Gabbo

@longtimegamer
As AlexSays says, no story here. Just racing.

@Dazza
I prefer the Wiimote/nunchuk myself. There's something elegant about shaking the remote to do a stunt.

@Corbie
I think it's great that you're downloading the game based on the strength of my review. I'll go download Family Glide Hockey right now because of your awesome review!

@longtimegamer
Yes, I I have some idea of when

@Corbie
But that's not taking a bullet. I enjoyed Tiki Towers. But if I had reviewed Family Glide Hockey I likely would have taken out months of pent up frustration over Family Table Tennis in the review.

@shadows262
Thanks for the enthusiasm! I suspect the Wiiware World gods will grant your wish within a few hours...

@Terranigma
Heh, not to derail the thread but I love Shadowrun on the 360 and still play it. Just a couple days ago, in fact. Sure it has no single player, but I enjoy its online play alot more than Halo.

Excellent review as usual, Corbie. Oh, and thanks for taking that bullet for me

@KnucklesSonic8
I'm still working on the review for HVHRS, but if you're really excited to play it I'd say go for it. It passes the 'is it fun?' test, so I don't think you'll be dissapointed. But be warned that it's not a very big game. It's another Wiiware game where you'll want friends to play with because the single player will take you maybe an hour or two to finish. The computer player is not a challenge at any skill level.

@KnucklesSonic8
Fair enough. But it sounds like it will also support online play with random people, allowing limitless replay like Mario Kart or Smash Bros. (assuming anyone actually plays it). How many Wiiware games can offer us that?

@Chicken Brutus

The screenshots are actually from Madstone.

Interesting interview. However this quote makes me sad: "Choosing to make a falling block puzzle game was a serious mistake."

Setting yourself apart from the crowd is good, but a game doesn't have to be different just for the sake of being different. If you're good at making puzzle games and this is your first attempt at a Wiiware game then, darn it, make a puzzle game!

My hat's off to Target Toss Pro: Bags. It's the best sports game on the Wii.

@Wiiloveit
What's the matter? Can't a man call his wife "Mommy" anymore?

Heh, this game has become a big hit in my household. I even ended up gifting it to a friend over christmas after he played it for several hours declaring it 'awesome'.

Interestingly enough I came across the arcade version in a bar about a month ago but didn't get the chance to play it. When I went back later it was gone! Anyone here actually had the chance to try the arcade version and see how this compares?

Well thanks for the praise everyone. But I don't write for my own glory. I just do it to help save you some cash.

@indenmark
That's a good point about giving away the 'strategy' to the game. I always give a glimpse into the gameplay with each review, but not necessarily the strategy. I only used it here as a way of showing that the game wasn't completely mindless and that it still required some thought to castle design. I just won't make a habit of it.

Well, it was a little fun. But it got old pretty fast. I also found the controls and perspective frustrating. This one is a bit hard to explain and may not be what people are expecting just from the screenshots. I would definitely wait for the review before getting it, which should be up sometime later 'today'.

I've played it . Yeah, Rampart is a good comparison. But I'd much rather be playing Rampart than this.

When I was a young lad we had something called 'Odyssey of the Mind'. I still recall competing to build the longest suspension bridge made entirely out of straws. So I'm actually a bit partial to this over WOG because it feels a bit more 'real'.

@ness
Indeed. Our scoring policy clearly describes a 7 as 'good' and 'recommended'. But for many people it seems anything less than a 9 is 'mediocre'. To each his own, I guess.

@indenmark
As usual, some of my more questionable 'humor' didn't make it past editing. But if it was lost on the cutting room floor, then let me add now that I had a lot of fun with this game.

@shadows262
The Wii is actually two to three times as powerful as the Gamecube. Unfortunately, the file size limitations for Wiiware result in alot of that power going unused.

@Stardust
According to our interview with the game's developer the game took approximately one year to make. And its probably been done for a while before it finally got published. It's very likely that they had no idea World of Goo was in development when they started.

@AlexSays
But this battle was fun! Anyway, you're right. I've wasted too much time on this when I should have been working on that Tiki Towers review.
....
Well would you look at at that. It's done! (Pending editorial review, of course)

@shadows262
Okay, you got me! I must not own a Gamecube and, therefore, must also not own a Wii which has a Gamecube in it!

