Now there’s Sonic Colors for the Wii. The name cries gimmick, but Sega appeared to have extra faith in this iteration, discontinuing some of its older, critically panned titles so as not to continue sullying the pot, one could say.

Wishful thinking? I’m happy to say no, actually. Sonic Colors shines through where previous titles floundered, offering the best Sonic experience on a console in years.

Years.

The basic premise of Sonic Colors is par for the series: Eggman has created an amusement park in space by linking five planets to his resort. It’s all, of course, a ruse to conceal a diabolical motive that depends on capturing cute, collectible alien creatures called Wisps. Sonic and Tails arrive to investigate and mass robot genocide is soon celebrated.

A very bright and vibrant look matches the title for sure

It should be noted that the tale is told tongue-in-cheek with plenty of flippant Sonic-tude. It’s groan-inducing at points but chuckleworthy at others, lending itself to a sort of “Saturday morning cartoon” feel. It fits well; at least better than watching Shadow packing heat or Sonic smooching outside his species ever did.

Sonic Team chose to transition between 2D and on-track 3D during gameplay; a decision that really makes all the difference. Gone are the clunky, confusing werehog areas that plagued Unleashed. It’s all back down to a mix of platforming and speed. Sonic is almost always pressed onward with little backtracking, and when the camera switches to a behind the ‘hog view, he is sometimes locked into “quickstep” mode where you can zip between three lanes, or a drift mode that allows better navigation of corners. It sounds potentially limiting, but is a great way to maintain the speed in these areas many players are looking for. An icon at the bottom of the screen indicates when the game is in one of these modes, as well as when there is an instant kill danger such as bottomless pits. Where has this warning been all my life?

There are four control options, of which the Wii remote and nunchuk combo felt most comfortable to me. Controls felt tight and responsive for the majority of the game, although some platform navigating felt tricky at times. This might have had as much to do with the length the camera was pulled out at some points.

This really satisfies both the Sonic and Mr. Driller fan in me

The eight multi-hued wisps are indeed the gimmick du game. One color grants power to the standard boost gauge, while the other seven grant individual powers such as laser propulsion, drilling through the ground and sticking to walls. The Wisps are timed and work well similar to the power-ups of Mario Galaxy. Most importantly, where previous titles’ gimmicks failed, Wisps rarely hinder Sonic’s motion and, in many cases, enhance it.

Each of the six worlds in the main game divided into six acts and a boss battle, with a three-part finale. Each world is vividly presented as a combination of its natural elements and Eggman’s machinations. The soundtrack, a blend of orchestrated music and synth, perpetuates this theme. It’s a beautiful overall package that often bursts with personality, although the rare pixelated background element does detract a bit.

While the enemy bots tend to brandish different objects depending on the world, most are the same standard design. It could be argued that the enemies shouldn’t be the grand focus and that having too many would detract from zipping through a level. That would be understandable. What’s not understandable is why three bosses are basically remixes of the first three you encounter in the game. They’re fun fights, but there’s no reason not to have six unique creations. The final boss, thankfully, does not feel like a throwback.

I don't know when we started playing Mario Bros., but this is wild

The replayability factor is intriguing. Some acts feel oddly short — at least until you realize you’re missing three or four of the five special rings hidden in each act. Returning to earlier stages after freeing certain-colored Wisps allows you to access different sections entirely passed over on the first runthrough. Even with that considered, picking up some of the special rings you can see in your first play can be a challenge, as well. I beat the main game with an embarrassingly meager number of special rings, and since they unlock extra stages in the Sonic Simulator — essentially a collection of extra courses that can be played with a friend — going back can be rewarding. Online leaderboards are also there for those kinds of people.

So what I’m really trying to say is…
Search for what people cry out for in their Sonic games and you’ll find three common elements: good platforming that doesn’t just have you hold right all the time, alternative paths to explore and speed, stupid. Sonic Colors manages to hit upon that golden triad in a way no other Sonic title this generation has been able to, providing a contemporary experience that still manages to pay good tribute to the blue blur’s roots. Will that stop some of the “hardcore fans” from trying to disparage it somehow? Probably not, but there’s currently no better case against pulling the plug on the hedgehog.

Sonic Colors is developed by Sega and is available on the Nintendo Wii. Review derived from about 6.5 hours of play with a retail copy of the game, in which the main game was completed. So, so many special rings to get back to…

“Eee-vee!” the bird chirped with such diction as to not evoke the wrath of Pokemon Company lawyers.

The bird’s name was Ivy, star of the game Ivy the Kiwi?, and as the reviewer picked up her game, he discovered she was a lost little hatchling trying to find her way home to her mother.

“What an adorable children’s fairy tale trope you are!” the reviewer said to Ivy.

“Eee-vee!” Ivy chirped.

The reviewer soon learned that while Ivy was brave little bird, she was not very bright, blindly skipping ahead in a direction until she would hit an obstacle and turn around. Luckily, the reviewer could create up to four vines on the screen at once, guiding Ivy to a goal in each of her 50 stages.

Smash that brick, you little bird! That actually might hurt...

