GameOn!

Heatseeker for the Wii was recently released in Europe, and I've had a chance to play a fair bit of this flight sim. I've been keen to see this game in action ever since it was announced, and I was not disappointed. It's the kind of game that the Wii screams out for; it's simple, fun, and makes excellent use of the Wii's control system.

If you're not a fan of flight sim games, then you may not find this game appealing. If you're a fan of realistic flight sims (you know, the ones with millions of buttons and should be played with a joystick the size of a toaster) then you may not find Heatseeker to your taste. It's all about arcade action. You won't find many drawn out dog fights, with two ace pilots battling for air supremacy, but you will find yourself facing wave upon wave of enemy fighters bearing down on you. Your kill count will often rise into the 60s, 70s, and 80s for each mission, as your dispatch all manner of targets, including planes, jeeps, speedboats, cruise missiles, and even submarines.

For me, the controls of this game were going to be the most important issue. Thankfully they are excellent. There are two different styles to choose from: Arcade (where you use the Wii Remote to point in the direction you want the plane to go, and the Nunchuk to control speed), or Professional (where you use the tilt sensors in the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to control pitch, roll, and yaw). I prefer the Arcade controls due to their simplicity, but it's nice to have the choice. The Professional controls are hard to get use to, but I can see it being very satisfying when mastered. Your weapons are controlled with the B button on the Wii Remote (your primary weapon, be it missiles, bombs, or WMDs) and the Z button on the Nunchuk (machine guns). Due to the amount of enemies, destroying them is relatively simple. Once you get within a certain range, your missile lock starts to beep. The closer your cross-hair is to the enemy, the quicker you will obtain a missile lock. Once you get this, your on board computer helpfully informs you, and you can unleash your missile on its destructive course. As an added bonus, if you hold down the B button you can follow the missile to its target. It's not a guaranteed hit, however, as enemy fighters can release counter measures to lure the missile away from them (you too can do this by shaking the Nunchuk). Your on board computer will also helpfully inform you if you've missed your target!

Shooting down enemy planes is quite easy, but it had to be due to the amount you face. Luckily it's not the only objective you will face. There are several missions, ranging from protecting civilian ships and transport planes, to reconnaissance missions where you have to fly close to targets to identify them. There's a story of sorts (about an imaginary military power rising against an allied force), but it's not that important. It's all about the action, and each mission you complete can be replayed to get a better score. Like Goldeneye on the N64 there are 3 different difficulties to replay the missions on, and bonus objectives for each mission. If you complete these bonus objectives (such as shooting more a certain number of enemy planes, or destroying two mini-submarines before they submerge) you will unlock new weapon sets and planes. And the are a lot of these to unlock, including new paint finishes for the planes. Before each mission you can customise your plane to some degree, equipping it with the weapons you will need to complete the mission. This means that you can replay the missions with different planes and weapons, adding to the longevity of the game.

It's not all positive though. I'm in two minds about the graphics, for example. Sometimes it really can be breathtaking, with some of the best explosions I've seen in a game. Other times I think that it's running on an N64, with bland, blocky polygons. Whilst the controls are responsive, when using the Arcade control if the pointer leaves the screen (which I find that I do when attempting an extravagant manoeuvre), it can be confusing getting the plane back on track. It's probably more a user issue, but it is annoying when it happens, as I often end up in the sea as a result . The levels are long, and varied which are good, but once completed, I'm not sure if there's enough to make you come back. A remedy for this would have been a multi-player option, but there is none. It's a shame as two player dog fights, or co-op missions would have been excellent. There is also a lack of speed sensation. If any of you have played any of the X-Wing games for the PC, I've found it similar to that. For me that's great, because X-Wing is one of my favourite games ever, but it does feel at times very static. Having said that, in Heatseeker when you kick your afterburners in, and hit the sound barrier, it is exhilarating. Put that with firing off a salvo of missiles locked onto your target, and you've got a winning combination.

Overall, I've found Heatseeker to be an excellent game. The biggest compliment that I can pay it is referring to it as Excite Truck in the air. Its arcade, all action approach makes it a fun, and very entertaining experience.

The + Points

+ Fantastic arcade action
+ Lots to unlock
+ Different planes and weapons add to longevity
+ A good variety of mission types
+ Choice of controls which all work relatively well

The - Points

- Inconsistent graphics
- No multi-player
- The on board computer can get a bit annoying
- There's sometimes a lack of a feeling of speed