Precision is everything!
Ghostfire Games listens to its fans and adds in new control feature.
Who says that game developers never listen to their fans? It seems one developer is listening and has decided to add on a very important feature to their upcoming WiiWare fighter. Of course this also marks the first WiiWare release to make use of the Wii MotionPlus system, as well.
Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games, has just announced that they've added Wii Motion Plus control to their upcoming WiiWare title Rage of the Gladiator due to the overwhelming response from fans of the game.
You can check out the official press release below for more information, along with the brand new gameplay trailer.
Ghostfire Games today announced that their new WiiWare title, “Rage of the Gladiator” will be the first WiiWare title to support the Wii MotionPlus device. Rage of the Gladiator is a first-person perspective fantasy fighting game where you control a gladiator. Wielding a warhammer and shield, you must duel a variety of boss enemies in an arena.
“We listened to you, the Wii community.” said Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games. “The community encouraged us to explore Wii MotionPlus and we listened to your feedback. The result is pretty awesome – we actually love playing it with Wii MotionPlus even more than traditional controls. We’ve also added a basic motion sensing mode as well, for people to use the Wii Remote + Nunchuk in case they don’t have a Wii MotionPlus device. “
Using the new Wii MotionPlus controls, you can swing your warhammer in a variety of directions as you pound on your opponents. You can also swing the Nunchuk to perform a bash with your shield.Wii MotionPlus Control Scheme
Nunchuck
Nunchuk thumbtack: Dodge left, dodge right, jump
C Button: Shield block
Swing the nunchuck: Shield bash. Doing this will start a combo if the enemy is vulnerable.
Wii Remote
Swing the Wii Remote Left, Right, Up, or Down: Perform aimed swings in those directions. You can optionally hold down B to aim low when swinging left/right as well.
Swing the Nunchuk: Perform a shield bash, which will unleash a devastating combo if you have sufficient energy.
A Button: Cycle through combo finishers that you have learned
About Rage of the Gladiator
Rage of the Gladiator is a fantasy-based fighting game. You play the role of Gracius, battling for his life in the arena against 11 unique enemies.
Your equipment consists of a magical war-hammer and a trusty shield. Wait for the right moment, then dodge, jump, or block your enemy's attacks. Next, unleash your rage by brutally pounding your enemy with your war-hammer and bashing them with your shield.Each opponent has a unique style and pattern that you need to pay close attention to. Learn to exploit the weakness of each enemy with the proper timing and agility, and you will triumph.
As you advance past each battle, you will gain access to devastating combos. Early on, you may learn how to leap into the skies and plunge your war-hammer into the ground, creating a pillar of fire that burns your enemy to a crisp. As you progress you may learn more deadly combos, such as conjuring an ancient tornado to lay the ground asunder.
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We'll have more information on Rage of the Gladiator as it becomes available, as well as a full review when the game hits the WiiWare service.
1. bro2dragons
23 Sep 2009, 20:04 BST
awesome. this just made the game a must-download. i was not going to get it until this announcement. WAY TO GO GHOSTFIRE! this is how developers should be. they should listen to their fans and what they want, and not just make a game the way they feel. PROPS!
2. Chrono Cross
23 Sep 2009, 20:04 BST
Looking good Ghost Fire!
I'll be downloading this depending on the reviews.
3. edhe
23 Sep 2009, 20:05 BST
Aw nuts! I don't have a motionplus yet...
4. diego_pmc
23 Sep 2009, 20:07 BST
Instant-must-buy!
5. Koto
23 Sep 2009, 20:08 BST
now its a must download
6. ghostfire
23 Sep 2009, 20:08 BST
Thanks guys... it was the feedback on this site (as well as others) that really helped to convince us that Wii MotionPlus was an important feature to add. If you notice in the video, we now also have dynamic lighting. That feature was suggested on this site as well. So thanks, I really appreciate the feedback you guys have given us!
7. Koto
23 Sep 2009, 20:08 BST
now its a must download
8. Reala
23 Sep 2009, 20:08 BST
I don't have WMP either, still nice to know its an option for when I do get it though.
9. shinigami tidus
23 Sep 2009, 20:10 BST
I don't have a motionplus yet either...
First WiiWare game supporting WiiMotionPlus! Not bad at all!
And this epic soundtrack _
10. Objection_Blaster
23 Sep 2009, 20:13 BST
Very nice to see them implement fan feedback. I think the finished product will be much stronger for it.
11. Tony
23 Sep 2009, 20:17 BST
Thats terrific news and I hope more developers follow in Ghostfire Games footsteps. Kudos
12. Sneaker13
23 Sep 2009, 20:28 BST
Now, this game became a lot more interesting for me.
