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{{Nihongo|'''''The Wonderful 101'''''|ザ・ワンダフル・ワン・オー・ワン|Za Wandafuru Wan Ō Wan}} is a “mass-hero action” game developed by [[Platinum Games]] and published by [[Nintendo]] exclusively for the [[Wii U]]. The game was directed by [[Hideki Kamiya]] and produced by [[Atsushi Inaba]], who worked on the ''[[Viewtiful Joe]]'' series and ''[[Ōkami]]'' together. It was initially set to release during the Wii U's launch window (which lasted from the console's launch until the end of March 2013) in North America and Japan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/31767 |title=We try to make sense out of Nintendo's launch windows. But it got delayed. |publisher=Nintendo World Report |date=2012-09-19}}</ref> but instead was released at the end of August 2013 in all territories except North America, where it was released on September 15.
{{Nihongo|'''''The Wonderful 101'''''|ザ・ワンダフル・ワン・オー・ワン|Za Wandafuru Wan Ō Wan}} is a “mass-hero action” [[video game]] developed by [[Platinum Games]] and published by [[Nintendo]] exclusively for the [[Wii U]]. The game was directed by [[Hideki Kamiya]] and produced by [[Atsushi Inaba]], who worked on the ''[[Viewtiful Joe]]'' series and ''[[Ōkami]]'' together. It was initially set to release during the Wii U's launch window (which lasted from the console's launch until the end of March 2013) in North America and Japan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/31767 |title=We try to make sense out of Nintendo's launch windows. But it got delayed. |publisher=Nintendo World Report |date=2012-09-19}}</ref> but instead was released at the end of August 2013 in all territories except North America, where it was released on September 15.


== Gameplay ==
== Gameplay ==

Revision as of 03:34, 20 October 2013

The Wonderful 101
North American boxart
Developer(s)Platinum Games
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hideki Kamiya
Producer(s)Atsushi Inaba
Hitoshi Yamagami
Artist(s)Yuka Kotaki
Ryo Koizumi
Writer(s)Hideki Kamiya
Composer(s)Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Akira Takizawa
Hitomi Kurokawa
Platform(s)Wii U
Release
  • EU: August 23, 2013[1]
  • JP: August 24, 2013
  • AU: August 24, 2013[2]
  • NA: September 15, 2013[1]
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The Wonderful 101 (ザ・ワンダフル・ワン・オー・ワン, Za Wandafuru Wan Ō Wan) is a “mass-hero action” video game developed by Platinum Games and published by Nintendo exclusively for the Wii U. The game was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Atsushi Inaba, who worked on the Viewtiful Joe series and Ōkami together. It was initially set to release during the Wii U's launch window (which lasted from the console's launch until the end of March 2013) in North America and Japan,[3] but instead was released at the end of August 2013 in all territories except North America, where it was released on September 15.

Gameplay

Screenshot depicting a "Unite Morph" ability used to battle an opponent. The heroes have combined to form "Unite Fist", which is shown punching a large enemy.

In The Wonderful 101, players control a horde of superheroes from an isometric viewpoint and can turn them into various objects called "Unite Morphs". As levels progress, players must explore each stage to find helpless citizens and recruit them to join their army of heroes. The more heroes gathered, the greater the special morph powers can be. Players can use "Unite Morph" forms to battle off enemies, solve puzzles or traverse the environment at the cost of depleting the player's battery meter. The meter can be recharged by performing normal attacks or by picking up batteries dropped by a defeated enemy. Enemies will also drop "O parts", the in-game currency used to buy upgrades, new "Unite Morph" abilities and items. To transform the horde of heroes, shapes are drawn on the Wii U GamePad's touchscreen or right analog stick the corresponding symbol of a form, such as an “L” for a gun or a squiggly line for a whip. The GamePad can also be used to see things from a traditional third person angle and explore tighter environments better, such as indoors.[4][5][6]

Modes

The singleplayer campaign is broken between levels. Each level ends with a grade depending on a number of factors, such as how long it took you to complete and how much damage you took. In addition to a singleplayer mode, The Wonderful 101 has a cooperative mode that supports up to five players, with one person utilizing the GamePad and the four others using their own Wii U Pro Controller.[5][7]

Plot

In The Wonderful 101, Earth comes under attack from an invasion of alien terrorists called the "GEATHJERK", and the only thing that can protect the planet is the titular group of superheroes. Unfortunately, the aliens are too powerful to fight individually, so the heroes must work together. These uniquely different heroes can morph together into powerful weapons to crush their invaders or get through the environment.

Much like Hideki Kamiya’s Viewtiful Joe, the Wonderful 101 is inspired by tokusatsu -- Japanese live-action films or television drama with a heavy emphasis on special effects. The main heroes’ outfits resemble those found in tokusatsu shows like Super Sentai and its American counterpart Power Rangers and Kamen Rider, while the enemies resemble the giant monsters found in kaiju films, such as Godzilla and Gamera.

