Mercury Meltdown Revolution

Rejoice, gamers, your long wait is over. We’ve seen a few ports of Mercury Meltdown since it premiered on the PSP last year, but of all those only the Wii version seems perfectly suited to its choice of console. Yes, rather than buttons that lead to frantic turning of the controller or portable console (go on, admit it, everyone did it), this time you get to move that annoying blob of mercury using the infamous motion sensors that come a standard in the Wii Remote.

The game is a clear port, but for once this works in Revolution’s favour. Each level sees you having to manoeuvre said mercury from A to B, avoiding traps and making use of various nifty gizmos including a teleporter and airbrushes. You can even heat or cool your blob, adding another dimension to levels. The Wii incarnation also adds a couple of new levels and shuffles the others around a bit, just to chase any hint of monotony out the window. This kind of care and attention is sure to win even more fans.

The best thing about this game is the intuitive nature of the controls. Yes, if only one game were meant to be on the Wii, this is it. It’s an odd but satisfying feeling to rotate the remote and watch the mercury begin to shift in the same direction. Because of this, it takes mere seconds to figure out how to play. The graphics are identical to previous versions, with the realistic metal surrounded by an almost cartoonish HUD and environments which lack the realism of the original. On the other hand, the game itself is not as hard as the original either, so that can only be a good sign.

Given the number of Wii titles currently assaulting gamers, Revolution could easily be missed, but it’s actually one of the best titles to be released and could seemingly have been designed exclusively for the Wii if not for its prior appearances on the PSP and PS2. Even if you’ve played it before and have nailed the levels, there’s still plenty here. It’s the kind of game with high replay value. Every serious Wii owner who wants to see what their beloved console is really capable should definitely give this a go.