First Impressions: MotoHeroz (WiiWare)

It's always tough to tell what you're going to get when developers decide to combine two separate genres into one new gaming experience. Sometimes it works and offers up something fresh and unique, whereas other times it can be a complete and utter disaster. With their upcoming WiiWare release MotoHeroz, RedLynx have combined gameplay aspects from not only the racing and platforming genres, but also tossed in a few puzzle elements to mix things up even further.

The levels in MotoHeroz are laid out in typical platform style for the most part. You maneuver your car by using the accelerator and brake. You'll have to jump inclines and use special power ups in order to make it through the tricky levels. You'll also have to use the D-Pad to make your car lean forward and backwards in order to keep it moving at the right speed and keep it from turning over. Of course, if you do find your car upside down, all you have to do is give your Wii Remote a quick shake and it will toss your car back onto its wheels.

Most levels will require you to race a ghost racer. While your ultimate goal is to reach the finish ball at the end of the level, you will have to beat the ghost racer in order to complete the level. Occasionally you'll take on a level that has a special challenge, like running from a bully vehicle that will destroy you if it touches you. It might seem like a minor twist, but these unique levels do offer a nice change of pace from the standard levels.

Very seldom do you see a WiiWare release feature such smooth and responsive play controls, but the developers of MotoHeroz have created a game that's a breeze to control. Even the physics are spot-on and give the game a very realistic feel, something that makes maneuvering through the levels extremely intuitive. If you fail in this game, it's going to be because of your own doing, not the game.

From a presentation standpoint, it's hard not to be impressed with the audio/visual experience found in MotoHeroz. The game has some beautiful and vivid visuals that show a lot of polish and there's even a rather catchy musical score to go along with it. In truth, we don't often see such attention to detail in a WiiWare release.

To say that we enjoyed our short time with MotoHeroz would be a gross understatement. RedLynx have done a great job of creating a very polished and engaging gaming experience for WiiWare and we can't wait to take the entire game for a spin next week. If what we've seen so far is any indication, WiiWare fans are in for one heck of a treat.