The Sky Crawlers, for Wii...

[dave4shmups]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/32426.html I'm not familiar with the anime at all, but this game is being done by the Ace Combat folks at Namco, and the Wii could really use something like this, IMO.

[trivial]

The Wii has a few of these already, unless I'm misapprehending the trailer you linked to. The 'troller lends itself to flying this way, unless I'm very much mistaken. What made you think this game might be unusually fun?

[dave4shmups]

The Wii has a few of these already, unless I'm misapprehending the trailer you linked to. The 'troller lends itself to flying this way, unless I'm very much mistaken. What made you think this game might be unusually fun?

The fact that it's being done by the Ace Combat folks.

[undamned]

Just watched this anime on bluray, tonight. The art is wonderful and the plane design is straight out of Battle Garegga and/or the like. As much as I enjoyed "watching" the film, the story was paper thin and at the end I felt kinda dumb for watching two hours of film to understand one paragraph of information. So, if you feel like turning your brain off and just observing some gorgeous art, I'd say it's a nice watch, but by no means expect to have more than like 2 synapses fire throughout the course of the story.
-ud

[Thunder Force]

if you feel like turning your brain off and just observing some gorgeous art, I'd say it's a nice watch, but by no means expect to have more than like 2 synapses fire throughout the course of the story.
-ud

Really? I thought the film was about...

*conceptual spoilers ahead*
.
.

...the search for some measure of meaning/joy in life, in conditions where your life is being manipulated and you are largely powerless to take real control of it.

(This just didn't seem like a "turn your brain off" type of movie to me... This movie has beautiful music, btw...)

[Gespenst]

and the plane design is straight out of Battle Garegga and/or the like

D:
I think it rather reminds me with Microsoft's Crimson Skies. meh.

[undamned]

Really? I thought the film was about...

*conceptual spoilers ahead*

As much as it was, I kinda got that from reading the back of the box, and I really need more exploration than what the movie gave over the course of 2 hours.
-ud

[Thunder Force]

kinda got that from reading the back of the box, and I really need more exploration than what the movie gave over the course of 2 hours.
-ud

I didn't read the spoilers on the back of the box before watching the movie, so it worked for me.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yeah, I bought The Sky Crawlers on Blu-Ray format a few months back...the aerial dogfights look like something out of the Gigawing series. Ace stuff.

PC Engine Fan X!

[chempop]

I really liked the anime, the ships are indeed straight out of Garegga. I bet the game for Wii will be good.
Another really excellent anime with cool flying shippy battles is Last Exile.

[kengou]

I really liked the anime, the ships are indeed straight out of Garegga. I bet the game for Wii will be good.
Another really excellent anime with cool flying shippy battles is Last Exile.

I enjoyed Last Exile, but from an aerodynamics and logic point of view, each episode was a real head-banger even while the story and atmosphere was sucking me in. There are lines of infantry wielding muskets shooting at each other on FLYING BATTLESHIPS. While machine-gun technology clearly exists (it's used on all the vanships), there is still single-shot musket LINE INFANTRY BATTLES! Do the writers of Last Exile understand ANYTHING about military tactics/technology? I won't even get into the problem with all of the non-aerodynamic vanships - which are obviously flying only due to some sort of futuristic hover technology since they're clearly not flying by rational physics - and the focus on aerial combat maneuvers like the Immelman Turn that are designed for regular aircraft that fly via lift.

Bah. As I said, it's a head-banger if you look at any of it logically, but the steampunk atmosphere and story are compelling enough.

[Daigohji]

I just watched the Sky Crawlers movie yesterday. I've seen and enjoyed a lot of Mamoru Oshii's work, but this was easily the worst. It failed on nearly every level a film could hope to engage the viewer by. There was no plot, just a loosely strung sequence of events. That could work in a story with willful characters who drove the narrative, but all the characters were hollow, directionless driftwood. Of course in this case the wishy-washy nature of the characters was the point, but thanks to the script structure being equally wishy-washy the film becomes as boring as its characters. The "mysteries" that were supposed to see us through to the final moments of exposition were so obvious I'd guessed them from a vague three sentence plot description I'd read before watching the movie. There was no sense of pace. The world the characters inhabited was too roughly sketched to hold the attention. Even Oshii's usual self-indulgent monologues to camera were more vapid and lacking in insight than usual.

The Sky Crawlers is a classic example of a director who has attained so much influence within his field that he's allowed to put out a film that exists only as a vehicle of his (evidently tedious) indulgence. It is possible to tell an interesting story about people who have no drive or sense of purpose in life, but this isn't the way to do it. Frankly I'm pissed off that I wasted £20 importing it on Blu-ray.

[sfried]

So...(Sky Crawlers) Innocent Aces just came out today, and it's only $30.

I feel I need to alot some time for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom first. Anybody have it yet?

[dave4shmups]

I haven't gotten the game, but here's IGN's review: http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1059182p1.html That control scheme doesn't sound appealing at all, though the graphics look great.

[sfried]

I haven't gotten the game, but here's IGN's review: http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1059182p1.html That control scheme doesn't sound appealing at all, though the graphics look great.

It also supports Classic Controller so I wouldn't be too worried.

I just ordered the game so it's on its way. I'm not very familiar with the Ace Combat series, although I'll give impressions.

I'm also going to try both the default setup and alternative input.

[sfried]

Alright. I've finished the main game on easy. Not bad. There's enough variety in the missions. That said, it might be too short for some (around 17 missions, although the grid looks like it can hold 20).

Those worried about the Wii Controls can opt for the Classic Controler or GameCube controller inputs instead. My issue right now is that the default Wii remote+Nunchuck setup isn't bad, but that the controls feel too loose and I hav to yolk the Nuchuck alot to get it to turn. Although that might just be temporary as I'm figuring out how to configure some of the settings.

