The Ant Bully Review (gamezone)
Ported over from the current-gen consoles, The Ant Bully is very much a PS2 and GameCube-type action/adventure. You won't find any innovative gameplay features, but there are some very exciting additions that, while not quite perfected, are another great example of how games can and will be controlled using a Wii remote and nunchuck attachment.
Camera Twisting
1996: The first true 3D action/adventure, Mario 64, is released. The camera is mostly stable but may be manually adjusted using the four "camera buttons" on the N64 controller.
2001: Jak & Daxter and other action/adventures give way to camera controls with an analog stick. Camera movement is later perfected with the release of Splinter Cell and Super Mario Sunshine.
2006: A new era in camera controls? While Zelda sticks to the auto camera introduced in The Ocarina of Time, The Ant Bully is a little more creative in this area. It uses the nunchuck attachment to tweak the camera position.
All the basics are in place as predicted: the nunchuck's thumbstick controls your character's movement. Attacks follow the lead of Zelda – shake and push the Wii remote to swing your staff. Press the A button to pick up objects, hold the Z button to target opponents, etc.
Wii does not have any camera buttons, nor does it have a second analog stick. Thus, if you want to adjust the camera, you have to tilt the nunchuck left or right. The amount that the nunchuck is tilted changes the speed of how fast the camera moves (which is how analog sticks work; push them all the way to make the camera move as fast as possible – push it very lightly and the camera will adjust more slowly).
“Different” does not necessarily equal improvement, let alone innovation. The Ant Bully's camera is a little stiff at times, though it's not like we haven't experienced that with other camera systems. But the idea is great, and for the most part works very well. While running or attacking, I can tilt my wrist to bring the camera into the desired position. Within a few minutes it became second nature. That's very impressive – for a developer to be able to implement a new control style, and have it blend into the rest of the game so quickly.
A Bug's Life
The Ant Bully isn't really about ants or the ant bully (an evil exterminator who wishes to wipe out your colony). It's about the young boy who, after one crazy incident, is shrunk down to the size of an ant. He's deemed a potential hero, ending up on a wild journey that will hopefully result in him saving the colony – and become a full-size human again.
Controlling the boy will expose you to various missions, many involving the collection of items and/or the destruction of bigger and more dangerous bugs. These giant beetles and earwigs can claw, crush, and chomp their way through the herd, and will put an end to anyone who's careless. Protection missions ask that you ward off tiny jumping bugs that like to nibble on the legs of your friends. These little buggers will attack you as well, and may be thrown off by tilting the nunchuck down (causing the boy to roll forward, dispersing any bugs that have clamped on).
The worlds lead you anywhere a bug may go: inside a home, underground, in a backyard, etc. Water is damaging and must be avoided. Jump in and you'll go under immediately, indicating that the boy does not know how to swim. You’ll re-spawn at the ground area where you were last standing. Players will have to navigate up and around these stages to find a safe route to the end.
One option (depending on the level's layout) is to find the anthill peaks and grab what appears to be a flower pedal. Jump off the edge (done automatically by running off the platform) and you'll start to hang-glide. Tilt the nunchuck sideways to steer; tilt it up to slow down, and tilt it down to speed up.
Locate an ant command post and you'll be able to call for help. A small group of ants will run in and form a ladder to reach greater heights, or a bridge to cross over water. They can also combine for a springy form that allows you to swing the ants over larger areas, or swing the boy back and release for a slingshot effect. The nunchuck’s motion recognition is used to control all of these functions.
The Good Ant Bully Does...
...Is not enough to secure a place in every gamer's memory. The Wii-exclusive controls are wonderful, but the missions are split 50/50 between moderately amusing and sleep-inducing. The thumbstick controls are clunky and feel out of place, especially when compared to how well the motion controls work. But there is one major flaw there as well – to attack, you'll have to shake the Wii remote more vigorously than you do in Zelda. Not all shakes, vigorous or otherwise, led to an effective attack. Sometimes the boy didn't attack at all.
| Review Scoring Details for The Ant Bully |
Gameplay: 6
Another action/adventure with the same objectives found in games 10 years ago. The Ant Bully’s fun doesn’t come from its tiring missions, but from the unique control features that open new possibilities for the way we game.
Graphics: 7.9
The game is clunky at times, but the visuals are a little impressive. Big landscapes, fog-free worlds, semi-realistic textures, etc. It’s almost on par with the upper-tier GameCube titles, which is more than I can say for most Wii releases.
Sound: 6
So-so. The Ant Bully isn’t particularly satisfying to the ears, but it’s not painful either. I guess that’s a plus? (Compared to those that are painful, at least.)
Difficulty: Easy
This cakewalk is freshly baked and ready to be sold.
Concept: 8
The Ant Bully is a port, but the Wii version uses the nunchuck attachment more thoroughly than any other game available. The ideas are cool and effective, changing the way we control the camera, and shows off new ways for developers to pull us deeper into their games.
Overall: 6.1
For its efforts and its technology, The Ant Bully is worth renting. But I wouldn't add it to your collection even if the movie it's based on is your favorite animated flick.
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