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Can the Wii Save the Adventure Game?

gamingtarget.com — Gaming Target thinks that the Nintendo Wii's unique control options can be used to bring back the glory days of Sam & Max, King ’s Quest, Space Quest, Gabriel Knight and other adventure classics.

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  • mark_in_bc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17I played all the King's Quest Games the first two on a Tandy 1000 (yes I'm over 40) and I would love to see the franchise continue on the Wii. My kids and I secured two Wii's on launch day, one for me and one for them, regrettably we only picked up one copy of Zelda. The battle for the disk was on to the point where my youngest was hiding it so he could get at it first when he came home from school. I can see Kings Quest having that kind of appeal using the same user interface as Zelda.
    • rctech, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7As an added bonus, the wii can sense if you turn the remote / pointer around. You can't do this with a mouse. Think of the possibilities of this new mechanic in puzzles / new interfaces in adventure gaming.
    • canadianrockstr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Kings quest, Kyrandia, Police Quest, Space Quest and all the point and click adventures I've forgotten all of them birng a tear to my eye... I really hope you are right and this happens cuz I would just DIE to play those games on a wii with them all updated...
      (tearing up as I right this)
    • sanman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Well, don't just think "Adventure" game here, think Fantasy.

      I remember that old arcade game Gauntlet, and found it really fun to play as a 4-man team -- Elf, Wizard, Valkyrie and Barbarian. I wouldn't mind seeing an updated version of that game, but perhaps in 3D and on rails, like the way Time Crisis is set up. And speaking of Time Crisis, I'd like to see games similar to that on the Wii.

      All the news about the Wii Sports boxing game makes me want to see a Co-op mode first-person melee action game where you and a buddy could advance along together, just punching or slashing the hell out of anything that came your way. Maybe you could pick up different melee weapons as they popped up.

      I tend to like Co-op games a lot, and I'm wondering what would be the most fun type of Co-op game using the Wiimote.
    • sanman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was thinking about gaming themes that might allow for more Wiimote-style punching action. I'd imagine that Marvel Ultimate Alliance might showcase some good stuff.

      Hey, how about a game called "HULK SMASH!!"
      Or the old 80's He-Man punch? (Thwaaap!)
      Or Mazinger-Z's rocket punches?

      Or Conan the Barbarian, with a combination of fist and swordfighting action?

      Or just a pure Spiderman game outside of MUA, where you can use the Wiimote for web-slinging.
  • martinj88, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12Sam and Max on the Wii would be great.....and if Nintendo don't do it theres always WiiLi
    • johnhummel, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I agree - I'd like to play that one.
    • daridave, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Yes. that's the "hidden" beauty of Wii that not everyone understands.

      Cheap dev.!
      The changes of us seeing the games we want is actually good -- unlike somewhere else... so everything is possible.
  • Twice, on 10/12/2007, -2/+40I wonder what you'd have to do with the Wiimote to finish Leisure Suit Larry.
    • mem2, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2LMAO !!!!
      I hereby award you best comment - innuendo of the year.
    • partriv, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1my friends and i are still waiting for the.. *ahem* pocket pussii attachment for the wiimote :) complete with vibrating and auto-lube
  • Blazekun, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10As much as I like the adventure genre I don't think anything can ressurect it. Nowadays the adventure genre just seems pale in the interactive part. I do wish we would see more adventure games. I just don't think the "Go find this one random item to solve a very hidden solution to a completely random problem that you didn't even know exists, before you can do anything else" model will work ever again.
    • UtopianComplex, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I think you are right, a reworking of the genera is needed. If adventure games at all follow the new pattern set out by Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) then it doesn't deserve to be reserected as sad as that is. The genera needs an overhaul that means more than a wiimote, but that could be a start.

      I think adventure would have a comeback if it experimented with pushing the envelope in AI and dealing with the environment. If they could manage to push these two things over the next ten years how FPS's have pushed graphics and physics then I think a resurgence more than possible.
    • asdfrewq, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13I really don't get your reasoning there. Considering most modern games are either 'kill random baddies and flip random trigger to reveal new area to repeat process' (fps) or 'get random object and save random kid stuck in a sewer to get experience and advance boring story' (rpg) and so on for every other popular modern genre. Of course a generalization, but that's the point I'm getting at.