With a child-like aesthetic and line-drawing mechanic, the reviewer could not help but think his new avian friend was trying to pull some crap on him by copping Kirby’s Canvas Curse. But as he continued playing, the reviewer soon realized that stretching and moving the vines added a pleasing sense of momentum to the action. The ease with which the Wii Remote controlled the vines only added to the joy.

“It’s pretty fun tossing you around like this!” the reviewer beamed, right before he accidentally catapulted Ivy into a wall of menacing spikes.

“Ee-veeeee…” Ivy cried.

“Yeesh; sorry!” the reviewer apologized. “Unfortunately, you were made by the same guy who made Sonic. I think he has some strange attraction to pointy things.”

As Ivy and the reviewer journeyed on, they shared some entertainingly frenetic moments making lines of split decisions to keep the young bird’s adorable little tailfeathers from becoming consumed by the gaping maw of impending doom. Other living enemies such as rats and crows were introduced, but the reviewer found that by pulling on the vines and snapping them back into place, he could launch Ivy and turn her into a twirling deathdrill, piercing the hearts of her enemies with her long, pointed beak.

“Whee!” the reviewer shouted.

“Eeee!” Ivy exclaimed.

Later into their journey, however, the reviewer began to become a bit frustrated. Some stages required the reviewer to transport a rock along with Ivy, which proved quite cumbersome. The journey also began to reach a point where there was little new introduced to the stages except a sadistic number of hazards to make them endearing little deathtraps. Had it not been for an easily maintainable stock of extra lives by collecting feathers dotting every stage, the tale would surely have come to an end sooner.

Upon the end of their journey, the duo learned a second set of 50 stages had been unlocked; this time requiring Ivy to find a key in order to clear the goal.

“Eeee-vee?!” Ivy said.

Poor thing has no idea what it's doing

“Yeah; ‘fraid so, kiddo,” the reviewer replied.

In the end, the reviewer decided Ivy and her game had a lot of charm and pick-up-and-play ease to make them quite engaging, but became deceptively stressful toward the end in a way that might put people attracted by that ease off. On the same page, their purposeful simplicity give them a pleasantly refreshing personality in one respect compared to games that try too hard, but it would have been nice to have seen them expand a little more in character and level design as the journey progressed.

“Farewell, Ivy!” the reviewer said, waving goodbye to his new friend. “You’re not a bad bird at all, really. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to spread your wings in the future!”

“Eeee-vee!” Ivy sang back, right before walking headlong into a pit of spikes.

Ivy the Kiwi? is rated E and is available for the Nintendo Wii and DS with a “mini” version slated through digital outlets. Story based on 4 hours of play with the Wii version.

For those of you who don’t know, Samus Aran is the lead player in the Metroid series of games. She has a large cadre of fans and is one of the most beloved classic videogame characters in the Nintendo canon. Her relationship with gender is an interesting one. She is almost always shown clad in a bulky orange battle suit that obscures just about every detail of her possible appearance. In fact, in the original Metroid game, her true sex remained hidden until the end of the game when she finally takes her armour off.

She remained firmly sealed in that orange façade for 18 years and during that time was quietly heralded as a non-stereotypical female hero: tough, independent and never portrayed as a sex object. But a shift occurred in 2004 with the release of Metroid: Zero Mission for the GBA. In it, an attractive blond-haired, blue-eyed Samus appears briefly sans armour wearing a skin tight blue outfit. This blond bombshell version fades into the background only to suddenly reappear 4 years in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Dubbed Zero Suit Samus she makes an appearance in Metroid: Other M as well.

Like any change to an established classic Zero Suit Samus caused a bit of backlash. Amongst those up in arms were those that felt it clashed with her traditional depiction as a mysterious and stoic bounty hunter, while others saw it as pandering to the lowest common denominator. There were also those that felt it undermined Samus’ position as a strong, positive female protagonist.

After giving it considerable thought, I believe that it’s a refreshing change with generally positive results. As I see it, it goes a long way in making her a well rounded character. Before, the Zero Suit I liked Samus, but she was flat and soulless 1-dimentional avatar devoid of any emotional draw, something along the lines of a Master Chief. By revealing her true appearance it gives players something to become attached to besides a shiny orange slab.

This is especially important for the face. As the guys at Epic Games know, real main characters don’t hide their face under helmets (there may be snipers about). But in all seriousness, the face is very important to how humans recognize one another, form attachments and register emotion. This holds true not just for real people but videogame characters as well especially now that 3-D rendering is advanced enough to create fairly realistic looking images of human faces. By giving her a face it makes it that much easier to identify with her and become more immersed in the game.

In so far as it being pandering or cheapening her profile, I think things have been over-blown. I’ll admit the Zero Suit presents her as attractive in a way that is far less subtle than the other Metroid games (To this day, one of my favourite videogame moments is when you’re able to see the ghostly reflection of her strikingly beautiful eyes from the inside of her helmet in Metroid Prime.) but she’s hardly depicted as some kind of lusty sexpot femme fatale. And it’s important to consider that the good old Varia suit has hardly been abandoned, in fact she still spends the overwhelming majority of her time still fully clad in metal. It’s just a supplement to allow the developers to show her in a context outside of blasting Space Pirates.