13. Jockolantern
23 Sep 2009, 20:30 BST
Wow. This game looks better and better the more information is released about it. Fantasy-styled Punch-Out gameplay with strategy-based gameplay and now Motion Plus support?
Sign me up, please.
14. Corbie
23 Sep 2009, 20:34 BST
While Ed's listening to feedback, might I just say that you should scrap the entire project and develop a ridiculously difficult and brutally unfair bullet hell shooter just for me. Thanks.
15. Ren
23 Sep 2009, 20:43 BST
Word to big bird. This looks really fun, and keeps sounding better. Nothing like a satisfying slap-punch and even the motion to go with it! Think I'm gonna have to get this. So great to hear a developer taking advice from fans, especially knowing how hard that can be to given the restraints that they can be under.
16. Sephariel
23 Sep 2009, 20:43 BST
another reason to buy WM+
17. ghostfire
23 Sep 2009, 20:43 BST
Consider it done, Corbie! Coming soon to a WiiWare system near you...
18. Omega
23 Sep 2009, 20:45 BST
@Corbie: Ha hah. Since you are the only one interested in this game it will sure be unbelievable expensive.
19. ganondwarf16
23 Sep 2009, 20:46 BST
lol corbie
20. Blue Protoman
23 Sep 2009, 20:49 BST
@ghostfire: Cut the price in half, I like bullet hells, too!
21. Corbie
23 Sep 2009, 20:52 BST
In all seriousness, this game looks great and I'm now even more curious than ever to try it out given the use of Wii MotionPlus. I'm also working up some questions for an interview with Ed that we'll get up soon as well.
22. motang
23 Sep 2009, 20:53 BST
Very good news!
23. LEGEND MARIOID
23 Sep 2009, 20:53 BST
Couldn't be more of an insta-download if it tried! Brilliant!
24. suburban_sensei
23 Sep 2009, 21:03 BST
This makes us WM+ owners happy to hear, since there are not a whole lot of games that support it. While I wasn't all that excited when I first read about the game, I am now interested in seeing how it controls. I know one thing, I love Punch-Out, so i'll probably still give it a go, regardless.
25. Angelic Lapras King
23 Sep 2009, 21:03 BST
Ah, I did wonder if any Wiiware titles wopuld support WM+
26. Hyper Luigi
23 Sep 2009, 21:06 BST
Awesome Ghostfire! You have another purchaser for this game!
27. odd69
23 Sep 2009, 21:06 BST
Yes i might get this even with out reading a review. And since you guys are making a bullet hell for corbie, can you make first person action game that requires exploration and wonderful glorious glorious loot for me. Wiiware lacks this type of game. Kinda like this game ,it has not been done yet(on wiiware). So i guess i should buy this game so you guys can continue to conjure up games for wiiware.
28. Pikamander2
23 Sep 2009, 21:07 BST
Punch Out Wii, but with gladiators.
Awesome.
29. nintendo87
23 Sep 2009, 21:07 BST
sweet im getting this on the first day i have wm+ but no game for it this will be my first
30. bro2dragons
23 Sep 2009, 21:11 BST
hm... consider me in on this bullet hell action, too.
31. Hardy83
23 Sep 2009, 21:26 BST
Jebus that looks awesome! lol totally buying it!
What's the price? 1000? 1500? I'd buy it for 1500, but I'm sure most would prefer 1000.
Spread the word people, we know WiiWare devs don't have the budget to advertising, and this game looks like it deserves to be a success.
32. BlueFlameBat
23 Sep 2009, 21:27 BST
What's wrong with using the Z button to jump?
33. ATRUEZELDAFAN
23 Sep 2009, 21:36 BST
This has just become my number 1 most wanted wiiware game.
34. pixelman
23 Sep 2009, 22:01 BST
This is going to sell like HOTCAKES. No kid, this is really good for you guys. I'm even considering buying it now.
Kudos to Ghostfire for being smart.
35. Atlantis1982
23 Sep 2009, 22:35 BST
Still no thanks, but I do like when developers take in suggestions from their fans even if the fans will not buy the game anyway. :rolleyes:
36. mjc0961
23 Sep 2009, 22:46 BST
"Who says that game developers never listen to their fans?"
That's the dumbest question ever asked on a Nintendo site, considering Nintendo doesn't listen to its fans all over the damn place.
37. cr00mz
23 Sep 2009, 22:52 BST
i'm not sure about this move. i tried punch-out with nunhuck+mote it is very unreliable because the swings dont register sometimes and its alot harder to time it compared to a quick button press. I havent tried WM+ so i dont know how it works. but if the game is anything like punch-out, you wont be able to beat TD mode with nunchuk+mote, unless you're really really lucky.
