Like any good little (and intelligent) publisher, LucasArts has apparently “changed its mind” about Nintendo’s recently unveiled MotionPlus 1:1 motion controls accessory, and now has a game in the works that will implement the technology.
If you’ll remember, LucasArts was one of the more vocal publishers in the wake of Nintendo’s E3 announcement, with one anonymous developer telling Game Informer that “LucasArts in particular wasn’t happy at being kept in the dark, especially since it created Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels specifically for the console.”
I had no idea LucasArts had the exclusive rights to swordfighting games, but I do now, and I’m glad this is all cleared up. The inevitable port, downsized from their Xbox and PS3 development platforms, will be a welcome addition to the Wii lineup, I’m sure. Too cynical of me? Fine. LA, prove me wrong.
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels” on the Nintendo Wii is based on the animated feature film, and come November 11th it aims to immerse you in the characters, locations, and epic duels from the Star Wars animated feature film and TV series. Built from the ground-up for Wii, Lightsaber Duels features an intuitive motion-controlled combat system that puts the Lightsaber weapon in your hand. Mastering the Jedi’s distinctive weapon is now within any player’s grasp.
Padawan, learn the ways of the Jedi and the lightsaber. Watch a developer from LucasArts giving a walkthrough, while getting owned by the dark side. Check out the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels” Wii gameplay demo here:
Dual lightsabers are no match for the power of the force.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed tells the story of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, “Starkiller”, as he hunts down the Jedi remaining after Emperor Palpatine orders them killed.
But did you know that in the first level of the game, the prologue, you play as Darth Vader? It’s true! Watch the following video to see how Star Wars: The Force Unleashed also puts you in the role of Vader himself to hunt down the last Jedi.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed tells the story of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, “Starkiller”, as he hunts down the Jedi remaining after Emperor Palpatine orders them killed. Set in the dark times between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, the story explores the aftermath of the Great Jedi Purge as well as the rise of Darth Vader, leading into the Original Trilogy.
On September 16th, the Force will be unleashed in the latest Star Wars game. Watch the launch trailer:
Motion controls in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be the hot ticket to get the Wii version over the Xbox 360 & PS3 versions that feature more physics-based action. The good news is that according to a hands-on of the by IGNthe Wii version “is extremely tight and reliable, and actually some of the best we’ve seen for any Wii action game. Swipes from left to right, right to left, vertical upper-cuts and slams, and even stab motions worked extremely well – nearly 100% of the time – and even dual-handed motion such as the huge fore maelstrom or complicated push + lighting variations worked almost flawlessly. Force Unleashed was fun last time around, but it was a total waggle-fest. This time, we were able to actually decide exactly how to dispose of enemies, and it was extremely rewarding. It was easy to throw characters into one another, lift a baddy up into the air and then saber throw, the lock-on camera worked great for bosses, and even the “tilt to the side” block with the Wii-mote worked every time we wanted it to. Force Unleashed had potential before, but it’s a blast to play now.”
Learn how the Nunchuck and Remote work in conjunction with the Force as you take on the roll of Darth Vader and his apprentice. Watch The Force Unleashed video interview that explains the controls.
The Star Wars: The Force Unleashed release date in America is September 16th, in Australia it’s September 17th, and in Europe it’s September 19th, 2008, on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP and DS.
The Star Wars Retrospective continues from last month’s Episode V with the many first-person shooter computer and console games. Travel back in time and take a look at such Star Wars classics as Dark Forces (1995), Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997) and its Mysteries of the Sith expansion pack (1998), Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast AKA Dark Forces III (2002), and Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (2003).
The Star Wars Retrospective continues after a two-month hiatus (Episode IV being the last) with the many real-time strategy computer and first-person shooter computer & console games. Travel back in time and take a look at such Star Wars classics as Rebellion (1998), Force Commander (2000), Galactic Battlegrounds (2002), Empire at War (2006), Battlefront (2004), Battlefront II (2005), and Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (2007).
As a result of LucasArts firing around 100 employees, they leaked info on:
* KOTOR 3 being an MMO project with BioWare;
* Battlefront 3 is in development at Free Radical Design;
* LEGO Indiana Jones 2 will be another game in the LEGO game series from Traveller’s Tales;
* A Star Wars lightsaber game for the Nintendo Wii, which is likely Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
* The Euphoria-driven Indiana Jones game unveiled at E3 2006.
Those were the main games the annoyed employees leaked as being on the LucasArts schedule in the near future. Although games such as Fracture and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed are too far along the development cycle to be affected by the sackings, other projects may well be. These sackings will leave LucasArts short staffed and reports from Maxconsole suggest that the publisher will likely be outsourcing their projects more frequently in future.
