New Play Control! - What GameCube Games Should Return on Wii?

Adam Riley :: Senior Editor

Silicon Knights and Nintendo's joint venture is still talked about today as being on of the best GameCube titles out there, and one of the most psychologically disturbing experiences, full stop, with numerous clever ideas mixed in to fool gamers into thinking they were going crazy. Other than using the Nunchuk for controlling Alex Roivas's movement through the gripping adventure, the fighting elements could take an over-the-shoulder viewpoint with pointer controls for shooting, as seen in RE4: Wii Edition. In terms of new scares or confusing elements to tie in with the game's innovative Sanity Meter feature, the developer could feed strange messages to the player via the Wii Remote's speaker - creepy whispering or cries of anguish that would send a chill down their spine, or footsteps coming from behind, yet upon turning round there is nothing there. Additionally, if Alex becomes stunned by a monster, her movements could become sluggish, only returning to normal by shaking both the Remote and Nunchuk, as if literally shrugging off the daze. This is a key title that needs a second chance, if only to garner enough interest to spur on the development of its long-in-the-planning sequel, and a Wii revamp seems ideal.

Goichi Suda and the team at Grasshopper Manufacture came blasting into the mainstream public eye thanks to killer7, a dark, warped journey that made up part of the now illustrious 'Capcom 5' line-up on GameCube. One particular element that made the game so atmospheric was its use of sound effects and haunting voices, all of which could be emitted from the Wii Remote speaker for increased effect. Since many saw the gameplay of killer7 as being akin to that of a traditional point-and-click adventure on a PC anyway, the obvious change would be to include pointer controls throughout, helping to make it far easier than before to guide the killer7 group around the impressively stylised and gruesome locations, carrying out their disturbing practices all in the name of the US Government that wants to bring down the evil Heaven Smile organisation. Also, targeting of enemies always seemed like something out of an on-rail shooter such as House of the Dead, so again the Wii Remote would be a perfect match for the slaughtering aspect of proceedings. All-in-all, if Capcom fails to resurrect killer7 on Wii it would most definitely be a huge opportunity missed!

Jorge Baoh :: Founder of C3

This one definitely has lots of potential for a good old Wii Remote revamp, and a great game to support the controls. With Zelda's transition into waggles and pointing in Twilight Princess, the poor hero received mixed reviews from fans. Most loved the ability to literally swipe at enemies or the pinpoint bow aiming. Granted, it is not quite the same as brandishing a real meaty sword or feeling the strain from a bow, but it definitely showed how this approach could be tweaked to improve the Wind Waker experience. The obvious application would be the sword and shield, bow, and so on, yet you can also find some less useful, but possibly equally as fun, things to do: moving the Wind Waker around, a Twilight Princess-inspired menu system, picking up and throwing items - the list goes on. Coupled with the Nunchuck for movement, defence and Z-targeting, you would have a fresh experience for what is arguably still a true classic.

Nintendo seems to love to point and squirt at things, and have toyed with the idea in a couple of games - from a Super Mario Sunshine parody in WarioWare to a handful of mini-games in Mario's latest 'Party' outing. What can a Wii Remote do to enhance the Sunshine, though? Squirt! Aim with the Wii Remote and blast jets of water, up, down, side-to-side - the freedom to aim and move with what could be a more natural control set-up would definitely enhance the experience. The plumber's latest escapade saw him blast into space with the Wii Remote/Nunchuk combination, and it all worked exceedingly well - moving was fluid, jumping was easy, and the whole pointing and moving around aspects proved to be exceedingly effortless. It may have looked odd, and seemed harder than if it had convention controls, but what Galaxy proved is that Sunshine can most definitely be rejuvenated and given a second chance to 'Wow' those who failed to appreciate its brilliance back in 2002.

James Temperton :: Deputy Editor

I extolled the virtues of this title from the second I played it numerous years ago, and I will keep extolling until the cows come home. It was the perfect demonstration of what the GameCube was capable of and it can be the perfect 'New Play Control!' title too. It just seems too obvious to ignore. The Wii Remote would obviously be the torch/vacuum and you would shake the Nunchuk around to suck more or less furiously, depending on what is required at the time. Pulling the Wii Remote back sharply to swing ghosts around and pull them undoubtedly sounds like it would be great fun. Nintendo could even perhaps go as far as adding in an online element for Top Scores and leader-boards that show off who has collected the most in-game coins.

