WiiWare Launch Games Review Round Up

Since the WiiWare launch you may have picked up one or two of the games and then cautiously waited for trusted reviews before splashing out your precious Wii points on some of the other games which you were less sure of. Or perhaps you are in Europe and want to do your homework before the WiiWare launch on the 20th May?

by Darren Calvert Wed 14th May 2008

Worry not because your pals at WiiWare World have finally completed all six WiiWare launch reviews:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King - Easily one of the most talked about launch titles, this may be different from the Final Fantasy epics RPG fans are used to, but it's stunning regardless.

LostWinds - Frontier's inventive platform adventure is another launch highlight and proves to be an essential purchase.

Pop - We liked the look of Pop when we saw it some time ago and the good news is that it's lived up to expectations.

Defend Your Castle - XGen's Flash update proves to be a worthy addition to the WiiWare launch lineup.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack - If cards are your thing then you might want to give this a spin.

TV Show King - An amusing and unexpecting release, TV Show King has its faults but still manages to raise a smile.

So there you have it! The WiiWare launch lineup in full. Thanks to our all new reviewing team for all their hard work!

Growing up with a ZX Spectrum and a Sega Master System and his exhaustive knowledge in the fields of SEO and digital marketing, Darren's organisational prowess helps steer Hookshot's portfolio in the right direction.

1
AlexSays
Wed 14th May 2008

about time.

2
Cipher
Wed 14th May 2008

I'm seriously thinking about getting LostWinds on Tuesday. It's looking brilliant, something I'm definitely gonna need after my exams. I need to take a chance with a purchase too.

3
Wiireview123
Wed 14th May 2008

its all good now

4
Kawaiipikachu
Thu 15th May 2008

Reviews they finally here yah .

5
Objection
Thu 15th May 2008

Yay reviews! As for everyone who has points left:
you may want to save them at least until Monday for the 2nd round.
I am. You may thank me for it later.

6
ACK
Thu 15th May 2008

I think it's safe to deem the NA launch of WiiWare a success (from a content standpoint, anyway). A few standouts titles with pretty solid value all around.

And I really like the decision to hold back on the first-party titles, especially in hindsight. Nintendo threw a bone to the developers because games like LostWinds, Pop, Defend Your Castle, and FFCC are enough to carry the service for now. They know their games won't suffer and will most likely provide a booster shot when d/ls are slumping.

On that note, lets see what Monday and Tuesday bring...

7
KennethChristiansen
Thu 15th May 2008

Where is the rating on this page?

http://www.wiiware-world.com/games/browse

Cheers!

8
Dazza
Thu 15th May 2008

We're still ironing out the kinks on this new site. Ratings will be shown in the list soon

9
KnucklesSonic8
Thu 15th May 2008

@Objection_Blaster: Indeed. You guys, SAVE YOUR POINTS! Trust me. It'll be worth your while.

@Dazza: Looking fwd to it.

@Ack!: It most definitely was a success as a whole, save for VIP Blackjack but anyway, I won't get into that.

10
Knux
Thu 15th May 2008

I have 2 questions:

When are the WiiWare World forums going to open?

Are we going to be having any special chats in the WiiWare World chat room [like chats with game devolpers or discussions.]

I didn't know where to post this,so I posted it here.

11
KnucklesSonic8
Thu 15th May 2008

I'm wondering the same thing myself (your first question). I'm eager to see that go up.

Special chats would be neat.

12
sportymariosonichybr
Sat 17th May 2008

For me, Final Fantasy, Pop, and Blackjack are out immediately.

Lost Winds is also probably no, because outside of the motion controls, there is really nothing special about it. Really, it sounds like a short, bland, half-cooked platformer, and the Virtual Console is chock full of platformers from familiar franchises with many more levels and for half the price and 10% of the memory!

TV Show King looks fun since I love game shows, but if there is no career mode, achievements, and/or unlockables for the single-player mode, then I probably will have to pass.

Defend Your Castle looks like the only one I might actually get, but since it is already Saturday, I will wait until Monday, before deciding if it is worth the space.

13
Dazza
Sat 17th May 2008

@SuperSonic1990 - The developers chat idea could be interesting. We'll see if any might be interested during the upcoming weeks and announce a time & date if they want to do a Q&A session.

@sportymariosonichybrid - Well it sounds like you have made your mind up. Good for you. There was little point in Corbie writing the review then, LostWinds is obviously as you say bland and half-cooked! Try harder Frontier!

14
ACK
Sun 18th May 2008

@sportymariosonichybrid: Lost Winds is a gem. It's not the greatest 3 hour game you'll ever play (that is obviously Super Metroid), but it's packed with brilliant ideas, an infectious art style, and polished gameplay.

Since you seem to think it's "half-cooked", I'll run with that metaphor:

LostWinds is a delicious cupcake. Compare that to Super Mario 64, which is a delectable cake. Or Ocarina of Time--a heavenly pie. Basically, having more of the other two doesn't make LostWinds taste any less scrumptious than it is.

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