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[img width=420 height=591]http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/gamecube-games/306-1.jpg[/img]
Here at Is It About My Cube, it is certainly my job to inform you of good games. I enjoy talking for paragraphs upon paragraphs about games that I honestly believe are worth your time and money. That goes without saying. However, it is also my duty to warn you of bad games. This is the tough part. I went into Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions expecting a slightly watered-down Yakuza game for the Gamecube. I wanted to beat up punks and thugs on the streets of Tokyo, the kind of things that the series is loved for. What I got was something very, very different. Fellow Gamecube fans and gamers at large, let me say with complete assurance that this is not Yakuza. Do not be fooled by the title; it means nothing. So, in that case, what is Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions? Let's explore this mess to find out.
Gameplay
From the moment I started playing Wreckless, I knew something was wrong. Actually, even well before that, I knew something was wrong, but since this section is about gameplay, we will leave that for later. When I started to play the first mission, the first thing I noticed were the controls. Let me preface this by saying that Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is meant to boil down all the fun of the Yakuza games into driving missions alone, with most of the missions centered around destroying other vehicles or objects by ramming your car into them. Sounds passable on paper, but in reality, it makes for a disaster. Whenever you make even the slightest movement on the analog stick, your car goes fishtailing and careening into a 90 degree turn. Unless you gently tap the stick a little bit to turn, then you will crash into a wall, and essentially have no chance of completing the mission. Speaking of crashing, if you do hit a wall, then your car will spin out, come to a complete stop, and only then can you start driving again. In a game that is meant to be about crashes, this makes for insanely frustrating gameplay. It really feels like the developers didn't think about how the game was meant to be played in the context of the goals set out for you; it is more akin to a racing game, where crashing is meant to be a punishment of poor performance, as opposed to games like this where it is an inevitable part of gameplay.
Another badly-thought-out aspect of the game is the missions themselves. Almost all of the missions presented are single-minded in their goal: "Wreck this object, then go and wreck another object, but now you're being timed." The game presents a cripplingly narrow scope of mission objectives to complete, and many of them feel just like blatant copies of each other. They are uninspired, bland, tedious, and annoying to play. Adding this to the awful controls makes each mission a nightmare to complete. I have to admit that I was for once unable to finish this game before reviewing it; something that I usually will do out of principle. I apologize for this, but I simply could not force myself to play it any more, and it did not seem like it was going to get better anytime soon. Besides, with the missions being so repetitive, I feel like I could just replay the ones I had already beaten, and essentially have gotten the same result as playing through the rest of the game. It is a terrible shame to see such restriction brought on a game that is part of the Yakuza series; one known for its interesting and creative gameplay, being akin to a Japanese Grand Theft Auto. Wreckless, however, is nothing more than a terrible Burnout clone.
Gameplay: 3/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://xboxmedia.ign.com/media/previews/image/wreckless/yakuza33_640w.jpg[/img]
Story
Instead of following the standard Yakuza game formula of allowing you to play as a member of the titular Japanese Mafia, the first story mode puts you in control of the Flying Dragons police squad, assigned to stop the local Yakuza organization. The dialogue in the game's cutscenes are abysmal and make absolutely no sense and are inappropriate to the rest of the plot, taking on a lighthearted and silly feel that is completely out of place in a game of this genre. Actually, scratch that; it would be wrong to say that a coherent plot in this game, since it is mission-based and can be played out of order to a certain capacity. It is saying something when you actively try to do something else to occupy your time during cutscenes; not out of boredom, but out of disgust. Perhaps I am being too harsh, but it is my opinion that this game deserves such criticism. In fact, the only reason that I did not simply skip past the cutscenes altogether was for the purpose of this review. There is nothing of interest to be found in the story nor the dialogue. However, it should get a point for even existing at all, considering this is a driving game.
Story: 1/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/gamecube/wreckless/w_screen001.jpg[/img]
Sound
The music in Wreckless is certainly not good, but it isn't terrible. In fact, it may be the most tolerable aspect of the game. It is bland and entirely forgettable [I actually had to go back to the game for this segment just to remember what it sounded like], but it was not outright offensive; something the rest of the game was unable to achieve. You will likely not notice the music at all, but that also means it will not distract you, so I am willing to cut the game some slack. One area where I must cast judgement, however, is the voice acting. *Sigh* Seriously, where do they get actors like this? Not only are all the voices done in a stilted, robotic monotone, they are out of sync with the character actions. It's kind of like watching one of those old Japanese movies that received a hilariously bad dub. This is essentially the video game equivalent of that, since it is a similar situation. The voices are annoying to listen to and bland. I strongly recommend skipping or at least muting all of the game's cutscenes. In fact, unless you were previously interested, I would recommend skipping the game altogether.
