E3 2009 Preview
In addition to the many sequels Capcom releases
each year, the Resident Evil and Street Fighter powerhouse never stops trying to
create new franchises. Unlike the games that followed RE’s success, Spyborgs – a
Wii-exclusive brawler with robots and eye-popping effects – isn’t jam-packed
with blood and guts. If bodily fluids are all you look for in a game, you might
want to stick with the forthcoming Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. If,
however, you’ve always wanted a brawler with substance, keep reading – this
could be one of the year’s best Wii releases.
Starring three different characters, Spyborgs
tells the story of Stinger, Bouncer and Clandestine, three powerhouse warriors
who are fighting for a better tomorrow. That’s where the player comes in, Wii
remote and Nunchuk in hand, to pulverize every enemy and every interactive
object in sight. The results are very explosive; bright balls of semi-stylized,
yellow-orange flames ignite as enemies are destroyed. Mixtures of blue and
orange colors are used to further enhance the combat effect of each character
while sparks fly off in multiple directions.
The combat definitely falls into the brawler
realm of gaming that was once ruled by the likes of Streets of Rage and Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles. Basically, you pound on your enemies until they die, using
both strong (slow) and weak (quick) attacks. Press these buttons repeatedly for
various combos.
Spyborgs differentiates itself with boss battles
and motion-specific actions. Despite this being a Wii exclusive, the developers
weren’t crazy about adding motion functionality to every element. They
ultimately decided to reserve the motion controls for specific portions of the
game, such as unleashing a deadly attack on a boss. Ex: if you block a boss
attack, the game will give you the opportunity to quickly swing the Wii remote,
triggering a combo team attack. If done successfully, your teammate will get the
chance to follow up with another motion. This goes back and forth until a few
motions are executed – now the boss will lose a large chunk of its health meter.
Special attacks aren’t the only area where motion
controls are used. Spyborgs also includes a feature called Spyvision. By
pointing the Wii remote at your television, you’ll be able to reveal items that
are hidden within the world. The existence of hidden items is hinted at with a
slight picture change in the environment (it almost looks like there’s a thin
transparent sheet on part of the screen). Point the remote over it and the
hidden item will be revealed.
Like all brawlers released in the past five
years, upgrades are a part of the Spyborgs package. Upgrades are purchased with
Red Sparks, which are essentially red orbs that you get from playing well (Devil
May Cry, anyone?). There are a few different upgrade categories to choose from,
including health and special attacks.
These features will no doubt attract gamers to
Spyborgs when it’s released. But as we’re all too aware, brawlers eventually
become repetitive. To help evade some of that repetition, the developers have
included evolved forms of every recurring enemy. Ex: early on you’ll encounter
an enemy who throws bombs; later on, he’ll throw mines.