Lastly, the argument that it has tarnished her status as a non-stereotypical female protagonist is a little inaccurate. Firstly, I wouldn’t have considered a pre-2004 Samus as strong female character as her gender was a non-issue in the older games. She spent all her time wrapped in metal that obscured just about any distinguishing features. She was essentially a-sexual and only female in some abstract sense. You can’t be a positive female character if you’re not female or no-one knows you are. Secondly, in all aspects aside from the superficial, she is the same character. Being attractive in and of itself does not make one a negative gender stereotype.

So I’m a Zero Suit fan, it’s livened up the franchise without committing rampant sacrilege, given her some dimension and personality but most importantly, there’s now a reason to use Samus in Smash Bros. aside from blasting people in the back with the charge shot.

Unfortunately, the only massage I enjoyed in Enjoy Your Massage! was the one I gave my temples to ease the headache of wasting 500 Wii Points.

Enjoy Your Massage! is a misleading title, to begin with. At no time are you yourself ever on the table. They should’ve called it Enjoy Giving Other People Massages!, but I guess that doesn’t appeal to our self-centered culture.

The game has you working as an up-and-coming masseuse for Giselle, owner of a beauty farm. No, that isn’t some strange mistranslation. “Beauty farms” exist; I looked it up. Why would women so self-conscious of their appearance as to spend extravagant amounts on high-end treatment go to a place called a “farm”? Beats me. That’s probably why I’m still single: I ask too many damn questions.

There are six female clients to pamper, each introduced through anime still-frames. It reminds me a bit of Trauma Center, only if Derek Stiles wasn’t saving lives but doing boob jobs on Rodeo Drive (“Doctor! The patient is flat-chesting! Inject more saline now!”). Oddly, the camera sneaks uncontrollably inward toward each client as they introduce themselves, as though your eyes are telescoping out of your head or you’re slowly being pulled into their orbit. This is the crucial first step of masseuse client-relations: making each other feel equally uncomfortable.

This initial creepiness, thankfully, disappears as soon as you begin the game itself, only to be replaced by a wholly heightened and unprecedented form of creepiness once you realize your lone goal is to play Simon on the backs of women. Seriously. Each client’s back is divided into a 9-square grid, as if they had fallen asleep on top of a giant, hot Rubik’s cube. These squares will light up for you in a certain sequence — accompanied by a piano note — that you are asked to copy through point and click. Get it right and your client’s satisfaction meter goes up one notch. Mess it up and it drops two. Empty the meter or run out of time and you lose. Fill the meter and you win. That’s really all there is to it. There’s not even a freeplay mode where you can try to plunk out “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on your organic harpsichord.

The ESRB rates the game as having “mildly suggestive themes,” but they could say the same for Murder, She Wrote for all I know. All you ever see is bare backs, and even they have an offputting, plasticy sheen to them. The only action that takes place is your pair of stiff, disembodied hands giving little wuss-rubs to each square on a woman’s back, releasing happy winged guardian masks from Super Mario Bros. 2. In fact, the hands never even bend or move their fingers. You could basically recreate any of the scenes in this game by drawing on a Barbie’s back with a red Sharpie and tapping about it with a lopped off pair of Ken hands. If that sounds mildly suggestive to you, you might want to consider some professional help there, Dexter.

You’re not going to find much suggestiveness anywhere else, either. You are rewarded, in typical fanservice fashion, with an image of each client, but nearly all are almost fully encased in clothing — only the last is wearing a bikini that doesn’t leave everything to the imagination. It’s not really “a sultry peek” as much as if you just stumbled across the clients during their daily routines and shared an awkward, silent (the music stops) moment. “Hi. It’s me, you know? The set of disembodied hands that played random notes on your back? Yeah, that pair! So, uh… guess I’ll see ya around!”

I suppose if you really felt the need, you could try to find something suggestive in the game’s typo-laden and repetitive dialogue. “Maybe a massage will help me feeling better,” Ines says. Oh, Ines! That sounds almost mildly saucy if I imagine you with a cockney accent! And if you’re expecting a happy ending, just forget it; there’s none to be had. Really, there is literally no ending to the game; it just dumps you back at the selection screen after the final client.

So what I’m really trying to say is…

If you came to Enjoy Your Massage! hoping to unlock your magic touch and apply it toward wooing a true love, I am afraid to say the realm of video games has disappointed us yet again. If, however, you came looking for an overly simple repetition game in a cheaply made and socially awkward shell, you’ve found your soul mate! On the bright side, at least nothing exists yet called Enjoy Your Ashiatsu Massage! where you use the Balance Board to walk on the backs of flabby American businessmen.

Enjoy Your Massage! was developed by MicroForum and is currently available on WiiWare for 500 Wii Points. Review based on full release of game after approximately 1 hour of attention. For those curious enough, there is actually a racier-looking version of this game, but I think I’ll just stick with flowers from now on, thank you.