Okay, let's lay this out one last time. I'm not making an argument, just pointing out a fact. Wii fans do their first rate console no favors by apologizing for and/or denying the existence of crappy games. So here's a little truth:

Twilight Princess and Resident Evil 4 are two examples I have already given of the excellent graphics the Gamecube is capable of. You are claiming the entire Wii library-every single game- is visually superior to every gamecube title, including these two examples I have previously mentioned. And now you would like me to give you two examples of Wii games with worse graphics than these two gamecube games?

Fine. Here's a couple of the Wii's hotest new releases:

1) Merv Griffin's Crosswords
2) Family Fest Presents Circus Games - 20 Big Top Classics!

Care for any more? No? Okay, class dismissed.

@cyko
Right and left handedness doesn't have any effect on gameplay the way that it is implemented here. So don't let that stop you.

@indenmark
Your welcome!

@shadows262

Thanks for the list of games with good graphics, but none of that contradicts my thesis that many games released for the Wii use graphics that look no better than, or even worse than, what the Gamecube is capable of. I agree that the Wii has a better graphics card than the Gamecube. That's a given. But not all developers make use of it!

Back on topic, the graphics in this game really are very pretty. I'm sure the developers spent a lot of time on them. These aesthetic qualities alone will certainly make the game worthwhile for many people.

Still, these graphics are good only by comparison to other Wiiware games. A downloadable game has to squeeze into a very small file size and so there just isn't enough room to fit in true Wii quality graphics. Given the limitations of the Wiiware service, this is probably about as good as we can expect regarding 3d graphics, unless the file size limits go away.

@shadows262
Well of course you point to Mario Galaxy. It's only one of the best looking games on any platform .

But there are now hundreds of sloppy retail Wii releases out there that, graphics wise, just don't even come close to what the Wii is capable of. Take a look at Twilight Princess and Resident Evil 4 and then tell me that the average Wii game looks better than that.

@AlexSays

Yeah, I would have thought that too. Mercifully, those shots only appear to be out of bounds but are actually still playable. At least, in my experience.

All of our screenshots appear to be from the easy level, so they don't give you an adequate picture of how small the target area becomes later on.

@shadows 262

Gamecube graphics can be pretty good. In fact, they're often better than Wii graphics

@Jogurt

Just to clarify, there are some holes with no 'in bounds' area at all. Especially on the hard difficulty. For these holes, you are required to get through in one stroke. Not technically a 'hole-in-one' if you miss five times before succeeding, but the result is the same.

@indenmark

Don't take me so literally It really is a minigolf game. But sometimes it feels like a puzzle to figure out.

And just as a reminder for everyone, a 6 is 'not bad'. That means if you like Minigolf then you will almost certainly enjoy this game. I like it and fully intend to play it again from time to time. But for gamers in general I wouldn't exactly classify it as the greatest thing ever.

Judge a game by the review, not the score. Heck, my last review, Big Kahuna Party, got a 6 too and that's probably my favorite game on Wiiware right now!

@Mr. Cheez
Oh I don't know. That's all relative. I would have said IGN gave it one of their best Wiiware reviews yet.

Some people just don't like Wiiware games in general. And that's fine. But we don't need to take out our frustrations on Big Kahuna Party. There are plenty of other games that really deserve it.

@Shadx
That's a different kind of puzzle game though. And it doesn't come with an Aquarium.

@Calculon
It's not garbage. It's a 6! Surely as a robot you must know that numbers don't lie!

I'll admit I'm intrigued by the Heracles game. With Wii remote controls this gives them a chance to maybe improve on whatever may have been wrong with gameplay on the PS2. If nothing else it will provide a cheap detour from my regular Mario Kart sessions. Plus, the realism that comes from driving a chariot with a steering wheel sells the game all by itself.

Believe me, most of those six points were earned simply for successfully implementing a public domain game that was already fun and challenging. But the score is held back for failing to take the genre any further.

Great review Alex!

