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Post by Nester the Lark on Oct 31, 2007 11:35:04 GMT -5
Has anyone had a chance to play this game yet? It's been getting really good reviews (one of the highest rated Wii games on Metacritic at this time). I'd like to do a 3PS for it, but I was hoping to play it myself first. You can check out gameplay footage in GameTrailers' review here. It should be released in PAL territories this December. |
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Post by Fryguy64 on Oct 31, 2007 13:49:52 GMT -5
Just been delayed till 2008 in PAL territories  I'm looking forward to this one. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Nov 7, 2007 22:44:17 GMT -5
Well, according to this Kotaku article, Zack & Wiki is suffering from "shockingly low sales numbers." Unfortunately, it's not that surprising. So much for the theory that Nintendo fans will buy third party software if it's high quality. It's Beyond Good & Evil all over again. Even I can't claim innocence as I haven't bought it, myself. My apprehension stems from point-and-click games not having a big appeal for me. I desperately want to rent it, but I haven't even seen it offered. I think I should get a 3PS for this game up whether I get the chance to play it or not. Perhaps sales will pick up over the holiday. Otherwise, it'll be up to the PAL regions next year to save this game from its unfortunate fate. Once again, quality third party software is being discouraged by the loudest possible method: sales numbers. |
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Post by Fryguy64 on Nov 8, 2007 5:12:10 GMT -5
It's November. Sales of vidjamagames tend to dip slightly at the moment and then go through the roof at the end of the month and into December. But let's be honest - it could get lost in the Christmas rush. While it's gotten good reviews, it's hardly been promoted outside of that.
And this is the problem with a lot of third party games on Nintendo systems. It's not that they aren't as good as first party games, and often not even that people like us don't buy them due to prejudice - it's because Marketing departments these days see the word "Nintendo" and fail to put forward the money necessary.
I mean, if every Nintendo fanboy bought a copy, it would barely make a blip on the Wii sales radar. I wouldn't be surprised if around 70% of Wii owners only have WiiSports and one other game right now.
And yes, a 3PS for a new release will be hugely welcome!! ;D
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f0x
Pikpik Carrot
Posts: 31
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Post by f0x on Nov 8, 2007 5:21:51 GMT -5
I might buy it if I'm finished at that time with all games waiting on my pile to be played. It does look pretty cool, and I haven't played a point&click game in a while. (Last one was Hotel Dusk). But I'm not really surprised 'bout the bad sales. It's getting overshadowed by other great 1st party games.
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Post by wanderingshadow on Nov 8, 2007 9:12:12 GMT -5
I know that IGN liked the game so much even after just a demo they started a "Buy Zack and Wiki" campaign. However, I imagine most people buying Christmas gifts don't visit IGN or any similar website, so no chance of seeing that.
I really want have a crack at this game. I think it looks really fun. I might br the best Pirate game since they remade Sid Meier's Pirates.
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Post by Nester the Lark on Nov 8, 2007 11:08:15 GMT -5
Here's something that depressed me: I was at a GameStop last weekend, and Zack & Wiki wasn't even displayed next to the other new releases. It was tucked away at the bottom of the shelf with older games. It didn't even have its cover facing forward; it was filed sideways.
Well, now that Wildcat has a Wii, I hope he checks it out since he seems to love point-and-click games. I would also think that the game would, at least, appeal to the old Monkey Island fans.
As for 3PS's, they're starting to line up, so there should be a steadier stream of them coming very soon.
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Post by Old Man Rupee on Nov 8, 2007 14:09:41 GMT -5
I simply adore point and click games, and will be buying this one with any available christmas money I receive ;D
Big fan of the Discworld point and clicks on the old playstation, and I ejoyed Another Code and Hotel Dusk, even though I thought they were a bit serious in tone. I once played a demo of a Broken Sword game, and enjoyed it immensly. Now there was a game with laughs.
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Post by Fryguy64 on Nov 9, 2007 8:51:25 GMT -5
The Lucasarts point and clicks were genius. I haven't played every one of them (Loom and Full Throttle are unplayed, and I never completed Grim Fandango or Monkey Island 4).
The Discworlds were both awesome, although the first was definitely the best. I also played some of the Space/King Quest games by Sierra - they weren't as good, but I did complete Space Quest 5. Broken Swords were awesome. And Another Code got played to bits, and I'm still working through Hotel Dusk.
I am a huge fan of the genre. I'd love to see a full resurgence of the genre, and it's good to see I'm not the only one.
