Platform: Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP

Genre: Action / Flying

Number of Players: 1 - 2

I, like most others, wanted the Wii for its controllers. I don’t think anyone would try to convince you of the system’s amazing graphic capabilities or tell you they just had to have one because of the vast array of game titles! But the motion sensitive, wireless controllers . . . that is where the real draw for Nintendo’s next-gen system lies. Whether it is stirring ingredients in Cooking Mama or skipping rope in Rayman’s Raving Rabbids, the Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo have opened doors for a whole slew of new gaming ideas . . . as well as a fun and creative way to play the games we have played before.

There were two genres which I looked forward to playing with the new controllers the most: first person shooters and flying games. With Call Of Duty 3 scratching that first itch very well, I soon came across Wing Island. I’ll leave my review for that title to convey my disappointment...but it also took from me the expectations of finding a good flying game on Nintendo’s system. I am happy to say that the arrival of Codemasters’ new game Heatseeker has delivered just the sort of game I was hoping for as long ago as the first time I held this system’s remotes. A no holds barred, all out assault of air-to-air mayhem . . . and a little air to ground too!

The premise is simple. You are a young and inexperienced pilot who has begun some training missions at a remote, foreign island base when you are drawn into a small skirmish between rebel, terrorists and your installation. After showing off your skill as a pilot and logging some combat mission hours and experience, you are transferred to a more active unit. From here on in, you will be getting yourself into some heavy stuff and using every skill at your disposal to keep yourself and your comrades alive.

There are two distinct playing styles with which to navigate through the Heatseeker story: an easier Arcade style and a more advanced Professional setup. In the arcade mode, you will use the Wii’s Remote to control your aircraft’s steering and reserve the Nunchuck for firing your machine guns and throttle. When switching over to Pro Mode, you will find things significantly more involved. Now, your Remote and Nunchuck are responsible individually for roll, pitch and yaw. If you are familiar with these terms, you know what I am talking about . . . if not, go ahead and keep things on Arcade for a little while . . . you’ll be happy you did!

You will unlock a wide variety of playable aircraft in the course of this game, including some of the most infamous fighter planes of modern times. Each model has its own strengths and weaknesses, from payload capacity to top speed. Some are designed for air-to-air and others are better tank-killers. In a surprising move, it is up to you which you will choose and how you will arm it. Not simply “assigning” you an aircraft for each mission and also giving you the free reign to experiment and compliment your own playing style gives this game some bonus points from me.

Your weaponry ranges from 20mm machine gun to laser-guided smart bombs; nearly 20 categories of firepower give you more than 30 options for equipping your dog-fighter. Use heat seeking missiles to knock out a MIG fighter plane, or drop a cluster bomb over an enemy occupied area to knock them all out...the choices are yours and they are numerous and easy to use. Different planes have payload restrictions, so make sure that you find the perfect combo of speed, agility, and firepower to become the top fighting ace of these skies.

All of your plane’s stats, including the manipulation of your weaponry, are handled through a very convenient and unobtrusive HUD (heads up display). Air speed, armed weaponry, radar information and more is all displayed prominently and translated easily with a glance. Nearly every button on the Wii’s dual controller system is put to good use, with functions such as zooming in on a target area or barking commands to your wingmen to better handle the enemy’s threats. Opaque directional arrows point you toward mission objectives and an easy to use targeting and lock on system rounds out the stuff you will be staring at.

Speaking of which, the graphics in Heatseeker are still not what you would hope for from a system these days, but they are looking MUCH better that a few of the other things I have been rotating through my Wii. The thing is, this game is just so much fun that you won’t even be worried about graphics! Sure your friends will probably notice and discuss such things while they watch you play, but that is only going to be because they are tired of waiting for a turn that isn’t coming. It is simply too easy to get totally wrapped up in Heatseeker and forget that the game you are playing is essentially very basic stuff.

You get in the air, point toward your enemies and shoot ‘em, find that there are other threats lurking and shoot them too. The occasional piece of recognizance breaks things up, but you can bet fairly certainly that you will just be blowing away threats over a variety of countries and terrains. There is a story mode “feel” to everything going on here, but the game plays very much like an arcade. Missions come hard and fast and the action is fast and frequent, stopping only to brief you on your next assignment. There is never a dull moment and the game plays so much the better for it.

While not exactly a “flight sim” and not entirely the best flying action title that I have ever seen, Heatseeker is a total success in my book. The combination of a fun game and those ever-remarkable controllers of Nintendo’s Wii makes for a totally enjoyable experience that will have you hesitant to power off. I am relieved to have found a great flying game addition to my Wii library, and I would highly recommend picking this title up for this system before any others (it is also available for PS2 and, more recently, the PSP) as half the fun is squeezing off rounds with those dual triggers. A great combo of professional design, fun controllers, and relentless action...a few more of these and the Wii’s future is bright indeed.

-aaron-