I don’t need to convince anyone that 2007 is going to be a huge year for Nintendo. Not only are first party games going to start showing us what the Wii is really capable of, but thanks to the unfathomable success of the Wii, third-party developers are flocking to Nintendo like mold to the pumpkins we’ve had on our porch since Halloween.
Here are some big name titles to look forward to playing this year along with some brief thoughts on each:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Duh. This is without a doubt, the system selling, world dominating, most anticipated title in the forecast. Take every necessary step to nab a pre-order, ‘cuz this holy grail of gaming won’t sit on shelves for more than 2 seconds. It’s ONLINE now - need I say more? [Release date: Promised for '07]
Super Mario Galaxy: A title that is, in my opinion, every bit as important as Brawl. This one’s been in the works for a long time, and Nintendo has gone on record saying that despite huge sales numbers, the less-than-world-shaking impact of Super Mario Sunshine didn’t go unnoticed. This game looks absolutely beautiful and is touted as the most intuitive Wii controls to date. [Release date: Promised for '07]
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption: I won’t lie to you, folks - Metroid has never had the impact on me that it has on just about every other Nintendork out there. HOWEVER, the images and hype posted about this game have me reconsidering. This title promises to bring the franchise to a new level, possibly adding a level of depth and fan following on par with Halo. Initially the graphics were a bit lackluster, but every time I see this game, it looks better. Pick it up. [Release date: 8/20/07]
Mario Strikers Charged: The awesome pick up and play appeal of the first title is back and this time, things are serious. Gauntlets? Armor? Mario? Yes - sign me up. The online functionality seems to work well and the ranking system promises to keep people fighting for street cred throughout the life of the Wii. [Release date: 7/30/07]
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2: The new Rayman minigame format may not beat out the creativity of WarioWare: Smooth Moves, but it’s close. As simple as the first game was, I was genuinely entertained by it and more importantly - driven to beat it. And you can’t deny it’s replay value. The sequel promises more of the same. I am, however, a bit worried that it’s coming out so soon. Already, Ubisoft? If it’s rushed, the new direction of the franchise could fail. It’s a risk I’m willing to check out. [Release date: Fall '07]
Soul Calibur Legends: I’m not a huge fan of traditional button-mashing fighting games, but I LOVED Soul Calibur II on the Gamecube. Give me a sensible evolution, and I’ll be a happy camper… er, warrior, Namco. Soul Calibur III got a little silly with the custom characters and neon outfits. I don’t really require that. The concept art for Legends is reason enough to get excited. [Release date: 11/6/07]
Manhunt 2: I like that developers aren’t falling into the stereotypes and making every game kid-friendly. I for one, appreciate - nay, need, the variety. That said, I was excited to hear that the twisted world of Manhunt was on it’s way… and then I saw the screens and videos. Not so good, Rockstar - but I guess you were never one for making characters look that great. Our “hero” appears to be a couple baby steps ahead of Goldeneye. It’s a bit insulting, really. I’m all for focusing on story, but what good is that if your character is so fake that he can barely separate his fingers? It worked on 64, not here, Rockstar. I’m sure it’s spooky, but I’m not buying it (in more than one way). [Release date: 7/10/07]
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon: Mortal Kombat has come a long way, and unfortunately, it’s no longer the franchise that left fans raving in the 90’s. For whatever reason, the title didn’t fare as well as Midway had hoped in the transition from 2D to fully realized 3D and it became a real unstable, hit and miss formula. Especially after the financial woes Midway has endured as of late, they really need the hype to come back. Luckily, it looks like they may be on to something with this Wii build. Like the last couple titles, it’s sure to be compared to the original, so it’ll be hard to make a valid judgement until I can play it for myself. [Release date: 6/15/07 (Tomorrow)]
MySims: This title is a huge risk for EA to take with a franchise the everyone either loves or hates to love. Your beloved pseudo-realtic sims have been ANIME’D! Sure they’re cute, but will they alienate the original fanbase while trying to bring in a new one? Only time will tell. I’m keeping a reluctant eye on it. [Release date: Q4 '07]
Boogie: Now this is interesting. EA has really gone out on a limb and made a karaoke/dancing/karaoke-dancing video editing game, complete with microphone attachment. The design of the game is neat, we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled for some kind of information aside from hype straight from EA. It could very well be code for, “Please buy our sucky game!” [Release date: 8/7/07]
QUICK RUMOR MILL: Wiimote might have a built-in microphone, Nintendo has claimed that big “hardware announcements” are going to be made soon, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. might be cancelled