Remember Me?	Forgot Password?	Register

NEWS   /    FEATURES   /    INTERVIEWS   /    REVIEWS   /    PREVIEWS

NINTENDO WII PREVIEWS

0  GamesCom: We Sing Robbie Williams Impressions Thu, Sep 2nd, 2010, 9:48 am (EST) BY DARRYL After making their debut with We Sing last year, Nordic Games have certainly been busy. Less than 12 months on, they've just released the follow-up, dubbed We Sing Encore, and they've already got a third game on the way, We Sing Robbie Williams. You'd think they would want a break, but apparently not! More »

2  HAWX 2 Preview Wed, Aug 18th, 2010, 6:16 pm (EST) BY ADAM MA Flying simulation games, as mentioned in our other previews, can be a very tricky subject. The first Hawx game demonstrated this quite well, generating some decent reviews but nothing that will live on forever in the history of gaming. A few technical issues, an extremely short campaign, and some poorly thought-out multiplayer features left a bad taste in the mouth. Fortunately, that hasn't stopped Tom Clancy's team one bit. Hawx 2 is coming, and with it come a few changes that may make for a more memorable (and enjoyable) flight experience. More »

4  The Force Unleashed 2: What We Know So Far Sat, Jul 31st, 2010, 6:30 pm (EST) BY ADAM MA Just watching the Force Unleashed 2 trailer tells us a few things. Galen Marek (aka Starkiller) is supposedly back in clone form, and he's absolutely fantastic at killing stormtroopers. Darth Vader is still plotting to do something with his old apprentice, which may include making a clone army, and no doubt the fate of the universe will somehow hang in the balance. There's a lot going on in Force Unleashed 2, and between all the fancy CG movies and trailers it can be hard to keep track. Fortunately, we've made a handy little list of new features for everyone’s convenience. So lets take a look at what the Force Unleashed 2 actually has to offer us, and why it may be worth looking into regardless of your feelings on the original. Story-wise things are still a little convoluted since everything we've learned up until this point have been facts to hype up the crowd. As of this point, Darth Vader, still reeling from the betrayal of his former apprentice, has taken the body of Marek and cloned the young Jedi at the infamous Kamino. The current Starkiller seems to be the result of many failed clones, and exists with fractured memories of his past life. After being assaulted by the memories of his past, Starkiller heads out into the universe to discover the truth of his past. More »

0  Metroid: Other M Hands-on Preview Sat, Jul 31st, 2010, 3:13 pm (EST) BY NICK Metroid has been a long standing title throughout Nintendo's lifetime, the first game made its debut on the NES in 1986 and has continued to be released on nearly every Nintendo console since. The game follows the story of Samus Aran, a Bounty Hunter who, throughout her career, has had to defeat members of the alien Metroid species and the Space Pirates who have tried to use them as weapons. Metroid: Other M is set late in Samus's career between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. No other details have been revealed on the story, though it is set to be a key part of the new game. But what about the gameplay? Metroid: Other M's Developer, Team Ninja, have decided to explore a whole new gameplay concept that is completely new to the Metroid franchise. Originally, Metroid was a 2D shooter with the latest games incorporating more of an FPS design, Other M will be incorporating both of these aspects but is still managing to make the game its own. Nintendo recently showed off the game in the form of a demo, story elements and a vast amount of gameplay were both present and gave a good impression of what will appear in the full game. At first, fans of the Metroid series were a little uneasy when they heard about the new system, especially with players needing to juggle the Wii-mote in order to play. But fear not dear fans, it works, and it works well. More »

4  Goldeneye 007 Hands-on Preview Thu, Jul 29th, 2010, 2:44 pm (EST) BY NICK The original Goldeneye, developed by Rare, has always been considered one of (if not) the best first-person-shooter of its generation. Back in 1997, Nintendo 64 owners were crowded round their TVs either shooting each other with golden guns or happily slapping Oddjob around for being too short. Goldeneye was the definitive multiplayer experience for console owners with literally nothing to compete with it. But now, more than a decade later, Nintendo have decided to update the game with a new story, new setting and a new Bond with the help of developer, Eurocom. However, there is a small problem, this isn't 1997, this isn't the original Goldeneye and there is now plenty of competition to contend with. More »

0  E3 2010: Sonic Colors Hands-On Impressions Fri, Jul 9th, 2010, 1:19 pm (EST) BY COLIN Sega has been taking things up a notch with the announcement of several new games to the Sonic franchise, Sonic 4, Sonic Free Riders and Sonic Colors. All of which were on display at E3 this year. It's an interesting franchise seeing that the classic games were an incredible experience, yet Sonic's 3D outings don't exactly have the best track record to date. It appears that Sega is trying to change that with Sonic Colors, a game that's a good mix between 3D and 2D planes. More »

