The folks at Atlus don’t like to disappoint, so they’ve provided us with more screens and a video that gives you a sense of the flow of the game.  Check those all out below.  A word of warning, though: the video is all in Japanese (with no subtitles)!  For more details on the behind-the-scenes of Trauma Team, check out the full developer’s featurette here.
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Those of you whose aching hands have been longing for a more ergonomic controller when playing VC and other games on your Wii have some good news today.  Nintendo finally announced that the new version of the classic controller, the Classic Controller Pro, will be available for sale in North America in both white and black this April.  Each controller will retail for $19.99.

Of course, if you’re a really cool kid on the block, you can pick up one of the new (black) controllers with a copy of Monster Hunter Tri for some serious monster-hunting action.  This bundle will sell for $59.99, saving you a cool $10. (Of course, you can also buy the game separately, for $49.99.)

“Monster Hunter Tri has made a huge splash in the Japanese market, and we’re confident the bundle with the Classic Controller Pro will give fans in North America plenty to get excited about,” said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America’s vice president of Licensing. “Gamers of all kinds enjoy playing games on Wii. Monster Hunter Tri delivers an incredible new experience on Wii, while the Classic Controller Pro gives players even more control options for their favorite Wii games.”

In addition to the grips that make the controller more hand-friendly, it also includes a second row of shoulder buttons, and that pesky cord has been moved from the front to the back (where it belongs).  While it’s not the sexy black Wii console bundle our friends in Japan received, it’s still not a bad deal.

Making its North American debut on Wii this spring, Monster Hunter Tri is one of the most strikingly beautiful titles developed for Nintendo’s Wii system. Pushing the hardware to the limit, Monster Hunter Tri depicts a living, breathing ecosystem where humans co-exist with majestic monsters that roam both dry land and brand new sub-aqua environments – a first for the series. Offering the player varied control configurations to suit their style of play, players can choose between the Classic Controller Pro, Wii Remote and nunchuck, or Classic Controller to slay the monsters that inhabit the world.

[Source: Nintendo]

Oftentimes when a developer tries to make a title more “accessible,” that means serious “hardcore” gamers are left in the dust with a dumbed-down experience.  However, Atlus, in its latest blog post on the upcoming Wii game Shiren The Wanderer, Scott Strichart, project lead, assures us you will find plenty of strategy and challenge, especially when it comes to the game’s bosses.

In the blog entry,  Mr. Strichart emphasizes the importance of preparation for these battles, especially the “escape scroll” item:

“There is no shame in going into a battle, testing the waters, and running away before you find one of the game’s hundred-plus ways to die. This allows you to throw yourself back into the fight armed with knowledge, and it’s a great way to pad your levels! If I could put a “theme” on all of the blogs for this game, it would be that caution will win the day.”

For those of you die-hard Shiren fans who laugh in the face of such claims, don’t worry: if the main bosses aren’t challenging enough, there’s always the post-game.  Hardcore players only, who know the game inside and out, have acquired the best gear, and developed a perfect strategy.  Less serious fans can skip these, of course, as finishing the main game is still a significant accomplishment.

Famitsu rated the game nearly perfect (9/9/8/9), and you don’t have long before you can try this incredibly addicting game for yourself.  Shiren The Wanderer comes to Wii on February 9, 2010.   For more on the game, check out the official website: http://www.atlus.com/shiren.

[Source: Atlus]

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a brief demo of Hudson’s upcoming horror game Calling for Wii, in which you play as various characters transported into an alternate world via a mysterious website rumored to link the dead to the living. In this build, I got to play a segment called “The Posession,” in which a curious otaku is transported into a spooky old house filled with creepy dolls.

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I know what you’re probably thinking: Dear, God!  Not another Transformers game! But still your heart: unlike the other recently released Transformers titles, this one is not based on a movie, and the developer, High Moon Studios, is doing what they can to do the fans the service they’ve been waiting for.  The goal is to be like Batman: Arkham Aslyum was in 2009, only doing for the Transformers franchise what that game did for Batman (and all comic book games, by extension).  We’ll have to wait until June 22 to find out for sure, but for now, check out the new trailer to whet your appetite.

Atlus’ Shiren the Wanderer, based upon the popular Japanese Mystery Dungeon series, is something both old and new. Though the series has been prevalent on the other side of the globe for quite some time, North American gamers were first introduced to the randomized dungeon-crawling with 2008’s release of Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for Nintendo DS.  Now, this series (one that aims for hardcore role-playing gamers) is coming to the Nintendo Wii.