Sound: 3/10
[Sorry, this was all I could find for game music.]
Graphics
The visuals in Wreckless were passable, but not particularly notable. The game was actually originally designed to be an Xbox-exclusive, but late in development, it was also ported to the Gamecube and PS2. Now, the Xbox version looks great, using many fancy graphical effects and high-resolution textures that the system could accomplish standing on its head, but something went very wrong during porting. Activision clearly didn't know their way around the Gamecube's hardware, as it actually ended up with the worst version of the game. Even worse than the PS2! It is not a matter of whether the system is powerful enough or not, because the Gamecube certainly could unquestionably handle the graphical flair present in the Xbox version, it was simply the fact that the developers were lazy in porting the game properly. But, still, these are certainly not the worst graphics I have seen on the Gamecube, but they are only good enough. Good enough to justify the fact that this is a next-generation console with distinctly next-generation graphics from the 32/64-bit era. Technically, the game is equally mediocre. The on-screen action often makes the game take a sizable framerate drop, and then jets back up to 60 FPS in a heartbeat. I am impressed [for lack of a better word] that the game can manage 60 FPS at all, but the constant fluctuation between low and high is disorienting and makes gameplay difficult.
Graphics: 3/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2002/gamecube/wreckless/w_screen004.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There are a good amount of unlockable cars available in Wreckless, each which do seem to have distinct strengths, and a great deal of the cars are outlandishly-designed and bizarre, so in that respect, the cars available in the game are certainly interesting; the game does have a decent selection of vehicles to drive, and features two separate story modes to play through, but it all turns out to be effort wasted when attached to poorly-conceived game mechanics. I do admire the game developers trying anything extra they could to make the game appear substantial, but it comes off more as trying to put lipstick on a pig than anything. There are also bonuses for completing secondary objectives in missions, such as hitting a certain number of scenery objects before completing the mission, which qualifies as the game's Hard Mode. The game also features a Multiplayer mode, but the aforementioned slowdown can make missions a bit of a chore when 2 people are playing. Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is currently going for $1.99 at Gamestop, which is actually quite fair. You are indeed likely to get approximately $2 worth of fun out of Wreckless. This is actually probably the biggest thing the game has going for it right now; that it has a price so low that it makes ramen noodles jealous. If you are still interested after this review, then I supposed you don't have much to lose.
Extras/Value: 5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/39/image4315.jpg[/img]
Overall
Unless you are a big Yakuza fan, then stay away from Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions. It is a poorly-made, uninspired game that has no resemblance to the other games in the series. But I must stress that even standing on its own, it is a bad game. Even if the other Yakuza games never existed, this would have been a disappointment. Why did it turn out the way it did? Perhaps it was because it was made by Activision, and is just a case of a western developer trying to develop for an eastern franchise. Perhaps it was a lack of budget and motivation. Perhaps it was always destined to be a quick cash-in game for the franchise. All of these are likely components of the truth, but I can say with certainty that Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions for the Nintendo Gamecube is a bad video game.
Overall: 3/10
This is Lisalover1, scaring the living piss out of driving instructors.
The Gamecube has always been a controversial console amongst gamers, mainly because it was a very experimental console for Nintendo. They were trying a lot of new concepts during this period, and came out much wiser from the experience. In the process, many fans felt like their favorite series strayed too far from their paths, and became too different than what they are used to. This happened to Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and yes, also Kirby. All these series received Gamecube games that were radically different than previous games in their respective series. While all of these were arguably great games, the latter franchise's Gamecube entry always gets the most flak among this crowd. The game of which I speak is Kirby Air Ride. Many fans have dismissed it for being too simplistic, even for a kart racer. Also, of course, for not being a traditional platformer. But, does it really deserve all the hate? Is Kirby's Gamecube debut something that should be overlooked by gamers? Well, to put it bluntly...
