another wii news report from the chu! :3 this week we got some interesting news and updates on games so I'll start on it right away!

new screens for Boom Blox Bash Party released (it's a sort of action/puzzle game based on blocks ^^):
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1213_1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1213_2_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1213_3_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1213_0_big.jpg

new screens and a video for Tales of Graces have been released (action/RPG):
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0259_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0300_1_big.jpg
video:
http://gamekyo.com/videoen14892_tal.....new-video.html

new screens and a trailer for The Conduit (FPS) have been released:
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1012_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1012_1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1012_2_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1012_3_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1013_4_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1013_5_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1014_6_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....1014_8_big.jpg
video:
http://gamekyo.com/videoen14884_the.....d-trailer.html

a new video for Muramasa: the demon blade has been released (2d action game):
http://gamekyo.com/videoen14887_mur.....lay-video.html

new screens for Takt of Magic have been released (strategy/rpg):+
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0129_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0129_1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0129_2_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0130_3_big.jpg

the first screens for Silent Hill: Shattered memories (survival horror) have been released:
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0656_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0656_1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_2_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_3_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_4_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_5_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_6_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_7_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0657_8_big.jpg

also, we have a release month for wii sports resort and more importantly for the wiimotion plus! ^^ Japan will have it in June, while we'll have it in July (the release will be about the same for both europe and usa)

a new trailer for Excitebots (racing game) have been released:
http://gamekyo.com/videoen14888_ano.....ck-racing.html

new screens for Klonoa: the door to Phantomile (2d platform game) have been released:
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3631_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3631_1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3631_2_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3631_3_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3631_4_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3631_5_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3632_6_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3632_7_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3632_8_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3632_9_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....632_10_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....632_11_big.jpg

some new screens and a new video showing one fun way to explore the world of final fantasy: crystal bearers have been released:
http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/up.....ads/ffccbc.jpg
video:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47758.html

and to finish this a new survival horror have been announced on wii...it's called Feel and for now all we got are a few screens:
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3703_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....3704_1_big.jpg

that's all for the news :3 so lets move on the other sections!

WII GAME OF THE WEEK: Castlevania Judgement
Genre: Fighting game
I should say that this game really surprised me, since there were many different opinions about this game (although I ignored all the opinions about the game being bad just because the art style wasn't the original one of castlevania).

The game takes around 14 characters from the castlevania series placing them in this fighting game to get out of a weird time void caused by a misterious guy named Aeon, who dragged all of them into this trouble.

The game allows you to use either the wiimote and nunchuck or the classic/GC controller, thing that will also be appreciated who doesn't like to waggle the wiimote instead of bashing a button (thing that doesn't bother me honestly, but oh well.. X3). The gameplay lets you move freely around the stage, kind of like games like Powerstone or Saint Seiya: Hades. Despite not having a HUGE set of combos and moves to make like Soul Calibur 4 it haves a nice variety of moves and ways to combine them. normal combos, special attacks, hyper attacks and even alternative weapons that you can pick up destroying objects around the stage that will either give you said weapons (like the good old cross boomerang and the holy water) or little hearts that are your MPs to use them.

beside the heart container and the HP bar, there's the hyper gauge that when filled up will let you unleash a hyper attack, or, in the case of certain characters will let you use special abilities, like the berserk mode for Cornell. The characters are very well varied, each of them have their own attacks, specials, hypers. they also have different speed, strenght, way to move and dodge the attacks and also the way that they can get the hit (Dracula will never fall down, but he can't make combos, even if his attacks are devastating and will damage you very much if they hit you).

overall, the gameplay will probably be appreciated if you like technical fighting games, where you have to learn each character's moveset to use him/her at his/her full strenght

the stages are very well-designed too, some of them are simple stages to move around, but many of them are full of dangers, like good old spikes, edges, swinging blades and even monsters trying to get at you (zombies, skeletons, tritons and even a huge kraken on the ship stage) and there is a nice variety of them, even if not too many.

the story, obviously isn't a strong point of the game, using the time void excuse to justify the presence of the different characters at the same time, but afterall fighting games never had a deep plot, except for a few ones.

the graphic look is very nice too, though there might be some aliasing problem on some HD TVs, but it will depends by the model of your tv, really. beside that, the models are beautiful and well made, and the stages are also quite impressive. the game moves quite smoothly without framerate problems and the hyper moves are a pure show for the eyes X3

the soundtrack aspect of the game is great too, taking many of the famous themes from the games of the series and remixing them into a rocky, fast-paced style that fits very well with the action going on in the game. japanese voice acting is quite good too and I just have to quote one of Death's intro sentences: "if you wish for death...here I am!" X3

the flaws I'm gonna notice are, like I said, the aliasing effect on some HD tv and a few camera problems that might affect the game now and then.

