Star Wars: Clone Wars

[Emo-Iwata]

Star Wars: Clone Wars

 

IGN: The game is developed for the ground up for Wii. What has this allowed you to do?

 

Ken Fox: The biggest thing has been the opportunity to design and tune the controls around the unique controller. That's the hook in many Wii specific games, but I think we've been able to take advantage of it like the market really hasn't seen yet. The difference between swinging your Lightsaber by hitting a button and swinging you r Lightsaber by swinging the Wii- remote is huge. Developing specifically for the Wii also gave us the opportunity to really dial in the look of the game to match the show very closely rather than needing art assets to be usable cross-platform.

 

IGN: Describe the gameplay in The Clone Wars. What exactly do you do? Is it a beat-'em-up? (Right now, we're picturing something like LEGO Star Wars. Please help us understand exactly the type of game you're making.)

 

Ken Fox: Clone Wars for the Wii is all about lightsaber dueling. It's about swinging your Wii remote like a Lightsaber and recreating what we know will be classic Lightsaber battles from the movie and the show. It's also about the character development that happens in Lightsaber Duels. We have one of the main writers from the movie and the series writing and all the voice talent from the series recording over 4000 lines of dialog for the game. So, when you as Obi-Wan versus General Grievous, they will say things to each other that they will never say to any other character. We think this is something that we've never seen in a game like this and is perfect for Star Wars and the Clone Wars franchise in particular.

 

IGN: LucasArts is really pushing the game's lightsaber battles. How do you control your lightsaber with the Wii remote?

 

Ken Fox: We've tried to make the lightsaber control as intuitive and fun as possible. It's not a Lightsaber simulator, but when you swing your Wii remote left to right; your character does the same. You use the thumbstick on the nunchuck to move your character and swing the Wii remote to swing your Lightsaber. The buttons all do cool stuff like use the force, block and dodge, but the focus is really on putting the Wii remote in the players hand and saying 'This is your Lightsaber!'

 

IGN: A lot of games have tried for one-to-one swordplay, but none have nailed it. Are you going for it?

 

Ken Fox: I wouldn't describe what we're doing as one-to-one in the way that you might picture, but we really tried to make it feel like you get to swing your Lightsaber 'manually'. In short, it feels like the most natural and convincing sword type experience I've had on the Wii. And on top of that, it not just a sword, it's a lightsaber.

 

IGN: Are you using pointer-based and gestural gameplay controls?

 

Ken Fox: We are not doing much with the pointer beyond menu choices as we felt like it might take away from the feeling of the Wii remote being like a Lightsaber. As far as gestural controls, there's a few 'mini game' moments that use some light gestures, but still within the context of wanting it to really feel like you're swinging your Lightsaber not using a game controller.

 

IGN: How can you use the environments to your advantage?

 

Ken Fox: Well, although we wanted to keep the focus really squarely on Lightsaber dueling, we thought you just wouldn't feel like a Jedi unless you could use the force to pick things up and throw them at each other. So we made sure that you could, you know, pick things up and throw them at each other using the force, but to make it more Lightsaber centered, we made sure a lot of the things you can throw need to be sliced off first with your Saber.

 

IGN: You can play as different characters from The Clone Wars series, both good and bad. How does that work?

 

Ken Fox: In the story mode, where we are recreating the greatest Lightsaber battles from the movie and the series, you play through as the Jedi. But in the other modes of the game, challenge, multiplayer etc. you just pick your favorite character and go to town!

 

IGN: What are you most proud of visually speaking in regard to the game?

 

Ken Fox: We are very happy with the look of the game. We use a lot of the visual tricks that the Wii is best at, but more than any specific technical achievement, I am proud of the fact through all of the technical achievements and the very close contact we have had with the animation team making the movie and the series; we have been able to achieve a look that really matches the source material and creates the very real feeling that you are playing the show.

 

IGN: Is there a multiplayer mode of any kind?

 

Ken Fox: Yes! We really see multiplayer and the social aspect of this game as a huge part of its potential. We see a scenario much like with sports games where fans will watch a real game on TV and then boot up a video game and replay the match they just watched. We see fans watching the show every week and extending the experience by booting up the Wii game and re-enacting the great lightsaber duel they just saw, then picking their favorite characters and dueling some more.

 

IGN: Wii owners are a finicky bunch. Why should they be excited about Star Wars: The Clone Wars?

 

Ken Fox: The promise of a Wii Lightsaber game has hung in the air since the Wii hit the shelves. We think this is the game that delivers on that promise. It also delivers on what we think Wii owners will want from a game based on the new Clone Wars Movie, DVD, and TV series. The Clone Wars is an exciting way to relive the duels from the series using your Wii remote as a lightsaber, as well as keep the gameplay open and accessible to everyone.

 

[Hahaman]

ya i seen this b4 hope it uses the same light saber wiimote technique like on force unleashed

[Emo-Iwata]

ya i seen this b4 hope it uses the same light saber wiimote technique like on force unleashed

 

logically speaking this one has to turn out better since it is made for the Wii from ground up but logic hasn't always made sense has it?lol

[MarketTantrik]

WTF? This will be the most awesome game evah,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if done right.

