Publisher Incredible Technology on Wednesday revealed exclusively to IGN Wii that it is underway with its first WiiWare game -- an enhanced version of a popular arcade title. In addition to posting first-ever screenshots, IGN have chatted with executive director Andy Kniaz about the project.
Target Toss Pro: Bags originated as an arcade game -- one of those sports bar and wing joint designs that probably had a couple of cupholders screwed onto the sides of its cabinet so players can set their beers down while they're playing. You know the type. Right next to the Golden Tee machine. It makes the transition to WiiWare fairly well, but still feels a bit out of place -- cornhole is a game best experienced in person at a tailgate party or a backyard BBQ.
Presentation - 7.0
Graphics - 6.0
Sound - 6.0
Gameplay - 6.0
Lasting Appeal - 6.0
Overall -
An extract from the WiiWare World review of Target Toss Pro: Bags...
"Nintendo's Wii Remote is truly a marvellous thing. With it you can throw a ball, swing a bat, slash with a sword, or shoot a gun. It can even make even bland, boring games more enjoyable. Thank goodness for the Wii Remote, because it makes games like Target Toss Pro: Bags not only playable, but also fun.
The game is based on a real game popular in the American Midwest. Game play is exactly like you would imagine a hybrid of Darts, Curling, and Shuffleboard would play. The object is to throw beanbags at a ramp-like box at a varying distance. Scoring in the traditional game is unexpectedly complicated and strategic, although there is a simpler system available here as well. But essentially in each round of play you're just trying to land more beanbags on the ramp than your opponent and you get bonus points if you manage to toss your beanbag into the hole.
The game play is deceptively simple. Although the game is often derisively described as merely throwing beanbags at a target, the game can be just as intellectually rewarding as any other aim-based games. For starters, you have your choice of toss styles: 'flop', 'bounce', or 'slide', each with its own strategic uses. Sometimes you might want to bounce your bag over an opponent's bag to try to get yours into the hole without pushing his in as well. Other times you might want to slide your bag onto the ramp to intentionally ram your opponent's bag to knock it off, thus costing him his point when the score is added. One of our favourite moments in Wii gaming came when we threw a slider to knock two opposing bags off the ramp and our own into the hole all in one toss!"
An extract from an interview with WiiWare World about Target Toss Pro Bags:
"WiiWare World: Can you tell us a bit more about Incredible Technologies. You are not known for making console games are you?
Gary Colabuono: Incredible Technologies is best known as the largest manufacturer of pay-to-play video games in the U.S., and perhaps specifically for Golden Tee Golf . While throughout our 23 years we have worked on consumer and console video games this is where our focus is primarily now. With this in mind, we worked with n-Space to develop the title for WiiWare and we are very happy with it. n-Space works on a wide variety of cross platform titles for many publishers, and they were great partners.
WW: What inspired the decision to bring Target Toss Bags Pro to WiiWare?
GC: We brought Target Toss Pro: Bags to WiiWare primarily because we thought the control and game play were a natural fit. The game is a party and tailgating game in real life and on the console. Much like Wii Sports Bowling it is pure simple fun that has a low barrier to entry, yet can become really competitive. 1 to 16 players can play, and we think for 700 points players will get real value.
WW: For those readers who don't know can you tell us a bit more about the sport of toss bags, or cornhole as some might know it.
GC: Bags or cornhole is a deceptively simple, yet extremely competitive game where players try to toss beanbags into a hole in a slightly raised platform or "box" for points. The Bags game is played all over the country: at backyard BBQs, at tailgating parties before a game, or in the college quad. Our goal was to take this popular game and bring it to the level of a professional sport with dramatic replays, over the top scoring and great announcing.
WW: Your arcade game of Target Toss Bags pro can cost up to $4195 to purchase. What differences might one notice in the $7 download?
GC: The WiiWare version of the game is not that different than the coin-op version. The biggest difference is in the control - the coin-op game uses a trackball so the experience is a little different. That being said, we were able to play to the strengths of the home console experience and the Wii platform by doing things like adding in an additional mode of scoring that was not possible in the coin-operated version."
