If October was a massive month for gaming, then November is an absolutely colossal, gargantuan, other-synonym-for-big month. Seriously, there are a ridiculous number of games releasing for Nintendo Wii and DS in November, but how many of them are actually worth your time and money? No idea, so here are all the ones I could be bothered to write about! Enjoy!
GoldenEye 007 (Wii, DS)
US: November 2
EU: November 5
AUS: November 3
Why should you care? Because it’s a remake of the classic 1997 Nintendo 64 game that helped popularize First-Person Shooters on consoles. Blocky Pierce Brosnan is out and Daniel Craig is the new James Bond this time around. Apparently a few other changes have been made to the story, but who really played Goldeneye for the single-player, anyway? Multiplayer is still the main attraction and features good ol’ four-player splitscreen and plenty of characters from the original (yes, even the ridiculously cheap Oddjob). So why play this new version of Goldeneye rather than busting out your old Nintendo 64? Well, there’s now online multiplayer, which features experience points and plenty of unlockables. On top of that, the golden Classic Controller Pro that can come bundled with the game sure is tempting. Even if you don’t want to splash out the money for Goldeneye 007, you could at least enter our contest to win a copy of the game. We’ve already given out one copy, but there are still two prizes up for grabs.
Oh, and 007 Blood Stone comes out on the same day. It’s only on DS, though (and those other consoles I can’t write about) so take your pick.
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Wii, DS)
US: November 9
EU: November 9
AUS: November 9
Why should you care? If GoldenEye wasn’t enough for your FPS fix, Call of Duty: Black Ops is also set to release this month. To be honest, information on the Wii and DS versions of the game is scarce (hence why there aren’t any screenshots for the Wii version at all), but we can assume that they won’t be too different from the other versions. Expect to blast through Cold War-era Vietnam and Cuba, play plenty of multiplayer matches, and prepare for the possibility of a zombie invasion. The Wii version of Black Ops will support voice chat for the first time in the series, which ties in nicely to the special headset Performace Designed Products are releasing around the same time as the game. Unfortunately, the headset will only be compatible with Black Ops and next year’s Conduit 2, so those of you who wanted it for your Monster Hunter Tri sessions will have to stick with Wii Speak for now.
Sonic Colo(u)rs (Wii, DS)
US: November 16
EU: November 12
AU: November 11
Why should you care? Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 wasn’t a terrible game by any means, but if you only pay attention to one Sonic game this year, it should be Sonic Colours – at least if early reviews are anything to go by. This time around there’s no Werehog, no swords, no annoying animal friends – just a speedy blue hedgehog. Oh, and aliens. Sonic can pick up aliens known as Wisps along the way that grant him new abilities like the power to turn into a rocket or a laser. These actually look like they’ll compliment the gameplay really well and, most importantly, won’t slow Sonic down. The game takes place on a series of intergalactic amusement parks run by Dr. Eggman because, so the environments should allow for a lot of varied and interesting level design, not to mention plenty of chances for Sonic to show off his trademark speed. Why Dr. Eggman would own an amusement park in space is anyone’s guess, though. On the Wii, Sonic Colours will be a mix of 3D and 2D platforming – kind of like the daytime stages in Sonic Unleashed, whereas the DS version of the game is entirely in 2D and looks to play a lot like Sonic Rush. But will the fans embrace it?
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem (DS)
US: November 14
EU: TBA
AU: TBA
Why should you care? If you played the previous two Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, you already know what to expect from this one. It’s a puzzle platformer where you don’t actually play as Mario so much as you guide a bunch of robotic Mini-Marios around in a Lemmings-esque fashion. What was wrong with the first Mario vs. Donkey Kong? Why does the series revolve around a bunch of puzzle-solving Mario toys now? Anyway, the goal of the game is to get Mario’s old flame, Pauline, back from the clutches of everyone’s favourite simian kidnapper – Donkey Kong. It looks like there’ll be a lot of things to do after you rescue Pauline, though, as the game will feature a pretty robust level editor. You can even share stages over Wi-Fi (not that you couldn’t do that in the last Mario vs. Donkey Kong game).
