OVERTURN (WiiWare) Review

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 by Brad Long

WiiWare's first Mech-based fighting game enters the arena, but is it a champ or a chump?

WiiWare is very sparse when it comes to games that feature massive, hulking robots battling it out in an enclosed arena. Studio Zan therefore don't have to face much competition in the genre, so with that in mind let's delve into this game and see if they've taken the time to make this one worth owning.

Upon booting up the machine it’s obvious much care has been taken lavished on the game's presentation - it's absolutely top-notch. The menus are very slick, with a well-presented 3D animated background. All the modes are self-explanatory, with Story, Wi-Fi, VS Local and Options. Navigation is a breeze and it’s impossible to get lost.

The graphics are sharp and clear, if a little sparse in the arenas, but there’s definitely nothing distracting in the heat of battle. The different weapons added to the Mechs were all cosmetically different which is welcome. The arenas in which the fights take place are quite small but the close proximity battling this encourages is most definitely good fun, and all arenas have their own theme to them and a different amount of cover to hide behind, which helps to keep things fresh and interesting.

The sound however leaves a lot to be desired; the music is pretty generic and the spot effects are standard stuff. Oddly, when an opponent gets hit with a weapon (including shurikens, machine guns and rocket launchers), next to no sound is made. A “HIT” indicator does come up when an you successfully land an attack so it’s not like it’s hard to tell how well you’re doing, but a bit more audio accompaniment could have made all the difference there.

The game’s control default is the standard Wii Remote / Nunchuk combo, with optional Balance Board support (which just replaces the Nunchuk’s control stick). Beware though, as the balance board option is very hard to get used to, but thankfully with a bit of perseverance it can be mastered and actually boasts surprising accuracy. The game features an automatic calibration for the Balance Board so it supports your natural lean, so if someone had a natural stance slightly to the left, the game notices that.

If you don't own a Balance Board then don't fret as the standalone Wii Remote / Nunchuk combo is actually a shade more accurate. Aiming is done by IR pointer and controls similarly to Metroid Prime 3. Turning also works similarly, with the IR pointing to the side of the screen. Each arm’s weapon is mapped to Z and B, with C turning the mech to automatically face the opponent.

The Story Mode is there mostly to unlock weapons for use in Wi-Fi and VS Local mode. It starts off with you selecting from one of four OTMs (OverTurn Mech) and then giving it a unique moniker. A well drawn but generic Anime chick will then pop up and explain all that is needed to know about the game, and what can be done in the garage.

The garage allows customization for different weapons, and has a colour option to give the OTM an individual feel. This thankfully comes with an RGB slider that gives almost limitless color options. In addition to this, individual body parts and weapons can be changed, too.

Test mode is almost essential to strategy and planning. A dummy OTM is the opponent; it cannot shoot but can be told to remain motionless or constantly evade weapon fire to the best of its ability, and is great for aiming practice. Test mode is also a good way to get used to the new weaponry acquired along the way.

Once the first tournament begins, it starts of really easy but gets insanely difficult just after halfway through the story. Studio Zan have found a way to get around this though - if the AI wins three times in a row the game asks if you’d like to continue, but handicap your opponent to 75% health. If the AI is still too hard, it’ll ask to drag it down to 50%. We'll admit in the later stages this became a standard option!

However, the meat of the game has to be the multiplayer portion. The online play in this game is fantastic. Leaderboards are included for both friends and the country of origin. There are two main modes, VS (one-on-one) and Battle Royale (for up to four people). It appears that you can only play against random people within your own region, we found this to be a lag free and enjoyable experience.

Finding a random opponent for VS matches took less than 30 seconds, and finding three opponents for Battle Royale matches oddly took less time; this quick setup of matches definitely adds to the pick up and play mentality of this game. It’s also interesting to see what other people have done with their mechs, color and weapon-wise - some look absolutely fantastic. The game supports pre-made phrases which can be used while waiting for opponents and just before entering a match, much like Mario Kart, except OverTurn has 40 different options, including some impressive smileys!

Conclusion

Competitive Mech fans will be in heaven with this release. While the single-layer aspect of OverTurn is a little underwhelming and can be completed with relative ease, the impressive nature of the online multiplayer is practically worth the price of purchase alone. Studio Zan has done a wonderful job with its WiiWare debut and is a company worthy of future inspection.

