It is therefore in the European premises of the Japanese firm that we have set out to take charge of some of the titles which will appear in the catalog and launch window of the machine. Out of the thirty games expected on Wii U by the end of March 2013, an exhaustive selection of around fifteen titles was thus on trial, including the nine scheduled licenses of the French line-up. From titles stamped Nintendo to the flagship licenses of Ubisoft or Electronic Arts, the big names in video games had also made the trip to Frankfurt. Here is our report. Wir wollen gehen! (Let's go!) as the famous mustachioed plumber would say!
THE CONSOLE AND THE GAMEPAD: OUR NEW GETTING STARTED
With its design close to the Wii, the Wii U will have some difficulty in being seen as anything other than a first cousin of its illustrious ancestor, despite its rounded and much sleeker shapes. Its wasp waist will nevertheless remain a definite advantage, as was its big sister, mainly for storage freaks who will have no difficulty hiding it between the Blu-ray player and the television, the beauty being willing to be discreet in society. But living with the beast will also be synonymous with cohabitation with the imposing GamePad. Without being really comfortable, the fault of a weight of 1,5 kg closer to the average weight than the flyweight and to a massive frame, the tablet would take us back almost 20 years back, at the time of the Game Gear. For the gossips, its small 6,2-inch (15,8 cm) LCD screen is nevertheless pleasant to look at in all circumstances, whether you indulge in Nintendo's minimalist party-game as well as titles. last generations such as Mass Effect 3. Those allergic to touch can always, we remind you, turn to the Wii U pro controller and its Xbox 360 controller tunes.
NINTENDO LAND
Nintendo Land is undoubtedly THE showcase for the console, built with the aim of entertaining players while familiarizing them with the tactile features and asymmetrical gameplay of the GamePad. Five mini-games of the cake were in the spotlight. Thus, Metroid Blast and Zelda Battle Quest may be among the most visually appealing mini-games, thanks in particular to their colorful execution, but they are nonetheless the most prone to boredom. After a single game, the latter very quickly showed their limits, revealing all their assets. However, a few surprises stand out, such as Mario Chase. With the only help of a motion detector, four players have the mission to catch a fifth fellow moving with the GamePad in several labyrinthine levels. Its advantage: see the position of other players on the tablet screen. This hide-and-seek mini-game turns out to be really enticing and is really appreciated over several games in a row. An enthusiasm that can also be found at Pikmin Adventure. While a team embodies the famous Pikmin, the person at the GamePad accompanies these young shoots in the level, helping them to reach inaccessible areas and directly attacking the many creatures that our companions meet on their way. The solo game is not neglected either with Balloon Trip Breeze, a nice mini-game in which the player controls indirectly with the Gamepad the movements of a hovering Mii thanks to balloons. The principle, really intuitive, is to advance your character through levels full of traps by tracing the direction of the wind on the tablet. As you can see, the Wii U party game is currently blowing hot and cold. It will nevertheless have a strong unifying potential in the evening, but could ultimately show its limits over time.
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII U
The mustachioed plumber also had his say during the event. But far from entangling us in gameplay that can be done solo, Nintendo obviously focused on cooperation and the use of the GamePad in the game. We were therefore able to discover with pleasure the Acrobat pack of the future Boost Rush mode. Two players embody Mario and Luigi respectively and progress through continuously scrolling horizontal levels. The speed and dexterity of the players, Wiimote in hand, is therefore essential, the main originality coming rather from the use made of the GamePad that takes at least a third sidekick. The level is thus projected on the screen of the tablet in order to allow the latter to interact with elements of the decor, to make appear there instantly, with a tactile pressure, platforms to avoid a fatal fall to his teammates, making them reach inaccessible ledges, or holding off angry Thwomps that might crush them. Whether on the GamePad side or the Wiimote, players are therefore constantly on the alert thanks to a spicy difficulty that requires agility and skill to hope to recover the many pieces contained in the levels. The opportunity for us to learn that several different packs will also be offered with this game mode. To see now what the Gamepad of the Wii U will bring in the other game modes. Answer on November 30th.
RAYMAN LEGENDS
How can we talk about the Wii U without mentioning the highly anticipated Rayman Legends. Sequel to the brilliant Rayman Origins, the title reappropriates the colorful and 2D graphic paw of the previous part, while bringing a touch of freshness, especially in terms of the depth of the environments, the result of a very successful differential scrolling. And if visually, let's not be afraid of words, Rayman Origins puts a slap in the face, on the gameplay side, Ubisoft also demonstrates that it has mastered its subject on Wii U. Discovered during our many travels around the world, Rayman Legends has confirmed the idea we had at gamescom 2012 that we had to do with a potential future hit (to believe that Germany brings him luck). The asymmetrical gameplay offered by the GamePad is perfectly managed and intelligently introduced through practical puzzles, enemies to tickle with your finger or even weathervane platforms to move by shaking your tablet in all directions. Cooperation, already present in Origins, thus takes on a whole new dimension, to the point of not considering buying the new Nintendo machine without it. You have been warned!
