On the eve of Comic-Con, I had an opportunity to visit the Nintendo Game Lounge to get my hands on the latest demo for Platinum Games’ first Wii U entry—The Wonderful 101. It was the fourth time I’ve played the game, going all the way back to last year’s E3 and PAX events, and again last month for E3 2013. What I played last night, however, will more than likely be the last demo of the game I’ll play before its official release next month, and how poetic it is that the last demo for The Wonderful 101 focuses on the beginning.
The demo opens up inside a monorail train where a humble blond-haired school teacher is taking his students out on a field trip. After a quick flashback, the peace inside the train is disrupted by a giant explosion. With kids screaming and panicking, the school teacher (that’s you) must gather all his kids and safely guide them to the back of the train–avoiding armored invaders in the process. Once the kids are safe, the teacher begins a Sailor Moon-esque transformation sequence in which he is revealed to be none other than Wonder Red–the game’s main protagonist and leader of The Wonderful 101!
Unlike other tedious and mundane game tutorials, Hideki Kamiya and his team have included more than enough humor to keep things fresh and entertaining. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled as much through the first five minutes of a video game as I did during the opening sequence to The Wonderful 101, especially when Wonder Blue makes his entrance in Tuxedo Mask fashion while an all-male chorus sings in the background.
Gamers who have any reservations or criticisms that the game is merely ‘Pikmin with masks’ can throw those criticisms out the window. Right from the very beginning of the demo, Kamiya’s humor and style is evident, as members of the Wonderful 101, who appear to be stuck in the air as the narrator gives a lengthy backstory, begin to cramp up and beg for the narrator to end his diatribe.. Each of the 100 heroes in the game come with their own unique power and players can switch leaders quickly and easily with the Wii U game pad.
Anyone attending the San Diego Comic Con should definitely stop by the Nintendo Game Lounge and give the demo a spin. With so much humorous dialogue and sight gags, seamless combat controls and detailed environments, The Wonderful 101 has the makings of an instant classic for the Wii U and a prosperous new IP for Nintendo.
The Wonderful 101 will be available at retail stores and the Nintendo eShop on September 13, 2013