[img width=243 height=150]http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/original/000/070/111/halolz-dot-com-nope.avi.gif?1283697184[/img]
Gameplay
The main point of contention for Kirby Air Ride was that it is essentially a one-button game. Yes, all of the game's racing functions can be performed with the Analog Stick and "A" button. Mario Kart used multiple buttons, so gamers were wondering why Nintendo decided to take an even more simplistic route. Well, just let me say that it is always better to build a game around the functions it was designed for, rather than try and shoehorn in a bunch of different ones. There is a reason why Kirby Air Ride technically only uses one button; it only needs one. Your character automatically accelerates to the fastest speed over time, and the A button is either used for breaking and boosting, or is context-sensitive based on different parts of the track. Sound confusing? Well, I will admit that it did take some getting used to, but the end result actually ends up being one of the more intuitive control schemes I have seen in a Kart Racer. The game employs a "Boost" system, which, when you press the A button, slows you down, and a meter builds up at the bottom of the screen. When the meter reaches the maximum point, you can perform a speed boost. This allows the button to function as a brake, as well. The game's tracks allow for some rather clever exploitations of this mechanic, as well. Braking and boosting around sharp turns, or boosting when you are on moving portions of the track are ways that you can use boosting creatively. As I said, the A button can also be context-sensitive. If you press the button while over a flashing green arrow on the track, you will automatically boost, even at full speed. Pressing the button over curious-looking patches of track can open up secret passageways, shortcuts, or generate different power-ups. The implementation of all these functions into one button would almost certainly spell disaster in most games, but Nintendo's masterful game design shines through as clear as day in Kirby Air Ride. All the tracks are designed in such a way that the times in which the button does not do what you intend are few and far between, creating a brilliantly simple yet adaptable racing experience.
Kirby Air Ride has three gameplay modes, all of which support 4-player multiplayer. The main mode, Air Ride, is the racing game that most people were expecting to get. There are nine tracks to choose from, and over a dozen vehicles to ride. Other than the notably well-designed and intricate tracks, there is not much else to say about Air Ride mode. If you have played a kart racing game before, then you know what to expect: Fast, fun, and cartoony racing action. Although, I have to say that the tracks in Kirby Air Ride do have a very different feel to them than ones in Mario Kart. In Mario Kart, your racer is, for the most part, not going to leave the ground throughout the whole race. Kirby Air Ride, however, has vehicles that allow you to fly for a short period after jumping, and even one that allows you to fly from anywhere. This means that you will not only be able to explore the lateral areas of a track, but the vertical ones, too. It makes the tracks feel very 3-dimensional by allowing this degree of freedom. The second game mode available is called Top Ride, a single-screen, top-down racing game reminiscent of games like RC Pro Am or Speed Sprint. The tracks in this mode are short but nicely-detailed, and should be more than sufficient for fans of this subgenre of racing games. I personally am not a fan of this kind of game, but I know that people who are say that this game mode is very good, and has a lot of personality. The last mode is possibly the best on of them all, called City Trial. This mode puts you and 3 other racers in an open city area to explore and collect power-ups for a brief period of time. After time is up, you race your upgraded vehicles in a randomly-chosen arena, track, or mini-game. I cannot stress how much fun this mode is in multiplayer. You and three other friends battling over power-ups, stealing items from one another, or even another person's upgraded vehicle makes for some hilarious and competitive gameplay. Random stage events also occur throughout the course of a City Trial match: A giant monster comes out of nowhere and wreaks havoc on the city, the nearby volcano erupts, etc. If this mode ends up being total chaos in multiplayer, then you're doing it right.
Gameplay: 9/10
Story
There is no story in Kirby Air Ride. Absolutely none. Not in the main game, not in the end credits, not even in the instruction manual. There is absolutely no explanation for why Kirby is racing with clones of himself on Warp Stars. I was kind of expecting to find something in the game, but now that I think about it, there are actually very few racing games, especially kart games, with stories to them. In fact, the only major kart racer that I remember to have a real story to it was ModNation Racers, so maybe racing games don't need a story. I am not going to be able to say much more here, as I can only stall for so long before you realize that I just wrote a whole paragraph specifically about nothing, so I will just end here.
Story: 5/10
[img width=700 height=437]http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5500000/Kirby-Air-Ride-Wallpaper-kirby-5558741-1280-800.jpg[/img]
Sound
I was pleasantly surprised by the music in Kirby Air Ride. Like Star Fox Assault, most of the music is orchestral, and very well-done. Kirby's music however, has a much more lively and perky tone to it than Star Fox. Every track is well-written, and is perfectly suited to each track. I greatly enjoyed listening to the music, and it stands out as one of the best parts of the game. I don't think I will ever forget Kirby Air Ride's soundtrack. I am hesitant to say this, but it may be worth getting the game just to hear the music. The audio quality is astounding, and uses the Gamecube Disc's enhanced storage capacity to the fullest. If you have a good speaker setup in your gaming den, then prepare for some serious ear candy. HAL put their heart and soul into creating this game's music, and it shows by passing with flying colors. It is just a shame that there was never an official soundtrack released, because I would buy it in a heartbeat. As for the sound effects, they are all crisp and clear, but my only complaint is that some variety in the effects would have helped. Different crashing sounds, etc. But, that is a minor complaint.
