Hands on with Rugby League 3

I just got back from a hands-on session with Rugby League 3 for the Nintendo Wii, which has been developed by New Zealand’s very own Sidhe. I played for roughly an hour and got the chance to test out all three of the available controller configurations.

The first thing that struck me about Rugby League 3 is that it’s indeed a lot of fun, and I think players will get a lot out of it despite their skill level or level of interest in the game itself. The rugby league hardcore will love it – I can say that with a great deal of certainty. There’s an extremely comprehensive roster of teams and players (although unfortunately only the most recognisable “star players” have their likenesses accurately represented) from both the Australasian and English league stables, and also some of the less known international teams. With eight domestic leagues available and over 80 teams represented, you can also participate in any of the real-life competitions, from an NRL season through State of Origin to the England Rugby League competition. The game is based on real-life stats that are accurate as of late last year, and stats nerds will be right at home with a comprehensive stats feature.



As previously mentioned, there are three vastly different controller configurations available to the player. First of all there’s the standard Gamecube controller, which will be the most intuitive and easiest to pick up for sports game veterans and newcomers alike. It’s a fairly typical configuration for basic gameplay: the shoulder buttons control left and right passing and skip passing (with one also controlling the player’s sprint ability), while the face buttons allow you to tackle and also toggle your player selection. Obviously, the left analogue stick controls your player movement, while the right stick actually allows you to both sidestep and fend. There are more advanced controls, but beginners can still pick up the game with the aforementioned controls alone and still get a lot out of the game. The more advanced commands include kick placement (dropkicks, bombs and grubber kicks), and this time around (as opposed to other titles in the series) you can actually set your offensive and attacking lines. Couple this with five difficulty levels for individual matches and, similarly, five levels for entire seasons, and you’ve got yourself a fairly deep game that will allow players to get just what they want out of it.



The second controller configuration makes use of the Wii Remote held in its horizontal orientation and – most importantly – its motion gesture input. It’s certainly a much more difficult learning curve than the standard controller (with my minder from the game’s distributor citing a rough 30 minutes before most people get the hang of it). To pass the ball the player must tilt the horizontal Wii Remote in the direction they’d like to pass, much like a real rugby pass. For example, to pass left, I’d lift the right side of the Wii Remote so that it ends up in a vertical orientation. To fend, you thrust the horizontal remote forward. I’m sure those that are more familiar with the subtle nuances of the Wii Remote’s accelerometer will get the hang of it. For me, on the other hand, this resulted in some of the ‘gesture confusion’ problems that some people experience with the Wii. For example, on more than one occasion during an offensive play, an attempt to fend a defending player would in fact pass the ball. This could be most frustrating, because in an uptight situation like this where you’re about to be tackled, it often results in a fumbled ball and a turnover. However, it’s a problem common in a lot of gesture-based Wii games and the problem seems to vary based on the user’s familiarity with Wii Remotes.



The final configuration integrates the Nunchuk and, although I was still not as good at this as I was with the tried-and-true Gamecube controller, I could see this one becoming my favourite of the three. For a start, you get to use the Nunchuk’s analogue stick as opposed to the D-pad that you’re limited to with the previous configuration; it’s far superior when it comes to controlling player movement. Secondly, you still pass using gesture commands, but because you hold the Wii Remote vertically in one hand and simply flick it one way or the other to pass in that direction, it’s more responsive. I had far fewer fumbles this way (although on the odd occasion I would pass in the opposite direction to what I intended). Once I got used to it and had everything running smoothly, it was a very satisfying experience.

I’m told that there’s no disadvantage to the motion-based configurations other than the learning curve, and that capable players can easily dispatch equally skilled controller-wielding opponents.



As for the graphics… Well, it is the Wii – those spoiled by sports titles on more powerful machines won’t be particularly impressed. That said, they’re pretty impressive where it counts for a Wii title (just don’t pay too much attention to the crowd up close!), and most importantly of all, they serve their purpose well.

The interface and the level of depth is pretty impressive. You can take a both a regional team and a national team through multiple seasons simultaneously, or you can even simulate games if you wish. As a coach, you can even be fired after a poor performance and a high losing streak. You’ll be emailed (in-game) with important information, such as players that aren’t available either due to injury or duties elsewhere for, say, the national team. You even receive the odd piece of spam mail! It’s this comprehensive and detailed season mode that will have league nuts on cloud nine.



Personally, I’ve only the mildest of interest in rugby league, but you’d struggle to tear me away from this game. In fact, my minders damn near had to when the next scheduled previewer turned up during my nail-biting, golden-point match against Penrith (although, to be fair, I was playing as New South Wales). Rugby League 3 just seems to boast an X-factor that I haven’t experienced in a rugby or league game since the mighty Jonah Lomu Rugby on the original PlayStation. It supports up to eight players locally (with four Gamecube controllers and four Wii Remotes), and I’m sure that it’s in highly social situations like these where the game would absolutely shine. It’s highly customisable (if your favourite player isn’t included among the licensed roster, you can simply create him) and Sidhe has done an admirable job of making a sports game that caters to both extremes of the typical Wii fanbase: the ultra casual and the hardcore.