      Adventure games were at their best when they were both humourous and creative, the best example of that being Day of the Tentacle. I mean, honestly, who couldn't laugh at a nerd being beat up by an inflatable clown? Or Hoagie kickin it with the founding fathers... a vacuum in basement! Oh the memories. Time to dust off the old Pentium and dig out the old 'five and a quarters' me thinks. :)
    • grumbel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I think while Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) wasn't without fault, it was the best thing that happened to the adventure genre in a long long while. Fahrenheit managed to tell a serious story without falling back to crazy item based puzzles like most other adventure games do and while the game was full of action sequences, it was the first adventure game that I ever played were they fitted into the game, instead of being some useless annoying addition (see Dreamfalls fighting...). Fahrenheit also managed to integrate a lot of real-time aspects, something that hasn't been done in adventure games all to often, in by far most of them, the world stands still until you use this item with that item, in Fahrenheit on the other side the world was much more alive. Fahrenheit wasn't the first to do this, The Last Express did a lot of the same some years earlier and I think thats the direction where the adventure genre should be heading or at least those games that want to tell a serious story, for humors games some good old crazy item puzzles might still work well enough.

      To take another example, look at the first 10-20mins of Half Life 2, those are among the best moments in gaming I had in quite a while. Why are they great? Because the situation makes sense and feels real. You don't have a gun, you are not superman saving the world, instead you are in an oppressed city and just have to avoid getting into to much trouble with the authorities. Those minutes are very similar to what you get in the Last Express, only that in The Last Express you never get the gun and the game turns into a standard shooting fest, instead it continues to be an realtime based adventure game. I would love to see some more games in the sprite of those 10-20mins of HL2, don't give the guy a gun, but simply continue the story without it, let the player organize an underground movement or whatever, but don't resort to standard shooting stuff, let the player be clever and sneaky, but keep the world alive and active and not just passive as in a normal point&click experience.

      If the adventure genre wants to come back it has to reinvent itself, some games already have started a little revolution, but far to many still try to imitate those old point&click classics, sadly most of the time with little success.
    • grumbel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3To relate all this to the Wii: Fahrenheit did a great job of bringing the player and the character closer together, when the character had to do some hard work, so did the player, when the character pushed something, the player pushed his analogstick. The Wiimote offers the possibility to mimic the actions of the game character much more closly and could boost the whole experience to a new level if done right. No more need for 'pick object' style actions instead you could simply reach out with the Wiimote and grab it.
    • Blazekun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@asdfrewq

      Yes, most modern games are just flip random switch to open random door. But at least you know there is a switch, and that you can trigger it.

      I love adventure games, Grim Fandango, Endless Journey, and the Myst series are some of my favorite games. But that kind of gameplay just does not fit with the mainstream. These kinds of games were popular back when only us geeks were using computers. Fond memories or not, even in their prime, adventure games were not mainstream.

      There are still some niche companies still making adventure games (http://www.adventurecompanygames.com/tac/ )

      Check them out.
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Myst wasn't a mainstream computer game? It is (or at least was) the best selling computer game of all time--specifically because it attracted the non-traditional gamer. Throw in the fact adventure games could probably be cheaply made as budget titles and possibly even offered through the virtual console and I think you might have a winner.

      Even if it was a niche game it wouldn't have to sell a billion dollars to be profitable. That's the genius of the Wii for both developers and gamers.
  • diggie85, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16We all love Monkey Island, Grim Fandango. Would be nice to have it on Wii.
    • motang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Monkey Island was so much fun, I remember playing that game for hours.
    • crashingechelon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Monkey Island is great, I would love to see them make new ones, or remake the series and put it as a collection on the Wii.
    • mem2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3ScummVM comming to a Wii near you. You can run it using the action replay hack, though no point and click with the Wiimote yet .....
  • freedompower, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13That would be good news for me, as I'm working on a (very indie) point-and-click adventure game. I never tought about a Wii version... Sounds lucrative!
    • redeye666, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7How abuot a Flash version optimized for the screen size of a TV? The Wii browser supports Flash doesn't it? You'd have to register and save state in a server side database. The possibilities could be endless for this... :)
    • UtopianComplex, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3do you have a website? I would love to see what you are working on!
  • Dexity, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5If they brought back Gabriel Knight I'd buy a WII. What a great game.
    • johnhummel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Or the whole Sierra adventure line up - though Leisure Suit Larry could get a little, uh, freaky with the Wiimote if they added motion sensing *cough*

      King's Quest, Gabriel Knight, then hit Lucasarts with Monkey Island, The Dig, and Full Throttle - could be sweet.
    • treachen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Canis Lupus Lupus??!

