OMG Nintendo

October is squarely in the Q4 pre-holiday game rush, so it shouldn't be surprising that this week is loaded with major game releases. It's relatively rare, though, for a big week for the industry to also be a big week for Wii and DS. Usually the Nintendo-dictated rhythms of the Nintendo fan's year are just a little bit different.

That's not the case this week. While gamers on other systems stress out over whether to buy the likes of Uncharted 2 or Brutal Legend this week, Nintendo fans are going to be staring at an avalanche of high-quality software. It's such a huge week, in fact, that the very first review for this week's Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky went up at GamePro while I was typing this piece up.

So what's hitting this week that makes a first-party Nintendo title seem small? Sega's releasing a sure-fire million-selling title in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Wii and DS. Majesco and WayForward's much-touted A Boy and His Blob revamp for Wii is out and apparently excellent. For horror fans, the novel Ju-On: The Grudge "haunted house simulator" hits Wii just in time for Halloween. On DS, a little game called Hero's Saga: Laevatain Tactics has snuck out that might be very interesting to fans of portable tactical RPGs.

We'll take a closer look at all of this week's big games, with trailers and commentary, behind the jump. Since Metacritic appears to be down as I write this, I've decided to use GameRankings for critical aggregation purposes. I'm thinking I might stick with it, as GameRankings seems to aggregrate more outlets overall, but let me know what you think if you care either way.
 

It's hard to pick out a single big game in such a diverse week, but probably the biggest game hitting in terms of sales potential is Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. This game is shipping for Wii and DS, which is usually a recipe for a DS iteration that's at best a pale imitation of the "main" Wii version of the title.

For Mario & Sonic, this situation seems to be entirely reversed. The DS version of the game is aggregating at GameRankings at 85.5% while the Wii version is aggregating at 76.67%. In terms of a 1-10 scoring scale, that means the DS version is scoring on average an entire point higher than the Wii version. It's enough to make someone very curious, since it's not like the DS version has a different developer. 

Nintendo Power is the only outlet thus far to review both SKUs of Mario & Sonic separately, so it's worth taking a close look at them. Here's a from Chris Slate's 7 out of 10 review of the Wii version that I found particularly interesting:

The game is handicapped straight away for being based on winter games. That might sound like an unfair criticism-- and I don't mean to put down sports like speed skating, bobsleigh, and curling-- but I've never seen most winter events translated into a superfun video game. Mario & Sonic does as good a job as any title ever has, and when Played one after the other in quick snack-sized sessions, the events are fun enough. But for me-- and , I suspect, most people-- summer sports make for more interesting video games. There was certainly a wider variety of experiences in the first Mario & Sonic, with sports as diverse as archery, gymnastics, swimming, shooting, track, and javelin throw. Conversely, while playing through the main career-type mode of Olympic Winter Games, it seems like you're either skiing or skating most of the time, both of which play similarly.

Now here's a segment of Phil Theobald's review of the DS SKU, which awards Mario & Sonic a significantly higher 8 out of 10 score.

The meat of the single-player experience is in Adventure Tours mode. Here Mario and Sonic team up to track down Bowser and Dr. Eggman, who are planning on ruining the Winter Olympics by kidnapping the Snow Sprites that create the snow necessary for the games. This quest is fairly simple and really justa hub to play the standard events, but the presentation, which has you collecting athletic gear and finding new party members, is a lot of fun.

Now, there's no mention of Adventure Tours mode in the Wii review of the game. Either that feature is totally absent or it's just not as interesting or vital in the Wii version, which is probably (and reasonably) more focused on building up a multiplayer experience. The DS version seems more oriented toward a satisfying solo experience, though, which may make it one that's generally more attractive to core gamers. It certainly seems to be the first Mario & Sonic game where you can actually see Mario & Sonic interacting in a story-like sequence.

Probably the most interesting new game debuting on Wii only this week is A Boy and His Blob. While there's been a lot of interest in this game from the enthusiast press, that's frequently the kiss of death of sales when it comes to Wii games. Since the publisher is Majesco, this may also be a situation where not terribly many copies of this game end up printed.

