LIVING IN AMERICA
Reviews of games released in the U.S.
'Boarders enter the fray in sequel to family-friendly skiing game
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Note: This game review originally ran in the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper and Web site, and I am posting it here on my personal site as backup.
Duuude.
Snowboarders get to join the snowy action this time around in
We Ski & Snowboard, the sequel to last year’s family friendly We Ski on the Nintendo Wii.
For the uninitiated, We Ski featured an open sandbox-type atmosphere that allowed players to navigate a virtual ski resort with Japanese-style cutesy characters or even their own virtual Mii lookalikes. Up to four players can also ski simultaneously via split screen, with each player free to wander off to any part of the resort regardless of where the other players may be.
Now as someone with certain young relatives who love cute stuff and also love seeing their Miis in action, let’s just say I sank a ton of time on We Ski. A LOT of time. We did all the racing events; found all the missing or hidden items, animals and people; found a certain hidden abominable creature -- we even did all the food deliveries for virtual skiers who can’t be bothered to pick up their own virtual food. Fortunately, being able to dress my character in such haute couture fashion as a penguin suit and that yellow Bruce Lee outfit from “Game of Death” made it all worth it.
Which brings us to We Ski & Snowboard -- which I shall now shorten to WSS to save my sanity, not to mention my wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome.
The biggest change in WSS happens to be the most obvious one: the addition of snowboards. Having been quite used to the skiing controls from the first game, I was a bit concerned about having to learn a new skill set. But the snowboarding controls are just as intuitive, so it didn’t take that long to pick them up. Once again, you can use the Wii Fit’s Balance Board to control your board or skis. But just like the first game, use of the Balance Board is still limited to one player so all other players will just have to make do with the Wiimote and Nunchuck combo.
Besides adding variety and a certain touch of rebel cool to the game, the biggest plus with the addition of snowboards is added replayability. One common complaint about the first game is that it’s easy to lose interest once you’ve finished all the events and unlocked all the costumes (then again, after playing any game that long, it’s easy to lose interest in just about anything). But the addition of a trick park with rails, boxes and half-pipes really helps to hold interest in the game, especially once you learn to pull off the commands needed for some snowy trickeration. In fact, I had one young cousin keep visiting the trick park over and over ... and over some more during an extended playing session without really touching the other courses. He didn't even switch to using skis once.
The ability to do replays of your runs on the slopes -- including as a group -- is also a fun feature. And if you're smiling after reading that, well, I don't mean those kinds of runs (those are never fun, even as a group). The game still supports four players and allows everyone to go their separate ways (speaking of separate ways, check out this music video featuring
Steve Perry and the boys of Journey. With the exception of the virtual instruments at the beginning, this video has nothing to do with this game or the Wii. But it sure is as funny as heck.)
The ability to independently go off is also great if you're playing with one of those folks with a limited attention span who just likes to wander off. You know, the kind of person who makes you look like an idiot in the mall because you're talking to them and it turns out they wandered off somewhere so now people think you're talking loudly to yourself? Wanna go to the trick park but your friend wants to find out-of-bounds trails? Well, you can both do your own thing, so there's no need for drama. Do keep in mind that everyone still has to stop if one player talks to an event character and also have to magically assemble together if an event is triggered. That could certainly be annoying to others if done without warning.
Multiplayer fun also doesn't extend to online so if you want to play with someone, they better be right next to you. That's fine for folks with real friends but not so great for those who only have MySpace friends. Otherwise, you can have the computer control a virtual buddy who can ski/snowboard with you if you're, sniff, feeling lonely. Folks who just love to subject themselves to Nintendo's "Friend Code" system can still do so by trying to send their WSS photos to friends. And yes, they have to be real friends.
With WSS having two mountains compared to just one from the first game, there’s a lot more to explore this time around. WSS offers one traditional mountain park via the Jamboree Snow Resort coupled with the Howard Beale of slopes known as Mount Angrio. All I can say is watch out for steep drops and avalanches with the latter. Players also still have the option of hitting the slopes during the day or night for some added variety.
