Just before it was released, I was convinced that The Wonderful 101 was going to be the defining game of the Wii U. The developers of Bayonetta, Platinum, working on an original property that combined action with high-speed stylus control? How could this possibly fail? The thing is, it totally did. The game just didn’t work on several levels, thanks to a terrible camera and several great ideas that couldn’t co-operate with one another properly. But a year and a half later, and I might just be viewing the game in a different light.
That’s according to my handsome colleague Geoff, who has been jamming the game non-stop for months now. In many ways, the gameplay of The Wonderful 101 hits the right notes for his fighting game obsessed mind. Something which we discussed at length this morning in a Skype chat, which I’ve copied and pasted below. Because yes, we do love to chat about games sometimes.
Geoff: Also, D…I f***ing love The Wonderful 101. Been playing it on and off. It’s way, way deeper than it gives itself credit for.
Darryn Bonthuys: Meeeeh
Geoff: All about using the right moves on the right enemies at the right time, balancing out your meter. It’s really, really f***ing amazing.
Darryn Bonthuys: I just…it just didn’t work for me. Felt clumsy and awkward at times
Geoff: Camera can be wonky, which is biggest problem. Thing is, it’s not clumsy or awkward…you actually really, really have to know what you’re doing. Like street fighter IV levels of having to know what you’re doing. And the game doesn’t /teach/ you what you need to do properly, which is also a negative. But if you learn its systems, it is f***ing aces
Darryn Bonthuys: Look, I still think its a niche game. Its going to appeal to certain audiences.
Geoff: Basically, the same people who can spend 1000 hours playing a fighting game.
Darryn Bonthuys: It does have some really terrific ideas, but it doesn’t teach them properly.
Geoff: You need to put a lot of time into the Wonderful 101 to “get it”. It does not teach them properly. I learned from watching YouTube videos.
Darryn Bonthuys: I think any game that needs dozens and dozens of hours to properly teach you some ideas, is hurting itself.
Geoff: Any fighting game requires that. Any of them. I think there’s a place for deep, complex games. Not all games need to be accessible. I think there’s an odd juxtaposition with 101 though; it looks like a cartoony, easily accessible game for kids, when it is really, really not.
Darryn Bonthuys: If Wonderful 101 had a more natural, organic way of teaching a player, I’d have rated it higher. I think a game can do both. But if you are genuinely enjoying it, then I’m happy for you.
Geoff: I don’t think a game like that /can/ teach you its most complex stuff. Yt all comes down to muscle memory, learning, learning timing, learning combos and juggles. It’s essentially just like a fighting game in that regard,where no tutorial system on earth can teach you how to play it. I’m not disagreeing with your assessment of the game, but it is a pretty f***ing amazing game for those willing to put in the time.
Darryn Bonthuys: Did you also find the difficulty to have unnecessary spikes?
Geoff: Yes..it gets f*** hard. F*** hard. And there are some really f***ing illogical puzzle bits, arbitrary, weird bulls***.
Darryn Bonthuys: But yeah, I agree with you on some points. I think I also only had time to play it finished and then some, before I had to hit other review games (Note: I still have my complete video playthroughs of the game, which clock in at just under 20 hours for The Wonderful 101). Maybe I need to give it a whirl again.
Geoff: I think that’s it exactly. If I had to rush through it, I wouldn’t have been chuffed either. Because there’s no time to actually understand how it all works. But I’ve been playing it for like…9 months?
Darryn Bonthuys: If they made a sequel to Wonderful 101, that properly married some of the great ideas the game had, it’d be a system seller. But too many of those great ideas just conflict with one another.
I’m all for admitting that I can be wrong at times. I’m still not completely convinced that my opinion of The Wonderful 101 will change even if I do go back into it when I have time, but that’s the thing about opinions: There’s more than one to listen to, at any time.
Last Updated: March 20, 2015
RinceThis
March 20, 2015 at 15:20
I am sure they have pills for whatever Geoff is suffering from…
Pariah
March 20, 2015 at 15:29
Do they have pills for being a Ginger?
*RUNS
conx2share
March 20, 2015 at 15:32
Conx2Share (1)
Conx2Share!! I know, like me, you are also confused about the name. Thinking that, what would it be? Obviously it is a mobile app. But, would it work or not? Is it a fake app? So many questions may move around your head. But nothing to be worried more, it is not fake app. It really works fantastic.
I have seen one of my friends use an app named Conx2share. It was a little bit surprising to me with the new name. I asked him about the app and he said nothing but, “you would never want to leave it after using it once”. Then I felt a little bit interesting and asked him for its website address. Before installing it, I have gone through the official website of Conx2Share. Here I found a clear concept about the app with the attractive title,
“SHARE LIFE AS YOU LIVE IT”
Owo! Really nice and couricity making title. I also got curious and went through the features about the app. After reading the features, I went to the tutorials. Those are really helpful as i did not know anything about the app. I directly entered into the google play and searched for the app. After getting it, I took a look to the feedbacks and there I found a lot of positive respondents. Here I also found the catching screen shots like that:
After going through of those, I just could not hold on myself to install it on my android mobile.
It really works!! Wished to make a jump seeing the features of the app. I experienced the features including:
Communication with innovative text, picture, video,blog. Easy to create and share
Able to Connect with a social media, mobile network.
Unlimited communications with your own created groups of Family, Friends, office, Business etc.
Have the option to create a Conx2share email account to keep all kinds of your communication with Conx2share.
Storage system up to 100GB of your photos, videos, messages.
Control on Sharing and customizing options to share.
The option to share the custom content to various social media platforms with the simple tap of a finger.
It is amazing and really a helpful app which available both in google play and the app store on iTunes.
From my point of view, Conx2share is the best mobile application for all types of digital communication. It can be your future app for its innovative and easy communication features. It is just like a communication hub. When I use the app, I feel i am just beside of my family, friends and colleagues. No one is in the distance with the app Conx2share.
Sharing life is really hard to do, but Conx2share have made it easy. It is just exceptional from the any other communication app available on the market. I feel really good with the app because of its so easy methods of sharing life just like a kids game.
Till then, I am with Conx2share and sometime I think of my friend. And feel that, I really would not able to leave the app ever.
ReaperOfSquirrels
March 20, 2015 at 15:44
Wow, who would have thought that Geoff and Darryn has such vast vocabularies? O.o
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2015 at 16:54
HOT AIR!!!
Dunban
April 7, 2015 at 08:35
Terrible taste. Go and play one of your cinematic, 5 hour games with almost no gameplay if you can’t even adapt to a new genre.
Speed Power
April 18, 2015 at 03:52
This game is PURE gamplay.
Speed Power
April 18, 2015 at 03:55
This game is a total masterpiece. Epic story, great an creative gamplay, and an amazing combination between american and japanese cultures. Probably one of the best games on the Wii U.