I have even been so bold as to consider competing in the Super Smash Bros.: Brawl tournament, one of several to be held during the show. Sure, my skills at Brawl could only be considered extraordinary in nursing home circuits and there’s a $20 fee to take part, but there’s something to be said for having the experience, right? And there are 10 million Hbc Rewards Points up for grabs! I don’t know what those are, but 10 million of them sounds like a lot and hopefully I could use them at Tim Hortons after I cross back into the States.

Then I read the tournament rules.

Well, maybe “read” is overstating it a bit. I observed all the strings of words that compose the rules, but as to comprehension, I’m not so sure. “Stage striking?” “D3 walking and standing infinites?” What is this stuff? Why are there so many rules for a game that comes with its own tournament system installed? I keep looking for terms and rules I’m familiar with, like “Don’t be a hammer-grabbing jackass.” or “When choosing Captain Falcon, always pick his pink color scheme because it’s just funny.”, but they’re nowhere to be found.

And Meta Knight is banned? Why? In my hands, Meta Knight is, at best, a flying drunk shish kebab. If there is some technique that has turned him into a vile, unbalanced force of unstoppable fury, I’ve never found it.

Worst of all, they refer to Jigglypuff as “Jiggz.” Way to make one of the cutest, most kid-focused characters sound like a porn star. Jigglypuff is a lady and should be treated as such!

As you might have figured out, I’m nowhere near the technical or experiential status of a serious tournament player. I don’t study techniques or hone combos in practice mode. When I play Brawl, I choose a character based on whims alone, attack by jabbing the buttons for one of about five different attacks I happen to have in my head at the time, and am not against stages with environmental hazards. Live by the go-kart track, die by the go-kart track.

On a “professional” level, Brawl does have a number of imbalances and ways to play that would be considered unethical or unfair to those who would desire to exploit them — and when awards are being offered, there’s always the risk that someone will.

“[W]e’ve got a great scene with no jerks,” the rulewriter states in the manifesto, “but I just want to cover my bases.” That is plenty fair, but goes to show just how different worlds exist between tournament play and some rounds with friends. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not against tournaments at all. I respect people who are willing to invest the time and study into becoming good players in this respect, but I don’t think it’s fair to consider them “superior” in many ways to an average gamer. It’s two different universes with two different tiers — and one side isn’t so concerned with their standing as long as you respect the house hammer rule.

So I’ll be looking forward to the tournaments, not as a fighter but a spectator hoping to be impressed by some finely-honed skills. Well, unless I find someone in a finely-designed Varia Suit.

Star Successor is the sequel to the N64′s Sin & Punishment, which only in recent years saw a North American release through Virtual Console. You play as Isa, son of the previous title’s Saki, or Kachi, a girl from outer space. I think. There’s apparently some sort of schism between “inner” planet people and “outer” space people, and neither Isa nor Kachi is fully one or the other so there are mean people after them and, um… honestly, I don’t fully get the story, and I doubt many on our shores will, either. Thankfully, we don’t have to care — the game doesn’t bog itself down much with cutscenes, providing the basic minimum to reach the next stage or section. While I’m a stickler for deep and engaging storylines Star Successor is so arcade-like it doesn’t need one.

Watch as our heroes do...something...we're not really sure about the story

Whatever intricacies are lost in the plot may be found within the game itself. Isa and Kachi function similarly with a few key differences. Both use only rapid-fire shots and up-close melee attacks. Both can hover (Kachi with Marty McFly’s hoverboard and Isa through the power of what looks like a magic soccer ball strapped to his back). Both can also dodge in any direction with the Z button. Kachi seems geared a little more toward beginning players with an auto-lock and a charge shot that can target multiple enemies. Isa, on the other hand, can only lock on manually and fires a more explosive charge shot that hits enemies within a range.

A simple control setup with firing and melee set to the B button and charge shots and lock-on set to the A button make the pointable remote and nunchuck combo an ideal control method. The game is also playable with the Classic Controller and GameCube controller, for those seeking a feel closer to the N64 title, and the Wii Zapper, for those who still want to justify owning one. A second player can hop on as a second gun, but will have no controllable character.

The game’s seven stages take players on rails — either 3D or side-scrolling — through increasingly difficult onslaughts of enemies at speeds ranging from “casual death stroll” to “Wheeee!”. While a bit heavy-handed on the industrial/spaceship look at times, there are a handful of interesting scenes including an underground city, force field-created underwater tunnels and even a dark, moody Japanese countryside. It all looks nice for as quickly as you pass by it; not massively detailed, but that would likely only create confusion when trying to focus on the armies of enemies that often flood the screen. Dodging is essential, and once in a while it’s easy to lose track even of your own character bouncing around the screen. A sound mix of shooting, melee and sending enemies’ attacks back at them will get you through the standard areas, however, and there is a liberal helping of checkpoints within each stage in case you don’t.

