Span Smasher announced for Wii by Nintendo. Uses Wii MotionPlus

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Span Smasher Wii screenshot
Nintendo just announced Artoon (of Yoshi’s Island DS & Blinx fame) is developing Span Smasher for the Wii. In the action game the main character is hit towards obstacles and collectable items.

Span Smasher combines the hands-on fun of tennis with the nonstop action and instant gratification of pinball. Smasher (name not final) is a floating ball with a lot of personality. When his island paradise is threatened, Smasher springs into action. He bounces around and smashes into barriers, aided by the motions of players and their Wii Remote controllers (presumably with Wii MotionPlus optional). Players use just one hand to swat him toward the objects they want him to smash, and he does the rest. The game features both single- and multi-player.

Colorful blobs deploy gems to destroy things and rack up combos. Watch the first Span Smasher trailer:

Key features include:

  • Players who finish each section with three coins will receive a pearl. With three pearls, players can move on to the boss stage of that particular level.
  • During the game, Smasher and his friend take on different abilities and characteristics that change the way they look and act to keep the challenge fresh. For instance, they might become huge, split into multiple balls or turn to metal.
  • The scenery of the game scrolls to present Smasher with new obstacles and rewards. Players must angle their swings to help Smasher bust through barriers or collect keys to unlock the next segment of the game.
  • Smasher can hang back at the edge of the screen to power up for an even bigger burst of energy. But if he remains motionless too long, he might get eaten by the multi-headed dragon that pursues him.
  • Span Smasher is used with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory.