WiiWare Demos Overview #1

As some are aware, this week Nintendo brought demos back into their downloadable content system. Last holiday season, the company ran a trial of five game demos running from November through January, but this time, it sounds like Nintendo is in for the long haul.

Now, before we jump up in unified euphoria, note a few things. First of all, these are not required demos, and so do not expect every WiiWare title on the market to come with a demo. Secondly, the demos have to be downloaded separately from the full versions, unlike on XBLA where the demo is but a small code away from being a complete version. Finally, the demos will only be available for a limited time, so download and play them before they vanish (or keep them on your SD card for safe keeping). The length of a demo's existence is normally four weeks, but Gaijin Games has stated that if the demos are voted above Bronze status on the Nintendo Channel, the demos last longer.

Provided the releases of demos are consistent, we here are 3RM will provide a level of insight on what the demos provide and how they compare to the content of the complete products, starting with the four which launched the new system of demos.

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And Yet it Moves


Developer/Publisher: Broken Rules
Original Release: August 23rd, 2010
Price: 1000 Wii Points

What is it?
And Yet it Moves is a physics-based platformer in which players can rotate the world around the main character to whichever angle they please. Of course, as the world rotates, the character's momentum remains the same, creating a number of puzzles and traps all with the manipulation of gravity in mind.

What does the demo have?
The demo consists of two and a half levels: Rock and Roll from the Cave world, It's a Bug from the Jungle world, and the first segment of Transition from the third world. The demo allows for any of the game's control schemes and shows the list of achievements players can complete over the course of the game. Following the completion of the demo segment, the game shows a video of the full game's content and allows you to use the game mechanics to choose whether to replay the demo, buy the game, or leave to the Wii Menu.

How does it compare to the full game?
The full game has 20 levels spanning four worlds, although four of them are not necessarily part of the main game. There are multiple extra modes including time attack, limited spins, and limited deaths. It has plenty of replay content, based on those factors alone, so don't think that one run-through will end the game content entirely. Certainly one of the better demos of the bunch, with all the locales and game shown off.

BIT.TRIP FATE


Developer: Gaijin Games
Publisher: Aksys Games
Original Release: October 25th, 2010
Price: 800 Wii Points

What is it?
BTF is an uncoventional on-rails shooter and is also the fifth game in the six-game BIT.TRIP series (BEAT, the first game, was one of the five original demos last year). Players control Commander Video along a rail known as a vibe, and using either a control stick or the Wii's pointer, they aim and shoot at enemies as they appear to attack the black pixel protagonist. Power-ups based on his friends encountered in RUNNER make an appearance to help, but make no mistake: this game is a shooter taking you to hell and back.

What does the demo have?
The demo includes the first two stages of the game, but once the players make it to the second boss, or rather, the first major boss, the game's demo concludes. The player can choose to go to the Wii Shop channel at the title screen. Scores cannot be saved, and if a player gets to the second stage and leaves the game, it will not save his or her progress.

How does it compare to the full game?
Of the four demos, this one has the largest percentage of the main game within it. The main game consists of three major areas, making six stages total. From a purely mathematical point-of-view, the demo offers one-third of the full game for free. You cannot save scores or progress, both of which are big for arcade experiences, but this demo offers a lot of game to help players decide whether or not the game is right for them.

Jett Rocket


Developer/Publisher: Shin'en Multimedia
Original Release: June 28th, 2010
Price: 1000 Wii Points

What is it?
Jett Rocket is a 3D platformer in which players control Jett Rocket, a planetary protector, as he fends off against an evil posse of robots bent on destroying all wildlife within the world! Each level's goal is to reach the power generator and destroy the PPP's influence on it. Along the way, players will be able to use Jett's rechargeable jetpack, his dash attack, and a number of sleek vehicles to cross otherwise uncrossable terrain. Just watch out for the evil robots!

What does the demo have?
The demo contains the full opening of the game as well as the training level, access to the world hub, and the first level of Atoll. Players can access the Wii Shop Channel in the main menu as well as at the end of the demo itself. A list of features appears at the end of the demo, as well, though it does not provide full specifics on what the game offers.

