The Wii Lightsaber Game: Our Hopes and Dreams

Written by John Scalzo  on September 21, 2007

Special: Me: Will the Wii Lightsaber game be good?
Yoda: Difficult to see. Always in motion, the future is.

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With the recent announcement of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and the subsequent "Lightsaber duel mode," Wii owners can finally look forward to the one thing they have been dreaming about since Nintendo first revealed the Wiimote at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show. But what exactly should Wii owners be looking forward to? If done right, a Lightsaber game for the Wii would probably be one of the greatest achievements of mankind's history and would no doubt bring about peace on Earth, cures for disease and an end to road rage. If it's a disaster, a million voices would cry out in terror and would they would never be silenced. The world at large would feel their in every message board, chat room and blog post for eternity.



So what can LucasArts do to ensure the Lightsaber game is the best that it can be? Why, they can listen to the hopes and dreams of gamers that want, no need, this game to be good. And here's how it can beЕ

Please notes, all of the game ideas listed below were created by Gaming Target. We have no inside information on the development of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed or any other Wii Lightsaber game. These ideas are not real, they are only ideas we would like to see in such a game.

1:1 Motion Recognition
Here it is, the most important aspect of any Lightsaber game. Being able to hold the Wiimote as the actual handle of a Lightsaber and having the player's movements match up perfectly with the action on the screen should be the ultimate goal. The promise was there in Red Steel, and while opinions are mixed on just how well that game captured the subject of swordfighting, everyone agrees that the concept is worth exploring further. And of course, moving the Wiimote in such a way that would cause the player to cut off their own head should always be an option (a Lightsaber attachment that hooks in to the head of a Wiimote might solve this problem). A Lightsaber is not a toy.

Jedi Reflexes
Being a Jedi is not all fancy swordwork though. A good part of it is also the fancy footwork, speed and dexterity that marks such duels as Obi-Wan Kenobi versus Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi versus Anakin Skywalker. I believe attaching the Nunchuk to simulate movement would be a mistake as a Lightsaber should be held two handed. But quick defensive moves can easily be simulated through the use of the directional pad as a dash button. Pressing left or right should make a Jedi dash out of the way and then turn to face their opponent. Pressing down should make a Jedi be able to dash backwards away from a flurry of Lightsaber thrusts.

A Forceful Fight
A Jedi must also be able to feel The Force flowing through themselves at all times. Because of this, I believe the B-Trigger should be used to turn off the Lightsaber and allow a Jedi to use Force powers such as Force Push or using The Force to throw objects at an opponent. In an ideal world, LucasArts could design some kind of strap that would tie a second Wiimote to a player's forearm. The accelerometer of this second Wiimote could be used exclusively to wield Force powers while still using the first Wiimote as a Lightsaber. But this may be too much to ask, even of a dream.

ФIf you only knew the power of the Dark SideФ
Any good Star Wars game should also explore the other side of The Force, and in this case that means supplying the option to be a Dark Jedi. In this case, the ability to use Force Lightning or Force Choke in addition to the Force Push and the telekinesis is a must. To truly differentiate between Light Side and Dark Side users, there could also be options for healing through meditation and berserker strength, respectively.

Dual Wiimote Dueling
Speaking of the Dark Side, being able to master Darth Maul's double-bladed Lightsaber would be a fanboy's fantasy. If LucasArts could create some kind of lock that hold together two Wiimotes, it could certainly be possible (maybe the solution could involve duct tape). But a part of me believes this is not physically possible. Another part of me believes Nintendo would never allow such a thing as a defective lock would result in flying Wiimotes that weren't flying because of The Force.



ФAn elegant weapon for a more civilized ageФ
If a double-edged Wiimote solution is not possible, Gaming Target staff writer Troy Matsumiya has suggested an even better idea: a working Wiimote molded to look like a Lightsaber, complete with a full length blade. The inspiration can easily be found in the light-up Lightsabers that Hasbro has been selling for years. The plastic blade slides into the handle and a push of a button powers it on. The effect comes complete with a glowing blade and sound effects that come out of a speaker in the handle. The Wiimote already has a built-in speaker in the handle and molding the plastic to resemble a Lightsaber handle while still making the buttons accessible should not be too difficult.

The Sound of Success
Finally, no Star Wars game would be complete without the constant hum of a Lightsaber emanating from the Wiimote's speaker at all times. Add in the sound of two Lightsabers clashing in battle at the appropriate time and you've got a truly immersive Jedi experience just waiting to happen. Out of all of the dreams for this game, I know LucasArts will definitely make this part of it a reality.

While these ideas may be mere pipe dreams at this point, it thought it was important to push them out there, so LucasArts knows just what fans want from the proposed Wii Lightsaber game. It could easily set the standard for Wii games for years to come and would cement the system's status as a УhardcoreФ alternative to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. If nothing else, the game will be inspire a generation of grown men and women to dance around their living rooms waving around a plastic remote pretending to be a Jedi. And they'll all be having the time of their life.

And I think that's a dream we all can get behind.