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Yes, 2009 was quite a tumultuous year. It wasn’t quite the explosive year in gaming it was made out to be, but we laughed, we cried, and we broke several controllers. We ran to our favorite gaming forum to complain, and buddy, you know we had plenty to complain about. Similarly, we had plenty to rejoice about, with some of the biggest names in gaming bringing us several adventures we won’t soon forget. In 2010, things are only going to get better, or so we hope. But what of the games we were presented with this in 2009? Which one moved us the way no other could? Which game made us weep with tears of joy at how impossibly beautiful it was? And which one made us revile at the very sight of its hideous character models? Well, faithful Spawn Killer, you’re about to find out. We’re happy to present the first annual Spawn Kill Game of the Year Awards.

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The wait is over, and that which you are hungering for has arrived (on DS at least): Fast Food Panic is now available for Nintendo’s handheld, with the Wii version to follow on January 19.

While similar, the two games are not identical.  Each will feature its own set of recipes, mini games, and tasks.  While the handheld version is obviously more of a solo experience, the Wii game is aimed at bringing the whole family together with a variety of fun, competitive mini games.  In addition to competitive mini games (such as racing to fill orders fastest), the Wii game also offers the ability to play the entire story mode in co-op.

Fast Food Panic is available now for the DS and ships January 19, 2010 for Wii, both versions are selling for $29.99.

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[Source: SouthPeak Games]

If the previous mini-previews for the upcoming Wii game Trauma Center have left you anxious to find out more, than this video is just your ticket.  Get a feel for the new surgery mode, which, while familiar to veterans of the series, still has a new feel.

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Sega has been doing a bit of research on mature titles for Nintendo’s Wii. Sega reported low numbers for House of the Dead: Overkill and the thoroughly-publicized MadWorld, both geared towards older gamers on the Nintendo console. What has apparently has caught their attention and concern, however, is the low sales figure for EA’s Dead Space Extraction.

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You’ve met the cast of the upcoming Wii game Trauma Team, but you’re probably interested to know more about their different specialties, since gameplay will vary greatly depending on which doctor you’re playing as. As you will discover, each doctor has a very different job, and each will have a very different gameplay experience for you as a player.

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I hadn’t even heard of this game until the press release popped up into my inbox, but XSEED is apparently releasing a flight simulator, a term that should probably be used loosely so as not to offend the diehard flight sim enthusiasts that have ruled PC skies for years.  I say this because The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces is a Wii game that uses motion controls to enact an anime-style flight experience. 

The story is actually pretty interesting, at least on paper.  It features a country finally at peace after decades of war.  Unfortunately, as so often happens in reality, the masses aren’t satisfied with peace and so the government creates a program of sponsored dogfighting, with corporations competing against one another using military personel as their champions.  Players begin as a rookie pilot codenamed “Lynx” who works his way up through the ranks and quite obviously starts uncovering some nasty government secrets.

The gameplay features the Wii remote acting as a throttle, which will accelerate or deccelerate their plane, and the nunchuck as a flight control stick, tilted to roll, pitch, and yaw.  The idea sounds fun, but whether it will work to simulate anything resembling entertaining flight is questionable.  The team working on the controls, Project ACES, are responsible for the Ace Combat series of similar games that have been popular in Japan for years (there are currently 10 of them in the series), but have also gathered a smaller following here in the states.  The games are well received by critics and players alike, so look for this to make waves as well.  Its debut on Nintendo’s money maker has the potential to wow or completely disappoint, as most games on the Wii seem to do.

The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces has a release date of January 12, 2010, which should render it completely obscure even if it does prove full of awesome given the competition of January.  Check out the video below, and head to http://www.skycrawlersinnocentaces.com/ for some interesting tutorials that attempt to explain the controls. 

Fitness buffs have long known the benefits of using the Wii as an exercise machine via extensions such as Wii Fit, EA Active Personal Trainer, or even simple games such as WarioWare: Smooth Moves, which asks you to pose accordingly in order to be successful. As of late I’ve taken it upon myself to get in better shape, so I’ve taken advantage of the glut of options available to me in order to facilitate my own fitness program. For a while I had my eye on Ubisoft’s Just Dance, a music/rhythm game that encourages you to get up off your derriere and get into the action by dancing your little heart out. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t work too well as it was intended, but if you simply use the game as a visual guide to shaking what your mama gave you, it does provide an intensive and entertaining workout if you’re willing to throw your inhibitions — and possibly your dignity — out the door.

Just Dance asks you to slither off of the couch and into the groove with a selection of thirty tracks, including “Groove is in the Heart,” “Wannabe,” “Surfin’ Bird,” and “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” This rather paltry song selection includes tunes that are guaranteed to get the blood pumping through your veins and your heart beating furiously while you work up a sweat in the comfort of your own living room. They can be a little corny, but most certainly infectious and easy to get excited about as you work your way through the game. The word “game” is applied as a rather loose term here, as most of the enjoyment you’ll find yourself having will be through following motion-captured dancers onscreen rather than scoring points.

