Destruction has become a familiar term with Wii owners so far. If you aren’t sure what I am talking about just do a search on You Tube for “Wii-mote destruction” to understand where I am coming from. This makes the console a perfect fit for Midway’s update to the classic Rampage, which is chock full of demolition goodness. Just be sure not to harm any loved ones while tearing down buildings and eating handfuls of innocent bystanders as those Wii-motes can cause serious injury.
For anyone who played this iteration on the Cube or the PS2 you know what to expect. Classic Rampage game play mixed with a new 3D look and of course the addition of some new Wii specific controls. The basic premise of the game is still about destruction as you will progress from city to city demolishing anything in your path. The most recent of the series has finally made the leap to 3D and while it brings a nice new touch to the game it also hinders some of the simplistic game play elements.
With the addition of 3D elements your monsters can now climb on both sides of the building as well as the front offering more destruction for the budget price; however this causes some hindrances with the core mechanics and creates frustration for simple tasks. This is even more evident in the Wii version most likely due to the quick port to make the launch window.
Using the Wii-mote gamers can opt for two completely different styles of play. You can go with the Wii-mote and nunchuk attachment, which allows movement to be handled by the analog stick and buttons on the nunchuck. In this mode you can also use the motion sensor to execute attacks by simulating punching motions. This works well in theory but the game seems to miss a beat here and there making it a virtual button masher of sorts.
The other option and definitely the least recommended is the ability to play the game using only the standard Wii-mote. In this mode you hold the remote almost like a traditional arcade stick. The problem lies in the fact that tilting the Wii-mote forward will cause your character to walk towards the screen and pulling back has them heading into the background. This is confusing at first because it seems backwards; if you are diving into the game on the Wii I definitely recommend using the two controller combination.
The rest of the package remains pretty much intact from the previous versions, which isn’t all that bad if you know what to expect going in. There are still an abundance of playable monsters and the game does offer plenty to see and do along the way. As an added bonus Midway has also thrown in two older versions of the game complete with classic controls via the Wii-mote’s sideway NES control scheme. Rampage World Tour and the original are just as mindless and fun as they were back in the day, and the inclusion of multi-player really makes the overall package more appealing to fans of the series.
Sadly nothing else has changed including the visuals, which still only support 4:3 ratio with no option for widescreen and the game runs at the standard 480i, but this in no way hinders the experience. Each city is unique and filled with attractions such as the casinos in Vegas, and the animations are downright hilarious at times. The sound is impressive, if a bit over the top, with comedic dialogue and some great sound effects, but the overall package still screams last gen and that could turn off some gamers.
If you know what to expect going in the game will not disappoint you. With a budget price tag and plenty of extras to keep you playing for quite a while Rampage: Total Destruction is a fine addition to the Wii library. If you already own it on the previous consoles there isn’t much here to warrant a second purchase, but with a few tweaks and some polish this game could easily make a comeback in the world of games.
