Genre: Action
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Nintendo

Like many of Kamiya's previous games, The Wonderful 101 totally bombards the senses incessently. The ultra lush, crisp scenery is just the tapestry upon which the game throws particle, post-processing, and shader effects upon masses of flying geometry and scenes with dozens upon dozens of enemies and player characters at a time. Almost every sequence in this game is an amazing spectacle.

The game's soundtrack is immediately memorable because the songs share so many of the same motifs. These motifs, which mesh together American World War II-era battle choruses and orchestral Hollywood action themes, fit the game's deadly-yet-light-heated premise perfectly. Voice acting and sound effects are likewise extraordinarily well done and give the game its own one-of-a-kind character.

Part brawler and part action-platformer, with healthy doses of Shenmue-style "quick-time events" and exploration elements, The Wonderful 101 is a difficult game to characterize. The core gameplay mechanic involves drawing various shapes with the right analog stick, which coordinates the player's units Pikmin-style, in order to perform various abilities. The stages are well-designed, but the drawing mechanic can be a bit sketchy in practice.

The Wonderful 101 sets out to be the most over-the-top, incredulous, in-your-face action game ever, and it undoubtedly succeeds. Its cut scene and dialogue laden approach fundamentally puts it on the wrong track however; it could have been a truly great game if it would have told its story in a more light-handed, ludonarrative-driven manner. That said, the game, its mechanics, and its cast are refreshingly first-order and novel.