hi all and welcome to a new WNR! Not too many news this week, due to being the week between the nintendo summit and the game developers conference, perhaps we'll have quite the nice flow of news soon though :3 I also hope many of you will get Red Steel 2 later this month X3

VC RELEASES OF THE WEEK:

USA
-Fatal Fury Special (NeoGeo)

EU
-Zaxxon (Arcade)

WIIWARE RELEASES OF THE WEEK:

USA
-Megaman 10 (2d action/platform game)
-Dart Rage (Dart game)
-Happy Hammerin' (minigames)

EU
-Megaman 10 (2d action/platform game)
-Bit.Trip Void (Arcade game)

GAME RELEASES OF THE WEEK:

USA
9th of March 2010:
-Calling (Survival horror)

EU
no releases

NEWS OF THE WEEK:

A new game announced for Wiiware. So far it's known that it will be called Gods VS Humans and it will be a strategy game. Here are a few artworks:
http://www.nintendoeverything.com/34266/

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New screens for Trackmania Wii have been released (racing game):
http://www.nintendoeverything.com/34355/

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A DLC has been confirmed for Megaman 10, on the 5th of April: the DLC is Bass as playable character! here are a few screens:
http://www.nintendoeverything.com/34440/

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A new game announced for Wiiware: it's called Jett Rocket, a platform/adventure game! here are a few screens, it looks like it could have a nice potential ^^
http://www.nintendoeverything.com/34445/

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New screens for Ironman 2 have been released (action game):
http://www.nintendoeverything.com/34501/

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A new trailer for Bit.Trip Runner has been released (2d platform):
http://www.nintendoeverything.com/34519/

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A new video for Trauma Team has been released (surgery simulator):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/first ... team/62496

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A new video for FlingSmash has been released (side-scrolling game):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/motio ... mash/62497

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A new video for WarioWare D.I.Y has been released (minigames):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/custo ... -i-y/62503

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A new video for And Yet It Moves has been released (2s puzzle/platform game):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ninte ... t-it/62507

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Two new videos for Monster Hunter 3 have been released (action/RPG):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/demo- ... nter/62505
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/demo- ... nter/62506

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New videos for Megaman 10 have been released (2d action/platform game):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/wiiwa ... n-10/62512
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/wiiwa ... n-10/62511
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclu ... n-10/62738

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New videos for Sin and Punishment: Star Successor have been released (shoot'em up):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/upgra ... -sin/62515
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/upgra ... -sin/62517

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A new trailer for Zombie Panic in Wonderland has been released (shoot'em up):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/debut ... anic/62577

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A couple of new videos for Tatsunoko VS Capcom have been released (fighting game):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/japan ... o-vs/62565
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/japan ... o-vs/62566

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A new trailer for Happy Hammerin' has been released (minigames):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launc ... erin/62599

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A new trailer for Red Steel 2 has been released (FPS/action game):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/weapo ... el-2/62662

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A new trailer of Metroid: Other M has been released (action/adventure game):
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ninte ... ther/62556

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GAME OF THE WEEK: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
genre: Survival horror
publisher: Konami


This game got out one week ago here in Europe and I picked it up on its first day, eager to play the first silent hill on a nintendo console. Now, before we move on the real review, let's explain a few things: this game takes the start of the first game depicting the car crash and the disappearing of the main character's daughter Cheryl. This is the only one thing it shares with the first game though. This isn't a remake, it's an entire retelling, going into a total different way, something that the Silent Hill series never tried.

The game starts out with a psychologist starting to talk to you and letting you have a test with a few questions to answer. Now, here's what makes this game quite unique. The game changes depending by how you answer to the different tests and also by what you do and what you look at while you play the game, your choices and everything will influence not only the story and the ending, but also the environments, the look of the persons and also of the monsters, always depending by how you act and answer.

After this little test the real game begins, starting with the car crash and the main character, Harry Mason, finding out about his daughter disappearing. so you'll start exploring Silent hill. The impact with the game will let you realize how good this game is technically-wise. One of the best visuals on wii, in my honest opinion, especially thinking it uses a realistic look, wich usually doesn't look especially good on this console. The torchlight effect is awesome, adding to the atmosphere and moving it around with the wiimote is really fun. The movement is responsive and works really well.

The environments are large and detailed, there won't be a repetitive level, never. The developers really took great care in working on the environments, both the normal and "icy" versions of the areas, proving quite the nice creativity. The human models move smoothly and their facial expressions are quite impressive and lively. The monsters move in a creepy way...they run, crawl over walls and ceiling and want to choke you to death o.o; they really move in a way that might creep you out. From a graphical standpoint this game proves how a third-party can pull off a nice-looking game if they put some actual effort in it.