0  E3 2010: Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Hands-On Preview Wed, Jun 30th, 2010, 11:01 am (EST) BY DARRYL Sonic the Hedgehog was once one of the video games industry's most notable franchises. He stood toe to toe with Mario for years and in some people's eyes actually stood above him. However, with the advent of the 3D era, Sonic just couldn't keep up - Mario disappeared into the distance and Sonic was left with dust in his face and a slew of games which featured poor controls, terrible cameras and dreadful story elements. However, while it's probably too soon to say the future is bright for Sonic, Sega at least appear to be paying attention to their fans. What started off as Project Needlemouse has turned in to the game fans have been wanting for years, a true successor to Sonic 3 and a game that's in 2D - gloriously high-definition 2D. Kicking off shortly after the end of Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic decides to take a break. Needless to say it's cut short and he's back in action to thwart Dr. Robotnik's latest dastardly scheme. This brings him to Splash Hill, a zone that looks like a merger between Green Hill and Emerald Hill - the perfect place to start off a new adventure with the speedy hedgehog. More »

0  E3 2010: Tournament of Legends Preview Tue, Jun 29th, 2010, 10:46 pm (EST) BY COLIN Tournament of Legends was first announced at E3 last year as Gladiator AD. Back then, the game went in the direction of gritty realism, complete with Roman gladiators, blood and gore. Interestingly, since Sega picked it up, the art direction took a completely different turn along with its rebranding. Now known as Tournament of Legends, the game will feature characters from Greco-Roman mythology. More »

0  E3 2010: Ivy the Kiwi? Multiplayer Preview Tue, Jun 29th, 2010, 8:43 pm (EST) BY SHAWN Earlier this month we previewed Ivy the Kiwi?, Yuji Naka of Sonic fame's latest game, being brought to North America by XSEED Games. While we touched upon the Ivy's gameplay in our earlier preview this month, the multiplayer in the title is very impressive and we thought we ought to explore it a little bit deeper. More »

0  We Sing Encore Hands-On Preview Mon, Jun 28th, 2010, 6:37 pm (EST) BY DARRYL For those not in the know, We Sing, the only vocal game to support four player singing action, was released last year. Less than a year later, Nordic Games have decided that it's about time for the game to have a second edition, which sees the arrival of We Sing Encore. Gaming Union was fortunate enough to see the game at both E3 and an exclusive event in London for some extensive hands-on time. More »

0  E3 2010: Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove Preview Sun, Jun 27th, 2010, 7:13 pm (EST) BY COLIN Among the Lufia and Harvest Moon demos at Natsume's E3 booth this year was a rather charmingly cute rhythm game called Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove. That's right, its name is even an alliteration, how wicked is that? It's a DS and WiiWare title that is quite similar to games like Elite Beat Agent, except with a lot more cute characters and tunes you can shake a stick at. Gaming Union had the opportunity to give it a shot and here are our hands-on impressions. More »

0  E3 2010: Metroid: Other M Preview Fri, Jun 25th, 2010, 10:26 pm (EST) BY SHAWN When Nintendo announced Metroid: Other M at E3 2009, many long-time fans of the series were ecstatic. But then, with the first-person viewpoint aspect and Team Ninja's involvement with the game was revealed, many wondered if Metroid: Other M was straying too far away from its roots, even with Nintendo's Yoshio Sakamoto at the helm. From what Gaming Union got to experience during the demo on the show floor of E3 2009 last week, we can easily say that it's a Metroid game through and through. More »

0  E3 2010: First Look At Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent Fri, Jun 25th, 2010, 5:23 pm (EST) BY NICK As far as puzzle detective games go, the Professor Layton games on the Nintendo DS have been the leading brand for a while now. Telltale Games would like to change this with their own game, Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent. Telltale's new property is the end result of a collaboration between themselves and Graham Annable, an accomplished animator. The game will be the first in a new venture for Telltale, the 'pilot project' which, given enough positive feedback, will see games made into a fully fledged series, Telltales' speciality. More »

0  E3 2010: WWE All Stars Hands-On Preview Wed, Jun 23rd, 2010, 9:00 am (EST) BY DARRYL WWE All Stars marks a new step for THQ as they look to expand their WWE offering. It's something that's really needed too, as WWE Smackdown vs Raw has become a game locked in to coming out every year, like most sports games, so there isn't really that much scope to try something much more radical. That's really where WWE All Stars comes in. It's a game that THQ are hoping will bridge the gap between the more serious WWE fans and those of a more casual nature. It's being developed by the newly formed THQ San Diego, and it looks great! The visuals are instantly striking - they really play on the stereotypical perception of wrestlers. Their bodies are extremely exaggerated and the ring actually looks quite small when both wrestlers are prancing around inside it. There's also a much less serious nature to the visuals as well; the wrestlers take damage which physically changes their appearance and moves are extremely exaggerated to give the maximum pain factor. More »