8/10

Scoring Policy

User Comments

1. Bass X0 06 Aug 2009, 15:00 BST

An 8 is quite good. I don't think its a game for me though.

2. irken004 06 Aug 2009, 15:06 BST

w00t! I love this game!!!

3. Hardy83 06 Aug 2009, 15:11 BST

Glad it got a good score. I've been enjoying the game a lot.

It's funny how WiiWare seems to get better third party support then actual Wii games. lol

4. Bring Back Pluto 06 Aug 2009, 15:12 BST

I must say I'm impressed and will be downloading this soon!
And when I start winning I apologize in advance for making you feel bad!

5. Gabbo 06 Aug 2009, 15:12 BST

Great review, Brad! I may have to pick this one up.

6. Demonic S+33V 06 Aug 2009, 15:13 BST

Good review. I snagged this this one release day, read IGN's review yesterday, and found myself wondering if they were even playing the same game I was. Great game for Mecha fans.

On thing I haven't seen anyone mention in a review for this game is that, in addition to unlocking additional weapons over the course of the single-player campaign, you also unlock additional mechs once you've completed the single-player portion of the game.

Fantastic game over all.

7. fallenangel 06 Aug 2009, 15:13 BST

looks cool have to look into it

8. Bahamut ZERO 06 Aug 2009, 15:19 BST

Nice review. Is the online really that fast, cause' if it is then that's faster then The Conduit!

I bet this game will get #2 on the download lis off the phrase "anime chick"

But what does she look like anyways? I'm curious now

9. KnucklesSonic8 06 Aug 2009, 15:26 BST

Yes, online really is fast-paced and it's really challenging!
Excellent review there! Great writing and on top of that, the score practically hits the mark!

(Also, no mention of the Balance Error surprised me a tad.)

10. Hyper Luigi 06 Aug 2009, 15:39 BST

Great review! This game derserves a 8!

11. longtimegamer 06 Aug 2009, 15:42 BST

@Brad- If you go back to single player mode, after beating it the first time, you getnEmporer mode, after that Devil mode, then Demigod. It's not so easy if you try to beat these modes (Without using the handycap.). There might be more after Demigod, but I haven't finished that one yet.
Also just wanted to tell you that the practice dummy can be made to shoot back.

12. pixelman 06 Aug 2009, 15:56 BST

Sold. I'll be getting this along with The Three Musketeers with my next card.

Awesome review.

13. Omega 06 Aug 2009, 15:56 BST

Is this similar to Pokémon Stadium? With Robots instead of Pokémon?

14. PhoenixSage 06 Aug 2009, 16:03 BST

Hmmm...sounds a tad bit like Custom Robo. I think once I get my Wii back online, I'll give this game a shot.

15. Wiiperson11 06 Aug 2009, 16:24 BST

Congrats on the first review!
I'll definetely get this when it comes out in Europe.

16. irken004 06 Aug 2009, 16:26 BST

@Omega it's like Pokemon Stadium but with no turn-based gameplay, it's all real-time with guns and weapons

17. Omega 06 Aug 2009, 16:39 BST

Hmm, sounds interesting. But I think not my cup of tea.

18. accc 06 Aug 2009, 16:47 BST

Wait, Brad neglected to mention how the arenas don't have crowds! Surely that would have brought the score down to a 6! Great review, IGN could learn a thing or two from you guys about how to review games. (Or maybe they just need to fire that Hatfield guy.)

19. tkubas1 06 Aug 2009, 17:06 BST

Alright this Q. will determine if I get it or not. Can you go online with more than one person on the same screen?

20. WolfRamHeart 06 Aug 2009, 17:21 BST

Great review Chunky Droid! It may not be my type of game but I'm sure a lot of readers are very happy with this score!

21. Machu 06 Aug 2009, 17:28 BST

Damn, I want to buy this but I'm not allowed. Nice review dude.

I'll see you all online, when I finally break and buy some points.

22. Sean Aaron 06 Aug 2009, 17:36 BST

According to the IGN review the characters and dialogue from the Japanese version have been completely removed bar the gal who tells you what to do. Very disappointing. If the European version also strips this out (different publisher, so it might not be the same) then I'll just stick to the Japanese one despite missing out on online play...

