Wonderful 101, The Review
Welcome to our CHEATfactor Game Review of Wonderful 101, The. We review the game and then factor in how the available cheats affect the overall game experience.
 

Reviewed on: Wii U
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Nintendo
Rated: "T" for Teen

 
CHEATfactor Game Review
by Joe Sinicki
Presentation 8/10 
One look at The Wonderful 101 and it's clear - this is a game that pops. It's bright colors, riveting soundtrack and fun animations make it a more than a fitting tribute to the Japanese TV shows it more than pays tribute to.
Gameplay 7/10 
The Wonderful 101 has some remarkable ideas, sometimes changing the very idea of some long running gaming clichés. It's a shame then that some of these innovative ideas don't transfer all that well to the controls.
Lasting Appeal 8/10 
The Wonderful 101 allows you to replay missions for higher ranks and higher scores and since the only penalty for death is a lower rank, you're allowed to take chances and risks.
Overall 8/10 
It's vibrant style screams Nintendo and pays a wonderful homage to some great cult properties. Most importantly though, it's a mostly fun and innovative way to enjoy your dusty Wii U.
CHEATfactor 0/10 
 

If the Wii U were to have a killer app - it would be The Wonderful 101. The bright and colorful action game is remarkably fun and even charming at times. It's deceptively deep and manages to change how you'll deal with a number of very old gaming clichés. Be warned though, just when it starts to seem like the game it could be, The Wonderful 101 shoots itself in the foot by failing to fully utilize the Wii U's gamepad. That aside, this a must play for Wii U owners; especially those who pine for the 16-bit era.

If The Wonderful 101's vibrant and defined art style looks familiar, there's a reason. It was developed by Platinum Games and directed by Hideki Kamiya and Atsushi Inaba, most famous for the criminally underrated Viewtiful Joe. With The Wonderful 101 though, Platinum Games has gone in a different direction. The art style and general direction is clearly influenced by pulp Japanese TV shows like Ultra Man and Power Rangers and the game clearly benefits as a result. The Wonderful 101 is one of the most interesting and vibrant looking games on the market today.

"...this is a perfect love letter to the 16 and 32 bit eras of gaming..."

 
   

The Wonderful 101 puts you in control of 100 daring heroes (you make it the 101) as they try to combat an alien invasion. It's a paper-thin plot and perfectly reminiscent of the type of games I was playing and TV shows I was watching in elementary and junior high. It may not seem like it, but this is a perfect love letter to the 16 and 32 bit eras of gaming and the culture surrounding them. The way you'll control these 100 heroes though is anything but familiar.

You won't be controlling one of these heroes or even switching off, rather you'll be taking the reigns of all of them at once. It may seem daunting, but Platinum Games has a worthwhile way of handling it, at least in practice. Using a combination of traditional button presses and drawing shapes on the Wii U's gamepad, you'll maneuver and plan out your hero's attacks. For instance drawing a circle will make your squad form a gigantic gauntlet while drawing a straight line may produce a giant sword. It's always fun to find out new shapes and weapons to try out, since the game let's you discover these on your own very often.

"In theory, it's a great formula, but in practice it's clearly flawed."

 
   

In theory, it's a great formula, but in practice it's clearly flawed. You can either draw with the right stick or the gamepad but neither presents a viable option and both manage to takeaway from what's actually happening on the screen. The gamepad requires you to take your hands and eyes off the action going on, which in a game like this can be the difference between life and death, while using the right stick means your knife drawings are often going to be misinterpreted.

Outside of the core gameplay, The Wonderful 101 features some remarkably fresh and fun gameplay features. The boss battles are often the highlight of any of the game's stages since they're so grand in scale and often require you to bend the genre of the very experience you're playing. For completionsists, each level can also be replayed for a higher rank and since your only penalty for failure is a lower rank, you're more than welcome to take chances.

It may have its fair share of issues (oh man, those controls), but The Wonderful 101 is easily a must play for the Wii U. It's vibrant style screams Nintendo and pays a wonderful homage to some great cult properties. Most importantly though, it's a mostly fun and innovative way to enjoy your dusty Wii U.

 
 
CHEATfactor
 

As of this writing there are absolutely no cheats available for The Wonderful 101.

Stick with Cheat Happens for more as they become available.