Because the game retains the open sandbox structure of the first, all courses are accessible from the get-go and can be explored to your heart’s content. Some out-of-bounds courses are hidden but don’t need to be unlocked -- just found. If you feel your life is meaningless without any goals, the game still allows you to unlock gear by completing events such as races, people searches, and, yes, good old food delivery. As in the previous game, your food still can’t survive you tripping on your face but mysteriously makes it in one piece after a perfectly done corkscrew or Rodeo 540. Then again, I can’t snowboard worth a lick in real life but I’m the bomb in this game so methinks reality is vastly overrated. One fun game that's new to WSS and should be fun for both the young and young at heart is tag. Just make sure to tell the kiddies that chasing down folks down a snowy mountain by bumping into them is a no-no in real life. Hopefully, that'll get the lawyers off my back.
One noticeable change with events is that most of the characters you need to talk to to trigger them are now huddled in one place. That means the need to scour the mountainside to find them has now been thankfully reduced.
Speaking of events, WSS obviously tries to strike the same balance its predecessor did between making it accessible to young players while not making it so easy that more seasoned players won’t find it a challenge. But as with any compromise, you always end up with something that falls somewhere in between. Some events in WSS will be too be too hard for younger players. Veteran gamers, on the other hand, may still find the events too easy overall.
Although the stages are new, the character sprites and some of the gear also appear recycled from the previous game. Given that WSS is priced more like a regular game than its predecesor, one would expect a completely new offering as opposed to an expansion. On the plus side, costumes now don’t have to be unlocked for each character and are available to everyone once unlocked by one character.
Bottom line: Overall, WSS is a nice addition to the Wii library. Self-described “hardcore” gamers who thumb their noses at cutesy graphics and more “casual” fare may want to look elsewhere. But for more well-rounded folks who want a fun slope sim that offers enough challenges while also being fun for the whole family, We Ski & Snowboard delivers. If you fall into the latter category, then I give WSS two skis up -- or is that two snowboards up? SHINGENMOCHI
Final verdict: RECOMMENDED
DEAR DIARY: Ambushed by Japanese text you don't understand? Well worry not. The Tabiasobi Blog is here to help by providing you quick summaries for certain Japanese games. Well, unless the game is not listed below. Then you may proceed to worrying all you want. The list is less than sparse since I'm just starting this whole thing. But as they say, one small step for man... SHINGENMOCHI
You and Eziel both spring into action, triggering your first battle in the game. Make short work of the monsters to allow the villagers—a young woman named Rikka and an old man—to reach the village safely. Although the humans can't see you, Rikka assumes that their safe journey is the result of angels watching over them. As she expresses her gratitude, she gives off a "star aura," which comes into your possession. Eziel talks about star auras and how angels collect them from humans who believe in angels. You then head back together to the World of Angels to deliver your report—and your star aura—to the angel elder.
Other angels talk about how strict Eziel can be, and that it's an honor to be picked by such a renowned angel as his apprentice. One angel even says he wishes that angels could pick their masters so he could ditch his slacker of a master for someone like Eziel. On a related note, you also learn that angels are not allowed to disobey their superiors. Looks like someone with the DQ9 team has read the Old Testament. Oh yeah, one of the angels will marvel at your star aura and ask you if he can have it. I said "no" by picking the second choice (don't know what happens if you say yes though I assume you still end up keeping it since it's basically a key item). Also, if you're looking for the save point, you can get to it by entering one of the doors by the stairs just north of the shimmering portal that connects to the human world.
Keep an eye out for several treasure chests on your way up to the tree. One of the angels talks about seeing a mysterious shooting star appear across the sky once in a while (you'll learn more about this later). Another mentions that the World Tree appears to be overflowing with energy lately, a sign that it should bear fruit soon.
HIT ME: Welcome to the Tabiasobi Blog's "Living in America" section, this site's depository for reviews of games released in Apollo Creed's favorite country. In case his get up in that photo up there doesn't make it painfully obvious enough, that would be the country of Liberia. Just kidding. As any Rocky fan would know, the Creedster just love's the good, old U-S-of-A. So in honor of one-half of the most lasting bromances in American movie history, below is the list of domestic releases I've reviewed organized in All-American alphabetical fashion. Just make sure you don't tell old Apollo that not all of them are actually made in the U.S.A. lest you want him yelling "What's wrong with you!" at the beach. SHINGENMOCHI
Katekyou Hitman Reborn DS: Mafia Daishuugou Vongola Festival
