[Wii] Resident Evil 4 - Wii Edition

[emwearz]

When Resident Evil 4 was released on the Nintendo Gamecube in early 2005 it made many heads turn, an awesome game that was as graphically violent as it was addictive and it really brought the Resident Evil series back on track and back on top.In late 05 it hit the Playstation 2, with some downgrades such as pre-rendered cut-scenes, downgraded lighting effect (something that played an important part to the feel of the GC version) and downgraded water effects. So how does Resident Evil 4 hold out on Nintendo's new little white box? Does it still have the hard hitting effect it did 2 years ago?
Read on to find out.

- System Tested On
Played using a PAL Wii with and imported NTSC-U version of Resident Evil 4 running at 480p over Component cables.

Gameplay (Score - 9 / 10)
While nothing has changed in terms of level design, puzzles and enemy's, the overall feel of the game has changed to the point where you can really play this one through again just for the fun you have with beheading enemy's with your wii-mote, and yes despite all those romours of a censored version RE4 comes to us in all its gory glory. As little has changed from the previous installments I will move onto what makes the Wii port what it is, the controls.

The controls are crisp and precise, without a doubt one of the best use of the Wii-Mote we have seen in terms
of how well it was implemented, no annoying accidental flics of your wrist and your character spins 180, no accidental reloads. The only downfall I see in the controls is that unlike many games before it on the Wii you no longer control the direction your character is looking via the wii-mote, it is still dont through the analog stick via the nunchuck, you simply aim with the wii mote once you have your weapon drawn. Thats not to say this did not work out well, after a good 10 or 15 minutes in it will feel second nature to you and you will be aiming at enemys heads before even having you weapon drawn. One thing that this really has over the Gamecube and PS2 versions is the button mashing (seen in the running from boulders scenes / to get enemy's off you) has now been swapped over for a simple back and forth motion on your controller, its feels much more natural and before you know it once a enemy has latched onto you you will find yourself frantically swinging the controller left and right. Another natural feeling motion is when you slice horizontally with the wii-mote Leon will slash with his knife, this I must say is something I am really happy with, I use the dagger a lot more now than I did in its counterparts.

Sound (Score - 9 / 10)
The sound, like in the other versions of RE4, is pretty much perfect, it sets the mood and scares you even if theres no action happening on screen, the only The only annoyance I had with the sound is lack of Sorround sound support (which is due to Nintendo, not RE4) but Pro Logic II more than makes up for this loss.

Graphics (Score - 8 / 10)
The graphics are pretty much what you find in the Gamecube version, I have not been able to find any differences that are noticeable in terms of increased texture size or AA levels. It still is a beautiful game to look at with its lighting effects (That were absent in the PS2 version) which still drop jaws to this day, but it doesnt have the same impact that it did 2 years ago. It now has true widescreen support as well as running through 480p. Playing at 480p really gives you an advantage in this game as you can see much further much clearer as well as making the colours all that much more natural and thus scarier. The funny thing about this is that it currently is one of the Wii's most graphically impressive games, and it was created for the last generation Nintendo Console.

Replay Value (Score - 7 / 10)
With no Online/hot seat multiplayer (For obvious reasons) and the fact many people have all ready sat through this title once the replay value is a little short. It does however have all of the extra content that the PS2 port held so that should keep you busy for awhile.

Overall (Score - 8.25 / 10)
Overall this is a well rounded game that shows what Wii owners should expect graphically from games at a minimum. The game plays well as is well worth another play through if you have finished it before. If you have never played Resident Evil 4 before then you are in for one massive treat as this is without a doubt the cream of the crop in terms of the best version to play through. The Wii-Mote is used to its fullest with its dead on accuracy. I highly recommend every Wii owner to get there hands on this. You wont be disappointed. Another thing I would like to point at this game retails a lot cheaper than normal new release Wii games.

[Aided Onslaught]

Thank you for the review/reminder this thing is out. I can finally play through this game and see what it's all about. I'm also grad I'll finally see a little bit of eye candy from my wii even if it is of last gen. True wide screen support is a big thing, but have smooth controls is something much more to be thankful for.

[Cid Highwind]

Great review, both on content and presentation. This is kinda how I had things in mind as well. You don't use over inflated scores on a game that's simply good, but has been out for a while, while you do mention all the good and less good aspects of the game. Also, your thread title is how I'd like to see it because it keeps everything aligned nicely, unlike Hushy's way of putting the console after the game's title.

