The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces - Dogfighting Sim by the Ace Combat Team COMING TO NORTH AMERICA

quote GAF

- basically, nunchuk : joystick, wiimote : throttle. Unlike most Wii games, the standard, recommended configuration here is : Wiimote on the left hand, nunchuk on the right. [though it's probably possible to invert anyway]. The correct position for the nunchuk is to hold it vertically, then to tilt it to move the plane. Same for the wiimote, except you tilt it forward and backward to accelerate and decelerate. The triggers on the nunchuk are used to action the weapons.
- about the Tactical Maneuver Command (TMC) ; to use this command, you have to fill up TMC gauges (you can accumulate up to 13 levels of gauge) then press the A button to execute an acrobatic maneuver which will automatically put you right behind a targetted enemy airplane. It will then be up to you to manage to shoot this enemy down with your machine guns [it's unclear as to how exactly you fill up this gauge, but I assume that it's by shooting down targets and completing objectives...]. They however mention that, as the difficulty ramps up, the second half of the game will see the apparition of enemy airplanes which evade easily from the TMC, so it's not an infaillible system either.[I wonder...does the effiency of the command depend on the the gauge level ?...]
- Objectives also include ground target bombing and fights-less reconnaissance missions.
- Obviously no missiles. However, they feel like the TMC basically serves as a substitute for this.
- They think the game looks "absolutely beautiful".
- Nunchuk controls are apparently really responsive, but can get some time to get used to, essentially because the lack of references in space and feedback forces you to "grasp" the effectiveness of the nunchuk movements by yourself. Apparently feels really good and fresh once you "get it". They say you can really feel like you are controlling one of these motorized airplane and not a modern jet propelled airplane. The writer mentions that just as described in the original work, the Sanka Mk-2, which he was able to play, featured a very particular lightness and maniability ("Revolving as lightly as a paper airplane."). Though you can however still very much feel the mass of the aircraft and its resistance against the wind as you pull the "joystick". They also state that the game feels overall even more "fictional" than, say, Ace Combat, as they mention that the dogfights pretty much feel like they are out of an anime/manga.

quote IGN

hird-party publisher Xseed Games revealed exclusively to IGN on Friday that it intends to release the critically acclaimed arcade flight simulator, The Sky Crawlers, in America. The title, officially named The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, will ship stateside in time for the holiday season, a representative for the company confirmed.

Developed by Project Aces, best known for the Ace Combat series, Sky Crawlers pits players as pilots in an alternate future in which peace and prosperity has finally arrived -- and yet, warmongering citizens of the world cannot accept it. To appease the people, the government allows private wars between giant corporations. "It is the battles fought by these war contracted corporations... and media reports on them... that satisfy and replace the basic human instinct to fight using the war as a show," stated Xseed Games of the story in an official release.

You play as the latest rookie pilot, Lynx, to join the Sky Crawlers, who becomes involved in a secret new military project whose goal is to make pilots immortal. You will "... join Lynx on his journey to conquer the skies while unraveling the mystery behind the military's covert new project."

"I'm extremely pleased to be able to confirm The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces for gamers in North America," said Jun Iwasaki, president of Xseed Games. "The innovative control scheme and gorgeous visuals just go to show what a top-notch development team can do when creating a new game from scratch specifically for Wii."

Innocent Aces not only features a cutting-edge 3D engine that enables some of the most realistic graphics on Nintendo's console, but a unique control scheme designed to take advantage of the system's motion controls. Held in your right hand, the nunchuk becomes the flight control stick, which is used to tilt, roll, pitch and yaw the craft. Meanwhile, the Wii remote, held in your left hand. becomes the throttle; tilt it up to accelerate and down to decelerate.

The Sky Crawlers is based on a series of novels released by Hiroshi Mori in Japan. Since the license is relatively unknown in America, we caught up with Xseed Games to learn about the translation process and what fans can ultimately expect from the English version when it arrives later this year.

IGN: The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces" is based on a series of Japanese tankobon and novels by Hiroshi Mori. Tell us about the storyline behind the game. Does the story translate well to the U.S. audience?

Xseed Games: The story behind the game takes place in a world where world peace has become a reality. The player takes on the role of a pilot nicknamed "Lynx" who puts his life on the line for a war that is essentially just a show being put on to remind the world how fortunate it is for having no global conflict to worry about. One day, Lynx and his squadron have an unexpected run-in with "kildren," pilots rumored to be invincible. What they find is a surprising truth behind who they are and what they mean to the war.

The U.S. audience should have no problems relating to the story as the overarching themes of war, its necessity (or lack thereof), and the role of mankind in it are, we believe, universal. Most of us know or know of someone who was involved in a war, and while some may reminisce over the exhilaration of defeating enemies, most talk of the horrors of war. The game asks the question of whether war really is a "necessary evil" from a new perspective that should prove thought provoking for both the Japanese and US audiences.

IGN: Project Aces, best known for the Ace Combat titles, developed Sky Crawlers. What kind of flight game is this?

Xseed Games: "The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces" is a flight game that walks the line between a serious flight simulator and an arcade style shooter. The control scheme is easy enough for players to pick up and play but also deep enough to reward hardcore flight simulator fans with its unique controls and subtle nuances that will become apparent as the player puts more time into the game..

IGN: What are you keeping and changing translation-wise?

Xseed Games: As mentioned above, since the story is quite universal, we have decided to stay as faithful to the Japanese as possible. Some expressions had to be localized to English equivalents, but other than that, not much was changed.

IGN: Will you keep the original voicework? What about new voice work?

Xseed Games: While there will most definitely be English voice in the US release, the issue of keeping the original Japanese voice in is something we are still looking into. Many constraints have to be considered (e.g. disc space, rights, etc.), but we are trying our best to figure out a way to keep both if we can.

IGN: Have you worked with Project Aces to make any content or gameplay changes? If so, what?

Xseed Games: The simple answer would be...no. The gameplay was excellent to begin with, so there really wasn't all that much to change. The controls are intuitive and the pacing is just right.

IGN: Finally, what do you want Wii owners to know about the title?

Xseed Games: If you want an excellent flight simulator title with a deep and involving story, this is the game for you. The title maintains the balance between great story-telling and gameplay, keeping every mission fresh, fun and challenging. Casual or hardcore, this game has something for everyone.

The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces will be available exclusively for Wii this holiday season. Stay tuned to IGN for more on the game in the coming weeks and months.