Excitebots: Trick Racing impressions

Before anyone freaks out and says "That's IT?", no, this is not the article I've been working on for the last few days. I'm just whipping this up quick as some filler until that article is done (Probably tomorrow. Yes, I delayed it AGAIN. I suck at this). Alright? Alright.


After staring at the box yesterday for 4 1/2 hours, I finally got a chance to play Excitebots: Trick Racing today. In one word, my overall impression is "...WHAT?".

Excitebots is no ordinary racer. You thought Excite Truck was crazy? Bots is everything Truck was, plus darts, anthropomorphic vehicles, pie-throwing, bowling, soccer, football, chattering teeth, backflips and more. If Truck was crazy, Bots is flat-out insane.

One of the first things I noticed when I started up this game is how incredibly bright and lively the environments are. It's amazing how vibrant all the colours are in this game, from the common dirt path to the lush green foliage. Overall, Excitebots looks quite a lot like Excite Truck, but with a far more cartoony appearance.


Excitebots retains the same basic control scheme as its predecessor, along with the same excellent level of precision. A few new ways to control are added, most notably the seesawing motion needed when the bot takes on its "Leg" form (As seen above). I find it quite difficult to control where you're going in this mode, though, but maybe I just need to practice more.

The music in Excitebots, as opposed to Excite Truck, is actually pretty fun and suited to the level's theme. This is great news considering that, unlike Excite Truck, 'Bots has absolutely no support for SD card music. Such a pity, too; I was dying to peel across the Mexican countryside in the form of a praying mantis robot to the sounds of Born to Be Wild. Who can honestly say they've never wanted to do that at least once in the past?

Perhaps the biggest and most-wanted addition to the game is the one thing Excite Truck truly needed: Online play. I have yet to give it a go myself, but if Mario Kart Wii's buttery-smooth experience is any indication, Excitebots is sure to boast an amazingly fast and lag-free online mode. A six-player, online, crash-tastic race featuring flying bowling pins and explosives? I gotta check this out, and fast! Of course, if your friends are a little more local, there's always the option of local multiplayer. The major downside to this? A maximum of two players at once. Bummer.

Excitebots is already a whole whackload of fun, and I've barely even begun playing it. Stay tuned for the full review sometime in the near future!

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What else could Nintendo have in store for the Wii?

It's after 1 AM, and I'm only just now starting to write. Not my best scheduling ever.



At any given time, Nintendo has literally dozens of games in development. As of this writing, we know of only twelve or so. What else could they be working on? Here are a few of my guesses.

First off, I'm almost positive Nintendo has a new Star Fox in the works. Both Shigeru Miyamoto and series creator Takaya Imamura have spoken about a Star Fox Wii in the past hypothetically. Really, it's a no-brainer that this game will happen. Just look at that control scheme! The Wii remote is a natural fit for flying the Arwing, and I'm somewhat surprised to have not seen anything yet. Perhaps it will use the Wii MotionPlus? That would explain the drought of news so far.

Next, I'm thinking that a new Excite Truck is on the way. There's too much potential in this game to just not have a sequel. It had a few problems, yes, like a limited, two-player-only multiplayer and no online at all, but the potential was amazing. I'm sure Nintendo is thinking the same thing, and a sequel is almost certainly at least in the planning stages. This, too, could take advantage of Wii MotionPlus, allowing for more precise and accurate steering, as well as some new tricks. Man, now I'm really pumped for this... Make it happen, Nintendo!

With the recent news regarding Kuju developing another Wii game, thoughts of Battalion Wars 3 immediately surfaced. I love the Battalion Wars series (Published by Nintendo), and the second title proved just how well the franchise fits with the Wii control scheme. A third game developed by Kuju looks like a good bet, and the MotionPlus could definitely become a part of it. I can just imagine the amazingly-precise aerial combat controls... It's official: This needs to happen.

I'm thinking that another WarioWare game may also be in development. Just imagine, Wario's insanity mixed with the Balance Board... Totally nuts. Pack the Balance Board in with the game, and you've got a winner. Standing on one foot, leaning to avoid projectiles, and even stepping off the board at the right time are all possible uses for the Balance Board, and I can see them fitting in very well with the WarioWare formula. I'd honestly be more surprised if Nintendo isn't working on this.

Another Metroid also seems pretty likely. Corruption proved just how amazing a first-person shooter could be on the Wii, and I doubt Nintendo would just use that formula once and then leave it to die. Sure, Retro may not be behind it this time around, but the potential is too great to go ignored. The controls in Corruption were just so darn amazing, I want to experience them all over again, and then some. I just know some more amazing uses for the controller could be thought up. Nintendo surely won't let this opportunity pass them by.



So there you have it, five possibilities for upcoming Wii games. I'm nearly positive at least three of these will appear on the Wii sometime in it's lifespan. The only question now is when.

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The Duck Has Spoken.