If you've been unhappy with the relative squareness of Nintendo's eShop lately then weep no longer — some majorly spherical action is coming your way soon. Having enjoyed a popular run — or rather roll — on iOS devices with a reported 1.5 million downloads to date, Mobot Studios has been in touch to confirm that it will be porting and publishing hit title Gears to Wii U for release sometime this Spring. It was originally released on the Apple platform by the prolific Crescent Moon Games.
Players will navigate a ball through three highly stylized worlds, all with their own unique take on a steampunk aesthetic. From lava-filled caverns to lush green heights, the titular gears serve as a challenging series of platforms above a perilous drop. Like other games in the 3D ball-roller genre, the mechanics of rolling around and manipulating obstacles should be easy to pick up, but four difficulty settings should keep things interesting.
A few changes will also be made specifically for the game's release on Wii U, including:
- Complete graphics overhaul for the big screen
- New higher res textures
- Real-time lighting and shadows
- New Gamepad functionality
The iOS version featured a choice of either tilt or touch control schemes, both of which the GamePad is more than capable of handling along with analogue and button inputs, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if this carried over to the updated version.
Is this one you'll be keeping an eye on? Let us know in a comments below if that Spring release window is looking mighty appealing.
Comments 31
Looks cool! Are the pics from the Wii U port or the iOS version?
@MrV4ltor Those are pics of the Wii U version.
Nice. More indie games on Wii U is always a good thing.
@ThomasBW84 Nice!
sweet, i love rolling ball games!
Bad pun overload, bad pun overload.
Maybe depends on price
Hmm might just pick it up on the iPad instead now that I know it exists.
Why are all the photos on the linked to Mobots site of cool looking Tearaway/LBP clones but no sign of Gears?
Well at least it's better sounding than "Gears" on Android.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.davidmd.gears
As w/ all things Wii U I'll keep an eye on it. That last rolling game, well the less said about it the better.
I hate it when they put phone games on major consoles. They charge you like 15 bucks when the game is only 2 bucks or even free on the app store.
Nice! Keep it cheap and you'll have a hit here, too!
$2 on iPad.
$12 on Wii U?
Edit: didn't see your post Goonow
Where do you guys find those prices?
So I guess it may be time to...GEAR up? CRANK the game into overdrive? A game to WATCH and see if it provides something interesting enough for me to lighten my POCKET?
Is that too many gear-related puns? The last one being of a pocket watch...because they have gears. I could keep going.
Like...let's hope there is no reason they will need a couple HANDS for help or save...FACE? A clock face.
Played this a while back, could be good and the gamepad could easily do tilt and touch controls, one to keep an eye on.
@rjejr I believe Mobot are only in charge of porting the game to Wii U, so they may not have it listed as one of their own titles. Crescent Moon Games developed the iOS version.
@ThomasBW84 don't listen to Falchion, I thought the article was very punny.
@FarsanBaloo @goonow updating textures cost money
The real reason:
iOS games have such a massive install base that the price can come down there. If Wii U had 300 million+ install base I bet it would cost $2 here too.
Can we get better iOS games on Wii U, please?
@element187
The reason is probably more that iOS has a lot of "shovelware" that competes with " good" indie games. To sell a good game at "full" prize there you need a lot of hype.
On Wii U everyone is starved for games at all so it is easier to charge more.
The conclusion for me is that if I wait a month or two I can buy the game for half the starting prize.
I'm going to steer clear of anything that comes from the iOS
that looks good and I cant wait to get a wii u
@FarsanBaloo
Has nothing to do with being "starved for games". These games costs just as much on PS3, PS4, 360 and X1.
It has to do with what he said- consoles have much lower install bases than iOS or Android. Even the most successful console is pocket change compared to smartphones. Not only that, but games ported to consoles have to look better than on smartphones, because gamers play them on big screen HDTVs, and are used to a much higher production value.
And on a side note, this is spring 2014, not spring 2013. 12 months ago, you could have said Wii U owners were "starved for games". Not really true anymore though. I'm now at a 20+ game backlog on Wii U. Last spring, there were no 1st party titles but NSMBU and Nintendoland, and VC wasn't up and running. Alot has changed, and I've spent a good $1,500 on Wii U games (physical and digital) in the last 12 months. 35 retail games and 5 out of 6 Wii U menu pages full of digital games. Not exactly what I would call "being starved". My PS4 on the other hand- only 4 retail releases and 1 digital game. That fits the bill much more than Wii U does (not knocking PS4, I love PS4, I'm just giving an example of contrast)
3 of the 4 features will be graphics related... oh boy....
Just pass.
iOS trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyirNZP3gik
Generally when I hear about smartphone ports to Wii U I'm not too excited, but this is the sort of game that might do really well with a good port. Without a Monkey Ball game on the console, there's a niche there, and the steampunk look is an interesting one for the genre. So long as they keep the price close to the $2 on iOS, I could see this finding an audience.
Sorry but a ported over mobile game just isnt going to cut it.
I loved Gears on iPad (and iPhone), which looked genuinely gorgeous when it originally hit the App Store in April 2011. As someone who really digs the whole steampunk vibe — and finished the game two or three times — I'm wholly looking forward to grabbing Gears for my Wii U just as soon as it debuts on the eShop! And if that pic is anything to go by, it should look even better this time round too
@markybbop While it may not 'cut it', it'll certainly add a little much needed variety to the eShop.
I could be up for this. It seems infiintely better than that ridiculously cheap looking game with the penguin (whatever that was called...besides terrible I mean).
People hear iOS and immediately think cheap and bad, but that stereotype isn't true for most iOS games. Walking Dead is on iOS, Minecraft is on iOS, Year walk was a really great iOS game that's on steam now, there ARE a lot of quality iOS games that I would love to see on Wii U and this looks like it just might be one of them.
Could be cool, but will be highly overpriced!!
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