With so much happening on screen it is important to just pay attention to what you need to shoot

The many boss interludes that break up the stages of Star Successor are definitely the prime cuts of the game and entail some of the most involving gaming I’ve had in some time. The first time meeting a boss — at least starting Normal mode — odds are high that it will defeat you. Actually, I would go so far as to say it will slaughter you with cold disdain and mount your virtual head on its wall, right above its computer so your lifeless eyes can only watch as it goes online to post disparaging things about your mother.

Keep trying, however, and one can begin to see the threads that weave these seemingly insurmountable challenges together. Dodge this attack here. Concentrate on this enemy here. Fire a charge shot here to stop a crushing move. Whatever frustrations arise are balanced by a sense of hope; that there is indeed a way to dismantle each different foe and it will be oh so satisfying once you do. In a way, it’s as though the developers have faith in you as a player, never holding your hand yet somehow providing encouragement. I never felt I won a major battle by luck rather than determination, skill and concentration, and that it was well worth it to try “one more time.”

Stick with it and the game will reward you...and also you get to shoot stuff

The technical gameplay makes merely surviving the game at first an accomplishment, but Star Successor asks more of willing hardcore players through a scoring system that rewards kill streaks, speed and combinations. Scores may be uploaded to an online leaderboard that is proving competitive. For those seeking other post-game rewards, however, there so far has been nothing of the sort in my experience. Some art or even a sound test would have been nice after the first playthrough on normal, and more casual players may not feel they have as much incentive to play again, if only to experience the stages as the other character.

What I’m really trying to say is…

While less experienced gamers may feel intimidated, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor offers an engaging opus for those who seek plenty of well thought out action. This may also be the closest thing we’ll get to a StarFox title on the Wii, so those fans should take note, too. Star Successor may have the markings of a niche title, but is polished and stylized enough to make it a worthwhile try for anyone. If this game doesn’t make you feel like a futuristic Bruce Willis with a magic soccer ball strapped to his back, then I guess it was just never meant to be.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo. It is currently available for the Nintendo Wii at a MSRP of $49.99 USD. Review copy of the game provided by Nintendo. Review based upon approximately 11 hours play, including completion on Normal difficulty with Isa and exploration of game elements with Kachi. Number of lasers and explosions: I don’t even…

Arguing that Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn’t a success is like trying to convince a group of 14-year-old girls Justin Bieber is just an amateur hour hack, only you’re more likely to come out alive. Galaxy 2 has received among the most consistently high marks of any game this year and sold 2.65 million copies since the end of June.

Yet mine the mountain of praise for the game and you can pick out some nuggets of discontent, many of which are similar to the following note left on Goozex:

“it looks and feels just like the first game the only real change is you get yoshi. yoshi should have been an add on if you beat the first game. over all its just a lame remake of the first. i reccomend just getting super mario galaxy 1 and save your self the money”

There may never have been reason to consider it in the past, but Mario games copying the aesthetic and thematic templates of a predecessor is only a recent development. When accounting for the timeline of “main” Mario platforming games from Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario Galaxy, each title is arguably a significant departure from the one before — whether in controls, perspective or artistic design — often furthered by the evolution of the hardware. The motif doesn’t largely repeat itself until New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but even then the unprecedented 4-player mode can be said to have considerably shaken up the formula.

Mario Galaxy 2 is, if not the first, then the clearest instance of an “expansion” of sorts; an unchanged core template that adds a few relatively minor elements instead of renovating. And on the surface, what’s so wrong with that? Series such as Ratchet & Clank and Halo adhere to similar formulas throughout many of their sequels, yet have never received much criticism for it. As well they shouldn’t, since they are both very structurally solid and well-loved by many. On the other hand, a series such as Final Fantasy is praised for providing a wealth of new stories and concepts, yet this leads to a lot of infighting over certain games being better or preferable over others.

Mario Galaxy 2 adds some new elements, like the Cloud suit

Is it such a crime that Mario Galaxy 2 aims to give players more of what they enjoyed in the first? And yet, perhaps out of such high expectations, it’s understandable where some critics find their disappointment.

One of the most exhilarating aspects of Mario Galaxy was the “galaxy” setup itself. By creating a wealth of small, independent worlds, it felt like there was almost no limit to what the next unlocked world could be — especially with someone like Miyamoto at the helm. Hunt for silver stars in a bee outfit? Sure, why not. Hop across a giant pixelated Mario made up of vanishing platforms? Fun stuff. Go to town!

These ideas were quirky and extremely fresh in the first game, which makes the fact that you see the exact same setups in Mario Galaxy 2 somewhat disheartening. There’s a similar bee world with a similar goal — you even find the last silver star on the queen like you did your first time around! Pixelated Mario returns in its own stage. Tributes? Maybe, but other copies seem pretty shameless. The Freezeflame Galaxy was a neat idea in the first game. It didn’t mean we needed a Shiverburn Galaxy in the second.

By its very nature, I think a lot of people were expecting to see many more new experiences in Mario Galaxy 2. There are certainly many places where it delivers. Cloud Mario and the drill pickup are utilized in especially satisfying ways, while Yoshi and his accompanying transformations are just plain fun. There are certainly some refreshing worlds to explore as well, but unfortunately the “this is kind of familiar” aspect does try to eat away at a number of them. I don’t think it makes playing the worlds any less entertaining, but once you leave the game and take a more external view, it does make one wonder what newer ideas could have been employed and whether some of that “magic” is missing.