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS)
US: November 16
EU: TBA
AU: TBA
Why should you care? Because you probably don’t. In fact, I bet you’ve never even heard of this odd adventure game before. 999 takes place on a cruise ship, with the main character, Junpei, and eight other people thrown into the Nonary game – a deadly race for survival. The game is divided into two sections, the novel and escape sections. The novel sections progress like your average Japanese visual novel (not that there are too many of them in English), with lots of text and important decisions to make regarding the plot. The escape sections are much more interesting and involve examining your surroundings and solving puzzles in order to get out of a sticky situation. Think of it as a darker, M-rated Ace Attorney game with a less linear storyline. 999 is the kind of game that’ll live or die based on how well-translated it is, so here’s hoping that Aksys Games do a decent job of bringing it to America. There’s also a Flash-based demo of the game on their website, so if the game sounds interesting to you, why not check it out?
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
US: November 21
EU: December 3
AU: TBA
Why should you care? If it wasn’t immediately obvious from the title, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a throwback to the classic 2D platformer: Donkey Kong Country. This Super Nintendo series looked amazing at the time, but hasn’t exactly aged gracefully – so thankfully this Wii remake features updated (and very nice looking) graphics. Just as in the original game, you can swap between playing as Donkey and Diddy Kong as you explore the lush jungles, mines and mountains of Donkey Kong Island, though this time you can split the pair up for some co-op action. A second player can take control of Diddy Kong to make good use of his jetpack and peanut popguns. Though Donkey Kong Country Returns lacks a few things from the original —namely the Kremlings and underwater levels— it looks like it’ll contain all the spirit of the original series and be a decent 2D platformer for those Wii owners who have already played through Kirby’s Epic Yarn (or are just waiting for it to come out).
Epic Mickey (Wii)
US: November 30
EU: November 25
AU: November 25
Why should you care? Disney’s Epic Disney… er… Mickey is a darker take on the world of Disney and the iconic Mickey Mouse courtesy of the designer of Deus Ex and System Shock – Warren Spector. The game sees Mickey accidentally unleashing the Phantom Blot onto a world full of Disney locations and characters, which then deteriorates into the “Cartoon Wasteland”. After the Blot returns, Mickey is sucked into the Wasteland and has to try and solve the problems he caused while meeting up with long lost Disney characters like the Mad Doctor and Mickey’s predecessor – Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. There’s also a bunch of creepy animatronic Disney characters created by the Blot that Mickey can either destroy using the power of paint thinner or revitalize with his magic paintbrush. Apparently this will tie into the game’s morality system, but Mr. Spector is still being very vague on the topic. For the most part, Epic Mickey looks to be your standard 3D platformer, however there are a few 2D sections based on classic Mickey Mouse cartoons that both serve as bridges between levels and a reminder of what Mickey Mania could’ve been like if it were actually any good. Anyway, Epic Mickey looks like the best game The Mouse has had a starring role in for years with a nice mix of Disney nostalgia, enjoyable gameplay, and plenty of nightmare fuel.
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)
US: November 29
EU: December 10
AU: TBA
Why should you care? Fans of the Golden Sun series have been waiting quite some time for the next installment in the RPG franchise, and now it has finally ended up on the DS. The story picks up about thirty years after the first two Golden Sun games, with the new protagonist, Matthew, taking the position held by his dad, Isaac. Like Isaac and the other characters from the previous Golden Sun games, Matthew and friends can use Psynergy – a type of magic that can be used both in battles and to solve puzzles. Also returning are Djinn, which are elemental spirits that can be equipped for different effects and used to summon massive beasts with flashy attacks that fill both of the DS’s screens. There’s certainly no shortage of RPGs on the DS, but Golden Sun certainly stands out thanks to its rocking soundtrack and pretty graphics. Golden Sun on the Game Boy Advance was already quite a looker, but on the DS it looks amazing. Provided you don’t have anything against random encounters, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn could very well be a contender for the best DS game of the year.