Sound: 9.5/10
Graphics
Kirby Air Ride features some awfully respectable visuals for a Gamecube game. The environments are detailed with features that often go deep into the fantastical and give each track its own distinct personality. The lava dragons in the Magma Flows level, the futuristic lighting in the Machine Passage stage, and plenty of other things make the game feel alive. The character models are quite good; Kirby certainly looks as puffy and round as ever, with none of the jagged edges that were in the beta version of Kirby Air Ride when it was still a Nintendo 64 game. Yes, the graphics were completely revamped for the Gamecube final version, and I am certainly glad they did. The game's textures could have used some work though; you can still see the boundary lines on the edges of some tracks, which looks awfully bizarre when compared to the good character models. If you have a component cable for your 'Cube (and you really should by now), the game can run in 480p, which helps smooth things out even more, and makes for a much cleaner picture. I will say it again; the Gamecube has probably the best-quality 480p of the past generation. Kirby Air Ride isn't the best demonstration of this higher resolution, at least, it doesn't use it as well as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, but it is a nice touch that I like to have in Gamecube games. As this is a racing game, the game has to be able to handle a lot of action on-screen at once. Thankfully, I never saw Kirby Air Ride drop in framerate even once while playing it, even in multiplayer! Behold the processing power of the mighty Gamecube!
Graphics: 8/10
[img width=377 height=300]http://img.neoseeker.com/screenshots/R2FtZXMvR2FtZUN1YmUvUmFjaW5nL0dlbmVyYWw=/kirbys_air_ride_image4.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There is something interesting in this game that often gets overlooked, but I always regard as an important inclusion. It has somewhat of a precursor to achievements, in that by completing certain hidden tasks, you can open up squares on a grid. Some squares give you unlockables upon clearing them, such as new vehicles, characters, tracks, modes, etc. There are a ton of things to unlock, so you can be sure that there will always be something to do in Kirby Air Ride. Nintendo later re-used this unlockables grid in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. I don't think many people will ever legitimately complete this game, but that level of replay value certainly means you will get your money's worth. It should also be mentioned that this game was one of the few Gamecube games to support multiplayer LAN play, allowing you to hook up 1-3 other Gamecubes, and play over the wired network. I have not been able to try this, as I do not have two Gamecubes with Broadband adapters, but I can assume that it is quite fun to play. Don't forget that with the help of a program like Xlink Kai, you can actually play Kirby Air Ride online by tricking the Gamecube into thinking it is connected to a local network, when it is really online. The Gamecube's online scene is still alive and kicking, so get a friend or two to join for an online match together. If you all have Gamecubes with Broadband adapters, that is. Kirby Air Ride is currently selling at Gamestop for $20. That is certainly a bit more expensive than I expected, even for a first-party Gamecube game. This is an excellent game, but I am not sure if a used copy is worth that much. I recommend buying it, just find somewhere where it is cheaper.
Extras/Value: 7.5/10
[img width=605 height=388]http://firsthour.net/screenshots/kirby-air-ride/kirby-air-ride-checklist-filled.png[/img]
Overall
Nintendo is arguably the king of kart racing games with Mario Kart, which all but invented the genre, but Kirby Air Ride is a good enough and unique enough game to stand on its own. It is still a kart racer at heart, but it does things different enough that it is a worthy contender for Mario Kart and other games of the genre. It is absolutely worth your time, and should be in every well-rounded Gamecube library. Nintendo may have lost the console war in the last generation, but that doesn't mean that it didn't show the Gamecube all the love that they could while it was around. Games like Kirby Air Ride show that trademark Nintendo gusto and heart that reminds us why we became gamers in the first place.
Overall: 8/10
This is Lisalover1, wishing on a shooting warp star for a maxim tomato.
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A look at the past, present, and even future of Nintendo's most overlooked home console. This blog will feature reviews, retrospectives, and investigations regarding the Nintendo Gamecube, or anything else that falls within this spectrum. |
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