Sin and Punishment 2: Successor of the Skies (Hands-On) (Wii) Preview

By Adam Riley 03.04.2010

Review for Sin and Punishment 2: Successor of the Skies (Hands-On) on Wii

Treasure and Nintendo saw limited success with the release of Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Earth when originally released in Japan, and due to the Nintendo 64 losing steam in Western territories, the title was deemed not strong enough to carve out a hefty chunk of sales for itself in the flagging marketplace. However, upon release on the Virtual Console, the game had somewhat of a renaissance in Japan and caused such waves in the West that Treasure and Nintendo have teamed up once more for a sequel, Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies. Cubed3 recently got the chance to go hands-on to see how well this Wii sequel holds up.

Have you ever played with a friend or relative that is clearly excessively skilled at a particular game, whilst you seemingly have complete ineptitude when it is your turn to take the reins? As boastful as it sounds, this is not usually the case on my part, yet Tracey, the young representative at a recent event that Nintendo had demonstrating Treasure’s high octane action shooter, Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies (Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor in the US), definitely made me feel extremely humble thanks to her prowess with the Wii Zapper attachment. Being a massive fan of the first game, Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Earth on the Nintendo 64, this sequel has been high up my ‘Most Wanted’ list ever since it was revealed. The original was never actually launched in Western territories, but has since achieved major cult status, culminating in massive support for its eventual worldwide Virtual Console release and the subsequent announcement of this follow-up. There was definitely something special about the first game, and thankfully it eventually got the worldwide attention it deserved. Now, though, it is time to give its successor the limelight.

Screenshot for Sin and Punishment 2: Successor of the Skies (Hands-On) on Wii

From the short time myself, Mike Mason and James Temperton had with Sin & Punishment 2, it is indeed extremely clear that Treasure has once again created something extremely exceptional that will appeal to fans of on-rail shooters such as House of the Dead, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles and Ghost Squad, as well as those that have a constant yearning for traditional shooters like Treasure’s own Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga. Set many years after the first outing, Successor of the Skies gives players the chance to take control of Isa (the son of Saki and Airan from the first game), and his young female companion, Kachi. There are three alternative control methods on offer (Wii Remote with Nunchuk, Classic Controller and PRO, GameCube controller), yet Nintendo was keen to show off the fourth one, highlighting how well the Wii Zapper option worked; a move that was no doubt successful in converting some of those doubters that have shied away from the gun-shaped plastic shell.

Screenshot for Sin and Punishment 2: Successor of the Skies (Hands-On) on Wii

Isa and Kachi run or fly through the on-rail stages, moving around rapidly and shooting at any given opportunity to fight off the hordes of on-coming enemies. Should some of the opposing forces manage to get within close range, though, there is no need to panic as a melee attack comes into play, with frantic hand-to-hand combat ensuing. Additionally, long distance projectiles can be deftly swiped at in order to send them careering back from whence they came, to devastating effect. Fortunately there is the chance to choose from various difficulty settings, since newcomers to the genre will be quickly humiliated on the Normal or Hard modes. Unfortunately, the Nintendo rep was so good at the game she refused to let me try the easiest mode! I still claim that being under pressure was the reasoning behind my poor performance, despite what my esteemed Cubed3 colleagues believed, since I did far better when trying the Japanese edition last year in the comfort of a relaxing sofa.

Screenshot for Sin and Punishment 2: Successor of the Skies (Hands-On) on Wii

Anyway, back on point, as well as the standard shooting sections, there is the odd occasion where the lead character is put into a one-on-one fighting scenario that turns the game into something akin to a standard beat ‘em up, except without the ability to block, leaving players to swiftly dodge out of harm’s way instead. Treasure has tried to mix up the gameplay at various stages, which is a Godsend since small breaks from the incessant, blistering all-out bullet hell gameplay are required simply for the sake of catching your breath and letting your heartbeat return to normal! After all, some of the stages can last up to around forty minutes or so, and the intensity of the action, with a wealth of enemies, bullets and items constantly flying around the screen forces the greatest of concentration out of players. Therefore, whilst the one-on-one fights are not easy, by any means, they are a necessary slight change of pace.

The other key aspect of Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies is that it uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for online leader-boards, meaning your high scores can be shared with the rest of the world, which will definitely give die-hard gamers massive impetus for replaying again and again, with the hope of building up more breath-taking score multipliers, chaining together direct hit after hit to obtain the highest score total possible. Throw in the eight lengthy stages to work through, plus extras to unlock, and you can easily see why this is garnering such attention from all corners of the world!

Screenshot for Sin and Punishment 2: Successor of the Skies (Hands-On) on Wii

Final Thoughts

Sin & Punishment on the Nintendo 64 still remains a classic today, but its sequel, Successor of the Skies, has already shown that Treasure has bested itself, creating one of the most breath-taking shooting games to ever get released. Wii owners should definitely mark its release date in their diaries, with it heading to Europe on 7th May and the US on 7th June.

Also known as

Sin and Punishment: Star Successor

Developer

Treasure

Publisher

Nintendo

Genre

Shooter

Players

2

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  10/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  9/10 (13 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

Comments

I just bought the 64 version, very cool!

I was gaga for the N64 game, but found it ultimately far too short an experience. Playing S&P after trying out this sequel, though, ruined my memories of the classic N64 release!

S&P2 will blow your socks off! Who else at C3 has played the first game and is looking forward to this one?

Adam Riley [ Director :: Cubed3 ]

UNITE714: Weekly Prayers | Bible Verses

I honestly thought more people would be interested in this...Perhaps there's been too much S&P2 hype lately and you're all burned out?!

It didn't fare too well in Japan, tbh, so I'm hoping it gets a far better reception when it lands here next month!

Adam Riley [ Director :: Cubed3 ]

UNITE714: Weekly Prayers | Bible Verses

OH I AM HYPED FOR THIS! I love shooters like these, I'll take your word for it Adam that this beats the N64 version! You have increased my hype for this considerably!

Ah, also, notice in the jap version, the bad guy (skinny psychic looking guy) has young sasuke's (from Naruto) voice actor! Just a little thing I noticed Smilie. ALso, loving the pace of the game from the videos, it looks so alive, so much stuff happening in the background, simply awesome!

I've just changed the box art to the European one...This was the Japanese one, for reference:

Image for


I'm not too sure if I like the new one Smilie

Image for
Adam Riley [ Director :: Cubed3 ]

UNITE714: Weekly Prayers | Bible Verses
Elrinth (guest) 05.05.2010#6

I liked this one best: http://www.cubed3.com/media/2010/April/jesusraz/s&p2box.jpg

Tho it actually makes me think it's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Smilie

I can say that Sin and punishment 2 is simply the most amazing game I have ever played...
If this game doesnt sell well, then there is no more justice left in the world.

NINTENDO, TREASURE... PLEASE GIVE US SIN AND PUNISHMENT 3!!!

Wii Code: 6399-3866-6269-0745
PSN: SherWiinator Currently playing: LOZ: SS
Wishlist: Last Story, Pandora's tower, Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3

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