The Wii has had somewhat of a chequered relationship with third party support. While it has had more than its fair share of mini-game compilations, shovelware and cut down ports it has also had some true gems. Now we see release of one of the biggest releases this generation, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The name has changed slightly, with the addition of the tagline 'Reflex', but has the game changed, or is it still the classic that millions of XBOX360 and PS3 owners have been enjoying for years?

Treyarch, the makers of Call of Duty World at War and Call of Duty 3, had a huge task on their hands to bring one of the best loved games of this generation to the Wii. Obviously people will be expecting downgraded graphics, but what other cuts have been made? Surprisingly very few gameplay omissions have been made. I can happily say that this is still the same game that HD console owners have been playing. It has all the modes, levels, guns, perks and content that made the original the worldwide smash it has become.

Every mission from the single player has made it in, and they all play very well. That means the same set pieces, the same great pacing and the same compelling story and frantic fire fights. But this time you get to experience it with the precision aiming of the Wii remote. A lot was said about the customisable controls in The Conduit, well MWR takes customisable to the next level.

Literally everything can be tweaked, from the sensitivity of the pointer, the size of the bounding box, the colour and shape of the reticule right through to the new precision aiming mode for aiming down the sights of the weapons. The smooth and precise controls (which are not gesture heavy and allow for traditional analogue control with certain views and weapons) add a new dimension for those who have played the game on other systems and will please Wii only gamers who are yet to experience the Modern Warfare phenomenon.

However with all the great gameplay of Modern Warfare comes some of the same short comings. Enemies are very accurate and will cut you down easily if you stray from cover for too long and on the higher difficulties you will find yourself pulling your hair out. What's more you will often find that enemies have a cunning habit of landing grenades right at your feet leaving you frantically running for safety.

We all knew the game wouldn't look as good as it did on other systems, but that is to be expected. However, as a Wii game this looks fantastic. The environments are large and heavily detailed and have not been cut back or altered. MWR provides some of the best graphics on the Wii for the size and scale of the game. Treyarch have built on their success with World at War and added great little touches like reflections on the water and the smoke and explosions which looked superb in WAW have returned.

What's more the texture work has been improved, quite an achievement considering the amount of action going on at any one time. The frame rate is locked at a solid 30fps only taking the odd hit on the larger more open single player levels when literally everything is going off at once. All the guns in the game look superb, with plenty of detail and reflections on the scopes, what's more Treyarch have added the ability to tilt and rotate you weapons with the remote – and again you can turn this feature off you don't like it.

At times I found myself playing MWR and wondering how they had got everything running so well on the Wii. Much was made of The Conduit's Quantum 3 engine and the effects it could produce – however to me that is irrelevant when every environment is a series of identical corridors filled with shiny crates. MWR crafts detailed real world environments which feel much more alive, organic and realistic and takes the crown as the best looking shooter on the Wii. Smoke will rise, explosions tear through the environment and particles will fill air making you wonder why more developers don't make this much effort.

What's more the game sounds great. MWR's soundtrack retains all the greatness of the original and is complemented by the excellent voice acting and meaty weapon sounds which draw you into the game and add a deep level of realism.

Modern Warfare created a buzz with its exceptional single player and gripping story, but the reason millions were still playing it two years later was down to its nigh-on perfect multiplayer. Last year's WAW brought a great online experience to the Wii, but with notable cuts to the modes, a reduced number of maps and fewer players. MWR massively improves on WAW in every way and this time everything is in there; all the maps, all the guns, all the upgrades, all the perks, all the modes and superb and engaging levelling system.

Treyarch have also increased the player count to ten – two up on last year's effort. Whilst this is down on the number available in the HD versions the games are fast and frantic and the Treyarch have clearly worked hard to improve the experience and added host migration to the package. The online is very smooth running at 30fps despite the huge amount going on. You will no doubt experience the odd bit of lag, but that is down to individual player's connection speeds and is vastly improved on WAW. What's more the online is not hostage to the same kind of glitches I have found in The Conduit where people appeared to 'warp' around the maps and you would often die at the hands of someone you had despatched seconds earlier.

The only thing that Wii gamers can lament is the lack of Wii Speak inclusion. However this is counterbalanced by the speed at which you and friends can connect with one another and find a game. MWR is one of the smoothest and most accessible online Wii titles when it comes to not only finding and playing alongside people you know but also keeping your group together when you have found a game.

Whilst the online aspect of MWR makes it the best available on the Wii, Treyarch have had to cut the splitscreen multiplayer, in its place however is the Squad Mate co-op mode. This is another 'Wii only' addition where a friend can join you in the single player mode and appears on screen as an extra reticule. It's probably not going to be a deal breaker for anyone, but is a nice little addition to the game that has been carried over from WAW and is quite fun if you happen to have friend sitting around.

MWR will have you addicted for hours and is certainly one of the best 'value for money' titles on the Wii. The single player will keep you happy for quite a while and has four difficulty levels, the toughest of which will present a serious challenge for any gamer. However the superb online will keep you coming back for months as you try to master every challenge and unlock every weapon and move up the online leader boards which track and display all your stats, from your level to your kill death ratio, your accuracy and your highest kill streak.

This is still the must have game it was two years ago – just with Wii controls and some of the best Wii controls around. It is one of the best looking third party games on the system and provides a fully fleshed out experience that the Wii often lacks. Treyarch have built on last year's success and really worked hard to ensure that Wii gamers are not left out when it comes to great shooters. With a solid and engaging single player campaign and the best multiplayer FPS experience on the market this game shines. MWR raises the bar and sets the bench mark to which all other shooters on the Wii will be measured. It may have arrived two years late, but Wii owners should be very happy it's finally here.

Zechs
- N-Europe Guest Writer