Not long ago, the idea of any more The Wonderful 101 was just a fantasy for fans of the game, but that all changed when Platinum Games, which developed the game, launched a Kickstarter for a full remaster of the title. Now, just a short while later, the goal has been surpassed, and The Wonderful 101's remaster has a concrete release date.
The Wonderful 101 faced mixed reviews at the time of its release, mostly from criticism of systems that, while ambitious, often functioned rather clunkily. Despite this, the game grew a devoted cult following, and those fans are being rewarded for their devotion in a big way, as the remaster will not just have improvements to graphics, but new content as well.
Some time ago, Platinum Games teased a new The Wonderful 101 game, and while that tease seems to have mostly led to the remaster in the immediate future, there will be a little bit of "new game" in the old product thanks to Kickstarter goals being demolished. Originally, it looked like the most players could look forward to in terms of completely new gameplay was a single sidescrolling level, breaking with the game's traditional format. However, due to a further Kickstarter goal being met as the time limit approaches, it looks like players will get a second bonus level starring Luka.
Luka is, for most of The Wonderful 101, a side character who seems to do more harm than good, with a mouth that gets him in trouble. As the game goes on, a change occurs in Luka that left many players surprised, and it is likely this change that will be explored in the levels that focus on him. It is a testament to the devotion of The Wonderful 101's fans that this stretch goal, along with the others, was met at all, but there it is.
Odds are that this will not be the only improvement to the game either, since there is a lot of room to make The Wonderful 101 live up to the glory it has accrued in many fans' minds. There are many indicators that this is the time for The Wonderful 101 to go from good to great, and the fans have themselves to thank for making it possible in the first place.
Of course, whether or not the game will be improved substantially by its port to other consoles cannot be declared until it actually lands, and new content will not necessarily help a still-flawed product hold up years later. Only time will tell if there is enough push behind it to get the desired Wonderful 101 sequel, or if it will forever remain a dream.
The Wonderful 101 is available for the Wii U, and its Remaster will be available for PC, PS4, and Switch on May 19.
Source: VideoGames 24/7