23. Mayhem 06 Aug 2009, 17:44 BST

I saw the video for this on the NC, looked interesting. A score of 8? I might get it... when I have a moment amidst all the other games! Who said summer would be slow...?!

24. nintendofreak_2 06 Aug 2009, 17:45 BST

Great review, but there are two things you should be aware of. You can make the practice dummy fire back (and it can have 3 different tactics), but you have to unlock it (I believe after the first tournament). Secondly, "Once the first tournament begins, it starts of really easy but...," 'of' should be 'off'. Just a little typo.

25. Objection_Blaster 06 Aug 2009, 17:52 BST

Looks like I may be getting this soon. Thanks for the review.

26. KDR_11k 06 Aug 2009, 18:21 BST

accc: Supposedly Hatfield hates the Wii though he did like Water Warfare (as opposed to Matt who had a second take on it and spewed nothing but hate with no real explanation on why he hates it). Either way he also complained the arenas were too large while this review calls them small, I guess he expected something different.

27. Twilight Crow 06 Aug 2009, 18:45 BST

Good review Chunk_Droid, your first, right? Cool .
I think this one is not for me, I was expecting something different, a little more like Custom Robo.

@Sean
They removed the story and cool anime characters , what where they thinking?

28. malnin 06 Aug 2009, 19:00 BST

@11
theirs nothing after demigod

29. LEGEND MARIOID 06 Aug 2009, 19:05 BST

Good review and I kind of expected this score. IGN need to give up reviewing ANY Wii games IMHO. I would've purchased this even if it was 6/10 because its really my kinda thang. Hopefully it comes to EU very soon!

30. Xkhaoz 06 Aug 2009, 19:26 BST

Cool. I might get it.

31. Junkface 06 Aug 2009, 19:44 BST

Wow for 8 bucks thats pretty awesome! Make robots and blast each other to bits; plus it has online.... yes i'll take a double sir lol. I have to agree with others who have commented I spend more time playin WiiWare games than I do my retail games. If only the Vc kicked half as much butt!

32. Hyper Metal Sonic 06 Aug 2009, 19:50 BST

It looks like I'm one of few people who didn't enjoy this game alot. It has great graphics, and a nice multiplayer mode, but I just didn't really enjoy the single player mode at all. I think IGN's score was too low though. It's a good game, but I just didn't like it as much as I thought. I think I'll find some enjoyment playing it online though. So it's not all bad!

33. Darel 06 Aug 2009, 20:20 BST

Robotech 64?

34. edofthe209 06 Aug 2009, 20:30 BST

I read the IGN review and the guy seemed to be very concerned that you could not upgrade the armor, and somehow that made this such a shallow experiance compared to the all powerful Armored Core. I say "PTHTHIPTHIBBBTHPTB" to that. Some how if a $8 game doesn't compare to a $60 game then it is just not good enough. I say poppycock!

35. Joe Diddley 06 Aug 2009, 20:30 BST

The more online wiiware games the merrier. Not sure that I will be getting this though.

36. Bahamut ZERO 06 Aug 2009, 20:42 BST

No seriously what, does the anime chick look like? You got me curious Brad

37. chunky_droid 06 Aug 2009, 21:53 BST

@longtimegamer: Thanks for mentioning that! I couldn't make the dummy OTM shoot back for some reason and it still won't give me that option :/

And thanks for all the positive feedback guys, this was my first review, and this is a fantastic game. I just want to say that there is just so much stuff packed into the game and after seeing some comments there is a couple of things I've failed to mention, looking back I guess I could have mentioned the balance error part of it, but I didn't see it as a deal breaker.

@Sean: I imagine they probably did, I remember seeing a screenshot of a character that looked like Derek Stiles from Trauma Centre, haven't seen anyone other than the chick with the funny hairdo.

@bahamut: She has a crazy hairstyle, and looks a bit like a mechanic chick I guess. She wouldn't look out of place if they plonked her in Zoids IMO.

EDIT: Also good that IGN's review sucks, lol

38. chunky_droid 06 Aug 2009, 21:58 BST

And to Omega and Bass, I honestly didn't think this would be my cup of tea either, as I hate games like Armored Core. This game I just couldn't put down, but I won't make you download it

39. irken004 06 Aug 2009, 22:01 BST

I think the mechanic's name is Veronica, if anyone wants to know

Cough cough Bahamut zero.....

