s felt as if Sonic’s credibility died along with the Sega Dreamcast.

Arguably the last decent Sonic game was Sonic Adventure, and that was a good 10 years ago now. Since then, Sonic has participated in the Olympics, become a werehog and met King Arthur – with each game failing to set things alight for Sega.

With Sonic Colours, it appears Sega is drawing the line under all that, and have concentrated on what made Sonic so charming and fun when he first sped onto the scene. Namely, a good old fashioned, high-speed platforming that is accessible to children, adults, the casual market and old fans all in one.

In terms of plot it’s all a bit nonsensical, but then it always is with Sonic, so I won’t get too fussy.

Eggman (previously known as Doctor Robotnic), has opened up a giant theme park in space. Not convinced that is is all as innocent as it seems, Sonic and Tails arrive to investigate and, naturally, they discover that once again he is up to no good.

This time round he has taken to kidnapping innocent aliens, known as Wisps.

Why? Well, it turns out the Wisps have powers Eggman is using to run the theme park.

Sonic and Tails take it upon themselves to rescue the Wisps and thwart Eggman’s evil plans… again.

It’s rumoured that the developers took note of what had caused the Sonic series to become so unpopular, and it shows instantly. There are no gimmicks here that slow the proceedings down – no swords, no werehogs – and the game is all the better for it. Instead as you progress through the game Sonic is rewarded with special powers from the various Wisps that he rescues.

A great little mechanic, these allow you to zip across levels in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways, including a cyan lazer, a drill and a rocket.

The game handles pretty well, helped by the fact that the controls are quite easy to get to grips with. The nunchuck serves Sonic’s direction and the Wii-mote’s A button makes Sonic jump. There is very little emphasis on the Wii’s motion features, making the game easily accessible.

However, the controls can be a little fiddly at times, especially during the slower sections where Sonic needs to jump from one platform to another. His vast speed can work against him and he will find himself plummeting to his death on many occasions – a surprisingly harsh element that actually encourages some skill on the gamer’s part, by making them take things a little more slowly.

Completing the game will clock in at about 10 hours. However, much like its competitors it encourages you to play each level again by further advancing your previous score.

As expected with any Sonic game, the imagery is vibrant and colourful. The level design is notably varied, featuring zones ranging from what appears to be a food factory to a casino, making the experience continually fresh.

The sound design also hits the mark – all the sounds that make a Sonic game are present and correct.

The only gripes with the game are minor. Bosses are a bit easy to kill and require the usual repetitive tactic of jumping on them at the right time.

Sonic also comes across as an interfering and smug little git during the cutscenes.

Whereas Mario is usually dragged into situations by his defenceless (and somewhat useless) other half Princess Peach, Sonic actively goes out looking for trouble. But that’s just my personal opinion of him as a character, and doesn’t have any reflection on the game itself.

Overall, Sonic Colours is rather great! The developers have paid attention to their critics and their competitors, and put together a rather splendid little platform game.

Well done Sega, you’ve made Sonic cool again!

Verdict: 8 out of 10

The Good:
Great level design
Lives up to its name (colourful)

The Bad:
Boss fights a bit easy