Nintendo Wii Fanboy

With all this talk of a possible remake (can we get a sequel?) of Killer 7, we find ourselves once again dealing with the idea of games on rails. It seems to be one of those things gamers either love or hate -- never something that's just okay. But we've got to ask: where do you stand? Do you feel differently about, say, Sonic and the Secret Rings being on rails than you do about games that are essentially on-rails shooters?

So we're all excited about Resident Evil 4 redux, because it's such an awesome game, but what about Umbrella Chronicles? Some people don't seem to be too thrilled about the fact that it's an on-rails shooter. We're all about shooting zombies around here, so we're okay with the idea, though we'd like to get our hands on it before we deliver a final verdict. At this juncture, it's best to say we're tentatively excited, pending more details, video, and images. How about you?

In absolute defiance of the game's title, the Sonic Team has come forward to reveal some details about these so-called "rings". It seems as though Sonic is the one and only playable character, speeding through an Arabian setting in at least 70 separate missions. Despite the plethora of levels, however, the game is estimated to take only around ten hours for the average gamer to complete. Medals and unlockables will extend the playtime for those perfectionists out there, however, and no less than 30 minigames are planned to be included as well.

Also discussed is the evolution of the game. Originally, the Sonic team wanted to make the gameplay far more active than it currently is, in the traditional 3-D style utilizing the nunchuk attachment. However, the team noted that the gameplay was too "strenuous", which most likely signifies that the controls were tiring players out before long. So, the decision was made to switch to the current, on-rails version.

Sonic and the Secret Rings is currently scheduled for a March 2007 release.