How does it compare to the full game?
Compared to the rest of the demos, this demo provides very little. The game's opening, training level, and first level can be completed in a severely short period of time, and without the ability to try out the longer levels or even see a need to gather the solar cells, it does not give a great representation to the main game. The main game has roughly a dozen levels between the three worlds, each ending with a boss. The full game might be on the short side, but the demo could have had a level from the later worlds to show differences in the environments.

ThruSpace


Developer: Keys Factory
Publisher: Nintendo
Original Release: October 18th, 2010
Price: 800 Wii Points

What is it?
ThruSpace is a puzzle arcade game in which players control a keydron, a 3-dimensional tetromino of sorts, in order to guide it through holes along oncoming walls. The player can rotate the keydrons in any direction, and with special items to collect in particular crannies of each hole, players will have to rotate correctly and quickly to get the best score and not run into a wall at the same time, not to mention make use of a unique trick system!

What does the demo have?
The demo provides players with the first two lessons from the game's tutorial, in order to teach them the main game elements before pushing them to the actual levels. As for the actual game content, the demo provides two stages, one for each of the first two keydrons available in the game. Players cannot upload scores earned from these levels online. The game concludes with a splash screen with a link to the Wii Shop Channel.

How does it compare to the full game?
The full game contains three main modes: Normal, Endless, and Trick Challenge. The demo only gives players a chance to try out Normal, and since the tutorial does not explain all the major trick features, it provides for more content once the full game is downloaded. Each of the six keydrons have three levels to try; the demo gives only the first levels of the first two keydrons. There is a lot of content cut for the demo, and yet it offers just enough to give players the idea whether to buy it or not.

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So that's it this week folks! Remember to vote via the Nintendo Channel if you like the demos, and they'll stay online longer. They have a normal expectancy rate of a month, so get gaming!

Review: Jett Rocket

Game Title: Jett Rocket Developer: Shin’en Multimedia (Nanostray, Fun! Fun! Minigolf, Art of Balance) Platform: WiiWare Price: 1000 Wii Points ($10)

In the past generation, platformers have for the most part disappeared from the mainstream in favor of first and third-person shooters, but the Wii is starting to appear to be the place for 3D platformers to shine. Shin’en Multimedia has not only brought a unique 3D platformer to the WIi but also brought it through WiiWare. With the size limitations inherent to WiiWare, does Jett Rocket even compare to the retail games currently available?

Jett Rocket stars who else but Jett Rocket, the protector of the planet from all evil that resides in space. In his swift introduction, he is attacked by the PPP, a group of evil robots bent on polluting the world. We do not really see the pollution around in the worlds, but their metallic existence in the otherwise naturalistic worlds is bad enough. Either way, the game’s plot is paper thin, but we don’t care about that. It’s the game that counts.

Wait, this is a WiiWare title?

From a basic viewpoint, Jett Rocket is every bit as much of a 3D platformer as any. In each level, players have but one apparent goal: to destroy the generator located at the end of the level. In order to get there, you’ll have to climb platforms, natural or otherwise, move electrical panels or other devices, and occasionally destroy the invading robot forces along the way. What you might not realize early on is that in order to get into the later worlds in the game, you must also spend your time in each level collecting energy cells which are scattered throughout the world. This gives the game a bit more exploration and lengthens the game up, but on occasion it hints of a “collect-a-thon.”

Attacking enemies in this game is waggle-based. By shaking the Remote, Jett dash attacks forward, and in the air, he dives to the ground or toward a locked-on target. Motion waggle is also needed for throwing bombs and moving certain platform lifts. On occasion, the game might miss a waggle motion, but it works for the most part. Most of the enemies are pushovers, anyways, so a mistake in motion sensing will not kill Jett that easily.

Some levels are extremely enemy-dense, so expect to shake that Remote a lot!