Admittedly the GameCube version was not quite up to the standard of the N64 original, but NST's creation is still crying out for a new lease of life via the Wii's 'New Play Control!' range. The decent reviews that Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip saw recently is surely reason enough for Nintendo to crack this one out, complete with Balance Board-related shenanigans. There is not much more to say on the matter, really. Simply lean left, right, lean, backwards, all the while having loads of cheesy 1080-related thrills and spills. Oh, and a better multiplayer would not go amiss either...

Mike Mason :: Reviews Editor

Cubivore is an interesting one. There is not really too much you could do with Cubivore. The game is based around evolution and climbing up the food chain - accurately portrayed by the protagonist doing nothing but eating, fighting and mating (not on-screen and not all at the same time, obviously!). Nintendo could bump up the rather basic visuals, throw in a couple of online battle modes, plus include a few extra touches such as Wii Remote speaker functionality for growls. However, more than likely it would be a case of not making significant alterations, unless Nintendo decided to perhaps switch the attack button with a flick of the Wii Remote; although this may not be such a favourable idea. No, the reason this has been picked is simply because Nintendo never supported it on a worldwide basis, leave Atlus to give it a limited US release, whilst it never had a chance to shine in Europe the first time round. That should be reason enough as it is hilarious, intelligent and plays very well to boot!

Quirky little Odama did not do massively well as a GameCube title due to it arriving very late in the system's lifespan. Yet creator Yoot Saito (who came up with the idea of the Wii Remote's speaker) has already expressed interest in a potential Wii version, showing off a prototype at the Japanese Media Arts festival a couple of years back. In the prototype, microphone controls had been replaced with the Wii Remote's pointer, which whilst sure to make the game more accessible, why not include both methods of input? The encouragement feature that was dropped from the first game involved other players beating on Donkey Konga Bongos, so why not re-implement this feature into the game, utilising the Wii Speak deviced so that those watching can cheer you on? The Nunchuk and Wii Remote's trigger/shoulder button combination is simply ideal for pinball mechanics as well, as shown in the Gottlieb Pinball Classics game on Wii.

Karn Bianco :: Previews Editor

As a launch title for the GameCube, Rogue Leader was received extremely well by both fans and critics alike. The game's stunning visuals and audio can still hold their own against modern Wii games, despite being more than seven years old. Additionally, the action-packed combat would truly shine with a Wii Remote-centric control scheme for pinpoint laser-firing accuracy. In fact, why stop at Rogue Leader? Rebel Strike may not have been as successful as its predecessor, but bundle the two together, along with a Virtual Console release for Rogue Squadron, and you have got a meaty Star Wars package that many would find hard to resist. The odds may be slimmer than ever following the talk of Factor 5's closure, but the possibilities are certainly intriguing.

Matt Evans :: General Writer

Not quite sure went wrong with this game. Was it that the GameCube could not handle the gameplay engine? Was it the not-so-perfect controls, or was the concept a little too different but did not have the backing of the Metroid franchise to save it? Well it does not matter because the game was good and had potential, potential that could be realised by the Wii. Imagine playing it with the First-Person Shooter controls tightened to suit the Wii Remote, similar to how Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Consider for a moment being able to manipulate that dog bowl with the accuracy afforded by the Wii MotionPlus sensors. Ponder over being able to scare guards and doctors by creeping up behind them in ghost form and gently breathing or whispering into the Wii Speak peripheral...Okay that may sound rather disturbing and creepy, but it is still an idea that could help edge Geist towards the brilliance initially hinted at when still in the early stages of development. Most Wii owners are going to have more than one controller and with Wi-Fi support you could not ask for a better multiplayer platform to release it on. And above all it is a proper mature game, and would sit nicely next to the likes of House of the Dead: Overkill, MadWorld and The Conduit.