Characters

Each main playable character has a citizen appearance, while their hero alter egos are all named Wonder, followed by their corresponding color, job, or noun. To transform into their hero counterpart, each character calls out "Wonderize", followed by their color, in a manner similar to henshin calls. Each character has their own unique morph as well.

  • Wonder Red: The designated leader of the Wonderful 101. The events of the game are his very first experience in combat. He enjoys describing his partners with great enthusiasm. His Unite Morph is Unite Fist, which can be used to brawl enemies and interact with objects in the environment. As a citizen, he's a teacher who goes by the name William Wedgewood, who's only been on The Wonderful 100 for a month. He is known as "The Crimson Fist." Wonder Red is voiced by Ryohei Kimura in Japanese and Charlie Schlatter in English.
  • Wonder Blue: His Unite Morph is Unite Sword, which can be used to slash at enemies, as well as a bridge or ladder. The more heroes that are used for Unite Sword, the longer and more durable it becomes. His real name is Eliot Hooker, a Los Angeles police officer known for being an impulsive, hotheaded braggart. He dislikes teamwork and often comes to blows with Wonder Red. He is known as "The Supersonic Blade." Wonder Blue is voiced by Daisuke Egawa in Japanese and Roger Craig Smith in English.
  • Wonder Green: His Unite Morph is Unite Gun, which can be used to shoot at enemies from a distance. The more heroes that make up the gun, the more efficient the gun becomes. With a few heroes, the gun acts a pistol, but with a lot of them, it can morph into a machine gun. Heroes are also used as ammunition, meaning one will be sacrificed each time the weapon is fired. Wonder Green's real name is Jean-Sebastian Renault, a gifted marksman (despite being only in middle school) from Bordeaux, France, He is known as "Le Sniper Supérieur." Wonder Green is voiced by Orine Fukushima in Japanese and Kari Wahlgren in English.
  • Wonder Pink: Her Unite Morph is Unite Whip, a more uncontrolled melee weapon which can grab objects and enemies from far away. Her real name is Mariana Kretzulesco, a high-school-age Olympic gymnast from Transylvania with an infamously short temper. She is known as the "Queen of Rage."[8] Wonder Pink is voiced by Yuki Uchiyama in Japanese and Tara Strong in English.
  • Wonder Yellow: Revealed in the August 9, 2013 Wonderful 101 Direct. His real name is Ivan Istochnikov, a Russian from Siberia who is generally portrayed as incredibly shy and easily embarrassed, which contrasts his large, muscular physique. His Unite Morph is Unite Hammer. He is called "The Hammering Russkie." Wonder Yellow is voiced by Hiroyuki Honda in Japanese and J. B. Blanc in English.
  • Wonder White: Revealed in Wonder Red's trailer, his real name is Byakkoin Momoe, an agent from the Japanese office of The Wonderful 100 in Shinshuu. He is depicted as cool and collected, but quite talkative. His Unite Morph is Unite Claws. He is called "The Claws of Calamity." Wonder White is voiced by Yoichi Nishijima in Japanese and Yuri Lowenthal in English.
  • Wonder Black: Revealed in the August 9, 2013 Wonderful 101 Direct. His Unite Morph is Unite Bomb. His real name is Krishna Ramanujan, an 11 year-old university student with an IQ of over 300 from New Delhi. He is shown to be good with electronic gadgets and technology, but is often preoccupied by video games. He is called "The 8-Bit Enchanter." Wonder Black is voiced by Orine Fukushima in Japanese and Kris Zimmerman in English.

The game also features a cast of supporting characters:

  • Commander Laurence Nelson, CENTINELS Planetary Secret Services Commander. Laurence Nelson is voiced by Yasuhiro Mamiya in Japanese and Gideon Emery in English.
  • Alice MacGregor, operator of the main CENTINELS spaceship, the Virgin Victory. Alice MacGregor is voiced by Tomo Nakamura in Japanese and Laura Bailey in English.
  • James Shirogane, a CENTINELS research professor. James Shirogane is voiced by Kenichi Ogata in Japanese and Fred Tatasciore in English.
  • P-Star, a CENTINELS support mech who has achieved mascot status within The Wonderful 100.
  • Luka Alan Smithee, a student in Wedgewood's elementary school class who despises both the Geathjerk (who killed his parents) and the Wonderful 100. However, he tags along with the main characters in an attempt to fight for justice. Luka is voiced by Tomomi Yamakawa in Japanese and Debi Derryberry in English.
  • Immorta, a mysterious woman with unclear allegiances. Immorta is voiced by Miho Shinada in Japanese and Stephanie Lemelin in English.
  • Prince Vorkken, ruler of the wandering comet Rhullo who ends up aiding the GEATHJERK as leader of the Guyzoch space pirates. Though he began as their enemy, he ends up teaming up with the Wonderful 101. His suit allows him to use his crew to create structures similar to Unite Morphs called Unify Morphs. Vorkken is voiced by Sho Sudo in Japanese and Quinton Flynn in English.
  • Chewgi, Vorrken's second-in-command. Chewgi is voiced by Kiyoyuki Yanada in Japanese and Fred Tatasciore in English.