  • NiGHTSChao, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4:/ yeah right
    I'd rather have my adventure games on my PC where they have always been

    Kings Quest, Monkey Island, etc
    • wingnut21, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Are you kidding me? Adventure games would be a perfect match with the wii. Why sit at a computer when you could lounge back in front of your tv and direct the action with a simple remote?
    • ontain, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6adventure games have all but died on PC though. my hope is that the Wii with it's aim at casual gamers and nongamers will bring life back to adventure games that pc's have failed to do in recent years.
    • NiGHTSChao, on 10/12/2007, -12/+1*sigh*
      The wii carries no appeal to me, its not innovative either

      Once again, I'd rather have my adventure games, on my PC
    • grumbel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While the adventure genre isn't the most alive one, there are still coming out a lot of adventures for PC (recently Sam'n Max and Runaway2), especially over here in europe, its really not as dead as some people seem to suggest. What the adventure genre is however missing these days are the AAA titles, Dreamfall and Fahrenheit were probably the last one that got close, but the first missed the mark due to lack of gameplay and the second one ruined it with the story, still great games, just not the must-have ones you get every year when LucasArts was still active.
  • Kahnza, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Myst!
    • ithon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1when I heard the wii remote had motion sensors, the fist game I wanted ported over was Myst. In matter of fact, Uru is making a comeback comming to gametap and if it does well enough, you might see an MMO point and click adventure on the Wii.
  • Dainjah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Phoenix Wright on the DS is pretty close to the old school adventure games. Maybe they will make a Wii version and revitalize the adventure game genre.
  • Ystig, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The centrepiece of the Adventure game has always been clever and intelligent writing. Whatever you identify as the strengths of the Nintendo game development philosophy, carrying a game on the strength of its writing has never been a focus, or even much of an interest. The gameplay mechanic is the focus.

    The Adventure gameplay mechanic, which is usually fairly simple, has always been its least remarkable aspect. Some of the bigger failures in Adventure gaming history have been attempts to overcomplicate a model which really is strongest when it relies on its stories, characters and dialogue rather than innovative reorganisation of the gameplay system.

    The Wii could be the venue for the next great adventure game. But I don't see why it should be.
  • moosethumbs, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Maybe LucasArts would make a game that doesn't include shooting down an AT-AT.
    • Wulfo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Technically, you trip them up with a tow cable most of the time.
  • kyrandian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That rocks. I hope this is true. Kings Quest/Space Quest/Quest for Glory/Kyrandia series/Monkey Island games RULE. I must have spent 20% of my childhood at those games.
  • Medusausi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I loved Space Quest, but I think having it now would require Ken and Roberta getting back together again.
  • zombiedepot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I will buy a Wii today if they bring back Full Throttle.
  • silvertemplar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Well, i dunno..i always felt adventure games were "going down" the moment the "point and click" stuff came in. I remember playing Space Quest 1, Hero's Quest 1 and Police Quest TYPING and getting these sarcastic "feedback" messages if you made a spelling error. Now THAT was a challenge [going "look x" ---> , open x, close x, take z etc etc] .

    Even more of a challenge was typing "look body , get keycard body, use keycard door , open door" before some alien came into the screen and zapped you...

  • drunkjack, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Yeah, because NOTHING is more fun than point and click borefests.

  • Sp1k3d, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Monkii Island! And make it massive multiplayer too!
  • stevejanes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0That would actually be a good idea. The Wii could probably add even more to those titles as well. Those games may be a bit dated by today's standards, but they can always try bringing them back (Nintendo DS has a few titles following this genre.)

    I was also just thinking, they could add a lot of those old Sierra titles to the Virtual Console, that would be pretty cool.
  • dobesov, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why is it that no one ever remembers Quest for Glory? I would go so far as to say it was sierra's best Adventure game series. Its blend of Adventure and RPG would fit todays gaming audience perfectly. I mean aren't final fantasy games just walk about adventure games with a combat system? Revamp the QFG battle system and remake them all, I would buy them again.
    • chongli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree. Quest for Glory was the best. Playing it with the Wii would be even better. Use the Wiimote to throw rocks/daggers, swing your sword, use the nunchaku to block with your shield.

