Wii Top Shot Arcade is one of those rare gems of a game that only comes along once in a lifetime. It’s not an especially good game, it’s about the millionth on-rails shooter to come out for the Wii, and it features the murder of enough animals that it’s sort of surprising there hasn’t been some sort of PETA campaign yet. Yet this game, coupled with the Top Shot Elite peripheral, might be one of the most hilarious experiences I have ever chanced to have on my Wii, and I honestly can’t even believe I’ve ever seen anything like it. The game and the Wii Top Shot gun come in a package available for the Wii, but have also been released on other systems.
First of all, let’s talk about the Wii Top Shot gun. As Wii guns go, this thing is legendary. Holding it in your arms, it’s got the right shape and right heft that you might almost imagine you’re holding some sort of advanced laser assault rifle prototype. It’s even got a scope on top that’s fairly accurate. Now, imagine pointing your super-powerful space rifle at the screen, and obliterating just about every animal on the planet with it. This is the experience that Top Shot Arcade provides. Mindless, bloodless slaughter of virtual animals that run across your screen en masse. At first, it almost seems horrifying, and many people may stop playing the game at this point. This is a mistake. Once you realize that you’re not actually killing any real animals, and that this sort of activity is therefore okay, the game goes straight into hilarious.
Other than the novel concept of shooting at things on the screen, the game doesn’t have much else going for it technically. There’s a commentary track that is at first, hilarious, saying things like “Headshot!” and “He went down faster than the stock market.” After a while of playing and hearing the same forty or so phrases repeated, there’s not a lot to it. Also, while there are mini-games included, there’s not a lot you can do beyond the basic “shoot at this” concept, and this game tries to stretch that a little far.
the Wii Top Shot Elite is compatible with pretty much every other shooting game out there, which is great, because it really adds a lot to the shooting game experience. It’s a good enough peripheral that it’s sold pretty solidly on the other consoles as well. The game, Wii Top Shot Arcade, features 4-player multiplayer, online interaction, and 75 different galleries to shoot small animals and other things in. It’s got a few other mini-games that don’t involve destroying virtual eco-systems as well, such as shooting tin cans or campers.
All in all, the package deal is worth the purchase for the gun alone. The game itself will provide more than a few hours of hilarity, especially with the inclusion of friends. After a while, the novelty will wear off, though, and it will either be shelved or sold. You, however, will still have the sweet rifle peripheral for all your other shooting games.