Preview: Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii)

Until the arrival of the forth instalment for the Nintendo Gamecube, the Resident Evil series was in danger of decaying past the point of no return. That all changed with Resident Evil 4, which revitalised the flagging series and provided many gamers with a undeniable reason to purchase a Gamecube. The subsequent release of an enhanced Playstation 2 version added more content and options to an already mesmerising experience. Now the game is back from the grave for one more time on Nintendo Wii and it will include the previously exclusive PS2 content.

In retrospect, the reanimation of the release should come as no surprise given Capcom's staunch support of Nintendo in recent years and the architecture of the Wii, which allows those with previous Gamecube experience to hit the ground running. Gamestyle hugely enjoyed the motion control aspects of EA's The Godfather Blackhand Edition, swinging the baseball bat with excessive delight or strangling our latest victim. With Resident Evil 4, the emphasis is on action, so it's no surprise to see the Wii remote being used to aim and fire, using Leon's extensive range of weaponry. We can only guess at the sheer fun we're going to have returning to this.

"RE4 has sold more than three million copies around the world and with the Wii version, we are focusing on improving the interface and being able to interact with the game via the Wii remote," said Capcom producer Masachika Kawata. "We on the development staff feel that the Wii is perfectly suited for the point-and-shoot style of game play that comes with the series."

While the remote takes care of the weaponry, you can direct Leon (or Ada Wong through her missions) via the nunchuk. This will also control the knife, which can be brought into play and used simply by shaking the device. By all reports, the control scheme initially will take a few moments to grasp, with Kawata admitting "At first touch it may seem like the controls are hard to adapt to, but after five minutes you will be running around blasting zombies." However, feedback so far has been very positive, so we're confident Capcom have integrated the new style of control into Resident Evil 4 with some success. Gamestyle is already predicting an avalanche of headshots as it returns to the monastery and surrounding lands.

Capcom have been working their way through the existing adventure, trying to bring as much motion control to the Wii version as possible. It is always possible to do too much, however, from what we've seen, a nice balance has been struck between traditional and motion control. For instance, while movement is goverend through the analogue stick, those Shenmue-inspired moments will aim to keep you focused, as dodging and outrunning falling boulders will be done by shaking the Wii remote.

The common argument dispatched against such enhanced and resurrected releases as Resident Evil 4 is the value. While the game debuted just over two years ago in the UK (as Gamestyle writes this preview), Capcom have promised the Wii edition will be the definative version. Yes, there will be no extra content online, no 60 frames per second or any new twists to the story, as Capcom seem focused on the other Wii title - Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles. However, widescreen will be supported without any nasty black borders that we remember from the PS2 edition and a reduced retail price is planned, although the actual retail price still remains to be confirmed. All in all, for those that missed out on the additional PlayStation 2 content or somehow overlooked the original, then this is a must have summer purchase, when it arrives later this year.

Words by Jason Julier