Review: The Godfather Blackhand Edition (Wii)

The Xbox 360 edition of the Godfather, which corrected the flaws associated with the earlier PS2 attempt pleasantly surprised Gamestyle. Graphically enhanced with far more content, it was a welcome adventure set in the era of a thriving New York, where mafia families ruled the streets and bossed the police. It was the definitive version, until now that is, as EA Redwood Shores reprise their role with the 'Blackhand' enhancement for Nintendo Wii.

So what’s new in this Blackhand edition? EA Redwood Shores have added 30 new missions to the story, which range from new hits to shopkeepers to blackmail opportunities. Nothing really notable except that it increases what was already a comprehensive package. You can also call in the family hit squad if things start to get tough on a mission, so although financially costly, the job gets done.

The majority of Wii releases to date have been fairly safe affairs, utilising the motion sensitive aspects in a safe and practical generic setting, such as a puzzle or driving release. Now we’re finally seeing developers stepping outside of their comfort zone, introducing fighting releases or adding a new twist to an existing title. Electronic Arts historically have not had the most envious track record when it comes to converting titles for a new format - see the lacklustre Nintendo DS launch line up for proof. So when they announced that the Godfather was heading to the Wii, Gamestyle can be forgiven for being a little cynical, especially as Nintendo’s latest is seriously underpowered against the Xbox 360.

The story has not changed in any way, but Gamestyle will outline the basic premise if you haven't read our 360 write up. You take the role of a child who witnesses the execution of his mafia father, only to promise revenge and this opportunity comes years later when you join the Corleone family. Eager to learn and progress, you start at the lowest family rank and have the opportunity work your way up to the very top. With the Big Apple playing host to several rival family factions, you have a widespread of targets, rackets, shops, contract killings and other duties to perform. Respect is important: you must dress and present yourself to make the right friends and impressing the main Corleone players.

For staunch Nintendo fans The Godfather represents the first opportunity to experience the GTA-inspired phenomenon on a Nintendo console. There is no denying that this is from where the Godfather takes its blueprint and integrates this into the Godfather world. Where EA have excelled is the use of characters from the films (all voiced by the original actors where possible) and maintaining the unique era in which the trilogy was set. It all comes together extremely well, as you can walk or drive across New York at your leisure, doing what you please outside of the main storyline.

Just by playing the first few missions in Blackhand confirms how much thought has gone into adopting the unique options offered by the Wii. A testament to this is that some missions which originally proved troublesome to complete are far more rewarding and natural with the nunchunk and wii remote. However, Redwood Shores have not gone totally overboard and have shown some restraint as a title such as this monopolised by motion would be extremely tiring and complicated to control. Instead, driving and walking are governed by the nunchunk, while a simple flick on the device will reload the gun in hand.

Through your actions you can throw punches, slam and strangle opponents or just open doors. It makes the world more interactive and enjoyable, as when roughing up shopkeepers or policemen, it’s all too easy to get carried away. Shootouts are great fun, with the player having the option to switch between targets and aim at various points of the body (shoulder, knee) to disarm or other areas to kill. The more adventurous will jump into Free Aim mode where you simply point the wiimote at the screen and fire at will, which is difficult initially but rewarding through practice.

With the Wii there does have to be a compromise and unfortunately it is very evident visually. New York is more drab and grey than ever before with textures and resolutions extremely low and gritty - even when playing via the compatible EDTV/HDTV setting. Slight smog also exists when driving, which allows vehicles to suddenly appear in front of you, however the main character models and cut sequences still remain detailed and effective. The opponent AI can be slightly moronic at times, baffling you as you try to anticipate it. Again the ease of control overcomes this during gunfights as you can use cover, reload or change weapon swiftly.

For all the visual compromises it is worth highlighting that Gamestyle would take this version over any other given the level of interaction on offer. The new features add to what was already an enjoyable and entertaining experience, only now you can kick, punch, shoot and strangle your way to the top and feel like you're actually doing it. Welcome to the family.

Rating: 7 / 10

Words by Jason Julier