The Guild of Evil Aliens Terrorising Humans with Jiggawatt bombs, Energy beams, Ray guns, and Killer lasers (GEATHJERK): An alien armada under the Geathjerk Federation that destroys planets they deem as a threat to galactic peace. Originally from 1500 years in the future, the Geathjerk are bent to destroy Earth, which they call Chi-Q, and other planets to alter time itself so that their destruction by an Earth-based empire would never occur. The GEATHJERK invaded Earth on two occasions prior to the game's events, first invasion 40 years ago prompted the formation of the CENTINELS.

  • Jergingha: GEATHJERK's Supreme Overlord whose body is his followers' base of operations. Though he started out as a giant brain, Jergingha transforms into Wonder Jergingha in the final battle. Jergingha is voiced by Kiyoyuki Yanada in Japanese and Steve Blum in English.
  • Laambo, GEATHJERK's twisted war loving Officer Sixth Class who carries a sword called the Dechno-Bo. Laambo is voiced by Yasuhiko Kawazu in Japanese and Bob Joles in English.
  • Wanna, a diminutive fly-like Officer Fifth Class who specializes in weapons development. Wanna is voiced by Shinya Hamazoe in Japanese and Steve Blum in English.
  • Vijounne, The GEATHJERK's only female officer in Fourth Class, who takes an interest in Wonder Blue. Vijounne is voiced by Paula Tiso.
  • Walltha, Third Class officer and Lambio's brother. Walltha is voiced by Yasuhiko Kawazu in Japanese and Bob Joles in English.
  • Heyourgah, GEATHJERK's Officer Second Class who was killed off by Vorkken.
  • Gimme, Officer First Class. Gimme is voiced by Toshitsugu Takashina in Japanese and Bob Joles in English.

Development

Development of what would become The Wonderful 101 began during the lifetime of the Wii. The original idea came from Platinum Games' president, Tatsuya Minami, who wanted to bring a group of popular or iconic video game characters together in one game. Because different gamers would prefer certain characters over others, being forced to play as a certain character at a certain point in the game was quickly scrapped. Instead, all of the characters would be on-screen at once so the player could choose between them at any time. Platinum Games initially thought of using Nintendo first-party characters who would work together to get past obstacles, but when the idea was presented to Nintendo, they questioned how the mechanic would fill an entire game. Director Hideki Kamiya also doubted that the "conflicting elements" of the different Nintendo characters could be "put into a consistent formula" successfully like in the Super Smash Bros. series. Further brainstorming was put on hold while he worked on another game, but when that game was put on hiatus a year later, work on The Wonderful 101 resumed. Kamiya decided to use the Japanese henshin theme with a group of five original heroes who could unite and transform into various weapons. Soon the group expanded to one hundred heroes, and the Japanese superhero style changed to "an American comic book vibe." Although the developers had been thinking of making the game for the Wii, when Platinum Games and Nintendo finalized their partnership, it became Wii U-exclusive. The developers wanted to use the console's unique features effectively, so they came up with drawing on the Gamepad as a way to activate the "Unite Morphs".[9][10]

Marketing

The Wonderful 101 was revealed at E3 2012 on the conference floor, codenamed Project P-100. On July 3rd, 2013, Nintendo introduced their "Wonderful Wednesday" social networking campaign to promote The Wonderful 101, where each Wednesday leading up to the game, they release a new character portrait. However, two days later, Kamiya posted how he worried about the lack of marketing for The Wonderful 101 on Twitter, mostly referring to the lack of information in magazines or websites, and claiming that the game took almost 1.5 times the resources and manpower as Platinum’s biggest game, Bayonetta. During the August 7, 2013 Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata announced that on August 9, 2013 a Nintendo Direct presentation would be made exclusively for The Wonderful 101.