38. pixelman
23 Sep 2009, 22:57 BST
@cr00mz: I actually preferred the motion in Punch-Out!! over the button presses. It just felt really really good.
39. ghostfire
23 Sep 2009, 23:21 BST
You can hold the Wii Remote sideways (like an NES controller) if you prefer as well.
40. WolfRamHeart
23 Sep 2009, 23:33 BST
@Ghostfire Games: Wow, you guys have really outdone yourselves with this announcement! I am very impressed! Thank you for listening to the suggestions of your fans and for providing the Nintendo Life readers with a wealth of information about this game! I just hope that we won't have to wait too long for it to come out!
41. accc
24 Sep 2009, 00:16 BST
Wooooow! I can't believe a developer actually listens to the fans! This is now a must buy for me!
42. WhoKnew
24 Sep 2009, 00:28 BST
Awesome. Too bad about no multiplayer. Can't wait till release.
43. Awesome5
24 Sep 2009, 00:37 BST
This just made my day. I was already planning on getting this, now even more so!
44. Odnetnin
24 Sep 2009, 00:41 BST
Wii M+ officially made this must-have.
45. sirgrim
24 Sep 2009, 00:55 BST
Looking awesome. Digging the new lighting, don't really care about M+ but will try it out, can't wait for the old style. Glad you left that as a choice.
46. sirgrim
24 Sep 2009, 01:01 BST
What would make this game completely awesome, and not conflict with the play at all would be online leaderboards. Track who can beat the game with dying the least, who beat it the fastest and who beat each boss the fastest and with getting hit the fewest times.
You would be able to add that sparkly WiFi logo to the game without requiring multiplayer
. With online tracking the first 10 people to beat the game and submit their score can get a prize. Gamers love prizes 
47. accc
24 Sep 2009, 01:14 BST
^I agree, online leaderboards are a must. Snap to it, GG devs!
48. SKTTR
24 Sep 2009, 02:05 BST
Ayy. WiiMotionPlus adds another dimension to the game.
The dimension of me buying it.
49. cheetahman91
24 Sep 2009, 02:35 BST
I'm still on the fence about this one. I'll wait for a review to see if the controls actually work or not.
50. ReZon
24 Sep 2009, 03:06 BST
Nicely done... Motion Plus does make it much more noticeable, especially since it will be the first for WiiWare! I look forward to hearing more.
51. Vendetta
24 Sep 2009, 03:54 BST
You can have my points right now if you want.
52. laskecap
24 Sep 2009, 05:10 BST
this gotta be cool
53. Vendetta
24 Sep 2009, 05:21 BST
Oh, and by the way? Bottle that soundtrack and sell it - it's awesome! Triplet figures at 1:12 FTMFW! I hope this track gets a nice long extended version for the game, and that the others are in the same league.
54. argus
24 Sep 2009, 05:26 BST
Ghostfire's other wiiware game, Helix, was awesome. I'll be keeping my eye on this one. Helix 2 with MotionPlus support would be even better.
55. Vendetta
24 Sep 2009, 05:44 BST
Ok, seriously? I've watched this trailer about 10 times already and feel like I've already gotten my points' worth.
Look at how well this trailer is put together, guys. At 0:19, the Shrek-lookin' dude raises his sword to the crescendo of the soundtrack. Perfect. At 1:01, Horlan the Crusher stomps his foot precisely in time with the tympany hit on the "1." Sublime. And the triplets I mentioned in an earlier post? Please... THIS is quality stuff, and it's obvious that Ghostfire has paid very close attention to the details and production values of this title.
Ghostfire, this is from me to you: if the game is put together half as well as this trailer, then you've earned each and every nickel - may there be many - that your efforts bring. I'll be among the first to buy.
56. Bulbasaurus Rex
24 Sep 2009, 05:53 BST
As long as people like Corbie are submitting game requests, can you make an isometric co-op beat-'em-up game for me?
Oh, and great news about using WM+. I'll almost certainly be getting this.
57. Omega
24 Sep 2009, 08:46 BST
Who says that game developers never listen to their fans?
Okay, now where Ghostfire-Games listen to all our wishes, I have to add the following:
I want:
It's a bit demanding? No, I think that's no problem for you. Thanks.
58. JimLad
24 Sep 2009, 09:54 BST
Can I make a suggestion?
Change the hit noise to something more bone crunching/flesh pounding, the one in those trailers sounds a bit too comical.
I think it would make a lot of difference.
