"Wii the best console for platformers"

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 28 July, 2010

Says creator of Wii platformer.

The Wii is the best console for platform games because it's got a more casual and nostalgic audience, the creator of Wii-exclusive platformer Flip's Twisted World has said.

Flip's Twisted World, due out in September, finds itself on the Wii because the console's motion controls fit the game, developer Frozen North's CEO Julian Spillane told Destructoid.

"The gesture controls drove the decision," he explained.

"To be able to hold the world in the palm of your hand and turn it on end with a flick of the wrist - that was an experience we really wanted to create.

"We also felt that the Wii was gearing up to become the best console for platformers based on the more casual and nostalgic audience."

Flip's Twisted World is a perspective-altering platform-puzzle game that follows the eponymous hero as he is sucked into and imprisoned in a crazy cube world.

Players will need to twist the world using the Wiimote so Flip can navigate his way around, turning walls into ceilings and so on and so forth.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • woodnotes #1 2 years ago

    I don't think anybody can dispute this.

  • Arwin #2 2 years ago

    I could if I wanted to!

    For instance, it may not be the best console for this particular platformer, as there are so many platformers on the Wii that the competition is tough and sales may be difficult. ;)

    There's no question though that the Wii currently dominates this genre as well as its target audience.

    That said, how long will it take until someone recreates at least part almost any popular platformer on the Wii in LBP2? ;) Especially once Move controls are patched into Create mode things will get interesting I think.

  • JahB #3 2 years ago

    I think the Wii is the worst console to release a platformer on, because you'll have to stand next to SMG 1&2, which are arguably the best platformers this gen.

  • Charlie_Miso #4 2 years ago

    Bloke is right.

  • matrim83 #5 2 years ago

    He is right.

    Also this game looks rather good. I had no idea it even existed, will keep an eye out for this.

  • woodnotes #6 2 years ago

    OK, taking the thread title on its own, I can only agree 100%. Wii is, IMO, the best console for platformers.

    What other console has Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, LostWinds, New Super Mario Bros, Wario Land Shake It, Klonoa etc - with games like Donkey Kong Country and that awesome looking 2D Kirby game still to come?

    I *WISH* that 360/PS3 would have more platformers like these, but they simply don't.

  • woodnotes #7 2 years ago

    "That said, how long will it take until someone recreates at least part almost any popular platformer on the Wii in LBP2? ;) Especially once Move controls are patched into Create mode things will get interesting I think."

    Have you even played LBP? They can try to recreate any game as much as they want, it still won't be anywhere near as good as a proper Mario game. LBP was great for creating, shit for playing (IMHO - thanks to the incredibly annoying and unsatisfying jump physics).

    EDIT: I don't currently own a Wii btw. But I'm the biggest platforming fan ever. And I know that I absolutely NEED to get a Wii to fulfil my desires. Unfortunately I already have a PS3 and 360 - convincing the gf to put another box under the telly might be tricky.
    Edited by 2 at 28/07/10 @ 10:37

  • woodnotes #8 2 years ago

    You could call it a designer headache?

  • smelly #9 2 years ago

    Thats like saying "360 is best console for generic fps games", just because it has a lot of them...

  • Buenos_Estente #10 2 years ago

    The screenshots look suspiciously like a Mario Galaxy rip off no?

  • smelly #11 2 years ago

    @JahB - i'll fix that for you:

    I think the Wii is the worst console to release a platformer on, because you'll have to stand next to SMG 1&2, which are arguably the best GAMES of this gen.

  • woodnotes #12 2 years ago

    Thats like saying "360 is best console for generic fps games", just because it has a lot of them...

    Hardware is only as good as the software running on it.

  • smelly #13 2 years ago

    @Buenos_Estente - Does look a little familiar doesnt it? We'll see i guess, hard to tell from a few shots.

  • Acrid #14 2 years ago

    Pirate Goblin FTW!

  • geeza2020 #15 2 years ago

    kept expecting to see mario in the background of one of those screens

  • spekkeh #16 2 years ago

    Game looks pretty good by the way, first time I've heard of it, well interested how it's going to turn out.

    I think the Wii is the worst console to release a platformer on, because you'll have to stand next to SMG 1&2, which are arguably the best platformers this gen.

    True, on the other hand, maybe it works like shops. If you have one shoe store, and then another shoe store opens up next door, turnover of both shops actually increases, and so on for three, four, five shoe stores in the same street. Because then that street becomes known as the place to go to for buying shoes. Platform fans buy a wii, and are not going to stop after SMG.