Reception

Critical reception

The Wonderful 101 received generally positive reviews from critics. It has an aggregate score of 77.93% on GameRankings[11] and 78/100 on Metacritic.[12] The game received comments from some game critics concerning its steep learning curve, while others, such as Nintendo Enthusiast's Michael Nelson, praised the game for requiring a certain amount of skill.[22]

Most reviewers enjoyed the ridiculously nonsensical story, characters, and humor, but found the few sexual jokes out-of-place in an otherwise kid-friendly game.[14][17][18][19][23] The Wonderful 101's length and pacing seemed a bit drawn-out to some reviewers due to repetitive enemies and boss fights,[13][17][21] while others thought they were alright thanks to the even distribution of new moves and upgrades.[14][20]

Forming weapons by drawing on the touchscreen garnered mixed reception. Many reviewers found that the GamePad worked fine for straight lines or circles (to make a sword or a fist), but that it sometimes interpreted the wrong weapon for more complex shapes.[13][14][18] Others thought that drawing simple shapes on the GamePad while using the right analogue stick for others was more reliable,[17] or that the GamePad worked perfectly and it was simply a matter of practice.[20][23] The camera was criticized for being too zoomed-out to keep track of all of the characters during battle but also too zoomed-in to see the occasional out-of-view enemy.[13][18][19] Reviewers agreed that the game lived up to Platinum Games' trademark high difficulty, with some citing the controls and camera as contributing factors.[13]

Nearly all reviewers were pleased with the creative uses of the GamePad's second screen.[13][17][18] However, a few thought that navigating inside of a building using the controllers's gyroscope was clunky.[20]

Reviewers thought the multiplayer mode was enjoyable, but often lost track of their own group of characters. Most agreed that it felt “tacked on.”[17][23]

Reviewers praised The Wonderful 101's cartoony art style and flashy effects in battle,[14] but also thought the character models looked low-polygon if the view zoomed in.[20] The set-pieces and giant bosses were likewise well-received, as were the voice acting and soundtrack.[14][18]

Gaming website Zeboyd Games said that The Wonderful 101 was a poor fit for gaming press and aggregate review scores due to it being a relatively different type of game from the usual AAA titles, since it features the kind of level designs not seen since Battletoads, shape-based controls, minor RTS elements, and a focus on score improvement/perfection. They feel that it requires a longer amount of time to play before a review can accurately reflect the actual game experience, so the short game time spent by gaming press reviewers prevents them from reviewing based on actual gameplay experience and conditions.[24]

Sales

The game sold 5,258 copies in its first week in Japan[25] and reached 22nd place in its first week of the UK sales chart.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b Luke Karmali (May 17, 2013). "The Wonderful 101 Release Date Announced". IGN. Retrieved 17-05-2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "NINTENDO ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIP WITH SEGA FOR UPCOMING SONIC THE HEDGEHOG GAMES". Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd. May 18, 2013. Retrieved 18-05-2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ "We try to make sense out of Nintendo's launch windows. But it got delayed". Nintendo World Report. 2012-09-19.
  4. ^ "Nintendo All-Access @ E3 2012 - Games". E3.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  5. ^ a b Meyer, Lee (June 26, 2013). "Hands On: The Wonderful 101". nintendolife. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  6. ^ "The Wonderful 101". nintendo.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  7. ^ "The Wonderful 101 : Nintendo @ E3 2013". E3.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  8. ^ http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/acmj/index.html#/character/
  9. ^ Parish, Jeremy (September 9, 2013). "Wonderful 101 and a World Without Genres". US Gamer. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  10. ^ "Hideki Kamiya Interview: Wonderful 101, the Bayonetta 2 Controversy, His Twitter Account and More..." VideoGamer.com. Pro-G Media. August 22, 2013. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b "The Wonderful 101 for Wii U". GameRankings. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  12. ^ a b "The Wonderful 101 for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "The Wonderful 101 Review". Edge. Future Publishing. August 19, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Stanton, Rich (August 18, 2013). "Give It a Big Hand!". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  15. ^ Gifford, Kevin (August 21, 2013). "Japan Review Check: Wonderful 101, Lost Planet 3". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  16. ^ "The Wonderful 101". Famitsu. Enterbrain. Retrieved August 25, 2013.Template:Ja icon
  17. ^ a b c d e f Gaston, Martin (August 18, 2013). "The Wonderful 101 Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d e f MacDonald, Keza (August 18, 2013). "Unite and Conquer". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  19. ^ a b c Martin, Garrett. "The Wonderful 101 review: Barrel of superheroes". Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  20. ^ a b c d e Whitehead, Thomas (August 18, 2013). "Chaos and Colour Multiplied by 101". Nintendo Life. Nlife. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  21. ^ a b Cairns, Daniel (August 18, 2013). "The Wonderful 101 Review". Video Gamer. Pro-G Media. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  22. ^ Nelson, Michael (September 12, 2013). "Review: The Wonderful 101". Nintendo Enthusiast. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  23. ^ a b c Holmes, Jonathan (10 September 2013). "More than the sum of its parts". Destructoid. ModernMethod/Independent. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  24. ^ "Why Games Like The Wonderful 101 are a Poor Fit for the Gaming Press". Zeboyd Games. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  25. ^ a b Miller, Simon (2013-08-28). "The Wonderful 101 slows down Wii U sales in Japan". Videogamer.com. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
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