Also, I'm a sucker for nice introductions such as yours, it invites the reader to read further. Kudos. Looking forward to more reviews from you

[refraction]

Originally Posted by Cid Highwind

Also, your thread title is how I'd like to see it because it keeps everything aligned nicely, unlike Hushy's way of putting the console after the game's title.

does now ;p

[Coolsvilleman]

I played RE4 before on PC. Thought it would be very cool to try it out with the wii-mote. Is there a plugin for the wii-mote for pc, maybe so if you swing it in a certain way it will simulate the push of a button?

[hushypushy]

I actually just got this game and spent a couple of hours with it last night. I've only played the PS2 version for a few hours so I don't have much reference but...the Wii version blows it out of the water.

The graphics in the Wii version are great, I'm also running it at 480p and it looks damn good. The addition of widescreen is a true treat for me, I hate playing games and stretching them out.

The controls take a bit to get used to...in Zelda: TP, the Wiimote controls the view, and you can move the camera by pointing the Wiimote. The analog stick controls the view as well. In RE4, the Wiimote is only the aim, and it can't change the camera view. You have to use the analog stick to move the camera around, which is kind of a bummer. I would've liked to have a way to run around while still having the gun pointed, oh well. RE has always been known for its clunky controls, so no big deal there

Overall, a great game, and if you haven't played RE4 yet, I suggest getting it. It only cost $30 and this is the most engaging version yet. If you've already played it though, I can't really see of any reason to play it again, unless you're an RE nutcase.

[Silenus]

Nice review emwearz.
Bummer I can only get to play the pc version.

[N1ghtw0lf]

yea, i got a chance to play it on the wii the other night... it takes some getting used to after the Gamecube version for a few years, but once you get the hang of it its rather fun. Don't have a wii though and don't forsee getting one soon so i couldn't give a full review

[Tockwork]

So, does the Wii support widescreen TV's for RE4?

[Silenus]

yep..

[hushypushy]

And it's the only version that does, AFAIK.

[emwearz]

And it's the only version that does, AFAIK.

I thought the PS2 version could, and Tockwork pretty much everygame on the Wii supports 480p widescreen.

I played RE4 before on PC. Thought it would be very cool to try it out with the wii-mote. Is there a plugin for the wii-mote for pc, maybe so if you swing it in a certain way it will simulate the push of a button?

Using GlovePIE you can use your Wii-Mote in pretty much any PC game, if you learn to write scripts in it (which is easy) you can do quite a lot with it.

[hushypushy]

Resident Evil 4 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

hmm, the PS2 version does do widescreen as well, and so does the PC version even. Interesting, I thought I remembered reading that the Wii version was the first time that RE4 was in widescreen. Guess it was the opposite, the GC is the only version that letterboxes.

Although, the Wii version is the only one that supports true widescreen, 840x480 progressive scan.

edit: hmm, I'm reading the Wiki, is it true that in the UK it's sold for £30? Yikes! It's even more ridiculous with the state of the pound to dollar ratio, I paid $30 for it, which is half the price!!

[emwearz]

I paid 45AUS (Which is like 37-40 USD) to my uncle who mailed it over to me express from the states. Which is pretty cheap, considering its one of the best titles the Wii has to offer.

[hushypushy]

I think the price point is perfect, and that's the main reason I got it, because it was cheap. So how much are regular games in Australia? Are games in the UK normally £50?

[emwearz]

New release Wii games are around 80 dollars, New release PS3 games cost around 100-110.

[Aided Onslaught]

holy ****! they are really that much? I guess importing them really racks the price up, but still that's a lot more. How pissed do you get when you find the game blows and you spent that much on them?

[emwearz]

The prices I mentioned are in AUS $ when buying games down here.

[Paratech]

I've thought about buying the Gamecube version, but I never got into Resident Evil that much. I might rent it again, I still have the save file for it.

Is it really that much improved on the Wii versus the Gamecube? I don't have an HDTV, so I don't think I'd be missing much.

[emwearz]

I don't have an HDTV, so I don't think I'd be missing much.

The Wii doesn't output in 720p or higher so a High Deg TV wont do much for you visually.

Is it really that much improved on the Wii versus the Gamecube?

lol read the review and you will know hehe

Its pretty much the best from both versions put into one with much better controls.