Mythology doing what it does best

Wii owners that aren't under eight years old or over fifty rejoice! 2010 is a year full of goodies for you. In fact, Nintendo seems to have remembered that it was YOU, the traditional gamer, that made them who they are today and the beloved Japanese company is finally aiming to please you. Among the neat new titles that make the most out of the Wii's peculiar controls is Tournament Of Legends, a fighting game from High Voltage Software. All of you loveable sickos who dream to be able to slice somebody's skull (virtually speaking) using the WiiMote, this is a game for you!

While looking at screenshots and trailers, you might find that the game looks eerily familiar. If you've followed video games for the last year, you may have heard of this game's announcement at last year's E3 under the name of Gladiator A.D., which turned out to be a working title. You might not share my enthusiasm, but I think Tournament Of Legends has a lot more style and is more accurate then the kind of games High Voltage usually make. To be honest, not only the title changed, the game has been toned down from the gory showings of last year's E3. Games for the Wii that are rated Mature just don't sell, so it's hard to be angry at the developers for that. Less blood and gore doesn't necessarily mean less fun. In fact, without the sideline distractions, the game is more focused on its core component; fighting.

And fight we shall, in a game inspired by elements from various mythologies. You'll be given the choice between eight different characters such as the Minotaur, the Gorgon, a gladiator and a Valkyrie. There are also a few unlockable fighters that you can gain access to. These characters will do what history has billed them to do best, kick the crap out of each other. Think of it as a Deadliest Warrior for deities. Each one of them has a main two-handed weapon that can be changed. The weapons are crafted for the characters themselves so most of the time it's preferable not to change them though. The control scheme is the same as what was shown at E3 last year. The WiiMote controls the right hand weapon and can deliver a blow on a vertical or horizontal axis and the Nunchuk can deliver a single stab with the left hand. That could end up being limiting, but High Voltage Software offers as a solution: ''enchanted weapons'', which is the possibility to throw magic spells to hurt your opponent and boost the variety of moves the characters can do.

More than meets the eye

The players can experience the game in a variety of different modes. One of the most intriguing points of the game is its story mode. The single player story mode should be the deepest, most developed aspect of Tournament Of Legends as there is a different story for every character in the game. Seeing as the playable characters come from such diverse backgrounds (Roman, Greek, Egyptian and even Viking mythology) there are a lot of great possibilities. As there is no online multiplayer, the bulk of the replay value lies in these campaigns. There is nothing know yet about how different they will get from one another, but that's a point that will make Tournament Of Legends a game to watch.

Despite the lack of online multiplayer, you will be able to beat your friends to death, as long as you're playing on the same console. There is no fighting game complete without an offline multiplayer. During the last decade, it has become a classic feature of the genre. High Voltage has dubbed it “Versus Mode”. The details about it haven't all been unveiled as of yet, but from what we've seen, it looks to be your typical offline multiplayer that offers you a straight battle between two bloodthirsty gamers. Or is it?

There has been some mysterious footage floating around where the protagonists of Tournament Of Legends are fighting mythical, larger-than-life creatures that will remind the gamers of all time greats like God Of War or Shadow Of The Colossus. What are these things? Are they even in the game? From the vague explanations that High Voltage has given, they are the “Guardians” of the different battle arenas. In the menu screens, players can select the place of their confrontation in the “Versus” mode. They are probably unlockables from the Story Mode, but they all wear the names of mythical creatures such as “Belly Of Leviathan” or “Lair Of The Kraken” and such. There is one guardian to each location and as an additional challenge to the game, you will have to dodge their attacks when you infuriate them. The player who gets hit by one of these nightmarish creatures will suffer the consequences by seeing his health bar lowered which leaves him more vulnerable to the enemy. A nice way to spice it up.

Ben, should I buy this game?

The thousand dollar gamer question here is: ''There are a hundred fighting games available on the market, why would this one be any better than the others''? That's a good question. It sure has the potential to be a lot of fun. Thing is, there are not a lot of games like this that are Wii exclusives. I know the Nintendo fanboys have dismissed the idea of a privileged exclusive with a good hearted laugh for a while now, but still, you can't play Super Street Fighter IV on a Wii. Even more importantly, no other game but Tournament Of Legends will have you settle the score between you and your friends about who would win in a fight: Medusa or a Valkyrie. You'll just have to take your places in front of the Wii and duke it out to have a quantifiable result.