Jett has another special trick up his sleeve: his jetpack. The jetpack is a chargeable ability which allows players to slightly increase the height of their jumps or lengthen their time in the air. This FLUDD-like jump-assistor adds more platforming situations than it dissolves, though it seems the jetpack could have been a little less of a gas guzzler. A number of times I found myself having to walk back to a charge station far away only to make a mistake and retry it all over again. However, the frustration was outweighed by the satisfaction earned when exploring the levels with the jetpack.

The game also gives Jett a number of vehicles to use in order to traverse the worlds. Early on, there is a level that has no platforming, only a jetski segment, but thankfully the other vehicles are integrated into the levels rather than entire stages. The controls of some of the vehicles range from decent to cumbersome, and glitches tend to arrive mostly when these vehicles are in use, as well. For example, in one level, a hoverboard vehicle rotates too sharply, and the camera cannot keep up. It is a shame, because they do add a little bit more to the game than just running around with a jetpack.

There are plenty of objects to control beyond Jett, but not necessarily as fun.

Now, you can hear all the complaints I have made and think the game is fairly unwieldy or something like that, but the game is actually quite fun. The graphics are extremely well-polished to the point that some retail games are shaking in their polygonal boots, and the game’s framerate is a solid 60 frames per second. The music is also a delight to hear and is surprisingly diverse considering the size requirements for WiiWare titles. As for the gameplay itself, running around the levels and facing platform puzzle elements may feel like they came from Mario Galaxy on occasion, but I found that to be more a pro than a con.

Jett Rocket’s flaws that stuck out the most, however, were the game’s overall length and the lack of checkpoints. The game is fairly short. It took me about four hours to complete the adventure the first time through, but if players want to get 100% completion, they will have to complete a collection of achievements over the course of the game. Even so, the adventure is not a retail game’s length. When it comes to checkpoints, there are none, save the three instances before fighting bosses. In the later two worlds, some levels run quite long, but healing is hard to come by. If you die, you have to collect the cells and such all over again, from the beginning of the level. It would have been good to have at least a checkpoint system at the later levels, but the game is nice enough that repeating a level a couple times will not tire players much.

CONCLUSION

Jett Rocket can best be described as the first half (or third) of a great 3D platformer for the Wii. Its graphics are comparable to many retail titles for the Wii, and its music is also a pleasure to hear. The game is a bit short, but it is acceptable for the price. The game’s exploration and atmosphere make it more than a generic adventure, and it has enough content to stand out among the rest.

For $10, Jett Rocket establishes a genre unattained on WiiWare, and at the same time, it offers a comparable 3D platforming experience to games many times its price. Recommended.


Disclaimer: WiiWare titles are downloadable on Wiis through the Wii Shop Channel using Wii Points. Wii Points are obtained through either Nintendo Points Cards or Credit Card usage. A Wii downloading the game must be capable of connecting to the Internet in order to purchase and download the game.

Going FAST with WiiWare

Shin'en Multimedia, the developer of Jett Rocket, has announced FAST Racing League, a futuristic racing title for WiiWare.

Originally announced through a teaser website, FAST Racing League is a futuristic racing game in which players ride hover vehicles down twisted tracks in order to get the gold. What makes FAST unique from the likes of Wipeout and F-Zero is the phase system.

Vehicles have two phases, white and black, and around each track are boosters and other objects with those same colors. Only when the same phases meet will these objects interact, however. For example, when a white-phased vehicle runs over a white-phased booster, the latter is activated, providing for a faster ride. In the end, those who know the turns of the tracks and the phases of the boosters will be the victor.

The game will allow for up to four players to play together in splitscreen multiplayer, and beyond the main racing modes, the game provides twenty four challenges to keep players busy, even after they have won all of the tournaments.

The game has no release date yet, but it is a WiiWare exclusive.

Shin'en Multimedia, formed in 1999, is a developer of a multitude of games from handhelds to consoles. It is best known for the shooter franchises Iridion for GBA and Nanostray for DS. The company focus has been on WiiWare lately, with the past releases being Fun! Fun! Minigolf, Art of Balance, and Jett Rocket.

SOURCE: Official Site