I have a feeling that in the misty future, copies of this title may appreciate in value due to simple rarity. That may be enough reason by itself to pick it up now, when you can get it at MSRP. Right now the game is aggregating at 85% on GameRankings, which suggests a good solid game. Nintendo Power's effusive 8.5 out of 10 review goes beyond that, suggesting an innovative title that core gamers will want to play very badly in years to come.

As unique as the concept is, the presentation is equally novel. This is a veyr subtle game; most games try to beat you over the head with flashy cut-scenes, but this title wins you over with charm and sophistication. There's no life meter, no lives counter, no level names, no voiceovers, no script, no dialogue, and no save screen (it autosaves, don't worry). In some games that could be a detriment, but in A Boy and His Blob it works; the story is convincingly told purely through its animation, and despite its minimalist approach, you can absolutely feel the emotional bond between the boy and the blob, just as much as you could feel the relationship between the protagonist and Yorda in renowned PlayStation 2 title Ico. Th emotional impact comes to the forefront especially in the game's excellent closing stages, in which the tale goes from tragic to empowering in a matter of seconds.

While not really a new title anymore, a buy that Wii owners will want to keep an eye out for in the holiday season hits this week. Nintendo is currently shipping a special version of Wii Sports Resort that includes two Wii MotionPlus peripherals. The new bundle is shipping at a $59.99 MSRP, only about $10 more than the standard one-peripheral bundle. Wii Sports resort is aggregating at 82.98%, a sign that it was always a solid game, but the game's best reviews emphasize how much better it is in multiplayer. With two MotionPlus units, the current bundle will allow multiplayer out-of-the-box much better than the original-- consider this snippet from GameSpot's 8 out of 10 review of the game.

Of course, to get in on the party, you'll need the new MotionPlus accessory because none of the games in Wii Sports Resort can be played without it. One MotionPlus is bundled with the game, and to Nintendo's credit, many of the minigames can be played by sharing one remote and one MotionPlus with a few players. But you'll need to buy more if you're hoping for some simultaneous multiplayer action, and while this may seem like an unnecessary financial imposition from Nintendo, it doesn't take long to become convinced of the new accessory's worth. This isn't some gimmicky plastic peripheral--the MotionPlus gives even the simplest games in Wii Sports Resort an intricate level of sensitivity that is apparent from the moment you first pick up a controller

It was in researching this column that I heard of Hero's Saga: Laevatain Tactics for the very first time. I'm not even sure who made the game. Internet sources credit it to a developer called GungHo that primarily produces ports and portable versions of other titles, while Nintendo Power credits it to a company called Altair I frankly can't find out anything about. It is certain that it was published by Aksys, which is odd enough-- most fans associated that company with fighting games, not RPGs. Nintendo Power's 7 out of 10 review is the only review of the game to date, suggesting a game that isn't mind-blowing but potentially very interesting to tactical RPG enthusiasts.

There are two ways to win the confrontations in Hero's Saga. You can carefully plan your strategy, weigh all the factors (like equipment and formation and terrain), and grind out a victory through superior tactics. Alternatively, you can game the Valhall Gauge. Maxing out a unit's gauge in this strategy RPG lets that unit launch a supremely powerful one-shot-kill attack, which is often enough to turn an entire battle's tide.

A final curiosity Nintendo fans will want to pay attention to in this week's game-glut is Ju-On: The Grudge. The game's packaging declares it a "Haunted House Simulator," perhaps in light of how many Wii game buyers seem to wander into stores and pick things up based entirely on the cover. The game is aggregating at 59% at GameRankings, suggesting it may have some problems. That problem may be that it actually contains very little gameplay. This is another title where the best review is out of Nintendo Power, whose 6 out of 10 score suggests we're dealing a rental here at best.

They do guide you along a very scripted path in each level, whether it's a run-down factory or a deserted hospital. Once you've gone through them, you'll know where the scares happen, so the game is kind of a one-off experience. Needing to find batteries for your flashlight, lest it go dark and you die, also isn't so great. Sure, it introduces an leent of urgency, but it's frustrating when you just can't find what you need.