Sports Island Preview(Wii)
Sports Island is further illustration of Konami?s commitment to the Nintendo Wii as it aims to capture the imagination of sports fans around the country or those with a soft spot for old fashioned arcade style games.
Sports Island is simply that ? a place where up to four players can compete against one another simultaneously in ten different disciplines to test their reactions and skills to the limit. The type of event players can compete in range from the familiar, like Football and Basketball, before moving right across the athletic spectrum taking in Badminton, Curling and what we believe is the first title to ever feature Figure Skating!
Each event will require users to master the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in various ways as the demands of each event takes shape. Archery requires a steady hand to keep the Wii Remote while a twist of the wrist in the Snowboarding section will see the player navigate the slopes with consummate ease. In Figure Skating players need to keep in time with the music and correctly land all of their jumps and spins in order to impress the judges.
There will be multiple game modes in addition to the obvious single and multiplayer options, but it is the latter where this game will really come into its own. The full list of events within Sports Island is: Beach Volleyball, Snowboard Cross, Badminton, Basketball, Curling, Figure Skating, Archery, Supercross, Football and Kart Racing.
- TEN DIFFERENT SPORTS TO PARTAKE IN
- WIDE RANGE OF EVENTS COVERED
- UNIQUE USE OF THE WII REMOTE AND NUNCHUK
- 4 PLAYER SIMULTANEOUS PLAY
- ARCADE STYLE FAMILY ORIENTATED TITLE
PES 2009 Preview (Wii)
The first PES title on Wii was revolutionary in many ways. The new point and click control interface, only made possible by the unique nature of the Wii controllers offered a completely new way for players to interact with PES. One year on and the programmers have listened to feedback from gamers and made PES 2009 on Wii an even more impressive title.
The new game will retain the intuitive 'point and click' interface used to control both the player in possession of the ball and to send those around him on to runs into space. However, a new 'traditional' control system using either a Wii Remote or Classic controller has also been implemented.
Using a Wii Remote held sideways or a classic controller, the secondary player can control the game in a manner familiar to existing versions of PES for other formats. Thus, they can control using familiar PES controls while their co-op player orchestrates their player and the rest of the team using the bespoke Wii system.
An improved defense system will allow players to close down their opposition with more precision using the Z button, while a new targeting system sees the player steering where they place the ball when shooting. Coupled with better AI for the CPU-controlled players and opposition, the result is a more free-flowing and faster paced simulation. Set pieces have also been reworked, with more precision on free kicks and a wider range of corners than in the previous game.
In keeping with versions for other formats, PES 2009 for Wii will also feature the UEFA Champions League, the addition of the ever-popular Master League for the first time on this format plus the return of an enhanced Champions Road competition, an enhanced Edit Mode, more online gameplay possibilities, and a Mii Training sub-game system.
- Improved defensive controls
- Second player can use 'sideways' controller
- UEFA Champions League, Master League and Champions Road modes
- Control off the ball players with ease
- Improved accuracy when shooting
Sports Island 2 Preview(Wii)
With its predecessor selling over two million units worldwide since its release, Sports Island 2 introduces new events and modes guaranteed to get everybody playing. Hudson Soft has developed ten new sporting events that are specifically designed to use the Wii controllers to great effect. Each event is built around a unique control system, perfectly designed to reflect the skill it requires, while retaining the immense playability that Hudson Soft is renowned for.
Among the new sports on offer are Mogul Skiing, Tennis, Speed Skating, Dodgeball, Petanque, Ice Hockey, Darts, Synchronized Swimming, Road Racing and Kendo, and can either be played as solo events, or within a highly-competitive League System which is new to the series. Sports Island 2 also allows users to create an in-game avatar for use within the game and play alongside friends or CPU-controlled colleagues. Once the avatars are created, they can be used within the game's Open mode where up to four people can compete in variations of CPU and human users, while a Tournament option lets four human and four CPU players battle it out in an ongoing competition.
As with its predecessor, Sports Island 2 places the emphasis on fun and competition, with each event demanding skill and timing from the player. The subtle control systems allow for the skill of events such as Petanque and the pace and skill of Ice Hockey to be faithfully recreated, and ensure that the well-chosen events offer a wide range of sporting challenges.
DRiiFT MANIA Preview(Wii)
Game Information
Driift Mania is the ultimate top-down multiplayer racing experience! Challenge your friends in fast and exciting races and some totally crazy game modes! You will need to adapt your driving skills to the different racing environments if you want to succeed!
Available as WiiWare game on the Wii Shop Channel!
- Fast-paced top-down racer for 1 to 8 players
- Choose from 32 different vehicles in 4 categories (small, medium, heavy, special)
- 12 different tracks and 3 arenas based on 4 themed environments (city, hills, snow, oasis)
- 7 game modes including traditional single-player, team race and multiplayer championship as well as crazy modes like VIP, Meteorite, Cold Potato and Contamination
- Play using any combination of Wii Remotes, Nunchuks and Classic Controllers
- Fun cartoon-style graphics
GTi Club Supermini Festa! Preview(Wii)
Game Information
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is bringing its classic GTI Club racing franchise to Wii, in the form of GTI Club Supermini Festa!
GTI Club Supermini Festa! is based on the latest arcade iteration of the long-running series, and charges the player with racing a series of compact cars around a series of citiscapes across France, the UK, Italy, the US, and Japan. Everything about the game is geared towards searing speed and intuitive handling, with players tussling with CPU-controlled cars or their friends through busy streets as they attempt to be the first past the winning line.
Every stage has been designed for total freedom, with secret short cuts to find and steep hills and hairpin bends designed to test the player's skill. Control is everything, and the Wii game enjoys beautifully balanced control systems that allow users to slide deftly around corners, whiz through extremely tight alleyways to bypass the other cars, and perform handbrake turns to shave vital seconds from lap times. In addition to the twelve cars from the arcade version, Konami is planning to add four more licensed cars to the mix, each offering different handling and acceleration balance.
GTI Club Supermini Festa! offers two key solo options, with Arcade offering a straight replication of the coin-op, while the new GTI Quest is a tour of the world, with a series of key objectives. Multi-player elements also play a massive part in the game, with the arcade game's four-player mode faithfully recreated via a split-screen mode and online via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection's online capabilities. Online, the game can be played as either a straight racer or as a series of fun sub-games including Bomb Tag and football.
Everything about GTI Club Supermini Festa! has been designed to give the player a feeling of sheer speed and total control, and users can also add a personal touch to their car via the extensive customisation features in the game's Garage section.