The gameplay is divided in two sections: explorations and nightmares. The exploration sections are settled in the normal world, where you go around the different places of silent hill, exploring, looking for clues about your daughter's disappearance and also being able to discover the "ghosts" and the hidden stories of the creepy town. While you are in the normal world there will be no monster after you, everything is focused on the exploration and the solving of puzzles that use quite well the wiimote in clever ways, even though they'll never be very difficult to solve. Some may not like the choice of having totally safe, monsterless sections, though that may change from gamer to gamer...some may want more action, some may like the fact that they can take a breath and just explore.

The nightmare sequences are clearly more action-packed. in those sections you have to get trough the twisted areas of ice following the blue-highlighted doors, edges and walls to get out of the nightmare, all while being chased by a group of screaming faceless monsters (though they'll start getting a more clear shape witht he time, depending by how the game will read your mind and what you do. I got feminine-like monsters with high-heels and creepy grins with lipstick on their face o.o; ). Some of the sequences got puzzles to solve though. There will be a safe area where you can catch hints on the puzzle, usually involved persons made out of ice representing the puzzle you have to solve. You'll have to make your way back trough the nightmare levels and solve the puzzles in different ways, all while those monsters are chasing you. There's no way to defeat them, but you can keep them far away by picking up fire torches and lighting them for a limited time.

I think that the feeling of being helpless against those monsters might give many gamers moments of anxiety and real scary moments. Their AI is also very good, so even if you can hide, give them some time and they'll find you. If one of those monsters catches you, all you have to do is shake both wiimote and nunchuck as if you're pushing them off your body. Just do it in the right direction one or two times and it'll work. Be careful though, since they like to run in swarms...three of them will be a pain if they get to surround you, to the point that you'll have all of them on you and shaking them off will be very hard, if not impossible. I happened to die a few times because of this X3 A nice mention should be done for the twisted areas of the nightmare scenes, many of them are quite impressive, even if you can't really stop staring at them for too long without having a monster jumping at you X3

another nice gameplay addition is the phone. It replaces the old silent hill radio, starting to make weird noises when monsters are approaching. The noises have another use though. Outside of the nightmares they can lead you to certain objects where something happened, unlocking a text or voice message. Finding them all will make you understand more about the place you are in and the creepy stories that happened around them. They also have to do with the change from normal world to nightmare world at times...they creeped me out at times X3

The phone can also be used to take pics of "ghosts". sometime you'll notice figures that can be barely seen...if you take a pic of them they'll unveal another message and also the ghost itself that may or may not have to do with Cheryl. So yeah, it can be fun going around the areas (wich in some case can be VERY wide and since all you have is a torch the map of the phone is REALLY useful ). Another fun little thing the phone can do is also call numbers (obviously X3) you can call any number you find in the game and this is also something that will influence the game and the story itself, depending by what calls you make. There's also a way to call Konami X3

The story is another strong point of the game. There are multiple endings and multiple cutscenes depending by how you move trough the game. So far I played trough just one of the possibilities. Keep in mind that the ending is divided in two parts, each of one having 4/5 versions of it. This without counting the good old UFO ending X3 The story is tense and the feeling of mistery and lonelyness of the game just pushes you and encourages you to get to know more about what's happening. I also like how the story focuses on a psychological side. Many things are not said, but everything in the game has a certain meaning, included the ice and the look of the monsters and why they are after you. So yeah, deep stuff, something that kept me stuck to the wiimote until the end.

The game is quite short, can be cleared in less than 10 hours if you don't waste time exploring, but the multiple endings and storylines give the game a lot of replayability.

The soundtrack is quite immersive, even if not as creepy as the previous silent hill games, taking all another style, just like the game itself. The main theme "when you're gone" is awesome though, I listened to it again and again lately X3

to end the review, the game is short, but easily replayable multiple times, haves a valid graphic level, a great story and it's an interesting new way to see the Silent Hill series and I really hope for a sequel, so that the team can make the experience even greater. The hardcore silent hill fans may like or not like the new direction taken by the game, but it all depends by how open you are as a gamer, really. The game is still scary and twisted anyway, so don't worry ;3 I recomment this to all the survival horror fans and to gamers looking for something different to play. This game is worth the purchase.

Now, here are a few screens (sorry for the quality, but I couldn’t find decent pics somehow x.x the game a lot better than this):
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Image ... _4_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Image ... _1_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Image ... _0_big.jpg
http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Image ... _2_big.jpg

and here are a few videos:
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/memor ... hill/59615
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/freak ... hill/597560 Comments