Of course, there are familiar elements from the first game that are still there

I’ve had it theorized to me that some of these similar-feeling worlds may have been included to take advantage of the more involved “co-star” two-player mode. I can’t really argue with that, either. It’s possible, but is it more or less important than trying to provide “all-new” content?

Ultimately, how important is it really to provide an entirely different feel to games; especially successful, time-tested formulas like the Mario series? It is a question that seems to weigh on the mind of Nintendo recently. Just look at the ever-changing art style of the Legend of Zelda series, likely a move at the pressure of fans who still pick up every game as a small masterpiece but complain that they “feel the same.” Mario Galaxy 2, when considered entirely on its own, is a fantastic game. Is it unfair that we question it by comparing its similarities to the first, or are we entirely warranted in doing so?

I honestly know if there is a right answer, or what the implications are of following a certain route in game design. It may be entirely dependent upon each series and its core audience, or it may not. I do know one thing for sure, however: Good luck to that guy thinking you can pick up the first Galaxy somewhere for cheap.

The E3 debut video would try to make you think otherwise, with members of a focus group reacting to GoldenEye’s return as though the world was bringing back sliced bread, only now cut by lasers. And really, from a marketing perspective, there’s no better way to go right now.

But will pushing this line continue to prove effective down the road? The truth is that Wii GoldenEye will not be the N64 GoldenEye 007. Activision may have access to the movie’s property rights, but they don’t have that privilege with Rare’s. This means Activision will be able to provide an experience largely reminiscent to the 1996 game, but can’t issue an updated replica. The differences certainly won’t be as bad a thing as some diehards may believe, but there’s a mixture of potential benefits and drawbacks that need time to play out upon the target audience.

First of all, the good news: No matter how you feel, you don’t want the old GoldenEye back. There is no denying the title was a powerhouse for its time and deserves a spot among the shapers of video game history, but everyone who has wished GoldenEye 007 would make an appearance on Virtual Console has wished for $10 of disappointment.

The incredible memories and all-night playing sessions remain valid, but your eyes and brain have acclimated to more than a decade of advancement. GoldenEye 007 today is jaggey, slow and cumbersome. Really, just look at the character models. They’re now the angular abominations of legend. Sorry, but it’s true. GoldenEye 007 is the prom queen everyone had the hots for in high school, only to come back at your 15-year reunion as a 225 lb. Avon lady.

Even if GoldenEye 007 received the Perfect Dark treatment and was revved up to smooth, HD quality, would its gameplay and multiplayer still stand up to the legion of shooters we have today? It could certainly be worth $12 or so for the nostalgic value, but a full release it could never be. There are simply too many games now that have improved upon and evolved the very elements GoldenEye 007 brought into the console shooter business.

That brings us back to the new GoldenEye. It will not be a mere clone of its namesake, which is good. What it may become, however, is a clone in the saturated modern shooter market. What does GoldenEye have to be, if anything, to stand out? Will it be able to rely solely on its brand and pedigree to succeed, or will the excitement expressed now quickly fade once the game is released? I don’t think choices such as using Daniel Craig over Pierce Brosnan (*coughBrosnan’sbettercough*) will really matter as much as whether the game can pull of that magic blend of “glory days” nostalgia and a fresh experience. Name alone means nothing. Just ask That Other GoldenEye I Didn’t Want to Mention.

It will be fascinating seeing how the game progresses and seeing what inspirations the developers have chosen to emphasize. Yet for now, even though I hope for success, I must be forgiven for possessing a safe amount of skepticism.

Trauma Team delivers two AED paddles of variety to the heart of its predecessors by adding new methods of play, not to mention driving its story closer than ever to the realm of the TV hospital drama — albeit with far less whining, sex, or whiny sex.

Classic surgery still remains, largely unchanged from any other game in the series, but now shares the spotlight equally with five brand new specialties: first response, orthopedic surgery, endoscopic surgery, diagnosis and forensic medicine. While it all manages to gel well into one overall title (more on this later), it really is easiest to address each field as a separate game.

Standard surgery, under the hands of doctor/amnesiac prisoner CR-S01 (yes, that’s right and no, he’s not a robot), no longer carries the “magic touch” known to previous doctors yet is quite manageable without it. Those familiar with the series will see several similarities in Trauma Team’s procedures, but there is much less emphasis on twitch action and juggling, making it overall more accessible.

But just in case you miss them, twitch action and juggling have been moved under first response and the care of sassy, pugnacious EMT Maria Torres. Her scenarios require close attention paid to two or more patients at a time, switching back and forth to make sure the others stay alive while you patch one up for transport. There are fewer tools and more of a reliance on one-time special equipment, but it doesn’t make the action any less hectic or anxiety-inducing.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from surgery is orthopedic surgery, performed by gentle doctor/superhero (again, yes) Hank Freebird. There are no vitals or time limits to worry about in these procedures; only a set limit of “misses.” While the variety of objectives — screwing in plates, hammering in pins, setting bone fragments, etc. — doesn’t seem very deep, the demands of precision and detail keep this section engaging and almost zen-like. Gratefully, the controls are spot-on to prevent unnecessarily frustrating moments.

