The Rail Shooter Game they should make for Wii !

I'm always fond of Rail Shooter genre, that's way my preference of console systems always based on which console offer the most attractive Rail Shooter title. It wasn't easy to do since most Rail Shooter ported from arcade machine (which only bunch of developer still develop it by the way) and it usually must wait till the arcade version at least in their ‘peak popularity’ before the developer decide to port it to consoles. Some developers also make it more difficult by publish some title as exclusively made for one console system only. And our job as an avid fans of the genre got more complicated by the requirement of some title to only use proprietary light gun peripheral in order to playing the game.

But thanks to some innovation from Nintendo who create wii, through its brilliant choice of utilizing remote (that can be modified into a zapper), the rail shooter genre find its ultimate systems. This way any title created by any developer didn't have to use their awkward peripheral and thus save us the player from the obligation to buy that peripheral in order to play the game. Instead when rail shooter are made for wii, it can directly use wiimote which proven already useful in some First Person Shooter (FPS) genre. In fact on my opinion wii become the most successful console that provide comfort environment to play FPS. Regardless some people noted that FPS always synonyms with latest graphic detail technology which as we know it not wii’s most polished factor. Whilst wii may be not the most powerful console out there, the ‘outdated’ in graphic technology and media could become wii’s beneficial factor. That means developing or porting a game for wii it’s not as hard or as costly (at least in theory) as other consoles.

The appearance of two exclusive titles (for now) for wii, in Rail Shooter category at least shows that wii is really a perfect place for it. SEGA who owns quite a bunch of Rail Shooter title didn’t even want to miss the opportunity to test the wii by porting its Ghost Squad from arcade to wii. Capcom that has a long record providing good title for Nintendo previous system also went for it. After their immediate success with Resident Evil: 4 wii edition that note by fans as best version of RE:4 so far, show the hidden power of wiimote as FPS controller must realize how good it is to use wiimote as a light gun on Rail Shooter. That’s way they test it with their franchise in Resident Evil by providing Umbrella Chronicle. A Converted from free roaming of RE type, into House of the Dead type Rail Shooter. Blast zombies in order to move forward.

Even by only these two titles, I begin excited and hope other developer would be convinced to make more title of Rail Shooter for wii. So in a light of the day while waiting for Ghost Squad and Umbrella Chronicle release, I list ten game in rail shooter genre who could see their life again in wii.

Time Crisis

If there is only one rail shooter title who can makes me purchase a console its Time Crisis. While I a bit bored by their lack of new innovation other than new story and enemy, its still I would say the best Rail Shooter ever created. The ability to hide (by ducking) through foot pedal, combined with limited time to finish the level and the requirement to reload, probably the sheer moment one can not forget while playing time crisis. To bad all this time Namco only release it for Playstation, some people also complain about their too cartoons over bright colors scheme.

Nevertheless there are thousand fans out there who know merely could only afford a wii expecting Time Crisis to be ported or have newly developed for. There’s rumour circling around the net about Namco plan for porting Time Crisis to wii, but up until now sadly there are no official announcement made by Namco. We just hope Ghost Squad or Umbrella Chronicle will be so successful so Namco didn’t have no excuses not to jump to the wagon.

Virtua Cop

While Virtua Cop is not the first Rail Shooter game in the world, its appearance in video games breathes a new life of Rail Shooter in 3D. Trough innovation like breakable window and tear-off some of properties part, sure light’s the arcade, console and even PC. Like Time Crisis the title also lack of new innovation other than new feature called bullet time that let’s you block enemies bullet with your bullet in shootout. If I may added the looks and feel of cities and warehouse that mostly is a part of Virtua Cop surrounding area could be enhanced a little bit by incorporating real architectural likeness. Produce by talented AM2 Studios for SEGA, Virtua Cop still waits to life again in next console. If Ghost Squad gets succeeded on wii, I will not surprise if SEGA try to pull this one also.

House of the Dead

Along with Virtua Cop SEGA also held the winning title on Rail Shooter genre and that would be House of The Dead. Who doesn’t want blast through a horde of zombie in dark mansion with blazing gun? While not as horrid as Resident Evil, House of The Dead it’s the only game that could provide a full feeling of shooting the living dead. Through it’s simplistic pull the trigger, it’s by far more intuitive than RE’s complex controlling system before the RE:4 Wii edition. I’ve seen that the title try to appear on different consoles (DC and then xbox) only to shows that without gun peripheral its only half fun. Let’s hope this title would also see the day on wii, after all if SEGA really near bankruptcy they should at least try the console where their title could really shines.

