Project Zero 2: Wii Edition

[HandsomeDead]

Coming 29th June

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While Europe never did get an official release of Fatal Frame 4, it's looking like the continent will definitely be getting a chance at it's pre-prequel. Project Zero 2: Wii Edition will be published by Nintendo of Europe and released at retail on June 29th.

Above is the latest Japanese trailer for the game. As you can see, a creepy level of closeness between two doll-like sisters one of the game's major themes. That's the kind of thing you're more likely to see in Japanese horror, and that's part of why the Fatal Frame series still has a place in today's gaming landscape. While there are plent of action-horror games on the market that work to be gross and exciting, there are few that lend focus towards making the player feel vulnerable and weird. That's where Fatal Frame excels. We can hope that this remake of Fatal Frame 2 will be no different.

We can also hope that the game will make its way to the United States at some point, preferably alongside Fatal Frame 4. The fact that Spirit Camera has been released internationally but the critically acclaimed, Suda 51 co-directed, fan translated Fatal Frame 4 remains landlocked in Japan is truly a crime against nature.

More Wii stuff!

This is a surprising one. I've only played Fatal Frame 4 and there was an Xbox version (maybe more than one) and it totally passed me by when they were originally released. By the time I got a PS2 finding a copy was like finding gold dust.

But I really enjoyed that Japanese Fatal Frame 4 with the English fan patch on the most part, when it wasn't bugging out so I'm eager to attempt to play one of these games again.

[HandsomeDead]

A wee reminder this is out this week.

Where I'm staying at the moment doesn't lend itself well to pointer controls so unless you can play this with the classic controller I'm gonna be waiting until my living situation changes.

But some related news Nintendo now co-owns the Fatal Frame/Project Zero licence.

Don't hold out for Fatal Frame to return to it's original Playstation home: Rely On Horror is reporting that Nintendo recently updated its copyright status and now officially co-owns the Fatal Frame IP (also known as Zero in Japan).

It also has full ownership of the ill-fated spinoff, Spirit Camera. This shouldn't come as a surprise to series fans, as Nintendo has been deeply linked with the series for quite some time. Well, there goes my dream of a shoddy Kinect Fatal Frame game! Now that the series has a new master (or co-master) maybe the next Fatal Frame will make some great use of the Wii U tech.

As it stands, the remake of Project Zero 2 is slated to hit the Wii next week on June 28th and June 29th, for Japan and Europe respectively. Sadly, there is still no news on a US date.

I guess this means they may try and push the series for the WiiU. Could be awesome, could be overly gimmicky.

[DANGERMAN]

word, and all the true gamerz liek us are'nt going to play a kids machine innit bro

o/

[DANGERMAN]

I've got to say though, I see their logic releasing it on the Wii (the controller fits, it's cheaper to make, re-use assets etc), and I can see why Nintendo picked it up (cheap, translation was already done I think), but it's not going to sell

[HandsomeDead]

The thing with games like these are teh hardcore 'say' they want them but when it comes to it they rarely actually buy them. Case in point when No More Heroes came to PS3 and got fraction of the sales of the Wii version even though you couldn't move for people shouting for a HD version.

I think Nintendo is a better home at the moment looking at how Resident Evil 6 and Dead Space 3 are turning out.

But it may end up being naff in a different way on the WiiU. Let's see how it goes.

[DANGERMAN]

true, and if you want to put it in those kind of terms then if you're 'hardcore' enough you'll buy a game on whatever system it's out on. Look at Cave games, they aren't exactly graphical masterpieces, but they sell to a very hardcore group. Xenoblade did well on the Wii, Dark Souls on the HD consoles. If you're hardcore and want to play something you should be willing to put your money where your mouth is

that's not how things work in the real world obviously, but it just shows that the neogaf/rllmuk types (not everyone on them obviously) are full of shit

[DANGERMAN]

Just to set this straight, i was'nt insinuating that i somehow feel Wii owners are'nt "hardcore" gamers.... partly because i fucking hate the term personally. I honestly do believe that its being released on the wrong console in regards to reaching the right type who are going to make a purchase.

the thing is there's no history of proper horror games on the HD consoles, the only one that comes to mind is Siren and that was practically an EU launch game on the PS3. I've no idea how they all sold but the Wii has had the Resident Evil remakes, a Fatal Frame game, Cursed Mountain, Ju-On, a good Silent Hill, Calling, and a couple of others.

There's not been many proper horror games at all the past 5 years, the market isn't there for them anywhere imo, but at least the camera controls match the pointer

Looking at sales figures for the forth game, they seem pretty low (even taking into account its Japan only release)... just seems to me that for the amount of money spent adding "waggle" controls for one console they could of tarted the game up HD wise and stuck it on two consoles marketplace's.

I'd guess it costs way more to make a HD game than to remap the controls to the wii remote. If sales are down anyway you'd be daft to spend big money on it.

I do take your point though, releasing it as a download, if that's possible, on the HD systems (might be too big) would be a good halfway house I think

Edit to add: Aside from the cost of HD costs, the only other reason I can think we've seen a few of these games on Wii is because it sold so well in Japan, and the Japanese make these kind of horrors (commercially, there's plenty of western PC games)