I've been a bit quiet lately, I suppose. I've been chilling with Rhythm Heaven and Chrono Trigger on the DSi, mostly. Yesterday, though, Excitebots: Trick Racing arrived... and I certainly don't feel quiet anymore.
I've made my feelings known about Excite Truck already, of course—I think it's one of the best games on Wii, and justifies motion control. I was perhaps a little concerned about Excitebots; while I had faith that Monster wasn't going to put out a bad game, I didn't know if they could keep that same joy I experienced while doing things like adding optional Wii Wheel support and tightening the controls; Excite Truck was all about the feeling one got manipulating the Remote in the air, and messing with that feeling sounded to me like a risky prospect. I'm pleased to report that the Excite is still represented in full force—and then some.
Excitebots does indeed support the Wii Wheel, and while I tried it and found it not at all lacking, I eventually settled back into the familiar sideways-Remote control option that I was so used to from Truck—all other things being equal, familiarity won out. The track designs I've seen thus far are as great as ever, with plenty of opportunities to pull off air spins and jump combos in addition to the crazy new additions like bumping soccer balls into goals and mowing down bowling pins. It all gels very well and never lets up, even when you're doing flips on bars instead of driving forward. It's not dumbed-down, either; you've still gotta be on your toes constantly.
The new online play additions work rather well, too. I've yet to add friends, but I raced a few matches with random players and found it substantially better than the ho-hum multiplayer from Excite Truck—even with a small field like the three I originally started with. There are a few bullet-point omissions (like Wii Speak support or Kart-style Wii Friend invites), but the races are so much fun that I simply don't care. I'm very pleased with this addition.
I've only just scratched the surface, and you can expect to hear more as I continue to play. When my wife (who probably played Truck nearly as much as I did) is back up and about, I'll see if she enjoys the 'bots as much as I am. But if you're a Truck veteran wondering if Excitebots is for you—you don't need to wait for me to post another word. Go get it.
I've made my feelings known about Excite Truck already, of course—I think it's one of the best games on Wii, and justifies motion control. I was perhaps a little concerned about Excitebots; while I had faith that Monster wasn't going to put out a bad game, I didn't know if they could keep that same joy I experienced while doing things like adding optional Wii Wheel support and tightening the controls; Excite Truck was all about the feeling one got manipulating the Remote in the air, and messing with that feeling sounded to me like a risky prospect. I'm pleased to report that the Excite is still represented in full force—and then some.
Excitebots does indeed support the Wii Wheel, and while I tried it and found it not at all lacking, I eventually settled back into the familiar sideways-Remote control option that I was so used to from Truck—all other things being equal, familiarity won out. The track designs I've seen thus far are as great as ever, with plenty of opportunities to pull off air spins and jump combos in addition to the crazy new additions like bumping soccer balls into goals and mowing down bowling pins. It all gels very well and never lets up, even when you're doing flips on bars instead of driving forward. It's not dumbed-down, either; you've still gotta be on your toes constantly.
The new online play additions work rather well, too. I've yet to add friends, but I raced a few matches with random players and found it substantially better than the ho-hum multiplayer from Excite Truck—even with a small field like the three I originally started with. There are a few bullet-point omissions (like Wii Speak support or Kart-style Wii Friend invites), but the races are so much fun that I simply don't care. I'm very pleased with this addition.
I've only just scratched the surface, and you can expect to hear more as I continue to play. When my wife (who probably played Truck nearly as much as I did) is back up and about, I'll see if she enjoys the 'bots as much as I am. But if you're a Truck veteran wondering if Excitebots is for you—you don't need to wait for me to post another word. Go get it.