Platform: Nintendo Wii, PC

Genre: Simulation / Edutainment

Number of Players: 1 - 2

I have some mixed feelings regarding the Wii. On one hand, I’ve found the controls and the concepts behind many games to be a bit gimmicky and too reliant on waving the remote around like a fool, but then again, there are some games that have benefited quite a bit from this type of game play. Some games are a bit subtle in their approach to these controls however and actually manage to not only use them effectively and stay away from become ridiculous, but also bring in some interesting gameplay.

Wild Earth: African Safari actually wasn’t a title that I was expecting this from. If anything, I though that this was going to be some unimpressive game that did like to keep my interest, but instead you have a game that not only has a more toned down method when it comes to the remote usage, but for the idea behind the game, it’s very effective. Wild Earth is akin to a game like Pokemon snap or, from the way the trailer appears, the upcoming PlayStation 3 title Afrika. Players take on the role of a photo journalist who has come to Africa on his (or her) very first assignment, and that would be snapping photos of the wildlife and their habitat. While the premise itself is very simple, there is quite a bit more than the game offers, and you won’t be just wandering around the wilds of Africa hoping to get some good shots either.

You have two guides who are along with you and will help you in finding photo opportunities. They will share plenty of banter back and forth with one acting as something of a color commenter while the other actually gives some useful and important information and statistics about the wildlife that you will encounter. There are eleven missions total that you are to complete, and the idea is of course about taking photos. In order to do this, the remote is used to move back and forth while the analog stick controls your other movements. To take a photo, just press the A button and if you’re too far away and want to get in really close, there are a number of ways that you can zoom in and out, though my personal preference is the buttons on the nunchaku portion of the controller.

Determining what photos you need to take is quite simple actually, and in the upper left portion of the screen, you will see your current primary photo objectives. Beneath these are optional photos that you can take and if you happen to snap a photo that is neither of these but it impresses you, you can hold down the B button to save it. You are limited however to the amount of additional photos outside of your objectives that you can hang on to. In order to pass any of the photo assignments, you are required to take at least 75% of the photos. You are free to roam the area and if you get lost, the HUD will point you in the right direction. However, you should also keep in mind that these are wild animals (not really, just try and imagine that they are) so if you get to close to some of them, they won’t necessarily be happy. This will have an impact on the wildlife and it will keep dropping down each time you get too close until you start taking some good photos again to build it back up.

After completing a stage, players will then get a chance to read the article that they were shooting photos for. This also includes a good deal of educational information as do the photos. You can click on any of them and get more information from the captions beneath them. Not all of your photos will make it into the article though, so don’t expect to see every single picture you have taken. These articles can be viewed again at any point from the main menu and you can also manage your photo portfolio. Finishing the assignments has another advantage as it will unlock mini-games that will have you doing everything from washing other animals as an elephant to helping a vulture on an aerial adventure and even doing a bit of dancing with a flamingo. There is even an option to play the game in a co-op mode so you and your friends can enjoy the wilds of Africa together.

Wild Earth: African Safari is actually a port of the PC game Wild Earth: Photo Safari, and while the Wii does a fairly good job at bringing the visuals to life, I would think that the PC version may have done slightly better. Wild Earth doesn’t look horrible, but it’s not nearly as life-like or vivid as you might think and has a very arcade style of visuals to it. The Wii manages to get the general idea across very well, and the animals don’t have a cartoon look to them thankfully, but they aren’t going to give you a photo-realistic vision of Africa either. But, I’m sure that any younger players who are involved in the game aren’t going to care as Wild Earth will get them close to wildlife in a virtual environment and educated them as well.

I don’t see this as being just a game for young players however, and as a seasoned veteran, taking photos was entertaining, but the informational part of the game was even better. Wild Earth is almost like being able to participate in a show on Discovery Channel or Animal Planet; it’s just too bad something like Planet Earth wasn’t a video game. Wild Earth: African Safari might give you the idea that you’re out to shoot animals, and you are in a way, but if you’re looking for a kill, this won’t give it to you. For those of us who respect and appreciate animals and nature though, taking photos is only half the fun and who knows, you might learn something in the process of playing.

-mike-