However, I see it as inevitable that this game will be all over the top 20 for months to come. I say this for two reasons:

1) It's cheap. 500 point games sell like hotcakes.
and
2) The vaste majority of Wiiware customers are impulse buyers. For them, taking the time to read a review is a greater opportunity cost than the price of the game.

Your opinion is valid, of course, Most-Excellent. But allow me to correct a misconception you might have. The "sense of feel" is not bad in this game. The controls take a few minutes of getting used to, but after that you'll find that they are remarkably precise.

Again, if you've read the review and it doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then by all means pass on it. But as you can see from the posts above yours, some people feel we scored this game too low. So don't judge this game on a bad experience you may have had with Pong Toss or you may miss out on something you would have liked.

Oh, and good luck with your "stinking."

@UncPhil18
Thanks. We discovered a mechanical error on my Wii's part. The game does support more than one Wiimote and the review has been edited accordingly.

Well, a 6 is a "not bad". That isn't exactly a recommendation. But you can read the review and decide for yourself if it sounds like fun to you.

Wow. Just look at the google ads this review generates. I may just have to buy some custom cornhole bags myself!

Review posting shortly. Early word on the street is...not bad.

"Players can try their hands at trick shots too, or even set up their own! Once they feel like true pool sharks, they can go online to play with up to four players in a Wi-Fi Matchup."

Hmmm. Shall I assume that Hudson read my review of Midnight Pool and made some last minute changes?

Yes. I think I shall.

Neutopia makes your list, but not Zelda: A Link to the Past? Not any Zelda??? Oh Corbie...

Ugh, Midnight Bowling is rising at the same rate that Midnight Pool is dropping. And where the heck is Madstone?

@Djungelurban

Ooh, good question! That's hard to say. I, of course, think that Wii Sports' controls are more intuitive. But the 'timing' of the release is irrelevant in Midnight Bowling, so maybe you'll have an easier time here. But overall these are definitely not easier controls .

I've always considered Wii Sports' controls to be such a good approximation that the only thing missing is a bowling ball attachment for the wiimote to recreate the tactile feel of holding a bowling ball. Perhaps I'll get on building one right away.

@Riverman Jacob

I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we look forward to it!

@leon/zombiekillr5000

A 7 here at WWW means 'good'. That means the game is not necessarily the best thing ever, but it is recommended and most people should enjoy it. If you already wanted it to begin with, don't let this review talk you out of it. It's positive!

@bboy2970

Here's the thing, before I figured out the controls, I was releasing the b button every time, just like in Wii Sports. With disastrous results. Usually the ball would just drop and very slowly list over into the gutter. You have to hold the b button at least through to the release. I suppose you could throw the ball just in a straight line and then immediately release the b button in time to avoid any hook at all, but heck, that doesn't sound like much fun either.

@ everyone

I was really looking forward to this game. Some of you may recall I reviewed Midnight Pool as well. The controls are just so bad, though, that I had to give it a score that Wiiware world labels 'bad'. And that number was 2. I would have gleefully given it a 1, but the party mode is just fun enough that I actually plan to go back and play it again.

Yes, a 'bad' game with horrible controls can still have some value to the right person, so don't be too horribly upset if you've already played the game and liked it. To each his own. But I still don't recommend it to anyone! I would have had this review done a lot earlier if I hadn't thrown so many wiimotes out the window in frustration that I had to go buy more.

Yeah, 89 blocks is actually very impressive. Makes you wonder what all those other games are doing with all that space they take up.

@Corbie

Hey, glad it wasn't just me then. I even put in the review that I got a distinct, intentional, old-school vibe out of the game. Kind of like what was done with Mega Man 9, I suppose.

@Supermarioman
Here's the thing. If I had reviewed this game, we'd all still be waiting for me to successfully beat even one boss. So Corbie, thanks for throwing yourself on the grenade. In times like these we really need you!

Bought time we had a game that lets you use the Wiimote as a gas pump!

@Phantom93
Actually, I would predict that in the long run a top 20 chart will be a mix of old popular games and new releases. In fact, even 'good' games will have a hard time keeping their sales up over time. After all, a top 20 chart doesn't check what you are playing, just what you are purchasing. I don't think we're in any danger of the charts becoming stagnant yet!