Grand Theft Auto series, has had a huge controversy surrounding its recent
titles, most notably the game Bully. Young moviegoers and diehard Wii fans are
well aware that that’s not the only bully to watch out for. If you’re
as small as an insect or have been transformed into one, you should keep an
eye out for The Ant Bully. He doesn’t know when you’re sleeping or when you’re
awake, but he does know where you sleep – so run for goodness sake!
Ported over from the
current-gen consoles, The Ant Bully is very much a PS2 and GameCube-type
action/adventure. You won’t find any innovative gameplay features, but there
are some very exciting additions that, while not quite perfected, are another
great example of how games can and will be controlled using a Wii remote and
nunchuck attachment.
Camera Twisting
1996: The first true 3D
action/adventure, Mario 64, is released. The camera is mostly stable but may
be manually adjusted using the four "camera buttons" on the N64 controller.
2001: Jak & Daxter and
other action/adventures give way to camera controls with an analog stick.
Camera movement is later perfected with the release of Splinter Cell and Super
Mario Sunshine.
2006: A new era in camera
controls? While Zelda sticks to the auto camera introduced in The Ocarina of
Time, The Ant Bully is a little more creative in this area. It uses the
nunchuck attachment to tweak the camera position.
All the basics are in
place as predicted: the nunchuck’s thumbstick controls your character’s
movement. Attacks follow the lead of Zelda – shake and push the Wii remote to
swing your staff. Press the A button to pick up objects, hold the Z button to
target opponents, etc.
Wii does not have any
camera buttons, nor does it have a second analog stick. Thus, if you want to
adjust the camera, you have to tilt the nunchuck left or right. The amount
that the nunchuck is tilted changes the speed of how fast the camera moves
(which is how analog sticks work; push them all the way to make the camera
move as fast as possible – push it very lightly and the camera will adjust
more slowly).
“Different” does not
necessarily equal improvement, let alone innovation. The Ant Bully’s
camera is a little stiff at times, though it’s not like we haven’t experienced
that with other camera systems. But the idea is great, and for the most part
works very well. While running or attacking, I can tilt my wrist to bring the
camera into the desired position. Within a few minutes it became second
nature. That’s very impressive – for a developer to be able to implement a new
control style, and have it blend into the rest of the game so quickly.
A Bug’s Life
The Ant Bully isn’t
really about ants or the ant bully (an evil exterminator who wishes to wipe
out your colony). It’s about the young boy who, after one crazy incident, is
shrunk down to the size of an ant. He’s deemed a potential hero, ending up on
a wild journey that will hopefully result in him saving the colony – and
become a full-size human again.
Controlling the boy will
expose you to various missions, many involving the collection of items and/or
the destruction of bigger and more dangerous bugs. These giant beetles and
earwigs can claw, crush, and chomp their way through the herd, and will put an
end to anyone who’s careless. Protection missions ask that you ward off tiny
jumping bugs that like to nibble on the legs of your friends. These little
buggers will attack you as well, and may be thrown off by tilting the nunchuck
down (causing the boy to roll forward, dispersing any bugs that have clamped
on).
The worlds lead you
anywhere a bug may go: inside a home, underground, in a backyard, etc. Water
is damaging and must be avoided. Jump in and you’ll go under immediately,
indicating that the boy does not know how to swim. You’ll re-spawn at the
ground area where you were last standing. Players will have to navigate up and
around these stages to find a safe route to the end.
One option (depending on
the level’s layout) is to find the anthill peaks and grab what appears to be a
flower pedal. Jump off the edge (done automatically by running off the
platform) and you’ll start to hang-glide. Tilt the nunchuck sideways to steer;
tilt it up to slow down, and tilt it down to speed up.
Locate an ant command
post and you’ll be able to call for help. A small group of ants will run in
and form a ladder to reach greater heights, or a bridge to cross over water.
They can also combine for a springy form that allows you to swing the ants
over larger areas, or swing the boy back and release for a slingshot effect.
The nunchuck’s motion recognition is used to control all of these functions.
The Good Ant Bully
Does…
…Is not enough to
secure a place in every gamer’s memory. The Wii-exclusive controls are
wonderful, but the missions are split 50/50 between moderately amusing and
sleep-inducing. The thumbstick controls are clunky and feel out of place,
especially when compared to how well the motion controls work. But there is
one major flaw there as well – to attack, you’ll have to shake the Wii remote
more vigorously than you do in Zelda. Not all shakes, vigorous or otherwise,
led to an effective attack. Sometimes the boy didn’t attack at all.
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Gameplay: 6
Another
action/adventure with the same objectives found in games 10 years ago. The Ant
Bully’s fun doesn’t come from its tiring missions, but from the unique control
features that open new possibilities for the way we game.
Graphics: 7.9
The game is
clunky at times, but the visuals are a little impressive. Big landscapes,
fog-free worlds, semi-realistic textures, etc. It’s almost on par with the
upper-tier GameCube titles, which is more than I can say for most Wii
releases.
Sound: 6
So-so. The Ant
Bully isn’t particularly satisfying to the ears, but it’s not painful either.
I guess that’s a plus? (Compared to those that are painful, at least.)
Difficulty: Easy
This cakewalk is
freshly baked and ready to be sold.
Concept: 8
The Ant Bully is
a port, but the Wii version uses the nunchuck attachment more thoroughly than
any other game available. The ideas are cool and effective, changing the way
we control the camera, and shows off new ways for developers to pull us deeper
into their games.
Overall: 6.1
For its efforts
and its technology, The Ant Bully is worth renting. But I wouldn’t add it to
your collection even if the movie it’s based on is your favorite animated
flick.
