beat 'em up
A beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in Side-scrolling video game, scrolling, 2D c ...
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
for the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
developed by American studio Bionic Games and published by
Capcom
is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
. It was released in September 2009.
Gameplay
''Spyborgs'' sees players controlling a member of a team of
cyborg
A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.female ninja.
*Bouncer, a lumbering but powerful robot.
*Stinger, a soldier with a cybernetic gun arm.
Played using the
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, colloquially known as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with an ...
, motion controls initiate special attacks while the two characters can team up their attacks for additional damage. Alternatively, players can also choose to play with the buttons on the Wii Remote instead.
Plot
Development
Initially announced in June 2008 at Capcom's Captivate event, ''Spyborgs'' underwent a major redesign after a lukewarm reception from the gaming press. Changes include a shift from bright cartoony graphics reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoon shows, to a grittier and more realistic visual look, as well as the removal of
minigames
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than th ...
which served as parodies of children's toy commercials. The current game also shifted focus from an action-oriented game with superpower-based puzzle elements to a brawler.
The game was developed in an internal engine designed by Bionic Games, not
MT Framework
MT Framework is a game engine created by Capcom. "MT" stands for "Multi-Thread", "Meta Tools" and "Multi-Target". While initially MT Framework was intended to power 2006's ''Dead Rising'' and '' Lost Planet: Extreme Condition'' only, Capcom late ...
.
Bionic Games shut down after ''Spyborgs'' was released, making it their only title.
Reception
''Spyborgs'' received "average" reviews according to the
review aggregation
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
.
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
praised the game for its high quality graphics and large amount of polish. Despite this, IGN criticised the title for its punishing difficulty and lack of innovation. ''
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network.
In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...