Nintendo Wii Fanboy

We love survival horror (especially on our Wiis), but after watching this trailer, it's hard to be excited in any way for Obscure: The Aftermath. It looks like a cheesy horror film, though with none of the charm (or Bruce Campbell) that makes such movies worth watching.

Not only did were we completely lost while watching this video (the plot, clearly, is also obscure), but it just looked silly. Do we have another Escape from Bug Island on our hands? Perhaps not, since the first game was supposedly enjoyable, and there's also the budget price of $30 to consider.

If that's enough to convince you to at least give this game a look, it's set to release next week in North America.

*Note: This video is from the PC version of the game.

Much like last week, this week is chock full of new releases for our beloved Wii. There's even one release that was to already be released last week, but had to be bumped forward to this week. There's even a title that originated on the GameCube releasing this week (which we've had some mixed feelings about)..

• Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast
• Balls of Fury
• FIFA Soccer 08
• Bleach: The Shattered Blade
• Thrillville: Off the Rails
• Looney Tunes: ACME Arsenal
• Mercury Meltdown: Revolution
• Rock and Roll Adventures

Remember George of the Jungle? You know, the cartoon from the '60s, from the same people that made the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show? It got made into a movie in ... oh, man, that was eleven years ago? Well, maybe the character has maintained an enduring appeal in Europe. Apparently he's coming back with a new animated series, and Ignition Entertainment is already showing off the new tie-in game for Europe.

It makes slightly more sense that there's a new cartoon to promote, instead of just being a case of some random old cartoon getting a new video game. According to the press release, this game is among the "first releases from the global George of the Jungle™ licensed product programme." So look forward to more! Of this!

We try to tip our hats whenever we spot a magazine cover that catches our fancy, but after having received numerous complaints from the jerks in accounting, upper management recently revised our office dress code to prohibit the wearing of sombreros, bowlers, and Davy Crockett caps. Our heads have been bare ever since the decree was passed down, and we haven't been doing much hat-tipping as a result. Needless to say, we really miss our silly hats.

Edge's cover for its July issue is just what we needed to lift our spirits. The UK magazine has a reputation for attractive layouts, inside and out, and this month's artwork is no exception, heralding Nintendo's victory run on gold. Though the image pasted above captures the basic gist, you can see a shot of the full cover after the post break. Ironically, only one Wii game made Edge's review pages this time around -- Mercury Meltdown Revolution. Ignition's labyrinthine title garnered an 8 out of 10; quite impressive considering the magazine's traditionally tough scoring.

During an interview with Ignition Entertainment, GameIndustry.biz got the developer to speak their mind on the Wiimote. Their thoughts? The Wiimote is capable of much more. Not only more complex gesture-based movements, but more fun as well. Ignition's studio manager goes on to say that he thinks "the controller is capable of translating actions far more complex and energetic than most players are interested in performing even in the privacy of their own homes."

Bradley, however, doesn't believe that developers should be looking to complicate things just yet, asking us if "at the end of the day developers want players to have fun rather than impose clever mathematics on them, so if it turns out to be fun only using a simple subset of the controller's gizmos then why worry about how "proper" it is?" We'd be hard-pressed to argue, as some of the most simple games have been the most excellent experiences of our lives. Also, given the new nature of the console and its control scheme, shouldn't developers wait until the mainstream gamer is more used to controlling games with the Wiimote before complicating the controls?