EA Playground: Cashing in or Advancing the Wii Minigame Madness?
The first thing that springs to mind when I read and hear about EA Playground is Sony’s My Street way back on PlayStation 2. While My Street was Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s once-blockbuster Mario Party, it smacks of the same playground nostalgia that EA is dredging up in EA Playground. It also has the added sting of looking like yet another minigame compilation for the Wii which is exactly what everyone’s tired of. But there’s a glimmer of hope for this one.
Where recent titles like Wii Play and WarioWare are fairly straightforward, EA Playground promises lots of stuff to do when not engaged in tetherball, spitwad shooting, or maiming your friends in dodgeball. You’ll actually be able to run around and explore the colorful world in this one, meeting in-game characters, stumbling upon new minigames, and hunting down ‘stickers’ to upgrade your abilities. Skill points aren’t anything new but it’s rarely been done in a minigame collection like this.
Also interesting is the tandem development on DS and Wii. Although nothing has been mentioned could this be one of the first titles to link the console and handheld together? If anyone gets dibs on that it’s gotta be EA right? Now for your PR quote of the day:
“Young, old, male or female — EA Playground has something for everyone,” said Executive producer Dave McCarthy. “EA Playground transports you to your fantasy playground, packed with interesting characters, over-the top gameplay, and a ton of collectables. Kids can bring the excitement of the playground home, and parents or even grandparents can re-experience their childhood thrills.”
Check out the other screenshot below and stop staring at the clock; recess this one isn’t due until Autumn.