Diagnosis with Dr. Gabriel Cunningham has you scouring through patients’ testimonies, scans, test results and stethoscope sounds to determine what’s ailing them. It mostly boils down to “spot the difference,” which can become annoying when you find yourself constantly flipping between images of the patient’s and “normal” scans trying to find that one shadow that’s off. Why can’t you view the images side-by-side? Once you do locate what you need, however, the story and often amusing back-and-forth dialogue drive each case along quite smoothly.

Diagnosis mode allows you to finally play out your fantasy of being Dr. House

The forensics section, above everything else, feels like it could’ve existed as its own game. The sultry (and perhaps closet Green Day groupie, given the thickness of her eyeliner) Dr. Naomi Kimishima returns from Trauma Center: Second Opinion to take on the role of a medical examiner, scouring corpses and crime scenes. Evidence collected is entered into a card-based system that can be sent to FBI partner “Little Guy” (hilariously represented by a Mii on Dr. Kimishima’s computer) for further analysis or combined with other cards to form new observations. It’s a bit Phoenix Wright in nature, but demands that the player pay attention and figure out his or her own answers through consistent quizzing. The cases are fresh and interesting, sometimes taking unexpected turns or entering into a completely different game mechanic altogether. It’s surprisingly deep and well composed, making it by far my favorite offering.

With six different paths to pursue, there was an initial fear that I would concentrate on a few favorites and force myself to slog through the rest once my sources of joy ran out. I can say, however, that while I did end up preferring a few techniques over others, I was frequently switching between doctors out of real interest. This is largely thanks to the overarching plot that weaves through all of the doctors’ individual missions. A patient diagnosed by Dr. Cunningham may end up operated upon by CR-S01 or a suspect tracked down by Dr. Kimishima may end up creating a scene requiring Torres’ response. The way in which all of this is revealed depends on what order you take the cases in, but you are never restricted in your choices until the end, when all the paths merge into a set order for the finale.
There is some feeling of repetition in the action once the game is in its later stages — something to which there should be little to no excuse — but a brisk-paced storyline that’s not afraid to take off the kid gloves sometimes does an effective job of battling this.

When not through actual play, the plot is advanced through comic/manga-style storyboards, which on one hand add a real dose of style to the Trauma series but other times looks a bit “cookie-cutter” with its use of character art. It would’ve really sent the production value through the roof if there weren’t some frames that looked like the artistic designers were playing with paper cutouts. They can keep the fact that a lot of the nameless “extra” characters in scenes look like the figures on an airplane safety pamphlet, though. That’s actually pretty cool.

Story board animations let the drama unfold a bit better and with much less text to skim through for minor characters.

I’m happy to say the characters themselves often have more dimension than they way they’re portrayed. The oddities of superheroes and ninja aside, all of the doctors act remarkably human, each with an individual personality and real weaknesses that make them likable. Some resolve their issues; others do not. And while there are a few flaws — part of Dr. Freebird’s storyline features the series’ tired “I wanted to die, but now that you saved me I want to live!” arc — it is overall satisfying to watch the stories play out. Drs. Cunningham and Kimishima steal the show, mostly through the extra voice time they get in their cases and the sheer strengths of their characters, but the others are never left behind. The soundtrack also tends to fit the characters and situations rather well, being tense when it needs to, atmospheric when it needs to, and ripping off the Weather Channel most other times. I love it.

The co-op element introduced in Trauma Center: New Blood is also available in the operations here, although the rules are switched up. Tools are divvied up in standard surgery, patients are distributed between players in first response, turns are taken by action in orthopedic surgery and turns are taken by time limit in endoscopy. It all works pretty well, although endoscopy, sadly again, brings up the rear.

What I’m really trying to say is…

If Trauma Team is supposed to be an evolution of the series, I’m pleased with the direction it’s taking. While there can still be some more variety shown in the individual operations, the additions of new disciplines and guidelines are welcome, while whoever gave the story and writing a shot in the arm should be commended. Veteran virtual surgeons will likely love the new freedoms and/or be a bit disappointed by the decrease in difficulty, while newcomers should find a great place to hop aboard.

Trauma Team is developed and published by Atlus and is available for the Nintendo Wii for MSRP $49.99 USD. Game rented through Gamefly and completed in 26 hours on “Resident” difficulty. You don’t want to know where this camera has been.

I have turned to my favorite medium for tips to improve my romantic life, but video games have so far not been as helpful as expected. The Harvest Moon method was looking promising for a while, but after the 42nd consecutive day of giving that girl a single fresh egg, the only token I received in return was a restraining order. Maybe she would’ve liked wool better.