I need to download those new Sam & Max episodes ;D
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Post by Wildcat on Nov 9, 2007 23:05:20 GMT -5
I intend to get Zack & Wiki very soon. I am enjoying this resurrection of point-and-clickers, and my fiance wants to play it too. And it's got a low price point for a new Wii title. ^_^ Probably in a month or so I'll get my hands on it. I'm still working to pay off the damn Wii...
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Post by Old Man Rupee on Nov 10, 2007 4:18:30 GMT -5
One of my gaming ambitions is to play one or all of the Monkey Island series. I've heard so many great things about them.
Do you think its possible they'll show up on virtual console?
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Post by Fryguy64 on Nov 10, 2007 9:15:04 GMT -5
It seems very unlikely, but never say never!
Otherwise, pick up the first two on eBay. There's plenty of fanmade programs out there that let you run the older games on new PCs, and I heartily recommend them.
The first two are definitely the best. The third is quite good. I didn't get on with the fourth quite so much.
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thores
Bubbles
Kirby and Pikachu: BFF
Posts: 581
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Post by thores on Nov 12, 2007 18:53:08 GMT -5
The third one, Curse of Monkey Island, is probably my favorite adventure game of all time, actually. The first two are also really great, though.
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Post by Fryguy64 on Mar 16, 2008 6:13:17 GMT -5
Right, I have been playing this game over the last couple of weeks, so it's time for... Dun dun dun duuuuun.
Fryguy64's Review of Zack & Wiki
Zack & Wiki is doing something quite special - it's reviving a defunct genre. One-Room Action Puzzlers. There's loads of these available on the Virtual Console - Solomon's Key, Adventures of Lolo, even Wrecking Crew! Games like this pretty much died out in the mid-90's, which is a huge shame.
You play as the pirate boy known as Zack, accompanied by his flying, golden monkey Wiki, who turns into a bell. You can use Wiki to turn enemies into items. There are also other items banging around, many unique to each stage. You can carry one item at a time, which usually becomes a puzzle in itself.
Each time you solve a bit of the puzzle, you are rewarded with points. The scoring system seems a little cruel - it is nearly impossible to get a perfect score on a level without already knowing the solution before you begin. I don't understand the point of encouraging replays in a game such as this - the challenge is in working the puzzle out, not in memorising the solution.
You will also find one or two areas of the game where you will suddenly be thrown into a situation you weren't prepared for, and you will die. Your options are to use up one of your rare and expensive continues (which reverses time to your last safe action), or start the level over from the beginning. As these situations usually occur right at the end, this is a little frustrating.
One example is the final stage of the first world. After sneaking into the cave, snatching the basket from in front of the beast, putting it over the wind-totem, taking fire into the caves, solving the block puzzle to pour water into the cave, getting more fire to chase away the beast, collecting the umbrella and using it on the zipline to sneak up behind the beast and grab the treasure... the beast attacks and the stony outcrop drops away. If you didn't pick up the umbrella after using it as a zipline, you die. How were you supposed to work that one out?
These are what I call "cheat" moments. As in, the game is cheating you. The very best one-room-action-puzzles don't ever throw up this kind of "twist". This means you NEED to carry around the continue cards or suffer through the whole stage again.
Then you have moments where you can get stuck. Move the icicle, and you can't stop the guy running around, so you can't catch the mole, so you can turn the crank, so you can't beat the stage. Does the game let you know you're stuck? No... you're certain there must still be a solution, and waste a lot of time looking for it.
But... luckily these moments of frustration are few and far between. Another quality of one-room-action-puzzles is they usually give you a small set of actions, and simply increase the number of things you have to do to beat the stage. Zack & Wiki continues to throw up brand new challenges that require you to learn a brand new skill. And this is almost every stage. The game provides some of the most ingenious uses of the Wii remote in any game to date. There is some repetition, of course, but you will be regularly surprised by the challenges the game throws at you.
Enough about the puzzles - the characters and stages themselves are equally well-realised. Zack and Wiki are excellent characters, and you will occasionally find yourself laughing at the death scenes, despite meaning another slog through the game. If anything - it's even more reason to keep a bunch of continue cards to hand. The pirates are a fun distraction, though your interactions with them are fairly limited. The bad-guy pirates who are also after your treasure make for much more interesting interactions.
The levels are beautifully created. You know in your mind that the level is a system of levers, pulleys and items strung together, but the gorgeous stylistic design of each level makes you forget that - it looks like a living, breathing world, rather than a one-room puzzle. If anything, it brings up memories of The Goonies.
Zack & Wiki is a good game, and while it has its failings, it's not every day you get such a challenging, complete game such as this. And it does feel like a game. A classic game, writ large on the Wii. If your Wii is suffering under the lack of releases, I say give this one a go.
Zaaaaakuuuuuu!!
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