It’s extremely simple to get into. All you need is a Wii remote and the game, or a few friends to join in on the fun if you can handle the embarrassment (if you’re not a wild child who loves to dance). Choose a song, whether you’d like to play the short version or full version, and watch the onscreen dancing silhouette. Once the song begins, a short countdown will commence, followed by visual cues that aid in helping you to figure out which dance move will be performed next. The choreography is not stilted in that it will not stop and break down individual dance moves for beginners. You either follow the prompts onscreen or you will not succeed. It’s quite punishing for those with slow reflexes, as the prompts that fly across the screen and are not exactly easy to follow. They do give a good general idea of where to hold your arms and legs, but implementing them in the middle of the song as you struggle to follow the dancer can be quite difficult.

As hard as it can be to get the dance moves down pat, at the very least there are only a couple sets of predetermined steps to memorize. They will be performed over and over in each song, so if you want to play the same song several times over, you’ll eventually be able to master it. It all works well in theory, but fails miserably in practice. Since the game works to track your movements and successes with motion-sensing via the sensor bar and Wii remote, Just Dance finds it difficult to score you correctly when you will often place the remote in different locations than the game would imagine. Different people hold the controller in the opposite hand, nearer or further away from the sensor, and various other locations that make it hard for you to “pass” a song in the traditional sense. You’ll often work up a powerful sweat but end up performing miserably on a song regardless of how well you worked it. This essentially renders the in-game scoring useless as any real indicator of your dancing prowess. Accurate scoring is a gamble, and it’s a real shame since there really is no other aspect of Just Dance that makes it a real “game” aside from the fact that friends need only shake a Wii remote to join in.

But don’t be completely put off — there’s plenty of fun to be had. If you dance your heart out and put a full amount of effort into the game, your score will be increased, as it truly rewards dancing with thought behind it. It’s a fantastic game for those who simply love to dance, want to learn some choreographed steps to some of their favorite songs, or people like me who want to get in better shape via video games. If you actually try rather than shake the Wii remote haphazardly, then you’ll start to see some results both in your waistline and in-game. The game could most certainly benefit from DLC or additional song packages, but what’s offered is a viable fitness bonanza that will get booties shakin’ and friends guffawing at how ridiculous you all look. Still, for an MSRP of $39.99, it’s hard to recommend Just Dance over Dance Dance Revolution or even fitness packages such as EA Active Personal Trainer. If you enjoy dancing, though, Just Dance would be ideal at $19.99 or less.

Doin It RIGHT:- You’ll get a great workout if you actually try. - Energetic songs. - Most songs are licensed save for a couple covers.	Doin It RONG:- Less a game than a dance choreography video. - Can be difficult to learn several dance steps. - Low replay value unless you just…really love those songs.
FINAL SCORE: 6 / 10

Zombies are something our society takes to quite well. For some reason, we tend to tire easily of vampires and werewolves. But you could serve up three zombie video games or even movies back-to-back, and there wouldn’t be a peep out of us. We’re a society that just loves huntin’ us some zombies, and we always want more. Whether it be from a long-running respected franchise, like Resident Evil, or a fairly new franchise like Left 4 Dead, zombie video games just seem to hit that soft spot. So, does the latest Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles keep the adrenaline pumping when heads start rolling?

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Last Halloween, we fast-forwarded 500 years into the future, where interstellar mining was alive and well. The Concordance Extraction Company, or C.E.C., was charged with tasking mining ships with this mammoth deed. Just when things appeared to be running smoothly, a distress call was received by the C.E.C. from the USG Ishimura. Isaac Clarke, an engineer employed by the C.E.C., along with some squadmates, were sent to evaluate the situation. Upon arriving on the Ishimura, Clarke and his squadmates discovered that what appeared to be a simple malfunction had gone terribly awry. A terrifyingly hostile race of beings known as Necromorphs had overrun the ship and jeopardized the survival of Isaac and his party. The three were separated, and Isaac was left to fend for himself out in the deepest, darkest reaches of space, left only with the Necromorphs and every bit of his wit that he would need to use to survive. With that, we were thrust into Dead Space, one of EA’s most enjoyable new IPs of last year. Presented in a format reminiscent of Gears of War or Resident Evil 4, gamers were tasked with keeping the space engineer Isaac Clarke alive until he could get to safety or to the bottom of the Necromorph invasion.

With such an engaging entry into the action/survival horror genre, EA knew they had to deliver more of the same while fans eagerly anticipated the release of the previously-announced sequel. Taking an unorthodox approach was apparently warranted, as Dead Space Extraction was released via Visceral Studios on the Nintendo Wii. At first, gamers (including myself) were taken aback — how could we possibly be expected to embark on the same kind of adventure we previously devoured with a rail-shooter based on the Wii? The answer soon presented itself: with shaky hands, dim lights, and a whole lot of spare underwear on hand. Dead Space Extraction delivers.

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