[BrightSuzaku]

I nearly bought this the other day. I bought Sands of Destruction and Knights in the Nightmare instead. Suffice to say, I'm still interested. Also, it advertised a reversible game cover. What's on the other side?

[sfried]

I nearly bought this the other day. I bought Sands of Destruction and Knights in the Nightmare instead. Suffice to say, I'm still interested. Also, it advertised a reversible game cover. What's on the other side?

The Japanese-style art cover of Orishima walking to her plane, on the back is the pic of the crew.

It's pretty good value for $30. I could see myself replaying this for a bit.

[Nico87]

Yeah, I got this in my shopping basket when I get around to buying a Wii.

So far I've got:

* Nintendo Wii Console with Wii Sports
* ASiD Tech Wii HD Pro Component Cable
* Wii SD 1GB Memory Card
* Wii MotionPlus
* Classic Controller Pro (White)
* Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars
* MadWorld
* No More Heroes
* No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
* Muramasa: The Demon Blade
* The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
* Trauma Center: Second Opinion
* Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen (Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse)

I think it's great that cover art is reversible. The Japanese cover art has a much more anime feel to it, though I can understand why they made a new one for the Western release.

[Strider77]

I thought the movie sucked also.... I was with it in the beginning but man did it drag. I am ok with slow movies (2001) but this totally lost me on the second half.

[sfried]

I thought the movie sucked also.... I was with it in the beginning but man did it drag. I am ok with slow movies (2001) but this totally lost me on the second half.

The game is suppose to be a prequel, and doesn't suffer from any of the movie's supposed slowness that's for sure.

[Obiwanshinobi]

There are lines of infantry wielding muskets shooting at each other on FLYING BATTLESHIPS. While machine-gun technology clearly exists (it's used on all the vanships), there is still single-shot musket LINE INFANTRY BATTLES! Do the writers of Last Exile understand ANYTHING about military tactics/technology?

It's not spoon-fed to the audience, but those ship battles are clearly supervised by the Guild, hence the military hardware and battle tactics limitations imposed on the nations at war. They are forced to obey the Chivalry code. Machine guns are monuted on the Sylvana on-board vanships, which breaks the taboo. You need to watch Last Exile more than once to appreciate the world in discussion. It's one hell of a creative work.
With that said, from what I saw The Sky Crawlers are not even a patch on Last Exile in terms of eye candy. Production I.G keep trying to render that CGI snake oil useful, but it's as "meh" as it ever was in Seirei no Moribito.

[sfried]

With that said, from what I saw Sky Crawlers are not even a patch on Last Exile in terms of eye candy. Production I.G keep trying to render that CGI snake oil useful, but it's as "meh" as it ever was in Seirei no Moribito.

I don't know how much involvement Production I.G. has to do with the game (maybe the cutscenes?), but the missions is basic Project Aces fair.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Considering that its the Rostock Corporation that holds the patent to it's Kildren species to ensure that an endless supply of pilot warriors is met, the war continues onward between the two major corporations as portrayed in the film. Reminds me of the Spartaa Cloning Cylinders technology shown in the Star Wars films used to produce the various Stormtroopers and its ilk during the Clone Wars era.

I like the cool old fashioned metal plated advertising signage shown inside the cafe shop as shown in the Blu-Ray version of The Skycrawlers...pokes fun at some of the real-life mega corporations without naming their real names (plus not having to pay royalities to companies for real life ad placement/depictions as well). Even the lettering is spot-on filling in for generic ads for Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Pennzoil, etc. Reminds me of an old fashioned 1950s type of diner joint. There is the famous San Jose, CA based Peggy Sue's hamburger joint with myriads of metal tin plated ads on the walls...so much stuff for the eyes to behold indeed. The famous Peggy Sue's milkshakes are legendary...don't mind paying the asking price of $4.50 for one is just mere chmup change.

Interesting that both corporations would allow their aerial battles to be shown on the news in real time...if this was done in real life, the enemy could change their plans instantly to suit their own needs to win or turn the tide in their favor. Never let the enemy know of your plans firsthand. Of course, in anime, anything goes and does no matter what far fetched concepts and technologies are explored in alternate realities/universes, the steampunk era, or even the technlogical adavanced cyberpunk future. ^_~

It seems that The SkyCrawlers appears to take place in the 1960s era but with vintage WWII looking aircraft to rule the skies. The technology threshold has reached a point where there are no new major improvements to superceed it, hence the exotic twin propeller driven radial engines in place for all featured aircraft. Even such exotic radial engines require an external huge electrical starter motor to fire them up. Its a well known fact that Rostock Corp. has huge modern-day aircraft carriers stationed at sea ready to lauch fightercraft at a moments notice. Ever notice that there aren't any jet powered aircraft to be found anywhere in the film? Surely with that type of air superiority, the war would come to an abrupt end rather quickly. Or then again, perhaps not.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Obiwanshinobi]

The game looks okay. Seeing The Sky Crawlers and Last Exile mentioned in one sentence, I was merely expressing my disillusionment with the Project I.G's clumsy CGI efforts. They keep doing it and doing it wrong, whereas Last Exile, after all these years, remains the finest combination of hand-drawn graphics and CGI I've ever seen in anime.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

At least the sound effects (courtesy of George Lucas' Skywalker Sound) match up to the crazy fightercraft dogfights as shown in the film. I serious doubt if a Japanese sound effects company could do a better job and on budget. You get what you pay for in the end. I can see the reasoning with director Oshii in choosing to go with Skywalker Sound for all of their sound effects used in the film.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~