While pushing a record for time between ports, the Wii edition of Resident Evil 4 is no less a competitor for major awards than its predecessors. Capcom has masterfully translated this title to the unique platform, ignoring the sloppy translation of numerous other dual analog based titles to craft a control system that is significantly more effective and open once mastered. This is on top of game play that will easily be remembered as a true landmark for the industry.

With an experienced development team at the helm, having worked on everything from the Darkstalkers and Clock Tower series, Resident Evil 4 is a culmination of previous efforts that keeps both the atmosphere, intrigue, and style fans love, all the while addressing the core issues that were rapidly becoming a problem.

Gone is the clunky, sluggish movement, replaced with smooth running and effective shooting. Pre-rendered environments with forced camera angles have been displaced, leaving the player with backdrops equally as detailed as those that came before it, only now with far more control and immersion. The over-the-shoulder camera system is the first to eliminate nearly all problems with line of sight, and will undoubtedly become a standard for third-person action.

The lengthy adventure is fully intact for first (Gamecube), second (PlayStation 2), or third time players on the Wii. Nothing has been changed at the games core, and even with two years between releases, the graphics engine still renders stunningly detailed character models en masse without even a minor frame rate skip. Puzzle sequences remain fun to solve even for the experienced crowd, and still carry their original feelings of tension. Resident Evil 4 never feels as if it's stalled while you're in the thinking process. It's a flawless extension of the action.

Played with both the Remote and Nunchuck attachment, the development team has taken the time to properly devise a control scheme aimed squarely at the mechanics the console provides. While it will take some time to adjust (possibly even a full chapter) once the player grasps the concept, they'll never want to go back.

The analog controls all of Leon Kennedy's movement. This includes forward, turning, and backpedaling. This initial shock feels like an ugly throwback to the early days of first person shooters such as Doom. Once mastered, it's second nature when used in sync with the Remotes impeccable aiming ability.