Nerf N Strike Elite doesn’t look like something you would have fun playing if you’re over the age of ten. The packaging, the inclusion of an actual working Nerf gun, the cartoony graphics and dialed-back violence all say that this is a game more suited to someone in grade school. However, despite it’s childish exterior, the Nerf N Strike Elite Wii game is actually a pretty solid shooter, and one you won’t mind playing with your kids, thanks to the friendly exterior.
There isn’t a lot to Nerf N Strike Wii game, but what there is actually isn’t a pain to play. The game is your basic shooter on rails, such as Time Crisis or Virtua Cop, but minus the evil soldiers, criminals, and various other bad guys. Instead, you’ll be fighting robots most of the way, using the Wii controller and included Nerf gun to blast the bad guys with Nerf darts. What damage this actually does isn’t entirely clear, but it’s assumed that the bad guys get annoyed with your Nerf gun and explode out of frustration. Despite the lack of plausibility, the game has some solid level design, enough action to get your blood pumping, and a cool Nerf gun that comes with it, which is really pretty awesome in itself.
I’ll be honest, though, there’s not a lot else to this game. It’s your basic on-rails shooter, and while it’s a good iteration of an on-rails shooter, it’s still a little basic. There’s not a lot of interactivity besides shooting whatever is on the screen. It would have been nice to see some mini-games included, or some sort of competitive multi-player besides the included co-op mode. These, however, are minor dents. All in all, the Nerf N Strike Wii game is extremely playable, despite your age.
Another great feature about this game is the blaster itself. There is sort of an unspoken rule with people who make Wii accessories that everything you make has to be featureless and white, so it’s good to see someone bucking the trend. The Nerf N Strike blaster also has a transparent red lens on the back, which besides looking kind of cool actually figures into gameplay by highlighting enemies weak points and revealing hidden codes on the screen. This little tidbit alone makes the Nerf N Strike Wii game worth a purchase. The good people at Nerf have even seen fit to make sure your N Strike blaster is compatible with other Wii games by making room for the Nunchuk attachment at the back of the blaster.
With games today growing more polarized, especially in the language and violence department, it’s good to see a game you can play with your kids that doesn’t involve either Mario or some form of learning. You can sit there and blast at the screen with your little ones knowing that you’re not going to have to explain away some violence or an outbreak of cursing later. The inclusion of the Nerf N Strike blaster makes sure that even if your kids get tired of the game itself, they’ll be having fun without needing the game or console, which truly makes Nerf N Strike Elite worth a purchase.