World Championship Games – NDS – Preview

Summer Olympics and other track and field-themed
games have left a bad taste in most gamers’ mouths. It seems that every four
years a new track and field game emerges, we get excited, and end up being more
disappointed than we were the last time. That compounding experience has
severely reduced the expectations for these kinds of games, which haven’t been
fun since the 90s.

World Championship Games, a new mini-game
collection for Nintendo DS, may be the game that breaks the disappointing cycle.
It’s not attached to an Olympic license (or any other for that matter), which
means it can only rely on gameplay to sell the product – the name on the box
won’t be enough. That forced the developers to think about what a game needs to
be fun, the results of which are pleasantly surprising.

Variety Hour

Run track, shoot targets, pole-vault, jump long,
jump hurdles, throw objects (such as a discus) and compete in a handful of other
sporting events. There are tournaments that combine various events and a
decathlon that combines another set. More interesting than the event
presentation is how the games actually play. Running track, for example, lets
you place both thumbs on the touch screen and jam on several foot icons as they
scroll by. Yes, it was likely born from the Guitar Hero style of gaming where
timing is everything (or merely followed in the footsteps of the dozens of other
games that have mirrored GH), but it plays very well. You won’t be able to keep
your eyes on both screens (the top shows the race in 3D; the bottom shows your
feet) at the same time without going a little cross-eyed, but that isn’t
necessary…unless you’re hurdling. Then you might want to go cross-eyed or grow a
third eye. Whichever is easiest.

Since your thumbs are busy controlling the speed
of your runner, the L and R buttons are used for jumping. When competing in the
discus and shot put events, you’ll be too distracted by the touch screen
(scratching left and right or drawing circles) to worry about any of the face
buttons. To launch the object you wish to throw, tap one of the shoulder
buttons, which activates the various power/angle meters – a line will scroll by;
make sure it’s as close to the center as possible – press the shoulder button
when lined up and you’re done. Long jumps and pole-vaulting mechanics are very
similar. For archery, you’ll use the stylus to aim from afar, hold a shoulder
button to pull the camera forward, and release it to fire the arrow.

Most of the mini-games don’t take more than a
couple minutes to get through. The shortest sprint takes less than 30 seconds to
complete, thus making this a pick-up-and-play, drop-it-when-you-must kind of
game.

World-Class Multiplayer Options

Don’t you hate it when a game forces you to have
at least two game cards to experience the multiplayer options? World
Championship Games took a different route, offering the player four different
options: single-card, multi-card, WFC and single DS. The latter isn’t true
multiplayer since you have to take turns, but it’ll work in a pinch. Single-card
play gives the card holder and his friends access to four of the events (a
limitation all single-card multiplayer options have). But that’s a decent taste
that will let gamers know if they should pick up a copy of their own. And if
they do, they’ll be able to play all of the events with anyone else who has the
game.

Right now, this doesn’t appear a sports game
that’ll get you through a long car trip. But if you love simple and addictive,
touch-based mini-games, World Championship Games should be worth examining upon
its March release. Stay with GameZone for more on this title in the coming
weeks.