Topic: IMPRESSIONS: Elebits

[Svevan]

Backwards it's Stibele, which is equally meaningless.

Elebits is E3’s Pikmin, but not in a good way. At its first E3, Pikmin was the game that stood out; it made no sense, but showed true innovation in game design. This E3, Nintendo has left the responsibility for new, innovative IPs to the third parties. And though Elebits might own the standout quirkiness in Nintendo’s booth, it just isn’t as good as Pikmin.    

It’s not even as good as Chibi-Robo, but comparisons with that game could be made with a quick glance. Upon entry to the Elebits universe (a completely bizarre, unexplained universe) you are confronted with a normal kitchen decked in bright colors. Little creatures filled with wattage, called Elebits, are hiding (or just laying around), and you must zap them, Ghostbusters style. The game is essentially a first person shooter in the Wii-style: you move with the control stick and look with the Wii Remote.    

Your zapper, (A or B button, your preference), serves two functions: if you attach it to an object in the kitchen, you can fling it around. This allows you to open doors, pull things apart, and break things against the wall. When an Elebit appears, it will run away, but not fast or even with that much effort. You’ll find a few sleeping on counters, or inside drawers; if you turn on the toaster, several will pop out. Once they are visible, you use your zapper again to, like, kill it, I guess. Again, this world is not explained. It has something to do with electricity: the red Elebits are worth twenty Watts, while Blue are worth five. The demo plays until time runs out - if it’s possible to get every Elebit, I didn’t see anyone do it.    

Unfortunately, the game’s controls are nowhere near polished. Moving around is clunky and aiming is loose. As with most Wii titles on the show floor, the sensitivity off the Wii Remote was too high. You must hold your hand very steady to keep your bearings, which makes the unique concept a harder sell. There is a part where you can go outside and pick up everything you see, including trees, fences, and houses. But the main problem with this scene is that it reveals the weak physics engine of this physics demo/game : everything feels exactly the same. A house, a dishwasher, a fridge, they all have the same weight and resistance. For a physics-heavy game, I was unimpressed.    

In all, I’m willing to admit I just don’t get it. The collectathon is fun, to a degree, and if a real game is formed from this concept, I would love to see it. But if this is all we get, it isn’t worth your pennies.