Silent Scope

When I first play Silent Scope, I play it in Playstation version and found the difficulties and feel sorry for developer choice to use stick control rather than to use ‘light gun’ peripheral. Even when I try unofficially supported Logitech usb mouse, I still find it’s difficult to nail a target, especially on timed mission. I never thought there would be any console great enough for Silent Scope Series until wii show the developer their powerful controller that fit Rail Shooter genre. It even better if wii zapper, can utilizing a real detachable add-on scope, to add the experience of sniper (since I already witnessing a laser pointer equipped zapper on market). We don’t see konami plan for porting silent scope to wii yet, but we also can cross our finger for it.

Operation Wolf

Why an old 2-D Rail Shooter sit on the list? Well while Operation Wolf seems did not fit the list, for pioneering reason it will be nice if we can see some old title come to live again. Operation Wolf is among the first batch of Rail Shooter who reach arcade and also the first title that being convert into many platforms. Besides why Taito only preserve Bust A Move (which happen also being convert into many platforms) while at the same time also have potential treasure in their library?

Sin & Punishment

I never even knew the title which apparently only release on Japan N64 system until I stumble on it on the net. There’s not much about it I can tell but sure it’s exclusively made for Nintendo and it falls on Rail Shooter genre. Judging from the wikipedia info I see that the game play is more like Cabal game play and also from third person view. The great things are so many people wait for it and Nintendo already list it in Virtual Console for Japan.

Star Fox

Star Fox is one of exclusive title for Nintendo and still sees the day until now. One of the type on Rail Shooter genre that doesn’t use a gun but a space ship. Judging by its popularity and it’s appearance in many of Nintendo successor system, I’m quite sure well see it one in wii very soon. Some info also noted that Wario Ware include at least few part of Star Fox on one of its level. They even suggesting, that it’s probably a system test to see how to utilizing wii’s feature (especially in graphic power) before the release of complete version.

Hogans Alley

In its time Hogans Alley never consider as a demo tech like wii sports or wii play now, but honestly it is. Since back then if you own Nintendo light gun, there’s not much a title to play with beside duck hunt. Hogan Alley puts you in some sort police shooting range and you shoot cartoon like target board who resemblance good and bad guys. Fast reaction and accuracy is the one that could saves you through repetitive level. It is very unlikely we see it as a stand alone title, but as wii a part of zipper purchase and if Nintendo sees the shooting practice in wii play not enough to show people about the seriousness of wii as Rail Shooter platform perhaps once again we will see Hogans Alley.

Lethal Enforcer

It may be showed as controversial title on its time as an example of violence correlation with video games. Just see their choice of colour for their guns controller (in shocking plastic red, blue and green) you’ll get the idea why parents and government so paranoid about video games-violence things. Despite its controversy Lethal Enforcer also provides ‘more life like’ shootout you’ve seen in Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movie. Perhaps as the research show that video games are part of stress relief and did not connected directly with violence, developer would create a more life like rail shooter game like these one, of course in order to do that Nintendo policy should be changed from casual family type gamer into hard core gamer.

Wild Guns

What more could be the best settings for rail shooter other than showdown on Wild West era? No rail shooter developers ever use Wild West as their game story anymore, nor FPS developer, its also rarely being used on movie nowadays. It’s a shame tough how could developer waste such a perfect atmosphere to build around Rail Shooter? So while we wait developer of rail shooter get their ‘epiphany’ it best to remind us all that even Nintendo once have Rail Shooter title based on Wild West settings on Wild Guns. It would be nice if they revived it again once more.

Mii Nintendo Wii

Akhirnya dengan segenap keberanian diri saya membeli Nintendo Wii. Dari pengalaman membeli console, ini adalah console termahal yang pernah saya beli. Bayangkan dengan harga resmi US$250 untuk versi US, di Jakarta wii harus ditebus dengan harga Rp 3,6 juta. Dengan kurs US$1 = Rp 9100 berarti wii di Jakarta berselisih Rp 1,325 jt. Walah untungnya banyak sekali, benarkah demikian? Oke kita tambahkan komponen-komponen biaya lain seperti biaya bea masuk yang konon sekitar US$ 50. Berarti tinggal Rp 870 ribu, dikurangi biaya modchip dan pemasangannya sekitar US$ 40. Sisanya tinggal Rp 506 ribu. Saya tak tahu berapa biaya pengapalan dari China (pabrik perakitan wii) dan taktik pengalihan logistik mungkin sekitar US$ 25 tinggal sekitar Rp 278,500.

