Wii Games MIA
Disaster: Day of Crisis
What a tortured development this game has had. Since its initial announcement, with promises of cutting edge physics and catastrophic scenarios, gamers have eagerly lapped-up every screen and snippet of footage. The delays and eventually its indefinite postponement to increase quality have raised alarm bells far and wide. Its absence is all the more glaring when looking at Nintendo's lack of core games leading up to the holidays. So what's the story here? Are we looking at another Project HAMMER ****core game cancellation from Nintendo? Has the game been delayed out of respect for the Chinese people who suffered in the Sichuan earthquake? Or should we take Monolith Soft's explanation at face value, and assume the game is being delayed so that it can be improved?
There are some other factors to take into account here: Nintendo in May 2007 bought a controlling stake in Monolith Soft. D
oC was in development during that time, and must have been one of the reasons Nintendo were impressed enough to acquire the company. Another is that up until recently, Monolith Soft had predominantly been RPG developers; DoC is a significant departure for them so it is not surprising that development has not gone smoothly. Finally, the game has been in development significantly longer than Project HAMMER was, and features a far more interesting and ambitious central theme. Its cancellation would therefore represent a far more substantial loss to Nintendo.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Announced in May 2006 at E3, the original footage featured a young central character which led many to believe it would retain the same multilayer-focused gameplay the earlier GameCube release had. The game reappeared in video form a year later at E3 again, but this time the protagonist was older and the gameplay seemed to have more in common with the single-player focused main Final Fantasy series. The Wii's dominance in all territories had obviously spurred Square Enix to turn the game from a multiplayer oddity, to a spin-off worthy of comparison to the main series. It has now been over a year since anything has been heard about the game apart from some vague confirmations that it is still in development.
Square Enix generally give away very little about the games they have in development. In fact, it is common for them to announce games early, then not mention them at all, and then finally release screens and footage when they are only months from release; a practice which can be quite frustrating for their fans. Announcements of games like Arc Rise Fantasia, Monster Hunter 3, Rune Factory and a new Tales of game are also strengthening the perception that the Wii is the successor to the PS2 when it comes to Japanese RPGs. The financial reasons for Square Enix to release this game are getting stronger all the time.
Rygar: The Battle of Argus
Tecmo are going through some tough times at the moment. Tomonobu Itagaki, the former head of Team Ninja and company's most recognizable face has left the company and is suing Tecmo for unpaid bonuses and emotional distress. Other company members have also threatened to litigate over similar claims. The greatly enhanced port of the PS2's action title was never the highest profile release within the company, so where exactly does all this acrimony leave the shield throwing, kilt wearing hero?
It seems the biggest threat to this game comes from the unrest at Tecmo, rather than any specific problems with its development. The original reason for a port as opposed to an original Wii game was to minimize risk; development could focus on using the Wii remote and Nunchuck properly without the burden of coming up with a new concept and scenario. Videos and hands-on previews of the game at TGS '07 also showed it to be coming along well, to the point where Keisuke Kikuchi stated that the team was mostly focused on maximizing the game's use of the Wii's graphics hardware. Scheduled for release in time for the '08 holiday season, the game should finally see the light of day unless the situation at Tecmo turns truly dire.
Oboro Muramasa Youtoden
Vanillaware have gained a strong reputation within the hardcore community with their commitment to beautifully hand drawn 2D visuals and innovation within the RPG genre. When they announced a new title for the Wii, gamers saw an example of what Nintendo had been promising from the very beginning: that the Wii would be home to quality niche titles as well as platinum-selling accessible ones. The gorgeous screens that accompanied the news only enhanced its reputation. Then the rumors started; Vanillaware were experiencing financial troubles, and development of Oboro Muramasa Youtoden was in jeopardy.
Recently Siliconera interviewed Marvelous Interactive's president Yasuhiro Wada, and managed to ask about the status of the game. His response was that we could judge for ourselves when the game is demonstrated at TGS 08. It seems the development of the game is on track after all, and that the rumors were just that; rumors. Seeing the game alive and well at TGS will surely bring sighs of relief to snooty import gamers and 2D afficiendos everywhere.
Monster Hunter 3
Capcom's strongest selling franchise in Japan is easily Monster Hunter. But this is not true in the other territories across the globe. Monster Hunter 3 was originally debuted, to no one's surprise, on the PS3, but then later canceled and moved to the Wii. Viewers recieved one picture and one trailer, both not showing much more than some impressive technical feats if done on Wii. Almost a year has passed since we have heard of this announcement and yet Capcom has said nothing about the project since. So, where is Monster Hunter 3? Capcom has told fans to remain calm and wait for TGS.
Though the title was absent from E3, there is no doubt that the title will be seen at TGS, but in what form? Will this title be able to bridge that sales gap between Japan and the rest of the world? Or will it keep to it's old ways and continue with it's straight forward battle mechanics? We will find out as soon information on this MIA Wii game surfaces.
Red Steel 2
The original Red Steel was not the best game. Development was crammed into a 9 month process that was not sufficiant for what was meant to be the Wii's first original killer app. Well, Ubisoft has appologized for shoddy Wii game, and Red Steel 2 is already being anticipated. But what information are we anticipating? The hope that a Red Steel 2 will come out? Ubisoft Paris has commented on the project being in development for several months, but has hit some snags in the form of development.
Recently, at E3, we got a vague confirmation that Red Steel 2 will use the Wii Motion Plus hopefully answering our prayers for excelent 1:1 sword duels. But the game remains MIA with no clue as to how this game will look or play or who is developing it. Perhaps this is another case of waiting until TGS.
Kid Icarus Wii
That, my friend, is the unofficial character art for the rumored/semi-confirmed title that Factor 5 may or may not be developing. That sentence sums up where Kid Icarus is at this very moment. Matt Cassamasina has, on several accounts, confirmed a Kid Icarus title in the works. Factor 5 has talked about how their new game will be pushing the Wii's graphics but will be focusing on aiming at a more casual audience. This art looks like Kid Icarus meets He-Man. So, where exactly do all of these things fit in together?
That this Wii game is MIA and needs to be shown. Wii owners have craved for a new Kid Icarus, but Nintendo has not supplied. We don't even know if this game really exists, but Matt wouldn't lie. Right? RIGHT!?!?!? 
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