so, to close this, the game haves also a lot of things to unlock, being them characters, clothings and equipments, so if you are a castlevania fan who isn't one of the many disgusted ones (I seriously don't find the character design bad, I found it great ^^; ) you'll probably like the well-done attempt of this game to pull castlevania characters into the fighting genre.

people who also liked Powerstone and are fighting game fans will probably appreciate this game too and have fun with it, especially with the online mode, that is technically flawless with no lag unless you are playing with someone who is litterally on the other side of the world X3

so, if you got friends to play this game and you want an alternative game beside super smash bros brawl...get this game, it's worth it ^^ and as usual, if you aren't sure rent it first and see if it can get you!

now, here are a few screenshots of the game:
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....101_12_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....2059_7_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....2058_1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....2058_0_big.jpg

and a couple of videos:
trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/......html?type=mov
gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42862.html

BACK TO THE PAST: Disaster: Day of crisis
Genre: action/various
I'll start with saying that this is a quite unique game. Not becuase it tries anything different plot or concept-wise, but because it can't have a classified genre, being a mix of many genres...exploration, gun survivor, driving, quicktime events, mini-games and puzzle games.

the story is about a man named Raymond Bryce, a former agent of a rescue team, who quit after being unable to save his friend during a volcano eruption. "you can't save everyone" those were the last words of the friend and that during the game will be the focus of the plot that is quite well-made, working like a sort of disaster movie: an earthquake strikes the city where Ray is working and a group of terrorists takes this chance to steal nuclear bombs along with kidnapping the sister of Ray's deceased friend. the story starts like this bringing Ray trough a chain of events and natural disasters while he tries to go after the terrorists. Perhaps it isn0t anything too original, but it surely gets you until the end of the game.

the movie-like structure of the game will bring you trough different situations of gameplay...driving sessions during the natural disasters (seeing a huge piece of building falling toward you is really...really scary o.o), gun survivor sessions to get trough the waves of terrorists, exploration sections where you can find objects to heal yourself and also help people trough some sort of quicktime events and minigames...Disaster is really hard to describe for its unique series of different gameplays.

now, health-wise this game have a few nice additions...beside the normal HP gauge there are other three things to keep an eye on...the resistence bar, that will go down everytime you walk, run or do something that needs your strenght and you will need to eat the food you'll find in the levels to restore it. if it ever goes to 0 your HP will start to go down just like the resistence bar. the other two things to keep healthy are your lungs and heartbeat...there will be toxic areas that you'll have to go and run trough that will start poisoning your lungs...to clean them up you'll have to press the z button and breath deeply in clear areas. the hearthbeat will also speed up depening by how much you run...the more you run the more faster the heartbeat will go and this might make you weaker if you wear out your strenght.

now, about the different gameplay sections: like I said there are different gameplays: the exploration sessions are quite calm and will let you explore the levels, break stuff to find items and help people trough simple mini-games, either trying to pull them out of cliffs, trying to revive their heart trough a cardiacal massage (did I spell this right ? x.x) and other things.

then there are the gun survivor sections. Now those are fun sessions, not only for the different situations you'll face (the fight against a boss on a bridge, while a HUGE tsunami is coming down on you in 5 minutes well…it’s more than thrilling, I guess o.o; ) but also for the fact that, during the levels, you’ll be able to earn points to use in the save-points to power up Raymond’s stats and also unlock and upgrade new weapons.

Then there are the driving sessions, used just with the wiimote like in Mario kart, driving trough volcano eruptions and earthquakes. The controls in this one are precise enough I believe, but at times you’ll have to go trough very difficult situations that will kill you more than once.

Of course the usual quicktime events can’t be missed…while they won’t do anything too original, beside a few very nice ideas, they’ll surely make you waggle wiimote and nunchuck like mad, really making you feel like Raymond during those events XD

The graphical look is probably the big flaw of this game…while the models of the main characters are well-made and animated, at times the backgrounds will look bland and not too detailed, beside a few exceptions (the effects of the natural disasters are quite well-made).

the soundtrack of the game is very nice, I must say...you'll probably like the main themes that are very nice songs on my opinion...if anybody knows where to download the soundtrack please tell me! XD ahem, anyways, like I said, the soundtrack takes you trough the game in a nice way, never being too imposing, but also giving the right feeling to what you are actually doing.

to end the review, disaster is a worthy game if you like action movies and different games. the only one big flaw is the graphic look not always perfect, but if you aren't one of those HD graphics freaks I guess you'll enjoy the feeling this game will give you...for all the US gamers I'd suggest you to import it since unluckily it looks like for now there aren't any plans for an american release x.x

here are a few screens of the game:
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....0849_0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....2623_7_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....625_33_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....625_30_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/I.....627_50_big.jpg

and a couple of videos:
trailer: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/40149.html
gameplay: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/39963.html

this is it for now! see ya around buddies! :3