[Somebody]

Preview

 

Hands-on with the Star Wars lightsaber game the Wii was built for.

 

I suppose if I were a truly responsible game journalist, I'd be able to tell you if Jedi Master Yoda will be using true Type IV Ataru lightsaber forms in LucasArts' new Wii fighter Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels. But sometimes, a journalist has to put his morals ahead of the blind pursuit of information, and this is one of those cases. I'd be irresponsible to propagate that sort of fancrufty non-knowledge; let the fanboys argue the canonicity of Lightsaber Duels in a Wikipedia discussion thread. Me, I want no truck with that nonsense.

 

 

So no, I don't have any idea whether or not Lightsaber Duels observes authentic, Lucas-approved lightsaber stances. Nor should you care! That would be missing the point of this game the same way that Stormtroopers somehow miss everything they shoot at. Lightsaber Duels isn't really about telling a great story or anything, despite the bits of banter exchanged in the heat of battle when two characters lock swords. It simply is about this: using the Wii Remote like it's a lightsaber. In other words, this is pretty much the game that sprang immediately to everyone's mind the moment the Wii Remote was first revealed to the world.

 

Or rather, it's almost that game. At E3 this year, Nintendo announced a new technology called Wii Motion Plus that will bring true 1:1 motion controls to the system. And, ever open and helpful to its most important third-party supporters (said ironically), the company didn't bother to inform anyone of the technology's existence before revealing it to the world. So Lightsaber Duels won't be offering a truly immersive sword-battling experience. You'll have to wait for the sequel for that! This one is a sort of halfway point. That disturbance in the Force -- it's as if a million voices cried out in anger before sadly realizing they were going to buy the game anyway.

 

But it could be worse; LucasArts has put out some sincerely crappy Star Wars product in recent years, and Lightsaber Duels is anything but. Sure, it could be quite a bit more promising if only Nintendo weren't so churlish with its information, but even so this fighting game seems sincerely promising. The version on display at Penny Arcade Expo this weekend featured only two characters (Obi-Wan Kenobi decked out in armor, and dual-blade wielder Asajj Ventress) and a single environment (a starfighter hangar), but it got the point across. Lightsaber Duels isn't your typical fighting game; it's nowhere near as fast as something like Soul Calibur IV, but that's not bad at all. Its more methodical pacing is akin to classic weapon fighters like Bushido Blade and The Last Blade. While it lacks either of those games' brilliant damage models -- you simply take damage to your life bar whenever you're hit, per usual -- it still stands out as something fairly unique. The slower-than-normal speed has a lot to do with the motion controls. Swinging the Remote takes more time than simply mashing a button, and Lightsaber Duels seems built around fairness and playability. Simply swinging wildly is a good way to lose, since the Wii Remote registers several types of attacks. You have your usual sweeping lateral motions, a strong overhead swipe, and quick thrusts, each with a different delay and priority. To add a touch of complexity, it's possible to block, jump and dodge, although like the sword motions these are rather slower and more methodical than usual. Blocking doesn't happen instantly, for instance; you need to read your opponent's actions and block as they begin to swing or else you'll be unable to raise your blade in time to defend.

 

 

Of course, it's possible to turtle behind a defensive stance, but not wise. Characters can use the Force to levitate and fling items strewn around the arena, some of which can be manipulated while off-screen and smashed into an opponent's head from behind their guard. Players can also activate a sort of Force-enhanced attack mode that lends extra powers to their combos. Also, in keeping with the game's more true-to-life approach to swordsmanship, combos in Lightsaber Duels are natural combinations of sword motions rather than special moves per se.

Star Wars: Clone Wars 'Lightsaber Duels' trailer

All in all, this all seems to represent an interesting and unique take on the fighting genre, which makes it far more promising than if it had shaped up to be a typical fighting game with motion gimmicks tacked on. Instead, Lightsaber Duels feels more strategic and measured than its peers, which could go a long way toward making it more than simply a motion-controlled novelty. Roughly a dozen characters will be available to play, too, which should add some variety and depth.

 

They're all Clone Wars-era characters, though; no Luke Skywalker or black-suited Vader for you. More likely Kit Fisto and Luminara Unduli (or maybe even -- dare we dream! -- Yaddle). So I guess Lightsaber Duels actually is sticking to canon. Which in turns probably means that Yoda really will use the proper lightsaber forms. I guess it's your lucky day, Wookieepedia warriors.

[K'dash]

As little i hv played this game..the game has kept its promise about tight Wimote conrols for the lightsaber duels. The lightsaber movements are very responsive to the direction u swing the wiimote. The clashing of the lightsabers are sweet. Although its not as fast paced as Soul Caliber, it about perfect for a lightsaber duel. The stages are pretty and tend to change once after in a 3 round match. So its pretty cool. Overall graphics are at par with the Wii's capacity. This game is probably a good try to gain hardcore audience in a star wars vs genre. The sequel will probably use the wii motion hardware for more precise lgihtsaber movements.

[gooner7632]