Xenoblade Chronicles

 

 

 

     Xenoblade Chronicles is a game many fans of JRPGs would love to get their hands on in the US. Currently it has been released in both Japan and Europe; yet North American fans are still waiting for this game that was announced a few years back. The game seems to hit all the right notes for an epic game. The setting opens with a clash between two giant mechs who eventually kill each other and die. After many years there grows a civilization on the backs of these two mech and this is where our story takes place.

 

There is character customization, an epic storyline that includes giant mechs, and sword fights. To sum up the depth within this game you can expect deep character customization (this include everything from weapons to accessories); upgradable abilities ;deep battle system; and what is called 'Affinity' which is a way to let the NPCs you travel with have more depth and personality in the way they treat one another which increases their impact in the gameplay. Needless to say- North America, you should put this on your must-have-Wii-games-list because it shouldn't be missed.

 

 

Watch the trailer for the US release of Xenoblade Chronicles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mario Party 9

 

 

 

     Yes, it's a series that has grown stale to some. However, we all hope that this Mario Party will be different. The previous Wii iteration was full of waggle-fest mini-games that made the motion controls feel tacked on. However, Mario Party 9 seems to have made some changes to the formula. In past iterations of the Mario Party series each character moves independently across a map setup like a board game. However, in the trailer for Mario Party 9 it seems as though there is some type of vehicle (it looks like a large car of some kind) that can be used to transport everyone in as each character gets to hit the die which moves this vehicle. The brief glimpses of the mini-games featured in the trailer seem to be a bit more challenging than Mario Party 8.

 

For example, you'll be dodging Thwomps that are on the top part of the screen as everyone else is on the bottom half running in a panic to dodge the next dropping Thwomp as well as a semi-Wii bowling mini-game where a person will throw a red turtle shell down an alley at a line of goombas moving about the alley. However, the most interesting looking mini-game featured in the trailer shows Mario characters climbing a rock wall with specific buttons from the Wiimote spread out along the wall. It appears it is necessary for the character to hit the buttons to reach the next spot and the first to reach the top of the rock wall wins. There were many other mini-games showcased in the trailer that won't be touched on here, but they also look as if they will provide a nice challenge. At least superficially Mario Party 9 looks like an upgrade in quality and challenges in the mini-games from the previous Wii game Mario Party 8.

 

 

 

Watch the Mario Party 9 trailer: