Monday, November 9, 2015

Four long years later, it is finally here. Rodea the Sky Soldier!

Back in 2011 a very interesting game appeared, one that was called "Rodea the Sky Soldier." It was an action platforming game from Yuji Naka (the head of Sonic Team) where rather than running and jumping, you flew instead. While the game was somewhat reminiscent of the NiGHTS series, it was also something completely new with unique gameplay all its own. Rather than flying on a set path like in NiGHTs, the short trailer we originally saw featured a young robot as he dashed through the sky by locking onto things, and shot at different targets. There were moments where he shot through the air at high speeds, and there also seemed to be boss fights on a massive scale. In short, the game looked fun, and it seemed to really capture the spirit of SEGA's classic 3D games -- something we haven't seen from them in quite some time. Well, shortly after that trailer first appeared, the game vanished. Yuji stated the Wii version was finished with a 3DS version in the works, but for whatever reason it wasn't being published. While we never really got a full answer on why the game wasn't coming out, two years later Kadokawa announced that the 3DS version was almost finished, and confirmed that the game was not canceled.

Well, here we are four years since the original trailer was released, and five years after Yuji first thought of the concept, and the game is finally being released here in the US. Of course, this version of Rodea isn't quite the same one we saw all them years ago. In reality, the original game was canceled, and the development of the 3DS (and later Wii U) version of the game was actually for a new game. While the game's storyline and concept did stay the same, much of it changed, and new features were introduced. For example, rather than being nearly fully flight based, ground combat and standard platforming was introduced, and some minor limits were placed on the ability to fly. Also rather than pointing at the screen with a wii remote, both versions included your typical analog stick/circle pad controls. Basically the game was fully reworked to make use of both systems and their controllers, and it's original features were expanded upon. Although, that original version of the game isn't actually gone.

If you're someone who has been following this game since it was first announced, then you may be happy to hear that the Wii U version of Rodea the Sky Soldier actually includes a bonus -- a Wii disc of the original title! Shockingly enough, the Wii U copy of this game actually comes with two full games for the price of one, and because of that people who don't own a Wii U or 3DS can still experience this title in its original form. (Of course the Wii U can also play Wii games, so if you do own a Wii U it's a win win situation.) Really this sort of thing rarely happens in the world of video games. When a game is canceled, or the original version is altered, typically they never sees the light of day. Early builds of the game are locked away forever, and all we are left with is the final product, but in this case we actually get both! It's really a nice bonus, and something everyone who was interested in this game is sure to enjoy.

For more information, feel free to check out the official trailer(s) below.


Wii U/3DS Trailer


Wii Trailer


Original Trailer