0  E3 2010: Epic Mickey Hands-On Preview Tue, Jun 22nd, 2010, 2:51 pm (EST) BY JORDAN DOUGLAS Epic Mickey is the latest project from the mind of Warren Spector, the man who produced classics such as Deus Ex and System Shock. Spector, a self professed cartoon history buff and Disney fanatic, was approached by Disney to make a game that celebrated the company's storied past. The end result is Epic Mickey, a game that blends conventional platforming and adventuring elements with Spector's signature emphasis on player choice. The main vehicles that drive player choice in Epic Mickey are the painting and erasing mechanics at Mickey's disposal. Players can choose to either paint or erase objects, enemies and areas in the game, each choice with a set of consequences. For example, painting an enemy will cause that enemy to become Mickey's friend, who will then assist Mickey on his journey in various ways. However, the newly converted friend is susceptible to revert back to their mischievous ways. So, players can choose so simply erase the enemy from the world or put in the effort to keep them on friendly terms. The decisions players make in these situations will also affect the way other characters in the game perceive Mickey. More »

0  E3 2010: Donkey Kong Country Returns Preview Mon, Jun 21st, 2010, 4:25 pm (EST) BY SHAWN After 14 years since Donkey Kong Country 3 and a slew of games which took the series in various other directions, fans have been waiting for a game which took the spirit of the original games, but brought the series into the next generation. During Nintendo's E3 2010 press conference, the company revealed that the mystery title Retro Studios, most well known for the Metroid Prime trilogy of games, was developing was in fact a new Donkey Kong Country. But is this just a nostalgia trip with improved graphics, or does Retro take the series in a old, but new direction? More »

0  E3 2010: Kirby's Epic Yarn Preview Mon, Jun 21st, 2010, 3:58 pm (EST) BY SHAWN Kirby's last "real" console title, forgoing spin-offs like Kirby's Air Ride on the Nintendo GameCube, was on the Nintendo 64. Nintendo was planning to release a new game on the GameCube but the title eventually got shelved due to delays. So when Nintendo announced a new Kirby game during their E3 2010 press conference, many were expecting a more polished version of that shelved title, but were instead greeted with something much, much more different. Gaming Union got a chance to play a short demo of the game on the show floor to see if this change is worthy of the long-running franchise or not. More »

2  E3 2010: Zumba Fitness First Look Thu, Jun 17th, 2010, 2:43 pm (EST) BY ALEX Majesco has partnered up with Beto, (the creator of the Zumba workout) to create Zumba Fitness, which will be available for the Wii, Kinect, and Playstation Move. Zumba Fitness is much like other dance games at its core, but rather than your standard top 40s songs, Zumba Fitness focuses more on latin dance and reggae flavours. There’s a lot of emphasis on hip movements, as the game is also a workout tool. You can really see this in the Wii and Move versions, as they include a belt which you strap the controllers onto. More »

2  E3 2010: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Preview Thu, Jun 17th, 2010, 1:58 pm (EST) BY SHAWN After revealing the title at the end of E3 2009, The Legend of Zelda fans have been waiting for more news about the title, which Nintendo delivered on in their E3 2010 press conference with the subtitle for the game, Skyward Sword, as well as the first look at the game in a short trailer. For those wanting a more hands-on experience, Nintendo setup demos of the game on the show floor, and Gaming Union was able to take a look and see how it compares to the previous games in the series. More »

0  E3 2010: Conduit 2 Preview Thu, Jun 17th, 2010, 1:03 pm (EST) BY ALEX Unveiled only a few months ago, High Voltage’s upcoming FPS, Conduit 2, was shown to us at E3 2010. The team at High Voltage has had their ears to what the critics and forums have been saying and have taken that into consideration when putting Conduit 2 together. As far as single player goes, High Voltage has added a longer story, as well as putting multiple paths into each level. One complaint was that the AI was extremely basic. While this is supposed to have been changed, it’s tough to verify as the AI had been deliberately toned down for the demonstration. Boss battles have also been added in, (four, to be exact) and each boss will have multiple stages to the fight. For example, in the first battle Ford has to first shoot tendrils around the boss’ neck before they are blasted off a turret, then shoot the boss in the mouth, and finally shoot it with an electric harpoon in two spots to create a circuit and kill it. More »