Revolution Demos Play-tested – Full Report

December 9th, 2005, 21:39 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo America has shown the first running Revolution software at an exclusive event in New York yesterday, revealing various demonstrations of the controller and a surprise Metroid Prime offering.

Held in Manhattan and hosted by NOA head of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo developers from the US and Japan presented the first running Revolution software. You excited yet?

Eight demos were on offer. The first was a pointing game, highlighting the pinpoint accuracy of the remote control-inspired unit used to operate the Revolution. Simply, the controller was pointed at the screen and blocks emerged. A crosshair represented the target and the blocks were destroyed by firing using the underside button on the pad.

Next was another pointing demo, again aimed at showing off the controller’s ease of use and pixel-perfect accuracy. However - and you’ll probably like this - a Revolution version of the Game Boy Advance launch classic Kuru Kuru Kururin was shown, seemingly at an advanced stage of development.

“What I’d want to challenge both current gamers as well as new gamers with is, 'What do you want in your experience?'" Fils-Aime stated. "Do you really want to see beads of sweat on the player? Or do you want to play games in a whole new way?” New way, please!

Then a surprise – Delfino Island from Super Mario Sunshine, was booted up. After some tinkering around, which involved panning in and out of the well-known isle (not least its square, immortalised in Mario Kart DS of late) a biplane was shown. The craft was controlled by tilting the controller as you might a paper airplane. This was confirmed as one of the demos that was shown behind closed doors at the Tokyo Game Show, although now it had the addition of a lovely Mario setting. When the controller was tilted side to side, the plane banked; when the end of the controller was tilted, the plane dived nose downwards. You get the idea...

Then came a fishing demo, aimed at catching carp using a pole. Although presented in graphical form that would have shamed the N64, the concept was perfectly delivered. The pole was positioned in a promising spot via a cast-flick, then the player simply waited. The thus-far unexplored rumble feature signalled something was afoot, the pole was lifted to reveal a fish. Imagine Animal Crossing in the first-person and you’ll get the gist.

Finally the main event – a showing of a Metroid Prime demo by the team from Retro Studios. The Nunchuck peripheral was attached to the base of the Revolution controller and a modified version of Prime 2: Echoes was booted. Samus was controlled by movements on the Nunchuck, complete with one hand-strafing, with the main controller used to aim her weapon. It works. And it works very well indeed.

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