April 4, 2007 - The Wii version of Resident Evil 4 was confirmed earlier today for inclusion in the elite "Worst Kept Secrets" club as Famitsu spilled the beans on the title in its latest issue. The Famitsu report comes following the game's appearance in retailer databases on two continents.
Titled Biohazard 4 Wii Edition in Japan (the RE series is known as Biohazard in its home country), this update promises full Wiimote support. The Wiimote is used to aim a targeting cursor in order to target and fire at your enemies. To reload, you hold down on the B trigger and shake the Wiimote. In case you were wondering, the built-in speaker is being programmed with a reload sound effect.
The Wiimote is also used for close-range attacks. When an enemy approaches, all you have to do is give the Wiimote a little of the shake-shake. The game automatically detects the direction of the enemy and makes Leon perform a knife attack. This move can also be used against trees and barrels.
The rest of the game has also been modified to take account of the Wii's unique controller. Interactive event scenes display the Wii buttons when prompting for input. Some events require that you shake the Wiimote.
The producers of the Wii version revealed to Famitsu that one of their goals is to allow families who play the Wii together to experience Resident Evil. The game will include "Easy" and "Amateur" difficulty settings, selectable from the start, that will make aiming easier and keep your life from depleting too fast.
Even if you're a RE pro, you'll probably want to take a look at the Wii version, especially if you didn't try out the PS2 version of the game. All the bonus elements that made it into the PS2 version are being included in the Wii release. That includes the "The Another Order" sequence, where you play as Ada.
And on top of all that is a first look at Umbrella Chronicles! A trailer for the first original Wii entry in the Resident Evil series (be sure and check out our separate preview) will be included with RE4 Wii Edition.
RE4 is set for Japanese Wii release on 5/31. While it hasn't officially been announced outside of Japan yet, its appearance in retailer databases late last week suggests that Wii players everywhere will get to experience this Capcom classic through a new control scheme.