Untung besar? Mungkin saja apalagi pada saat saya membeli ada 2 unit wii lainnya yang laku terjual, berarti hari itu si pedagang memperoleh keuntungan Rp 835,500. Tapi mengingat sulitnya memperoleh wii, bahkan di Jepang wii US di tawarkan seharga US$500 (wii Jepang sendiri berharga US$205 tanpa diberi wii sports), serta pengumuman dari George Harison (Nintendo USA) bahwa Nintendo tidak dapat memastikan supply wii bahkan untuk musim libur natal kali ini (yang di AS akan berlangsung sekitar 4 bulan lagi). Memiliki wii adalah satu 'keberuntungan'. Bayangkan pada saat libur sekolah kemarin bahkan harganya sempat naik sebesar Rp 200 ribu, dan tidak semua toko di Mangga Dua ketika saya survei memiliki stok wii. Beberapa toko video games yang memiliki outlet di mal bahkan menghargai wii US sebesar Rp 4 juta lebih. Lagi pula dibanding harus membeli wii langsung di singapore atau bahkan Hong Kong tentu lebih ekonomis apabila di beli di Jakarta.

Memang dibanding console seperti Playstasion 3 nasib wii lebih baik, disamping harganya lebih murah (saat ini harga playsation masih sekitar Rp 4-6 juta), wii bahkan diestimasi penjualannya tinggal berjarak 1 juta unit lagi dari penjualan xbox 360 yang sudah memimpin perang console karena diluncurkan lebih dulu. Untuk saya ada dua alasan kuat pembelian wii yaitu:

Mampu memberi pengalaman 'game play' yang berbeda dengan console lainnya yang cenderung biasa saja.

Wii sudah mampu dimodifikasi untuk memainkan game ehem...'kopian'.

Dua alasan inilah yang melatar belakangi kenekatan saya membeli wii, meski untuk itu mesti mengalihkan sejumlah anggaran dan mengurangi pengeluaran lainnya. Selain juga karena sudah terbawa mimpi. Sebenarnya ini pengalaman pertama saya membeli console dari nintendo, dua pengalaman sebelumnya selalu dengan produk Sony. Baik Sony Play Station (PSX) maupun Sony Playstation 2 (PS2). Lucunya console pertama saya (yang diberikan oleh famili dekat) merupakan clone Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), produk pertama 'console' nintendo.

Pengalaman soal game play sudah saya ceritakan bagian awalnya di artikel sebelumnya. Sekarang mari kita lebih dekat apakah wii mampu memberikan apa yang saya harapkan?

Wii yang saya miliki saya beli di toko video game dengan harga paling kompetitif di Jakarta. Dengan ditemani seorang rekan karena saya pergi ke sana menggunakan motor, (tahu sendiri kan kondisi parkir mobil di Mangga Dua) saya pergi ke toko yang terletak di bilangan Mangga Dua ITC. Lantai 2 Mangga Dua ITC sepertinya sudah dikenal sebagai sentra penjualan video game di Jakarta. Disana komunitas video game Jakarta sudah memiliki toko langganan yang meski kecil terbilang lengkap yaitu PSE. Meski sebagian besar toko-toko tersebut dikuasai oleh jaringan Sonic, dengan harga yang kompetitif PSE ternyata mampu bersaing dan tetap eksis hingga kini. Console sebelumnya pun saya pun saya beli di sana. Pada saat membeli saya juga membeli kontroler tambahan yaitu satu wiimote dan nunchuck-nya. Paket pembelian wii sendiri menyertakan satu wiimote dan nunchuck di dalamnya.




