Nerf N-Strike (Wii) Review

NERF N-Strike is the epitome of the phrase ’mixed bag’; you would be hard pressed to find another game that can be so enjoyable on one hand, yet a little underwhelming on the other. Then again, very few games are as unique as NERF N-Strike (NS from now on) in that you’re getting two different games in one. You see, NS comes packaged with an actual NERF gun similar to what you would expect if you bought one from a toy store.

It is a bona fide toy that would put a smile on any young male who loves to imagine he is some form of hero with a powerful gun. The game even comes with NERF bullets so the gun can be used totally independent of the game. You might even find that you get more enjoyment using the NERF gun outside in some form of made up game. In this household, we made up our own custom target board that we used outside. In fact, I used the NERF gun in this manner more than I did with the game. Stories aside, we’re here to review a game, so how does NS stand? Keep reading to find out.

As you have probably gathered from the previous paragraph, NS isn’t a particularly great game. You take the role of a teenage boy whose NERF skills have giving him the opportunity to challenge other skilled shooters in a series of mini-games that, of course, revolve around shooting. There is a decent variety of challenges to complete, though they range in quality from the dull to the decent.

There is a huge number of real and fictional NERF guns to use in the game, each of which has a different use. For example, some guns are more akin to rocket launchers, whilst others are more in line with sniper rifles. Your ability to successfully complete a challenge will largely depend on your choice of fire power. As you continue to play the game, you will unlock more NERF guns including super secret ones (yay!).

It doesn’t take a great deal of time to beat the games challenges, as none of them are that challenging. Most of them are pretty enjoyable though, especially if you play multiplayer, which is far superior to single player mode in terms of enjoyment. You can also earn various medals depending on your score in each of the games, so there is some reason to have a second or third play through. Younger players, of which this game is clearly aimed, will find a lot to like in the game. For the younger, inexperienced gamer, NS is a good challenge, isn’t too violent, and comes packaged with a gun which is sure to convince them that it is worth buying.

Visually, NS is what you would expect – sloppy, blocky, and obviously developed quickly. Like many Wii games, it barely surpasses the quality of graphics we had in the N64 days. Sound is a little better, with a decent, futuristic soundtrack that is consistent with the games theme. A bit more polish is always nice, but I’ve come to expect such quality in most Wii games these days, which is disappointing to say the least.

In the end, NS is another fairly average game that, in most circumstances, wouldn’t warrant much attention. It, like so many Wii games, suffers from poor visuals, average music and sound effects, and a distinct lack of extra features such as online play. That said, it is still a mildly enjoyable rails shooter that is sure to be entertaining to the younger game. And the fact that it comes with an actual NERF gun gives more value to the overall package. The gun is well built and is easily transformed from NERF gun to Wii-gun.

It can also be used with any other shooting game, such as the recently released House of the Dead: Overkill. The gun is tough, durable, and remains one of the better gun peripherals available for the Wii. For this reason, NS does deserve some attention; it may be a tad dull for the majority of gamers, but packaged with a great gun that is a lot of fun in its own right makes NS worth considering, especially for the younger gamer.

Graphics 5.0

Gameplay 7.0

Sound 5.0

Tilt 6.0

Value 9.0