Why getting through the bad in The Wonderful 101 is worth the good: A Wii U Review

After finally finishing The Wonderful 101 on Wii U, I can only describe the game as an emotional ride. Not necessarily in terms of story, but in terms of gameplay highs and lows. You've probably read it a million times now, but the game's bad moments are really bad. Potentially game-breakingly bad. But then the good is just so good. Good enough to save the game? Read on to find out.

The Wonderful 101 is an action game that puts you in the many pairs of shoes that make up a group of alien-smashing super heroes collectively known as The Wonderful 100 (preferably pronounced as "The Wonderful One Double-O"). Chief among the large cast of characters is Wonder-Red, a new, but gifted, recruit to the team. Joining him as minor characters are Wonder-Blue, Wonder-Green, Wonder-Pink, Wonder-Yellow, Wonder-White, and Wonder-Black. Each of these characters comes with his/her own weapon specialty, which brings us to "Uniiiiite MORPH!"

Using the GamePad's touchscreen or R-stick, the player must draw simple lines and shapes to morph the team into weapons capable of devastating the evil alien forces invading earth. Like I mentioned above, each of the main team members has a weapon specialty: Wonder-Red wields a giant fist that, despite its limited range, packs a lot of power. Wonder-Blue uses his valiantium blade to cut down large groups of foes. Wonder-Green's gun is effective on air-born or distant foes. Other morphs similarly have strengths and weaknesses in and outside of battle and include Wonder-Pink's whip, Wonder-Yellow's hammer, Wonder-White's claws, and Wonder-Black's time-slowing bomb.

All that said, it's clear that the potential's there in The Wonderful 101. In ordinary combat with ordinary enemies, that potential is met. In addition to scoring big combo points by using multiple unite morphs effectively, combat is enhanced by additional tricks like using unite guts to ricochet or block enemy attacks. Using your full arsenal of abilities to bring the hurt to the invaders' forces is highly satisfying.

On the other hand, the various boss fights scattered throughout the game are often repetitious, frustrating, and unbalanced. Repetitious because you'll find yourself stuck in a bland routine involving just one or two unite morphs until the boss finally goes down. Frustrating because you may die for no apparent reason or spend a large amount of time trying to figure out what's even going on. And unbalanced because it often seems as though Wonder-Green's gun is the only way to inflict damage.

Similarly, gameplay outside of the combat is often so frustrating and broken, you'll find yourself wondering if any thought was put into it. The environments are riddled with inconsistencies and the platforming elements are weak, to put it kindly.

As soon as you're done struggling through a throw-your-GamePad-at-the-wall segment, however, the game will instantly turn around to offer some awe-inspiring cutscene or fighting segment that may just cause a complete turnaround in your perception of the game. The storyline is suitably epic and surprisingly zany and self-aware, with a colorful cast of characters (pun totally intended) who's interactions will have you grinning from ear to ear. The soundtrack is also a highlight, adding to the game's energetic presentation and cinematic feel.

Conclusion
The Wonderful 101 has so much potential. It doesn't even nearly reach that potential, due to some terribly low lows. However, its highs make up the difference enough to justify a playthrough of this game. Some seriously good moments in storyline and gameplay will make you glad you took the effort. Overall, the game will leave you with a lasting impression that I doubt any other game could emulate.

7.0/10