The wii gets what may be it's first rushed port...

As has been noted elsewhere (and here, in Current), Splinter Cell: Double Agent came in two forms. The first was the X-Box 360 and PC version, offering high-resolution graphics and a new general feeling to the series. The other consoles instead got a less graphically intensive version with a tighter story and gameplay closer to the older games. While these in no way matched the "next-gen" version, they certainly were nothing to complain about, except for one version...

To preface the review of the wii version, it's worth noting that I own Splinter Cell Double Agent on both the wii and on the Gamecube. I wrote about this previously: "I'm not the biggest graphics snob in the world. The fact I have a wii and not a 360 or a Playstation 3 helps affirm this, as the wii doesn't (and won't) put out the same level of graphics as those two systems. However, damn if the GameCube version doesn't look ugly compared to the wii version. I think this is something I can wait for reviews of, but a large part of me wants to purchase the wii version of Double Agent as well." - 11-26-06 Naming the faults of the wii version must first start with the faults of the Gamecube version. First, the game suffers from very low quality models. Second, the game has a semi-convulted control scheme due to the Gamecube's lesser amount of buttons. Third, the Gamecube version suffers from muddled low resolution textures. Finally, the Gamecube version has poor shading effects and in general has a "washed out" look to the entire game. The wii version was promoted as being equivalent to the Playstation 2 version. In September through November, a series of screenshots were released. Without permission of ubisoft, they are provided here, albeit in a small size.

The amount of vitrol contained in the previous paragraphs probably give away the fact that those wii screenshots are not what the game looks like. Despite the fact that they were the only screenshots released before the game was given to reviewers or put on store shelves, they are completely fake. It's worth noting that the rightmost mock-up even contains the game interface. The wii version of Splinter Cell: Double Agent is, in fact, a slightly enhanced port of the Gamecube version. This is evident due to a number of factors, which include: The game models are identical and contain the same lighting flaws. The environments in the game have the same texture visible texture seam problems The wii version of Splinter Cell Double Agent has the same shortened version of the ubisoft logo as the Gamecube version Both versions have the same unexplained "shadow calibration" setting, and both have a generally washed out look to their lighting effects Be that as it may, not all is bad in the land of wii and Sam Fisher. The wii version, while containing many of the same flaws as the Gamecube version, is enhanced somewhat. It contains: Better effects on terrain Higher resolution textures Better quality sound (Dolby II) Easier access to menus due to button layout Faster loading times

The control ranges from good to excellent depending on what you are doing. To move the camera and aim your weapon, you move the on-screen cursor away from the center of the screen, and it rotates/turns until you move the cursor back. This acts as a sort of "virtual joystick", and it works decently. Moving Sam is done with the control stick on the nunchuck. The "c" button ducks, and the "z" button is your secondary fire. Tilting the nunchuck while near a wall will make Sam lean against the wall. Moving the nunchuck up with make Sam jump. Lockpicking is by far the best wii control, and is done by tilting the wii remote left and right until you hit the right spot. This is probably closer to lockpicking than the other system's control stick moving methods, but such a statement only indicates that I know little to nothing about lockpicking.

Ultimately, the fact that the lighting is nearly as poor as the Gamecube version fares badly for the wii version, as it makes it difficult to tell where the darkness and the light actually is. The game is so washed out that I never found myself using the nightvision, as it simply wasn't required. I also had my wii completely freeze up on the second to last level in the game on four seperate occasions.

The game itself is a good addition to the Splinter Cell series. The story told is superb if not suprising at times. In it, Sam Fisher infiltrates a terrorist group inside the United States. As the game progresses, choices must be made on how far you will go in order to succeed in your mission. The gameplay is polished and is challenging without being overly frustrating, and the new trust meter mechanic adds some added replayability.

If this opinion of the game proves anything with it's bipolar nature, it's that Splinter Cell Double Agent is a good game with a bad port on the wii. It's a shame that it turned out this way, because the control and gameplay are not the major problems. In the end, the truth of the matter is that both the PlayStation 2 and X-Box versions are superior and would be highly recommended over the wii version.