Castle of Shikigami III Review for the Nintendo Wii

System: Wii	Review Rating Legend
Dev: ARC System Works, Alfa System	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Aksys Games	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: May 13, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Controls in this game are pretty good, but only because you are afforded so many control options. You are able to use the Wii-mote on its side, the Classic Controller, or the GameCube Controller. The Wii-Mote is probably the simplest control scheme and lets you use the two numeral buttons for different attacks as well as the D-pad to move around. While this is certainly the most intuitive and easiest-to-pick-up control scheme, the D-pad does not give you enough precision when you are floating around the field. Luckily, the other two control schemes offer the joystick-like precision of the analog stick that this arcade-style game demands.

Castle of Shikigami III screenshot

The visuals in this game are fairly good and complement the vintage gameplay. While this title won't win any technical merits, the look of the game works well enough. Character animations are smooth, and the levels are presented in a semi-3D environment. One cool element of this title is the ability to turn your widescreen TV on its side to get the full classic experience. Although this title is not the first to utilize this feature, it is pretty cool, nonetheless.

Sound in this title is really bad. The game features some very repetitive background music and has an amazingly bad voice over. However, I'll have to say the horrifyingly bad voice work adds to the overwhelming kitsch-factor of the title and actually serves the game rather well. The characters' emotions range from comically melodramatic to hilariously emotionless and flat. I don't know whether the terrible voice work was intentional or not, but this game's sound fondly reminded me of the terrible voice work in some of the old Resident Evil games; it was so bad, it ended up being good.

Castle of Shikigami III is a great title for people who enjoy the occasional classic, arcade-style game. However, it has a decided lack of content and doesn't offer much beyond the initial experience. It is definitely not a bad title and the gameplay is solid. Still, this title would have been vastly improved if there were more levels or modes to extend the gameplay experience.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.5

Graphics
Top-down graphics feel very retro. They don't technically impress, but they get the job done.

3.7

Control
Controlling with just the Wii-mote feels imprecise, but the option to use the Classic Controller is a great alternative.

3.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Yes, the voice over is bad, but it's charming nonetheless.

2.0

Play Value
Levels are far too repetitive. The character dialogue between levels may change as you play with different people, but after you play through all the levels one time, you won't want to revisit this castle.

3.2

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

Game Features:

Tension bonus system is built on your proximity to the enemy.

Ten memorable characters, each with specific weapons and powers.

55 possible story combinations.

Exclusive, console-only Dramatic Change mode allows players to switch between characters in the middle of a fight.