Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Wii)

...but did have and play Tomb Raider 2 when I was about 13 or so like most of my friends around that time. I was interested to find Tomb Raider Anniversary on the Nintendo Wii on offer in my local Currys store for £9.99 and so decided to give it a go as it's cheaper than most action games on the Wii.

I'd read a couple of reviews beforehand stating it was a decent enough game with some great challenges. Having not played the very first ...
.../> Even with a new Tomb Raider game released before Christmas, 'Anniversary' is a great game to have and if you're lucky you should be able to pick one up for about £10. I believe it stands up to most other action adventure games and is hugely enjoyable.

Summary: Roll back the years with Lara's first adventure adapted for the Nintendo Wii.

This is just my opinion. I also write reviews on dooyoo under the name macmonkey13.  ... more

I was never a massive fan of the Tom Raider games but did have and play Tomb Raider 2 when I was about 13 or so like most of my friends around that time. I was interested to find Tomb Raider Anniversary on the Nintendo Wii on offer in my local Currys store for £9.99 and so decided to give it a go as it's cheaper than most action games on the Wii.

I'd read a couple of reviews beforehand stating it was a decent enough game with some great challenges. Having not played the very first Tomb Raider game in the franchise, it wasn't until today that it turns out TR: Anniversary is actually the same game but just with an updated game engine and obviously a whole new control system with the Wii remote and Nunchuck.

On first impressions, the graphics are pretty decent. I wasn't expecting it to look like a movie (this isn't a PS3 or XBox 360, obviously) but I was pleasantly surprised. The control system is relatively straight forward as well. Both Nunchuck and Wii remote are used together and in some interesting ways. General movement is done with the Nunchuck 'joystick', jump is A and shoot is B on the remote.

But this is merely the basics. Lara Croft has a grappling iron weapon/tool which can be used to pull things around or swing between platforms. This is actioned by a flick in a downwards direction of the nunchuck and if there is anything to grab hold of, it will stick. You can then pull the nunchuck back to drag the object towards you. Then there's accessing a switch on the wall. Walk up to the object and follow the on-screen prompt (an icon of the remote directional buttons appears, highlighting 'Up') and another prompt appears. Some require you to hold the remote and nunchuck together and pull down, as if pulling the lever manually.

There are great hidden items and objects to find throughout the game, as with previous versions, but the Wii remote adds an extra dimension to these. If you find a carving or plaque on a wall which looks partially covered, Lara can remove the covering using her Archaeological tools, such as a trowl or brush. A prompt will again appear instructing you how to use the 'tool'. Once removed, you occasionally are asked to do a rubbing for 'recording historical data'. Again, you simply wave the remote over the paper which appears on screen and your rubbing will appear.

This game is not without fault however with some parts a little frustrating at times. The camera angles can get a little silly in certain areas, the main example being when you are fighting an enemy whether it's a lion or gorilla. When they make their attack, it is sometimes a little tricky to get your bearings back as they are now behind you. I suppose this comes with practice, but can be annoying in the heat of battle.

TR: Anniversary is a great game, although will take up a lot of your time. It can get very in-depth looking for artifacts and some of the puzzles can prove tricky, but with a bit of patience, you'll get through them.

Even with a new Tomb Raider game released before Christmas, 'Anniversary' is a great game to have and if you're lucky you should be able to pick one up for about £10. I believe it stands up to most other action adventure games and is hugely enjoyable.

Summary: Roll back the years with Lara's first adventure adapted for the Nintendo Wii.

This is just my opinion. I also write reviews on dooyoo under the name macmonkey13. 

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