MadWorld in-game screenshot from Games Press

Mahalo has written a number of pages to help you bludgeon, saw and smash your way through MadWorld, the over-the-top action game developed by Platform Games exclusively for the Nintendo Wii and released on March 10, 2009.

1. MadWorld Walkthrough

Mahalo is currently working on a full walkthrough for MadWorld, complete with high-quality videos. The guide explains everything from the point system and basic combat techniques to complete boss strategies. Be sure to check it out for tips and strategies on leading Jack to blood-spattered victory.

2. MadWorld DeathWatch Challenges

The DeathWatch Challenges give determined players a large point bonus for completing a variety of tasks. These range from killing a set number of enemies, using a specific method to take them out, and defeating bosses within a set time. There are 29 challenges total in the game, which become available after completing the game a certain number of times. To complete them all, it’s necessary to play through the game five times.

3. MadWorld Bloodbath Challenges

The Bloodbath challenges are timed mini-games, none longer than 3 minutes long. Each challenge can be played alone or in multiplayer against a friend. There are 10 challenges total in the game.

4. MadWorld Combos

There are 16 standard combos in the game, using both hands and Jack’s chainsaw prosthetic. These include punches, throws and slash attacks.

5. MadWorld Finish Moves

After beating down an enemy with basic combos, a “Finish” icon appears on the screen to indicate that he is near death. Jack has access to 21 different Finish Moves, most of which are worth 20,000 points.

6. MadWorld Weapons

Jack gets his hands on a variety of weapons throughout the game, including daggers, spiked bats and a missile launcher. Some of these feature special attacks unique Finish Moves. Keep in mind that weapons do degrade over time and will eventually break.

7. MadWorld Secret Weapons

The Double Chainsaw and Katana are secret weapons that can be unlocked by beating the game.

8. MadWorld Scoring System

In MadWorld, points are awarded for each attack and the goal is to earn as many points possible. Using items found in the environment helps rack up the points and most of the Finish Moves give a 20,000 point bonus. Completing DeathWatch Challenges grants massive amounts of bonus points…up to 999,999!

MadWorld Gameplay Videos

MadWorld Walkthrough - Opening Cutscenes


MadWorld Walkthrough - Basic Tutorials Part 1

MadWorld in-game screenshot from Games Press

Although the Wii, and Nintendo in general for that matter, has long been considered a family-oriented platform, the mature-rated action game MadWorld is one of a growing number of titles out to change that squeaky clean image.

MadWorld is being developed exclusively for the Wii by Japanese developer Platinum Games, whose key members include former Capcom employees Atsushi Inaba (Steel Battalion, Viewtiful Joe) and Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry, Okami). The story was developed by Yasumi Matsuno, the game designer behind Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story.

On Jefferson Island, in Varrigan City, a deadly virus has overrun the city. Terrorists known as The Organizers have blown up all the bridges leading from the island and commandeered all of the city’s security cameras. The citizens find themselves reluctant participants in a deadly game show called Death Watch. To survive, they must kill their way up a ranked list to achieve the ultimate prize: escape from the island and $100 million.

Inspired in part by the graphic novel Sin City, MadWorld features eye-catching black and white stylized graphics with splashes of color for onscreen text and more sanguine decorations. The narrative portions of the game play out like a comic book in a series of still images.

Players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to control Jack, the main character. And here’s where the violence comes in. Jack can perform brutal attacks on his opponents, using various objects found in the environment to bash their faces in. He can impale an enemy’s head on a street sign, shove them into spike-covered wall and rip out their hearts. One of the many mini-games, called “Man Darts” has Jack swatting opponents into a giant dartboard with a baseball bat to score points. In MadWorld, the more outrageous and creative the method, the higher the score.

Inevitably, controversy began building around MadWorld as soon as it was announced. The game has been banned from Germany and outspoken opponents in the UK are hoping to get it banned from that country as well. Eurogamer, on the other hand, has stated that it’s hard to be offended by the game because the violence is so blatantly ridiculous. Platinum Games maintains that the game was created with humor in mind and the entire concept of the game is very unrealistic. Game director Shigenori Nishikawa says the game was conceived with Western audiences in mind and that it’s still unknown whether the game will ship even in Japan.

Controversy or not, previews thus far have been positive and Nintendo Power magazine gave the game a 9/10 in its April 2009 issue. MadWorld was released on Tuesday, March 11, 2009. Mahalo will be writing a full text walkthrough to help everyone pulverize heads without too much trouble.

Sources:

1. Official Site
2. Platinum Games: Key Members
3. 1up.com: Platinum Games Unveils Four Sega Titles
4. GameSpot: Madworld Updated Hands-On
5. IGN: MadWorld Reader Q&A
6. Dailymail.co.uk: Parents horrified as most violent video game ever to launch on ‘family friendly’ Wii
7. Eurogamer: MadWorld Preview
8. Nintendo Everything: House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld banned from Germany