Ant Nation Review for Nintendo Wii

System: Wii (WiiWare), DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Konami	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Konami	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: July 13, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The game's premise is ridiculous, and the gameplay doesn't do much to help. Performing the 100 missions in the game will only take you about an hour or two, and then once you're done, there's nothing left. The game tries to create lasting value by letting you grow your ant army, but in order to increase your numbers, all you have to do is plunk down a sugary concoction and then wait 3 or 4 minutes while the ants multiply. You literally just sit there and watch. It is insanely boring, and I felt as though I was watching a screensaver rather than playing a game as I waited for my ant army to increase in size.

Ant Nation screenshot

The poor gameplay certainly was the worst aspect of Ant Nation, but technically, Ant Nation is no gem either. The games world is very small, and it takes about three seconds to scroll from end to end, either horizontally or vertically, and the ground is almost featureless. Sure, there is one pond, a log, and some grass, but it's just not enough. I wouldn't expect this game to really blow anyone out of the water with its scope, but games like PixelJunk Monsters show us that even games with the smallest extent can still have rich, detailed graphics.

Sound here isn't any better, and you can expect to hear plenty of repetitive tunes while you are playing. There are no real sound effects in Ant Nation, but I am not really going to knock it there because ants don't make much sound. Overall though, the game's soundtrack is nothing special and can be grating if you are marathon-ing through the two hours it takes to play this game.

Even if the premise of Ant Nation didn't disturb me as much as it does, the gameplay is enough to condemn this title to the back of the WiiWare bin. With boring mechanics, a very short 100-challenge main mode, and lousy production values, I can't recommend Ant Nation to anyone. It's not broken, but it is far from enjoyable.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

1.5

Graphics
The world is small, featureless, and plain.

3.0

Control
Navigating around the world is easy enough, and the controls work satisfactorily.

1.1

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music is repetitive and annoying.

1.5

Play Value
You'll be done with it in two hours, and there really is no reason to come back.

1.4

Overall Rating - Avoid
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Zap your ants with lasers, fry them with your trusty magnifying glass, send down lightning, and much more to build them to be the strongest Ants on the block.

Send your ants into war against local bullies like spiders and ladybugs. Is your colony ready for the fight?

100 missions keep you busy facing a smorgasbord of fun and wacky tasks.

Bonus mode features 20 additional challenges that allow you to get crazy with all your favorite weapons of ant destruction.

Use your Wii Remote controller to drop a virtual hammer on your ants, use your Wii Remote like a metal detector to find in-game gold and much more.