  • Charlie_Miso #17 2 years ago

    @spekkeh - Just like the Hammock District

  • Razz #18 2 years ago

    I agree but flip twisted world is a crap name

  • Arwin #19 2 years ago

    @woodnotes: I have both the PS3 and the PSP version of LBP. But, in case you noticed, I said LBP_2_. ;) Don't forget that LBP2 supports a huge changelist of stuff you can do over the first version, including vital things like changing all physics parameters, jump behaviours etc. You can basically even programme your own double jump, tweak it to perfection and share it with others.

    That should solve most of the main differences that prevent a LBP level from behaving exactly like old-school platformers, imho, which will be interesting. That together with the hugely improved options for creating smart 'sackbots', direct control objects and vehicles for which you can configure precisely even what buttons should do what, and I think you'll see a huge step up for LBP2's user created levels.

    Obviously it's not going to give us an SMG1 or 2 though, or the cute little new Kirby that was shown at E3.
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/10 @ 11:13

  • chrisjm #20 2 years ago

    still not enough platformers though!

  • Pwnsweet #21 2 years ago

    Graphics look really good considering it's a Wii game

  • DrDamn #22 2 years ago

    I think the Wii has the best selection of platformers. I don't think it's the best console for platformers in the sense that I don't think the standard controller is well suited to the genre. What ever way it is used there are compromises - lack of camera control or inclusion of waggle/inappropriate gestures due to lack of buttons.

    The game in the article sounds interesting in that the gestures sound like they are appropriate to a core gameplay mechanic.

  • mr_shoe_uk #23 2 years ago

    It probably is for demographic. It also has the best recent platformers, 2D or 3D, especially New Super Mario Bros and Mario Galaxy 1 & 2. Wouldn't say this is necessarily due to the features of the wii.

  • reelbigkris #24 2 years ago

    Everyone needs to try 'A boy and his blob'... Man, that's a great platformer...

  • photoboy #25 2 years ago

    I'm not sure I agree, personally I think Mirror's Edge, Tomb Raider Anniversary, PoP Forgotten Sands and Assassin's Creed 2 are the best platformers of this generation.

    New SMB Wii was pretty good, but I wasn't that keen on Mario Galaxy 1. I do want to give Mario Galaxy 2 a chance at some point, as apparently they've taken all the unskippable cut-scenes out...
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/10 @ 13:00

  • gorf #26 2 years ago

    @Beunos Estente: Very true, as the old addage says "where Nintendo tread everyone else follows" (apart from Valve)

    @Photoboy: Yep Mirrors Edge rates highly played and looked gorgoues contrary to lots of dubious reviews
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/10 @ 13:20

  • Optimaximal #27 2 years ago

    This is such a non article... "Guy says Platform A is best because it suits his game"... Next up on EuroGamer - "Bobby Kotick says Money is good because it allows him to buy yachts"

    Re: the question it raises - it depends on how you view platformers...

    Modern hand-holding efforts, with their 'press A to complete game' modes and simplified fuzzy controls to compensate for a lack of accuracy in the motion controls are, of course, best on Wii...

    I can't imagine playing some of the more hardcore platformers on a Wiimote. Yes, you've got both the classic controller and the ability to hold a Wii-mote sideways, but it's still a fudge. 'Proper' classic platformers won't ever work with either current consoles or with the current console market - they're probably just too hard.

    NB - Mario Galaxy is obviously the exception that proves this rule!

  • jamhead #28 2 years ago

    I beg to differ. The SNES is the best console for platformers. End of.

  • KDR_11k #29 2 years ago

    I think the Wii is the worst console to release a platformer on, because you'll have to stand next to SMG 1&2, which are arguably the best platformers this gen.

    Then again that means people who like platformers already have the system.

  • BlinxHDD #30 2 years ago

    Back-handed compliment. :p

    Anyway. N64 was the best console for platformers.

  • BabyJesus #31 2 years ago

    It's true, although R&C A Crank in Time was excellent last year.

  • Mnia786 #32 2 years ago

    Nintendo has been on 20 year IP's dick for far too long. They just mash up[ the same shit but with newer graphics and punters buy it. Sorry but you can oly milk something for so long before we all get bored.

  • smelly #33 2 years ago

    @Mnia786

    Q1. What does that have to do with the price of peanuts? Or indeed this article?
    Q2. I wonder how many fps games you play completely oblivious to the fact that just remove the character and it'd be the same game?


  • Arwin #34 2 years ago

    Heh, had to bring this to this thread here:

    [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFvB3LNbs_U&f eature=player_embedded#!
    ]http://ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=eFvB3LNbs...[/link]

    Limbo inspired level in LBP1. Will be really interesting to see how much further LBP2 will be able to take these things. Though obviously Limbo itself still looks better, particularly the deliberate, nice animations and stuff like being impaled on a spiders leg like that will be hard to mimic. Still, not bad at all.