Walau ukuran wii terbilang kecil dibanding console generasi ke-7 lainnya, ternyata ukuran kemasannya cukup besar. Selain berisi Console wii, wiimote dan nunchuck, di dalamnya juga berisi kabel koneksi Audio-Video, Sensor bar IR, Adapter 110-120v
(karena AS menggunakan listrik 110v), vertical stand, DVD wii sports (hore akhirnya punya game asli lagi), dan buku manual yang sangat baik untuk sebuah produk elektronik masa kini. Mungkin di wii generasi berikutnya jika harga jualnya ingin ditekan, saya duga Nintendo akan mengurangi isi paket wii, misalnya mengganti vertical stand yang lumayan bagus dengan plastik murahan, mengganti buku manual dengan lembaran poster, dan tentu saja meniadakan wii sports yang mampu mengurangi harga sebsar US$ 45 (setara dengan Rp 409,500). Kesimpulannya kelengkapan wii dalam paket standar cukup lumayan.

Melakukan instalasi wii juga terbilang mudah karena konektornya di bedakan dari segi penampang, meski demikian sebenarnya saya lebih menyukai bentuk konektor standar seperti yang ada di perangkat elektronik pada umumnya. Instalasi yang terbilang cukup rumit malah ditemukan pada koneksi adaptor wii dengan adaptor AC (transformator) yang saya beli, karena konektor (prong) di AS sudah menggunakan standar pembeda supaya tidak terbalik memasangnya. Kelihatannya outlet pada adaptor AC yang saya beli kurang baik kualitasnya sehingga agak sulit masuk dan setelah masuk malah agak longgar jadi gampang lepas. Juga proses instalasi wiimote yang sudah menggunakan teknologi bluetooth, mungkin terbilang cukup rumit karena perlu di sinkronkan dengan consolenya. Untungnya baik penjual maupun manual sama-sama menjelaskan dengan baik prosesnya sehingga saya tidak kesulitan melakukannya.

Level 1

Artikel ini adalah artikel pertama saya di videogameslogs, sebuah blog yang saya siapkan khusus untuk menuliskan pandangan dan pendapat saya mengenai video game. Bagi saya video game bukan sekadar hobi, tapi sudah menjadi bagian dari hidup. Sejak pertama saya melihat video game dalam bentuk Game & Watch, sesuatu telah menyentuh saya dan berkata: Ini sesuatu yang mengasyikkan. Sayangnya saya masih tinggal dalam dunia orang dewasa yang lebih senang memandang video games sebagai biang kemalasan belajar, sehingga video game pertama saya baru hadir ketika saya memiliki sebuah komputer.

Walau demikian tak ada yang dapat menghentikkan saya untuk menikmati video game, meski saya bukanlah pemain video game wahid dan sangat mungkin anak sepuluh tahun mengalahkan saya dalam permainan FIFA 2008. Saya mengalami masa-masa yang indah dengan video games. Ikut mengalami kehebohan saat ATARI masuk pertama kali ke Indonesia dan ikut antri memainkannya di salah satu stand di Senayan saat Hari Anak Nasional yang dibuka almarhumah Ibu Tien. Saat Digger melanda Indonesia di komputer XT dengan layar CGA-nya saya pun ikut memainkannya meski sekadar nebeng di komputer salah satu om saya. Keterlibatan saya lebih jauh adalah ketika era arcade yangd ikenal dengan dingdong mulai merambah masuk ke bioskop kelas kambing dekat rumah. Arcade center tersebut seingat saya menempati salah satu ruangan bekas kantor bioskop dan hanya terdiri dari beberapa unit. Bahkan tak jarang salah satu tombolnya dimatikan untuk membuat pemain cepat kalah. Disini saya betah berjam-jam menonton anak lain bermain. Buat saya menyaksikan animasi di layar video game adalah tontonan kecanggihan teknologi yang bisa disaksikan gratis tanpa bayar.

Ketekunan saya bermain barulah terjadi ketika di rumah tersedia komputer dan saya dapat bermain dengan cukup bebas. Saat itu game-game yang umumnya tersedia dalam bentuk bajakan di atas media disket 51/4, bisa menyihir saya berjam-jam. Apalagi ketika saya memaksakan diri memainkan game FPS yang tanpa sadar membuat saya melewati jam-jam kuliah. Akhirnya kesempatan memiliki konsol datang ketika saya mulai menghasilkan uang sendiri dan tentu saja saya mengikuti arus utama sejak PSX dan berlanjut ke PS2. Kini saya cukup puas mengibaskan tangan dan kaki bak orang gila melalui WII sembari menunggu PS3 turun harga.

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