Flip's Twisted World

The adventure genre is a bit limited on the Wii, and players often have to rely on Nintendo for decent games like Super Mario Galaxy or even Klonoa.  Majesco is trying to help curb that unfortunate trend with the release of Frozen North's Flip's Twisted World.  Players will take on the role of Flip, a magician's apprentice, after a spell with a magical artifact went horribly wrong and tossed him into a crazy universe.  Trapped in that artifact, Flip must now navigate through the obstacles so that he can return to the real world and restore things to normal before his master comes home.

The primary control system is the Wii Remote, and the game operates on 90 degree horizontal axis turns that can be altered with motion control.  Players can use this topsy turvy world to their advantage in exploring by spinning the world in nearly any way possible, dropping Flip onto various platforms and allowing him to access areas on different planes.  The one thing to keep in mind with this is that normal rules of gravity apply, so if something turns 90 degrees and there's no support to keep Flip from being sliding into space then he will, in fact, slide off into space. Outside of that, the game plays like a classic platform title, with five different environments to choose from and an assortment of bonus items, such as new costumes and unlockable goodies.

For once, the Wii Remote feels more natural than a Classic or Gamecube Controllers, with the game's controls and targeting.  Majesco is planning for a January 2010 release, and we're confident the innocent, childish aesthetics won't put too many people off what might actually be an interesting gaming experience.

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010

This is a returning brand for Majesco and they've actually made it a point to consider the feedback of the community on this one, give that the first version from 2009 was a good seller, but the game didn't deliver entirely, focusing too much on mechanics of the on-screen avatar and less about the workout.  On top of this, they realized the graphic weren't that great and made a point to revamp the property for the next installment.

The latest game comes through with a direct approach to working with Jillian.  Players no longer have an avatar to focus with and instead drive the core workout itself.  The result is that players get a more rewarding workout as they're just focusing on themselves and the facsimile of Jillian. The routines that made it into the latest game are all designed by Jillian Michaels to fulfill various purposes like building muscle and strength with exercises such as Swing Kicks, Obliques, Side Planks, Side Lunges, Water Pump and more.  The result is a game more driven by the goal of health over mini-games and other such items.

Players are able to define their own personal resolutions over time and monitor their progress, with the ability to plan 6 months ahead.  It really does come off as a rewarding experience for those set to get started and really dedicate themselves to the objectives. The game should be dropping in Fall 2009 on the Wii and those with a Balance Board will be able to jump right into the game.

a boy and his blob

A unique property coming to the Wii is the story a boy and his blob. The game takes the original foundation by the 1989 NES title and spins it into a very artistic and interactive world. The first major change was the game's storybook aesthetics and how smooth the flow of animation was for each gesture. Those aspects alone changed it from mere remake into more immersive experience for the masses, given that the entire game was hand drawn and painted with an engine designed specifically for the Wii.

With that said, the story is very much in the same realm of design, focusing around Blobolonia as it's being threatened by an evil emperor.  Your blob comes to Earth seeking help and finds a young boy (that's you) upon arrival.  Starting from there, the blob and his new friend embark on a new adventure to dethrone the emperor and save the blob people.  Along the way, the boy and his blob develop a unique and lasting bond, and much of the game is founded on that.

The game mechanics are fun, and the scrolling platform style means there are many opportunities to make use of the environment.  Players will need to jelly beans for their unique effects, choosing them based on which color will provide the most useful effect for a given situation, like hitting switches, crossing pits, and so on.

a boy and his blob will be coming to Nintendo Wii later this year.