But lo, my spirits are renewed as I play through Sakura Wars: So Long My Love. This is my first experience with the largely Japan-based franchise and I’ve been surprised to discover the title concentrates less on the “Sakura Wars” tactical fighting than I expected and more on the “So Long My Love” dating sim elements as main character Shinjiro Taiga learns how best to work with his new teammates at the New York Combat Revue. But in such surprises come lessons, and if a video game about getting along with a group of steam mecha-operating anime girls who masquerade as Broadway performers in 1920s New York City can’t teach me anything about the intricacies of real love, I don’t know what can!

Lesson 1: Women with ‘pornstar names’ are actually relatively kind and innocent

The names of many characters in the game have an almost stellar quality to them. But whereas Cheiron Archer is a good name for the lawyer and Diana Caprice is a good name for the wise, motherly character, “Gemini Sunrise” sounds slightly more dubious. Fact is, however, she’s a modest, friendly Southern cowgirl who cleans the theater/base, daydreams about samurai and keeps a horse in her apartment. In this game, that qualifies her as the “girl next door.”

Consider myself humbly taught in keeping an open mind, then. Just because a woman has a name like “Venus Starr” doesn’t necessarily mean she has an occupation of ill repute. Maybe if I approach such a woman and ask her what she likes to do, I’ll end up pleasantly enlightened!

This is for sure the wrong first approach. This is, of course, unless you are talking about screenshots or video.

On a side note, you may think that women named after cars would be wild and fun-loving. If they’re anything like Subaru Kujo, however, they really are like vehicles: androgynous and mechanical. I would cancel that date with Mercedes if I was you.

Lesson 2: Women regularly find themselves in compromising situations — including just being in the same room as you

It’s really amazing how often fate causes the fairer sex to end up, say, lying on the floor covered in water or just about to lift their shirts over their heads when a male walks in. In fact, being one of only two guys in the entire theater, you would think Shinjiro would more often end up the one caught with his pants down, but the world just doesn’t work that way.

Thankfully, So Long My Love provides a helpful guide on what to do in these situations. Such as in the above-mentioned incident, when you are helping Gemini clean the theater and she falls over, spilling water over herself, the two most natural choices will arise: “Wipe the floor” or “Wipe Gemini.” In this instance, the game teaches, it is the best general principal to wipe objects that are incapable of kneeing you in the groin.

I must admit, however, that I’m still a little confused as to what the game wanted to teach me when a conversation with one of the characters suddenly turned into some sort of point-and-click examination. I mean, it wasn’t like playing doctor or anything, but I accidentally stroked her hair and it understandably freaked her out, considering it was about the second time she had met Shinjiro. I will try my best to avoid accidentally stroking a woman’s hair in real life.

Speaking of mixed signals…

Lesson 3: What you mean to say can and will be taken the wrong way

So Long, My Love offers a multitude of choices for Shinjiro to speak or act upon. Many of them have obvious implications (“Wipe Gemini”) but some are more unpredictable.

While this may appear to be a plea for help, should you offer it you may be firmly shut down and even viciously attacked. It is tricky ground.

In one of the scenes where you’re actually fighting, two of your teammates begin to argue. One of the responses to this is to tell them there are more important things to be doing right now. Very practical, right? And it does reunite them… by having them turn on you.

I would come up with some sort of joke here, but this is exactly what you should expect as a guy trying to get between two arguing women. Very real. A++++. Would learn again.

Lesson 4: Women love sharing sexy photos of each other

One of the workers at the theater, Cherry Cocker (see Lesson 1), requires Shinjiro to take photos of backdrops for the theater’s program. Find one she likes, and her reward is handing him a candid photo of one of the other girls — usually in a different outfit an in an attractive pose. Oddly enough, whereas Shinjiro flushes and stammers any other time something the least bit scandalous comes up, he is more than happy to take these photos off Cherry’s hands.

Yes, she may send you a picture of her surrounded by birds. While this is majestic, she may actually just be in danger.

This must mean that it is a well-known practice among females to trade mildly revealing photos of each other to boys. I will have to inquire about this, but if… you know… you just happen to get around to asking first — like, anytime in the next year or two — let me know how it goes, ok?

Lesson 5: As bizarre as it all is, it’s hard to turn away

Make no mistake: So Long, My Love is steeped in all matters of anime crazy. The “episodes” the game is divided into really have felt like individual shows, with lots of interaction and plot leading up to a big battle at the end. And while the action can be laughably ridiculous, it has been so in an entertaining way.

For all I’ve said about awkward situations, there has been nothing that has gone too far — the game is rated Teen, after all. You will likely feel a bit skeezy in some situations, but it’s not a constant sleazefest by any means. The writing and voice acting have been rather good so far and I actually find myself wanting to continue the story just to see what the game will pull next for poor Shinjiro.

It’s definitely not for everyone — most notably those who don’t enjoy a lot of conversation and text between their action — but Sakura Wars: So Long My Love should be tried by anime fans and those seeking a potentially fresh experience.

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love is produced by Sega and published in North America by NIS. Feature based on completion of first two “episodes” in about 5.5 hours of playtime. Game available for Wii and PS2; Wii version rented through GameFly.