      Also, check out this site, where they're remaking QFG 2 in VGA graphics:
      http://www.agdinteractive.com/news-2006.php
  • Paroparo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have a feeling there will be a bunch of old style adventure games on the Wii. Not because the interface is so well suited for them (well it might), but because the Virtual Console will allow small independent developers to make games and sell them digitally, which will be extremely cheap and easy to do. The reason there are so few such games nowadays is that it isn't economically feasible, but this might change with VC and Xbox 360s similar features.

    Hopefully anyway. =/
    • vhold, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I really doubt we'll see small developers sold on VC anytime soon, I mean, how do you get a Wii development kit?

      Microsoft on the other hand is creating an entire strategy around it with XNA.
  • bstamour, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I would love to see the Myst series brought back for the Wii. Myst, my favourite Riven, and the others. Man would that be cool.
  • vhold, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2People have been talking about "Saving the adventure game" for years now.

    Here's a thought.. go buy some of the adventure games that are on shelves now!

    Here's one I can recommend: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/longestjourney2wt/review.html
  • dent, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I start to think back to my childhood without a pc... A Commodore 64 or the Amiga. Perhaps I missed out on all the "quest" games... but frankly, I had my fair share of 'adventure' and lost countless hours in front of some great RPG's like Ultima or Pools of Radience... From there I moved into console gaming and found RPG's to be just as satisfying on Nintendo

    I also remember some of the 'adventuring' I did on games such as Chronotrigger or Final Fantasy III on the SNES... What about Zelda? Even the NES version was fantastic!!!

    Anyways, the point I am making is this: There have been many other adventure games besides the likes of Leisure Suit Larry and Monkey Island. And funnily enough, some of the most memorable for me have occured on Nintendo machines... I really think nintendo has always had a special place for these kinds of games - the Wii will be no different.
    • partriv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2final fantasy 3/6, best game of all time
  • partriv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Dug for kings quest and tex murphy, under a killing moon!
  • stalinvlad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I hope not
  • TomRemixed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I love the Wii as you can tell by my icon but I don't think the Wii is the messiah of consoles. I just think it is a great game console. The Wii itself cannot save adventure games but if developers make some actually good adventure games then they might be "saved."
    • EtherGnat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Obviously there have to be good games but the pointer functionality is well suited to adventure games and the Wii by its nature will encourage developers to try new things and perhaps revisit old ideas as well.

      Personally I'm looking forward to some good rail shooter games. I've really been enjoying the shooter levels in Raving Rabbids.
  • dontuseautofire, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Say it with me: Grim Fandango 2. Ahh, sounds good.
  • bouche, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1AMEN!

    I couldn't agree more with calls for Leisure Suit Larry.

    While we're at it, I'd love to see what could happen with "Police Quest," a remake of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and although not a classic adventure game, one that would fit the platform, "Out Of This World."
  • muka3d, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, and Quest for Glory. Please!
  • autocrawler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The thing is, personally I don't believe that if adventure games would appear on the Wii that would "save the genre".
    Know why? Adventure games on the PC aren't exactly the most hardware demanding genre. I believe even the new Sam and Max can easily run on most computers sold in the past few years, even the ones with integrated graphics. And the requirements for 2D adventure games are even lower. Frankly, I don't think its a matter of accessibility here-since actually every person who owns a PC, no matter how crappy it is, can run these games, rather it is a matter of people simply not interested in the genre.
  • exhale, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1No, the only games Wii are getting from third parties are either spinoffs of existing franchises or cancelled current gen games that are ported to wii with tacked on motion controls.
  • Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Quest for Glory FTW
  • arkowi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A Wii Space Quest update would be rad.
    • Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd be happy if they put it on Vitrual Console.
  • Wytefang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Dugg down for its rampant fanboy-ism. Newsflash, the Wii won't cure cancer, raise your grades, get you a girlfriend (Definitely not the last with how dumb you look waving it around), or anything else other than just provide you with some fun gameplay (hopefully). Good grief.

    If you want to focus on a platform that can 'save' the adventure genre, focus on the PC, remember, the platform that's most flexible, with the best hardware (8800GTX baby!) and the most utilitarian of all the gaming platforms. On, and another newsflash for the original, apparently clueless, writer of this piece, the adventure genre is hardly dead on the PC.

    Digg me down, Wii fanboys, if you want to but you know that people read these anyway. LOL
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