Entrevistamos a Andrew Wensley, Codemasters

RG: What does the game offer in terms of lasting appeal?

AW: Well, there’re 96 different unlocks in the game. While you can progress in the campaign mode, you may well simply miss the bonuses, you will be able to bend in the missions as you step back to reply mission one, but this time you play the next, you can find those bonuses, you can get them, you can unlock them. Then you carry on back in the campaign mode, now with new options and new planes and new weapon packs so… and you might find yourself suddenly stuck simply because of the weapon packs can’t deal for the job. And you can jump back looking the mission modes, find which bonuses you haven’t got in which levels… and try to find them. And we have 35 different planes in there, as well. Every plane has its own speciality, so you can replay other missions choosing planes like an F-22 Raptor or maybe trying the Mig… maybe you can try one of the Russian planes that you fly up there, the SU-47 Berkut, with its forward-swept wings.

RG: So, replay value is one of the main features of the game.

AW: Yeah.

RG: Do you consider the Wii version the main one? Why?

AW: TheWii version is certainly the lead platform. It’s “the one” graphically, it’s got the most innovative control methods of all, and. yeah, so it certainly is the lead. I always think of the PS2 as kind of being at home, where it all started but… thanks to Nintendo, when in May they released that video, you know, all the actors playing with the controller, it just made our jaws go and a huge smile on our faces when we could do with it, so certainly yeah, the Wii is the lead platform.

RG: Have you planned a version for the other two Next-Gen platforms?

AW: I’m thinking about it.

RG: You, as Codemasters? Or you, personally?

AW: (laughs) Both… I think, it’s certainly… It’ll be a logical next step.

RG: How does Codemasters feel about the Wii launch? Are you publishing any other Wii title this year?

AW: I think the Wii launch went really well. I think it suddenly surprised everybody just how good it was. You know it’s gonna be fun, you all know. Everybody in the public (…) I mean I had so much fun at Christmas… just playing tennis with my grandmother… yeah, she got it! She’s playing it, I know it’s really good fun. I think with games like Heatseeker, we’re offering something not just to the casual gamer but more for the hardcore, who likes a really good arcade experience. We got to use the controller in whole new ways. And yes, Codemasters does have other titles in development, with just the next one Emergency Mayhem, which is something like racing through cities with emergency vehicles, lost of crazy mini-games in there and lots of racing and driving challenges. And the game can use the Wiimote in also interesting ways.

RG: ¿Kind of Crazy Taxi?

AW: Yeah, kind of it. Yeah, yeah.

RG: What have been the most significant advantages and disadvantages developing for the Wii?

AW: I think one of the biggest challenges is first just getting to understand the controller, at how you’re going to best use it. There’re so many different ways you can think of using the controller that really… we just had to take the time to play with it basically. And find what works. And then what works really well. Graphically, it’s got some great performance; it’s a lovely piece of hardware to work with; we got used to the power very quickly, there are a few techniques we’re gonna thank Nintendo, some graphical techniques which we could do easily on the PS2… but it’s only a couple. So at the end of the day, we’ve been able to produce a great different title that plays really, really well.

RG: And the disadvantages…

AW: I think disadvantages are kind like challenges, trying to understand the controller, with Wii it just takes time to play with it and to find how people will play with it. Every’s used holding a joypad, pressing buttons, and moving a thumbstick, maybe moving two thumbsticks… we’ve done it for years! But this is completely new territory.

RG: How is Nintendo’s support for the developers in this first stage of the console’s life?

AW: It’s good!. It’s really good. The activity of all the support guys has been really positive. The equipment has come through. Yeah, we’re just cracking on with it.

RG: So, we can say “better” than before.

AW: Better than… before “what”?

RG: The support…

AW: Yes, the support we get from Nintendo goes very friendly, very helpful and they really are gamers at heart.

RG: Heatseeker, Blazing Angels from Ubisoft and Wing Island from Hudson are the first flying bets for the Wii. ¿Why is Heatseeker better?

AW: Mmmm, if you want as many kills as you can pack into a single minute, if you want all the adrenaline rush, if you wanna be thrilled and then wow-ed by Impact Cams, then Heatseeker is the game for you. If you wanna play… we are looking for to Wing Island. You know, I’m really hoping it to be like PilotWings, so lovely, you know you would play PilotWings, I mean it’s some lovely place to move around it… you’re not rushing throw the air, you’re not blowing enemies into thousands pieces in a game like that, but in Heatseeker that’s what the action’s like.

RG: Thanks a lot for your time; we hope that projects like yours start a new phase for the genre at home consoles.

AW: Absolutely. Thank you.