 Review By: Andrew Joy |
Developer: | Hudson |
| Publisher: | Konami | |
| Genre: | Flight Action | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Nunchuk | |
| Buy Now: |   |
For being such an obscure, low key Nintendo Wii title, Wing Island sure brings up a lot of questions: Did the game start its life as Pilotwings? Why does a bird even need a plane? Is it worth the budget price? Unfortunately, to only one of those can we provide the answer. (It's the last one...I still have no idea how this game made it into development or why flying creatures utilize flying machines.) Though so long ago now that I can scarcely remember it (not that that is all that surprising), when Wing Island was first revealed, there was a lot of speculation – or, rather, wishful thinking, hoping and praying – that, if not a proper installment, this game might at least be a spiritual successor to the beloved Pilotwings series, which hasn't seen a new entry since the Nintendo 64 (and, even then, that was only the second game). And, to be honest, it isn't all the surprising either: given the controller's unique nature, there was (and still is, in fact) a lot of promise for such a game on the popular little system. However, even despite our own desires, we can be thankful this is not a new Pilotwings, as it would tarnish an otherwise sterling reputation.
In Wing Island, you play as a young, anthropomorphic bird named Sparrow. At the start of the game, you are running your aged grandfather's business, hopping into the cockpit of a small plane in order to perform various for-hire tasks all over the island with the aid of your friends. It is a simple story, but in terms of introducing you to your missions, I suppose it does the job even if it is far from being the least bit entertaining. Among the tasks you'll be...um, tasked with, you might find yourself doing anything from tracking an object, blowing up rocks, catching stray animals or putting out fires. Really, for this sort of casual flight simulator, that sort of stuff is par for the course and can at times even be, dare I say, amusing. However, any fun there is to be had in Wing Island wears off quickly, as things eventually take a turn for the repetitive rather early on. Thanks to simple objectives and planes that may in fact be impossible to crash – your Kryptonian craft seems to shrug off any collision – the missions in this game are incredibly easy, and the only challenge you get from the missions may be from the awkward controls.
In an era of motion controls, flying games have the potential for mass appeal like never before, no longer require interested consumers to also purchase some expensive joystick in order to get a decent experience. Sadly, Wing Island doesn't really come close to exploring that potential, and some of the most obvious control schemes are passed over in something that seems barely thought out, never tested and gives the impression of perhaps even being created in the last minute. Instead of, say, using the Wii Remote like a makeshift joystick, the game asks you hold the controller like you would in any title that uses the IR pointer. You twist your controller to turn, tilt or raise it to change altitude and push forward or pull away to boost or brake (respectively). When you're flying with your team, your formations are also given motion controls, as you hold the A button and wave the Wii Remote in one direction or another. Somewhat amusingly, you can also connect the Nunchuk here, but it adds practically nothing in regards to actually controlling the plane.
When the Nintendo Wii first came out, it's burgeoning library was quickly flooded by a sea of ports and low budget games that failed to even try to make use of the system's full capabilities, no matter how underpowered they may be. Wing Island is no exception. The graphics are rigid, under-detailed and, quite frankly, look only the smallest step above a first year PlayStation 2 game. (In fact, thanks to the sparseness in certain areas, I'm even tempted to go so far as Nintendo 64, though that may just be pure distaste speaking.) Heck, even the cutscenes seem like something out of another generation, featuring a series of still images that I'm almost certain have been outpaced by now on even the Nintendo DS. Of course, we can at least be thankful that they're consistent about it – when it comes to the audio, you'll find it hard to hear anything over the sound of your own weeping. To elaborate, thanks to the characters lacking voice acting - instead filled by an annoying chirping noise where it might ordinarily be (though, to be fair, many games still do this for some strange reason) – run-of-the-mill sound effects and campy music that somehow manages to be too exciting for even this game, you'll likely mute the TV, if you don't decide to just shut off the system.
Conceivably, Wing Island could last you a few hours...but it won't. Even for the more enthusiastic flight simulator junkies among us, the lackluster experience is not one likely to be prolonged past a few, short missions. To the detriment of friendships everywhere, I'm sure, it is my sad duty to report that Wing Island indeed has a multiplayer component. Of course, while it doesn't have quite the same focus on the single player's story, it features roughly the same gameplay that makes it so unbearable, and I can't imagine reason why someone would want to try it out, apart from proving the old adage that misery loves company. Oddly enough, even the design choices here can still cause a fair amount of head scratching. I mean, despite the face that a second player can jump in with their own Wii Remote, it includes the somewhat bizarre option to let them control a plane solely through a Nunchuk. In theory, this may sound like a great way for new – or even just cheap – console owners to get in on the action, too. In practice, it is another matter entirely, and one that is quite simply frustrating for a number of different reasons.
Bottom Line:
If you've ever wondered how we arrive at our review scores, prepare to be amazed. As a reviewer, I only have one rule of thumb: much like I give kudos to any president who doesn't bring about a nuclear Armageddon (that's right, everyone before FDR and Truman pretty much gets a pass), I try to award at least a couple of points to any game that doesn't kill me. As you're reading this, it should be clear that Wing Island did not...sadly, I kind of wish it had. If that seems harsh, take comfort in the thought that it isn't exactly typical. Normally, I try to have a little bit of understanding for video game developers. I mean, these guys have a tough job (well, one that I probably couldn't do, at any rate), setting out to entertain the masses, all while competing against a number of forces against them (rentals, used game sales, piracy) and knowing full well that a lot of their hard work is going to be torn down in cold, calculating reviews (my own included). However, even though it is a freshman Wii effort, I have no sympathy here – when it comes to Wing Island, Hudson really just phoned it in.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 3.0 |
Posted: 2009-04-27 19:42:17 PST