Features: The World of MotoHeroz

MotoHeroz is a new WiiWare game from Finnish developer RedLynx, developers of the highly acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade hit Trials HD. According to RedLynx:

The game takes the fun, fast gameplay of physics-based racers, adds it to a frantic rally race, and delivers a fresh new kind of side-scrolling, platform racing game.

As MotoHeroz is one of the most promising WiiWare games in development, we've teamed up with RedLynx to bring you a series of exclusive articles over the coming weeks to bring you more information about the game's characters, weapons, gameplay modes and more.

The World of MotoHeroz

The story takes place in Gema, a world dominated by games. What makes Gema different from many other worlds in the Multiverse is that instead of using weapons and warfare to resolve disputes, the people use games of skill to decide issues.

Thousands of different kinds of competition are used, from shot-putting to wife-carrying and hang-gliding, but the most important throughout history has always been racing, whether on foot, on horseback, or more recently, in cars. The results of every race are printed in the newspapers which, instead of showing stock market prices, print Leader Boards.

Geography

Gema is divided into three large, planet-spanning continents called the Great Lands, plus the looming, nearby Moon. Each Great Land has a distinct geography that shaped the culture and history of the civilizations there.

Aridium - Ancient Land of Sand

Once a primordial seabed, the Ancient Land of Aridium is now a dry, desert continent, dotted with twisted rock formations. The first humans in the world Gema evolved in this region, creating elaborate rock paintings and lived first in caves.

In later years, petroleum was discovered beneath the dunes, there was a rush of mines, oil derricks, and rickety old machinery as people from the other continents arrived in force to claim the mineral riches of the land. The legacy left behind were abandoned mine carts and shafts, crumbling medieval-style wooden buildings, and stone forts in the desert.

Coppicia - Great Land of the Rainforest

Before the arrival of humans, the lush rainforests of Coppicia supported a population of nonhuman creatures called the Littlefeet, covered with fur. The Littlefeet never developed much beyond their original Wooden Age technology, although they are quite capable of using language and interacting with the Heroz.

In modern times, Littlefeet can be found lurking in Heroz message boards and Leader Boards causing trouble, where they are known as 'trolls.' Littlefeet trolls have names like "L0l33rz" and "asfdjasf" because their massive paws cannot type properly on a Herosian keyboard. Instead they mash their hands against the keys in anger and frustration. Also, they are terrible at games.

Thultima - The Frozen North

This frigid northern wasteland consists of Arctic terrain with slippery, frozen lake beds, Ice Age creatures, and frozen seas. Although once a center of Herosian civilization, over time the population has declined, as the majority of inhabitants moved out to warmer, friendlier climes.

However those who remain are hardy, insular folk, dressed in heavy furs and herding their seal-herds across the tundra and elevated roads beneath the twinkling Northern Lights.

Lunari - The Looming Moon

Gema's moon is so close, in fact, that on a clear night one could make out the ruins and canals created by the ancient Loonie civilization that once made its home there. The nearness of another civilization surely inspired many stories and legends, and gave an impetus to the development of the power of flight, in a quest to reach Lunari.

The ruins on Lunari were built by a long-lost civilization of space travelers known as the Loonies, little alien creatures that delight in tickling cattle and pulling down the pants of unsuspecting farmers. They are still seen motoring around the world, riding in their Unidentified Driving Objects.

Stay tuned for Part Two: The Characters of MotoHeroz