Red Steel perfectly represents the flaws of the original Wii Remote’s design. 1:1 sword controls were simply impossible with its built in accelerometers. While the infrared pointer is arguably great for shooters, Red Steel was the first iteration of this point-and-shoot control scheme on the Wii. It was also a launch game, which are almost always rushed. Unsurprisingly, the result of all this was a rough game.
With the help of the Wii MotionPlus, Red Steel 2 eventually fulfilled the promises of the original. But the first Red Steel is unique in its setting and diverse environments. Traditional Japanese castles, brightly lit dance clubs, dense bamboo forests and dimly lit love hotels all have a distinct flavor. However, they’re connected through a hyper westernized view of Japanese culture.
The diversity is impressive, but these areas are nothing when put up against the mission “Tetsuo’s Games.” What starts as a shoot out in a pachinko parlor transitions into a demented and deadly theme park. Rooms filled with anime girl mannequins also houses men dressed up as magical girls, dynamite packed rabbit dolls, black-suited gunmen that lurk in the shadows. Each area ends with a sword fight against sentai, or Power Ranger-like super hero.
This mission also features the most diverse set of environments within a single level. Each room is set up like an attraction or a stage. One is filled with water and shifting glaciers while another is covered in greenery and houses giant dinosaur eggs. The level is topped off with a high-speed roller-coaster ride through a space-themed tunnel.
There’s a lot you have to overlook to enjoy Red Steel. But if you can forgive its mountain of troubles, it’s fascinating seeing a stereo-typical and extreme representation of Japan that somehow still comes off as different and novel.
(Header Image Source: Moby Games)
