The reason I mention this is that I've been off work for the last couple of days with a touch of flu. I do not 'do' sick well... it drives me insane and I end up clawing the walls looking to get back to work (of all places). I like to take my time off on my terms and being ill just isn't one of them. But what this does mean is that I've spent the last few days looking for a game (or several) in my collection to take my mind off being ill and stuck indoors. I tried a few different games... Oblivion, Battlefield 2, Everquest 2, Half-Life 2 Episode 1, Splinter Cell Double Agent (finally working now I have a new PC) and a number of demos on my PC and The Godfather: Blackhand Edition on the Wii.
The funny thing is, it wasn't the stunning graphics of Oblivion, the immersive lore of EQ2 or the out-and-out battle for survival of BF2 that kept me going... it was the fun gameplay of The Godfather...
I've read SO many articles on the graphics of various games recently; whether it's comparisons between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 or in-depth looks into just what DirectX 10 is capable of or just general commentary on what people feel defines 'good' graphics... and this seems to be the only thing they seem to be focusing on. Where are the articles on why, over 6 months after release, the Wii is still selling out (it's certainly not the graphics) or why games like 'N' are so popular. I'm not saying that graphics aren't important, just that people need to try looking a little harder at what actually makes gaming fun!
Anyway, the reason The Godfather is fun, despite the tired PS2 like graphics? Quite simply the controls on the Wii... the control method which I will now, and in the future, refer to as Wiijitsu (cause I'm sad like that).
There are a lot of different controls but they are SO simple to get the hang of and, more importantly, FUN! Want to grab someone during a fight, clench your fists and pull the Z and B triggers. Throw someone (once you've grabbed them)? Flick your hands to the side, let go and watch them fly. Give someone a quick right jab? Guess what... you just give a quick jab with your right hand. Don't even get me started on the headbutts, smacking people's heads into tables or pushing them off balconies (sorry Mr Thompson, still don't have the urge to do it in real life). It's almost like (shock, horror) someone actually thought about them!
It's not perfect, no game ever is; the car physics are hazardous at best and I've managed to travel through the scenery a few times. Slight niggles at best, but what the game does, it does well... though there is a part of me that wonders if being a true mobster was ever really this much fun!
Remember, someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this blog post as a gift.
