The Video Game Critic

http://wii.ign.com/articles/796/796612p1.html

There has been rumors floating around that Project HAMMER is no more.  Here is a quote from the article that bothers me...

"Our sources were unable to provide a reason for the alleged termination. However, IGN Wii has heard separately that Nintendo is actively re-working some traditional games so that they are more accessible by casual players. If it is truly canned, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. may have become a casualty of Wii's newfound success in the mainstream market."
 

I was really looking forward to this title.  A new full blown action game is really needed on the Wii and the fact that they are pumping out more casual games isn't the greatest news I've heard...Smashing things with the Wiimote sounded like a simple forumla for success.

I would guess that the developer has been pulled off the game to work on a Nintendo franchise, probably something like Wave Race.
To be honest I thought Project Hammer looked a bit dull, but its a shame it was cancelled rather than improved upon.

I don't know what to think of Project Hammer, but Nintendo needs a game like it.   I hope by  making tradition games "more accessible by casual players"  they aren't gonna turn this game into another minigame collection.   Comeon Nintendo, you need at least one not so accessible that is meant for power gamers.   Not every game needs to be grandma friendly.  I hope they don't Metroid Prime 3 grandma friendly.      

I was looking forward to this game, because it looked like a game where how you swung your remote, the hammer also swung. There is nothing like that on the wii, as in Red Steel or Zelda, a different motion you make is just another "button press" and there isn't full motion sensing like they deserved.     Maybe Konami could make a Castlevania game for the Wii with full motion sensing whip control.   That would be the perfect way to break their 3d game curse, as long as the levels aren't boring crap like the PS2 ones.

Yeah, my take on that bit of news was, at first glance, like yours, JLH. Any game title with the name "HAMMER" sounds cool to me!

But upon further reflection today, I'm not so sure I should care. The game could have totally stunk for all we know. And maybe they learned some stuff that they could apply to other games, like how certain elements from the never released Mario 128 was used for Pikimin and now Mario Galaxy.

In any event, let's hope Sega's Alien Syndrome is a solid effort. It certainly looks like it: A really cool shooter with great controls and RPG elements, it could be a sleeper hit for July.

I do wonder about that snippet, though. I don't want Nintendo just deciding that "staple" genres aren't worth the trouble anymore, but Metroid Prime 3 and Mario Galaxy should be sufficient I suppose (I consider SSMB to be somewhat in between a casual and "hardcore" game).

-Rob

Solution :

Release the unfinished game on a new Wii channel, the "Heritage Channel", where all unfinshed games go out to pasture, for better or worse, buyer beware, at a low, low, low price.

Look, over there, is that Star Fox 2? Well, then!

And, oh my, some of the half finished levels cut from Super Mario 64. Fascinating!

And the Wii Play rejects, just 50 cents a piece! I'll get these for my buddy Shawn on his birthday! Happy Wii-day!

Would be my favorite channel in short order. I would love to have half a day on some games that never saw the light of day.

[QUOTE=Steerforth]Solution :

Release the unfinished game on a new Wii channel, the "Heritage Channel", where all unfinshed games go out to pasture, for better or worse, buyer beware, at a low, low, low price.

Look, over there, is that Star Fox 2? Well, then!

And, oh my, some of the half finished levels cut from Super Mario 64. Fascinating!

And the Wii Play rejects, just 50 cents a piece! I'll get these for my buddy Shawn on his birthday! Happy Wii-day!

Would be my favorite channel in short order. I would love to have half a day on some games that never saw the light of day.
[/QUOTE]

That'll probably, wait, no, it'll most certainly never happen. But it is still a really cool idea. I'd support it .

-Rob

I've read that Nintendo said the game wouldn't be for the casual gamer and that's why they canned it. I think the game probably sucked. This rumor may not be true at all.

FUNK

It always did have the look of a game that was going to be cancelled. I have noticed that Nintendo consoles seem to have a great deal of titles announced for them before launch that never see the light of day. I always had a feeling this was going to be such a title. I suppose they found there was too little to it or it didn't work properly or whatever. I doubt they would cancel a promising looking title even if it was for a niche market.

Project HAMMER looked like it had potential, but it also looked like one that would never see the light of day.  I figured that this and "Disaster: Day of Crisis" would be cancelled.  They just didn't look like typical Nintendo games and I figured Nintendo would eventually give them the axe.  Its a shame though, because it looked like a slightly darker game than Nintendo is known for.  It could have been a Devil May Cry type game or even Zelda with a big ol' Hammer...who knows.  I'm sure it got canned for a good reason.

I'm really hoping that they moved people from the H.A.M.M.E.R. project to the rumored sequel to Kid Icarus...that would be sweet.  Plus its a game that is absolutely perfect to tone down to the casual crowd.  If any game could benefit from being easier or more accessable, it would be Kid Icarus.