40. Djungelurban 06 Aug 2009, 22:08 BST

@edofthe209
Actually, I do say that every game should be review equally regardless of price cause prices fluctuate, the games don't. If a $8 game doesn't hold up to a $60 game, the review and grade should reflect that regardless of the initial price. It's then up to the consumer to decide for himself whether the lesser price is worth buying a inferior game. However, I know that doesn't happen which basically means that pretty much any single review is completely useless after a year since. Personally, when deciding which games I buy I choose the games exclusively on the merits of the game itself... I would never buy a WiiWare game "just cause it's so cheap".

41. Mattdyer0 06 Aug 2009, 22:44 BST

@Djungelurban

While I can see where you are coming from, I don't think that's fair. The game is so cheap because of the size limit restrictions. Even XBLA games have restricted sizes, so this should at least be taken into account.

Anyway, this game is awesome! One of the best Wiiware so far

42. Bahamut ZERO 06 Aug 2009, 22:46 BST

@chunky_droid: Pics please

43. longtimegamer 06 Aug 2009, 23:13 BST

@mainin- How do you know this? Did you beat it? I'm trying to with one robot. Might need to use a differant one.
You better get something good for beating it.

44. malnin 06 Aug 2009, 23:29 BST

I did beat it and you do get something interesting but it's a rather poor weapon.it does 999bp and 0 hp...
I used the Valkyrie with track mines and Death Flame.

45. WhoKnew 06 Aug 2009, 23:35 BST

I'll be sure to download this in the future. Looks great!

46. Bulbasaurus Rex 06 Aug 2009, 23:48 BST

I think this deserves a 9, but an 8 is great, too. Everyone download this. It's one of the best WiiWare games to date. IGN was completely wrong when they said the gameplay is boring.

47. edofthe209 06 Aug 2009, 23:56 BST

@chunky_droid
I forgot about the balance error thing, what is that all about? Is it interactive?

@Djungelurban
I totally get where you are coming from. Games are games and should be compared as such.I guess it just seemed like the IGN reviewer was being unreasonably harsh AND the comparison to Armored Core, which is a game I despised kind sent me off.

48. motang 06 Aug 2009, 23:59 BST

Good review. Going to look into getting this one after after Little King's Story.

49. malnin 07 Aug 2009, 00:19 BST

@edofthe209

the balance error is something that affacts the game. it's a game mechanic that adds to the strategy of choseing weapons.

50. Giggsy 07 Aug 2009, 00:53 BST

Nice one chunky, your becoming a worthy rival Jokes

51. longtimegamer 07 Aug 2009, 01:01 BST

@Mainin- I think he's talking about when your mech loses all its bp.

@edofthe 209- holes appear in your screen to which you have a certain amount of time to fit the right pieces back in to keep from stalling.

52. MarkyVigoroth 07 Aug 2009, 02:27 BST

Ah... cool robots... and a sure score...
/emotional stress/ Must... remain... with... WiiWare... boycott...

53. edofthe209 07 Aug 2009, 02:38 BST

@ longtimegamer and malnin.
Thanks! Good to know. The more I hear about this the more I can't wait to download it!

@markyvigoroth
Why the boycott? So many goodies out there! Just think, you're passing up Sexy Poker!

54. chadthegamer 07 Aug 2009, 03:21 BST

Looks really awesome. I'll be buying this along with F-Zero X once I get a Wii points card.

55. Ren 07 Aug 2009, 05:14 BST

the online looks like it could be fun but it's still looks like glorified "ducks on a pond" spitting water at each other. The design of the mechs looks silly to me. why the floating around? Is it that hard to do some cool leg animations? this doesn't say "mech" to me.

56. MDee14 07 Aug 2009, 06:05 BST

Wow i'm surprised by the score of this game. On the Nintendo Channel, it didn't look appealing what so ever.

http://www.adgirlandtechnerd.com

57. calculon 07 Aug 2009, 09:41 BST

Wow, there's loads of stuff coming to WiiWare that I need to get and this is tipping the pile already. Hopefully I'll come out in Europe soon - it looks awesome.

Great review by the way, Brad.

58. MarkyVigoroth 07 Aug 2009, 13:23 BST

edofthe209-san, I am trying to support the Virtual Console (given the new direction Nintendo has with WiiWare), so I am willingly restraining myself from buying WiiWare games and instead am trying to buy as many Virtual Console games as I can (AND want, by the way).