ASSASSIN'S CREED 3
The presence in Frankfurt of the new adventures of Desmond was certainly not fortuitous for Ubisoft, for whom the stakes were high. The French publisher has however somewhat missed the mark by offering us, to illustrate the GamePad gameplay of Assassin's Creed 3, a naval battle. It was even more precisely the sequence presented "behind close doors" at gamescom 2012. There is no question here of questioning the artistic realization of the title, far from it. This one does perfectly with graphics at the level of current consoles. The action and the tension is also palpable, and it is undeniable that this new iteration has the cards necessary to complete our mourning following the departure of Ezio. However, the arguments that would tip our balance in favor of the Wii U version are still insufficient for the moment. Tablet in hand, difficult indeed to consider it other than as a gadget allowing to view a map (or in this case a radar for this kind of maritime phases). Players will certainly be able to interact with the touch screen to choose their types of ball or detect enemy units. We doubt, however, that this brings real added value to the gaming experience. What about the integration of the GamePad in the assassination sequences? We will have to wait for the game to be released on Wii U to get a clear idea of what the tablet can bring to the license in terms of gameplay.
MASS EFFECT 3
Going from Assassin's Creed 3 to Mass Effect 3, we didn't give much of the skin of the title of Bioware. And yet, its passage on Wii U is a much better omen, especially for players who have not had the opportunity to discover Sheperd's ultimate adventure. To compensate for the lack of backups, which are usually reusable, and to enlist people for whom the license is unknown, this new version will introduce an interactive comics summarizing the scenario in broad outline, while a system of choices will simulate the decisions taken in the first two parts. Once the game is launched, this Wii U version does not have to be ashamed of the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions. The action is fluid, whether on the TV screen or on the GamePad touchscreen. With the press of a button, it will indeed be possible to continue your game, nomadic style, directly on the Wii U tablet. Of course, players will lose all their tactile features, accessible via the triggers, in the process. Let's talk about commands. Where the Assassin's Creed 3 demo offered somewhat limited interaction with the GamePad, Mass Effect 3 appears much more innovative. Thanks to the tablet, players can at any time activate the powers of their teammates who can be moved in real time on the battlefield through a map indicating the position of enemies and allies. The GamePad therefore becomes a strategic tool that fits perfectly into the license's already tactical gameplay.
TRINE 2 : DIRECTOR'S CUT
In the category of indie game that has everything great, I call Trine 2. The magical platform game from Frozenbyte studios had also been the subject of a short demo in Frankfurt. The opportunity to see what the GamePad of the Wii U brings to the already well-established gameplay of the license. The developers thus promise that the many puzzles of this second episode will put into practice the tactile functionalities of the tablet. In practice, the screen of the GamePad and that of our television will display the same level of detail. It will be possible to interact with elements of the decor to activate mechanisms or exterminate certain enemies by choosing suitable weapons, to be selected via the tablet screen. For example, in the shoes of the mage, players will have the power to make platforms appear by tracing them beforehand on the GamePad's touch screen. In terms of playability, it's hard not to refer to DS puzzle games, the action sequences and more that will spice up our progress. Unfortunately, our preview having been rather short, nothing affirms for the moment that the experience proposed in Trine 2: Director's Cut will be of the same ilk as our preview and throughout the adventure. In any case, that is what we hope.
AND THE OTHERS...
Among the other figures that will try to occupy your collection, let's not forget to mention ZombiU. We were also treated to a new, more complete overview of Ubisoft's survival horror, which definitely promises to be one of the safe bets of the machine. Its somewhat minimalist design will surely repel some, without scaring away players who are fans of cold sweats who will fall under the spell of the "so British" zombies of the title. We invite you to re-read the full preview of our national Laurely Birba, for whom the hunt for the living dead no longer holds any secrets. To represent the Archipelago, Sonic All Stars-Racing Transformed and the supercharged version of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge were also present. While SEGA's racing game sympathetically uses the GamePad's gyroscopic sensors to move its vehicle, the Wii U version of Tecmo Koei's action game ultimately stands out only for its new hemoglobin outpourings and the introduction of the pretty Ayane rather than the originality of her gameplay with the mablette, in short anecdotal. In any case, with nearly thirty titles expected by the end of March 2013, the Wii U will be on all fronts, with the firm intention of meeting the eclectic tastes of players who will take the plunge.