59. Kirk
24 Sep 2009, 12:17 BST
I'm very very impressed with the attitude you guys have at Ghostfire and I actually think this game is going to live up to the hype based on everything I have seen and read so far.
I'm so happy you added in dynamic lighting to ROTG because it's one of those things I kept suggesting would really finish off the polished look of the game and it really has imo.
Here's my personal business mantra that I just thought I'd share with you guys at Ghostfire because I think it's a great way to think about any kind of business/product/service and imo you guys look to be doing it perfectly: Satisfy the customer, at a profit.
When you combine making high quality polished and fun software with listening to and satisfying the customer you're already onto a winner imo and hopefully in this case there should be a decent profit at the end of it.
For adding in the dynamic lighting alone I'm buying this game (all the other stuff you have added is also cool and appreciated too).
Sales +1
Kudos
60. deadly.by.design
24 Sep 2009, 15:41 BST
I dig the concept, but it seems like a waggle-fest. (between blocking/dodging) If I'm going to fight in an Arena, I'm probably better off just firing up Oblivion on my PC.
Still, it's nice to see a game like this headed to WiiWare + MotionPlus support.
61. Kirk
24 Sep 2009, 15:58 BST
@deadly.by.design
If you've played any of the Punch Out games before then you should know that games like this, based on what I have read and seen of this game of course, are most definitely not waggle fests. In fact the whole point of them is not to be waggle fests and instead to be about strategy, pattern recognition and counter attacks. It's one of the main reasons I'm actually interested in this game in fact, and I really love the old school classic Punch Out style of gameplay and control that this games seems to be based on.
62. deadly.by.design
24 Sep 2009, 16:16 BST
I played the new Punch-Out!!, and it was alright, but the multiplayer fell flat. (loved the original) Guess I'm just a bigger fan of free-form combat when weapons & magic get involved. I'm only a casual observer of this game's progress, but M+ support seems like it would be somewhat moot in a pattern recognition dueler. I'd love for Ghostfire to prove me wrong and release a fun combat game where how you attack matters. (as opposed to dodge, block, swing away)
Like I said though, I'm still glad to see this coming to WiiWare, regardless. I'm not trying to be a Negative Nancy.
63. ghostfire
24 Sep 2009, 16:54 BST
@deadly.by.design: For the most part, it doesn't matter which direction you hit the boss, and this is intentional to balance the game from a difficulty-perspective. However, all bosses have the ability to be "counterattacked" out of some of their moves, and some of those counterattacks require that you choose the correct direction. For example, if the boss is winding up to hit you from the left, then you need to counterattack him with a left-handed swing. The reward for this is a very dramatic slow-motion hit, the crowd cheers, and you get extra magic meter. So the "direction matters" part of the game is an optional advanced way to play the game. Think of it like playing a racing game where you can take a shortcut, but its dangerous and tricky.
In addition, certain bosses can only be attacked if you pick the proper direction, especially in Challenge Mode of the game. The best example of a boss where the attack direction matters is Ixthid the Beholder. He has 6 eyestalks coming out of his head. Occasionally he will extend one of those eyestalks towards you and shoot a laser. You need to attack into the right location in order to hit him, since the other eyestalks are out of melee range.
@JimLad, @accc, @sirgrim: I will pass these ideas on to the team. Thanks!
@BulbasaurusRex: Consider it done
@Vendetta: Glad you like the music. You can download one of the other tracks on our web site, http://www.ghostfiregames.com. We will be releasing additional tracks as well soon.
64. Machu
24 Sep 2009, 16:56 BST
M+? Really? Nice one!
65. NeoNight
24 Sep 2009, 18:33 BST
They just added the option in, to say they added it in. I don't think its going to work as well (or even better) then say, the way the sword fighting mini game works in wii sports resort.
66. Ghostfire-Scott
24 Sep 2009, 20:54 BST
@Vendetta --
Thank you for your comments. I'm the one who makes the videos here, and I am very proud of this one. I really like the soundtrack, its one of my favorites. We used a shorter version of it already with the Ixthid video, and I was happy to be able to use the full one this time.
Stay tuned for future videos, new one should be out a week from Monday!
67. Vendetta
25 Sep 2009, 00:39 BST
@Ghostfire-Scott
You're very welcome. I just wanted you to know that the details like this are really appreciated by those of us who pay attention, and probably by many others who may not recognize why they're getting goosebumps when they watch certain things.
Keep up the excellent work.
68. LEGEND MARIOID
28 Sep 2009, 09:33 BST
Well done Ghostfire, great move. Originally I wasn't going to get this because it didn't have motion controls. Its now going to have wiimotionPLUS controls! Therefore, insta-download!
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