Byt he way, I DETEST that Poker game. /dislikes female nudity, even though there is no full nudity in that game/

59. accc 07 Aug 2009, 17:46 BST

Dislikes female nudity? Whaaaaa...?!?!?!?!

60. edofthe209 07 Aug 2009, 18:01 BST

To MarkyVigoroth
I have to agree that the light trickle of VC games is a bit of a letdown to say the least. There are plenty of goodies, but there could be so much more if they would just harness the power of the DARK SIDE!!!...sorry, just got done playing Force Unleashed... :-)

And yeah, the whole concept of a pure smut game like Sexy Poker being released is quite disheartning.

61. koolkitties 07 Aug 2009, 18:22 BST

I wish you guys wouldn't be so hard on IGN, or to be precise, IGN's writers. Like Nintendolife, IGN cannot have everybody play every game. Each writers have their own opinions and honestly, I tend to agree with IGN more often than nintendolife.

62. irken004 07 Aug 2009, 18:54 BST

give evil glare at koolkitties

63. SSBFan 12 07 Aug 2009, 20:02 BST

I will get this someday.

64. Metal Slime 07 Aug 2009, 23:03 BST

Sounds sweet!

65. DEADCELL 09 Aug 2009, 17:14 BST

Sounds cool. I like the difficulty system too. When I'm dying a lot in games, I don't want it to go into pity mode and make it easy for me. That makes it feel like your not even playing. I like that the devs give you a choice in this one. This is a definite buy for me.

66. Spaced_Out . 09 Aug 2009, 19:04 BST

On-topic: Overturn is a little light on single player. Multiplayer split-screen rocks. I like the option to either do top-bottom or left-right. I imagine left-right splitscreen works better on a 16:9 screen, but t-b works better on a 4:3 like my cryptic, massive TV.

67. Spaced_Out . 09 Aug 2009, 19:05 BST

Off-topic: VC needs to add Saturn, so more Sega fans will come and buy stuff, then causing Ninty to realize the massive potential and release 3-4 VC and 2-3 Wiiware simultaneously every week!

68. VeimightSamich 09 Aug 2009, 22:39 BST

i think im going to get this

69. Kadaj 10 Aug 2009, 03:42 BST

@ Koolkitties - I gave up on IGN a long time ago. Everything they say of do reeks of bias, and it's a shame. It used to be a quality site.

Overturn looks pretty awesome. There are still a few other games I want to get before this, but this is definitely on my to do list. I've always loved micro managing and deep customization, and hopefully this wont disappoint.

70. OBJECTERON 10 Aug 2009, 12:04 BST

well at first when buying a points card i thought of onslaught but this makes it all the more better woot:)

71. OBJECTERON 10 Aug 2009, 12:06 BST

and only 800 wii points wow

p.s. sorry bout the double post

72. AMP 11 Aug 2009, 14:29 BST

Due to this review, I'm downloading this as soon as I get off of work. See u all online.

73. edofthe209 11 Aug 2009, 19:01 BST

Finallu got to download it and I'l loving it! Hope to see everyone online!

74. ganondwarf16 12 Aug 2009, 02:09 BST

best wii-ware game I have yet plz download to give me more competition

75. ganondwarf16 12 Aug 2009, 02:09 BST

oddly the weapon system reminds me of smash bros

76. DGG 12 Aug 2009, 19:33 BST

Can someone help me out? I've unlocked the Devil tournament and I can't even get past the first match. I've gotten to it with both Valkyrie and Drakenoir so I could use either of them, but no matter what I do I can't seem to dodge the two enemies attacks long enough to take them out. I've tried it with pretty much every weapon and nothing seems to work. Help?

77. AMP 14 Aug 2009, 14:10 BST

This game is great!! More people need to buy it and get online, a 4 man fight rocks!!

78. apocalypse217 22 Aug 2009, 00:59 BST

i just did not like it that much

79. bub710 23 Aug 2009, 18:52 BST

good game but accuracy of shots could be a little more forgiving. so hard to hit a fast target.

80. Pxtl 03 Oct 2009, 06:38 BST

A solid distilling of FPS/Mech duelling into a tasty (if a bit ugly) package. If you want to kill players in an FPS on the Wii, this is the game to have.