MadWorld [Wii]
By Ramin Ostad

MadWorld is definitely not the kind of game you'd expect to see on the Wii. In fact, it's hard not to be sceptical of a bloody, brutally violent and highly stylized beat-'em-up developed for a console that's considered by most as "family friendly." It was definitely a gamble for developer Platinum Games, but it's one that pays off.

You could easily compare MadWorld to Sin City. For one thing, there are definite aesthetic similarities. The environments are all monochromatic, which actually works quite well with the hardware limitations of Nintendo's flagship. The game manages to create unique and memorable environments without being able to pull off the same kind of shiny visuals as a game on the Xbox 360 or PS3. The only colour in the game that isn't black or white is the red from the blood that spews from your enemies. And, man, there is a lot of blood. That's because the premise of MadWorld is essentially Running Man on acid.

You play as a character named Jack, who is taking part in a horrifying game show. In order to win, you have to score points by eliminating your opponents in increasingly gratuitous and violent ways. This sounds pretty simple but the sheer number of ways to kill your enemies is what makes the game addictive. It's hard to forget the first time you dump a guy headfirst into a burning garbage can, and then impale him ass-first onto a very long, very sharp spike. It sounds brutal, and it is, but also fun and engaging thanks to the Wii's motion controls. Your moves are followed closely by the hilariously vulgar play-by-play announcers, voiced by Greg Proops, from Whose Line Is It Anyways, and John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender from Futurama.

MadWorld's greatest strength is that it's as old school as a beat-'em-up can be. However, that mentality is also where the game's flaws come from. The camera isn't manoeuvrable, except for centring it directly behind you, which becomes a real problem when you're backed into a corner. The game also gives you a limited number of lives, so if you die at a boss fight have fun going through the entire level again to get to him. Luckily, the difficulty stays pretty low all the way through, but you can unlock a harder one after you complete it.

But those are minor gripes about a game that anyone with a sense of humour should play. It's bloody, visceral and has an extremely unique and enjoyable visual style. If you like to beat things up, MadWorld is the game for you. (Platinum Games)
Dvd Reviews: Dante’s Inferno - Dir. by Victor Cook
Dvd Reviews: Daytime Drinking - Dir. by Young-Seok Noh
Dvd Reviews: The Godfather [Blu-Ray] - Dir. by Francis Ford Coppola
Film Reviews: Dear John - Dir. by Lasse Hallstrom
Film Reviews: Frozen - Dir. by Adam Green
Film Reviews: Saint John of Las Vegas - Dir. by Hue Rhodes
Film Reviews: From Paris With Love - Dir. by Pierre Morel
Dvd Reviews: Turner Classic Movies Sci-Fi Adventures
Dvd Reviews: Zombieland - Dir. by Ruben Fleischer
Dvd Reviews: Troubled Water - Dir. by Erik Poppe
Dvd Reviews: Wanda Sykes: I’ma Be Me - Dir. by Beth McCarthy
Music DVD Reviews: Various - GonerFest 4
Dvd Reviews: Surrogates - Dir. by Jonathan Mostow
Dvd Reviews: Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films: Marx Brothers
Dvd Reviews: thirtysomething: The Complete Second Season
Dvd Reviews: Don’t You Forget About Me - Dir. by Matt Austin Sadowski
Dvd Reviews: Aziz Ansari - Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening
Dvd Reviews: Amelia - Dir. by Mira Nair
Dvd Reviews: Small Wonder: The Complete First Season
Dvd Reviews: Whiteout - Dir. by Domenic Sena
Dvd Reviews: Free Style - Dir. by William Dear
Film Reviews: Edge of Darkness - Dir. by Martin Campbell
Film Reviews: When In Rome - Dir. by Mark Steven Johnson
Film Reviews: The Yes Men Fix the World - Dir. by Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno & Kurt Engfehr
Film Reviews: La Donation - Dir. by Bernard Emond
Dvd Reviews: Saw VI - Dir. by Kevin Greutert
Dvd Reviews: Mary & Max - Dir. by Adam Elliott
Dvd Reviews: Little Ashes - Dir. by Paul Morrison
Dvd Reviews: Black Belt Jones / Hot Potato / Black Samson / Three The Hard Way - Dir. by Robert Clouse; Oscar Williams; Charles Bail; Gordon Parks Jr.
Videogame Reviews: Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks [Nintendo DS]
Videogame Reviews: The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces [Wii]
Film Reviews: Extraordinary Measures - Dir. by Tom Vaughan
Film Reviews: Petropolis: Aerial Perspective on the Alberta Tar Sands - Dir. by Peter Mettler
Film Reviews: Tooth Fairy - Dir. by Michael Lembeck
Film Reviews: The Last Station - Dir. by Michael Hoffman
Film Reviews: Creation - Dir. by Jon Amiel
Film Reviews: Creation - Dir. by Jon Amiel
Dvd Reviews: Moon [Blu-Ray] - Dir. by Duncan Jones
Music DVD Reviews: Exodus - Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live At Wacken And Other Assorted Atrocities
Dvd Reviews: The Invention Of Lying [Blu-Ray] - Dir. by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
Dvd Reviews: Pandorum - Dir. by Christian Alvart
Dvd Reviews: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell - Dir. by Bob Gosse
Dvd Reviews: Weeds Season Five
Dvd Reviews: The Age Of Stupid - Dir. by Franny Armstrong
Dvd Reviews: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs - Dir. by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Dvd Reviews: Whip It - Dir. by Drew Barrymore
Dvd Reviews: Adam - Dir. by Max Mayer
Dvd Reviews: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Ultimate Edition [Blu-Ray]
Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets: Ultimate Edition [Blu-Ray] - Dir. by Chris Columbus
Dvd Reviews: According to Greta - Dir. by Nancy Bardawil
Dvd Reviews: Downloading Nancy - Dir. by Johan Renck
Dvd Reviews: Gamer - Dir. by Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Dvd Reviews: The Drummer - Dir. by Kenneth Bi
Dvd Reviews: Outrage - Dir. by Kirby Dick
Phoenix / Holy Fuck - Sound Academy, Toronto, ON December 5
Saturday night is meant for hand pumping and fraternal writhing, and nothing inspires it like Parisian pop. With an armoury of feel-good songs — almost all single-worthy — and a stellar warm-up act in Holy Fuck, French six-piece Phoenix played a joyous and infectiously amiable Sound Academy show.Full Review
Misstress Barbara - Montreal, QC November 21
One of this city’s superstar DJs, Misstress Barbara specializes in big beats for the masses, and with her three-piece band Girls on a Ducati, she’s extending her house pop chops to a more traditional live setting. With a guitar and mic, as well as keys and effects, she’s a capable front-woman but he... Full Review
Transit / Man Overboard - Transit / Man Overboard
The deliberately lo-fi, yet earnest, split between Transit and Man Overboard sounds like the product of a bunch of friends growing up on punk and hardcore throughout the '90s. The hardcore leanings of Boston fivesome Transit lay the groundwork for the pop punk tendencies of the Jersey kids in Man Ov... Full Review
Viewing the March 2009 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Questionnaire  •  Release Dates  •  Research  •  Timeline  •  Videogames  •  Conversations • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  Where I play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues