Alright, so you've seen the
photos surface, watched us
unwrap it, checked out
the setup, and longed to be on the tactile end of our
gameplay video, and now you need someone reliable to convince you that surviving all that
pre-order madness was worth it. We've got a collection of early adopter reviews to tide you over until Saturday night (or
Sunday morning), and the general consensus is that you'll be pleased. Admittedly, the
Wii's graphical output isn't up to snuff with its HD-toutin' brethren, but as PC Mag states, "within a half hour, you won't care." The big N apparently did everything right with its newfangled Wiimote, leaving reviewers "amazed" and craving just one more round of Bowling, but some folks did point out that the built-in software "lacked some promising features" and "felt unpolished" in some areas. Nevertheless, CNET probably said it best when they recommended that pixel freaks let the
Xbox 360 or
PS3 win over their hearts, while those
clamoring for innovative, fresh gameplay should be more than pleased with Nintendo's $250 machine.
Read - CNET (8 out of 10; Excellent)
Read - PC Mag (4 out of 5; Editor's Choice)
Read - Time (Recommended)
Read - CNN Money ("A heck of a lot of fun.")
posted Nov 16th 2006 at 9:47AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:02AM
No doubt the wii is innovative and fun . the question is will the limited graphics and novelty of the controller ware off... i mean some of those guys on the mtv presentation already were starting to look kinda bored playing it.
Kyle @ Nov 16th 2006 10:09AM
It is not the graphics that make a game so that doesnt bother me a bit.
mario @ Nov 16th 2006 10:10AM
Wii will probably get boring after a couple years, but by then Nintendo will come out with another gaming console that is as good as ps3 pr xbox360 with the format winner, and at a cheaper price. N is smart as hell!!!
mario @ Nov 16th 2006 11:16AM
O yea so they will have the good graphics, fun factor, games, and all the consumers.
saboola @ Nov 16th 2006 10:13AM
This sounds like a familiar argument:
"While the DS is fun, its inferior graphics in comparison to the PSP will make it lose this battle. The PSP will definitely win this handheld generation"
Fast forward 2 years.
"PSP? That movie player thingee?"
blah @ Nov 17th 2006 8:08PM
psp is out sold 2:1. Good luck in 2 years.
DM @ Nov 16th 2006 10:14AM
That remote controller thing, I'm pretty sure i've seen one of those on airplanes. How innovative of nintendo.
DM @ Nov 16th 2006 10:22AM
Compared to ps3 and 360, Wii is definitely, a poor mans console.
mitch @ Nov 16th 2006 10:27AM
The idea behind this console is not a multi-media experiance. It is purely for games, and the price reflects that. Looking for a home media center? Check out the PS3 and the XBox 360. Looking for a gaming console? The Wii is your best bet.
Matt B @ Nov 16th 2006 10:30AM
Alot of wii players will eventually have one huge arm and one wimpy arm.
James @ Nov 16th 2006 11:06AM
Unless of course Nintendo comes out with a Matrix game and lets you wield dual Wiimotes.
tzhuge @ Nov 16th 2006 10:34AM
So... novelty of innovative control will wear off but shiny graphics won't? Am I the only one who is totally sick of graphically excellent but totally stale FPS games on consoles already? Resistance: Fall of Man is apparently a good game but I just can't bring myself to care.
Mills @ Nov 16th 2006 10:56AM
When my friends come over we all ingore my Xbox360 and still play on my gamecube with MarioKart and Smash Brothers. Graphics meh, it's gameplay that wins over everything. Personally I can't wait for the little Wii to come out. I'm getting giggly inside thinking about the possibility of playing the old SNES games again.
Sean Tyler @ Nov 16th 2006 11:14AM
Amen, I say gameplay over grapihcs.
The wii is not a poor mans console. I can afford PS3 360 and Wii all at once but I'll drop 250 for a console that i will play and will have fun with.
I love graphics but i never even play my PSP anymore after i picked up my DS lite.... The controller will not ware off... the Dpad never wore off....
I refute the negative ideas until i see evidence that a strong case can be made that it will ware off....
chbob @ Nov 16th 2006 11:17AM
I like how someone always says your going to get ripped or your arm is going to get tired after a few minutes. It's a damn 700 gram controller, it doesn't require a body builder to move around nor does it require massive arm flailing with a death grip to keep the remote from impaling someone.
mooo @ Nov 16th 2006 11:22AM
Personally, I said "meh" to _most_ of the entire previous generation (ps2/xbox/gamecube) so this is a welcome change of pace regardless of the final outcome.
mec11 @ Nov 17th 2006 1:56AM
Amen. Last console was PS1 (previous to that all Nintendo and one Sega). Since then I play on the PC for high graphics games and have had the same one I build for over 4yrs now with a minor upgrade with the video card.
What I want is something other than "more power". Actually have been enjoying the emulation scene as of late. The Wii will do well.
Earl @ Nov 16th 2006 11:47AM
Graphics are great and pretty, but gameplay/storyline is what makes me replay games over and over...
I still go back and play Final Fantasy VII, Mario 64, Super Mario World, Goldeneye... etc. Sure the graphics are worse than new games, but games like these are FUN and FUN keeps me interested.
I am not a "poor man," but I still won't be getting the PS3 or XBox 360 anytime soon. I learned my lesson about buying first shipments from the PS2. My PS2 DVD drive crapped out after a year, so I had to buy a second PS2. The PS3 is even more complicated, and I expect the similar manufacturing problems for it.
The Wii, on the other hand, is the first console since SNES that I have been all gitty about getting. The excitement I have for Sunday reminds me of how I felt at Christmas as a kid opening that glorious SNES. This console will be a groundbreaker, just like the DS.
The DS is so sucessful from it's innovative gameplay and extremely fun games. Sure it's not as powerful the PSP, but that doesn't matter because the games are a lot more fun! I know, I HAD a PSP, and after 6 months there weren't any fun games to play. So I sold it on ebay and bought a DS lite.
It's all about the games people: WTF is the point of a console if there are not that many fun games to play?
The Wii will have a ton of fun games and I can't wait!
Tomas @ Nov 16th 2006 11:57AM
Thanks to Nintendo for realizing that there are some of us out there who already have computers and DVD players, and don't need all that crap stuffed into another box. All I want to do with a gaming console is play a freaking decent game. I don't need it to tell me the weather, give me stock quotes, or be the 8th DVD player in my house.
tekdroid @ Nov 16th 2006 1:26PM
I don't need it to tell me the weather, give me stock quotes, or be the 8th DVD player in my house.
---
Hehe. But the online aspect of it will let you do that (eventually), if you want :) And DVD playback will be available with a (paid-for) software add-on, apparently.
I think it's a great way for Nintendo to avoid unnecessary DVD royalties/ licensing costs on things many won't use, saving them millions as they ramp up production. I think they're making a tidy profit on each hardware unit as well as software.
One positive aspect about the war of the consoles is all of them offer something unique the other can't match. Especially Nintendo, IMO.
T.H. @ Nov 16th 2006 12:19PM
Believe it or not, I have the same concerns as Chris. And I'm a Nintendo fan whose first next gen video console will be the Wii. The Xbox 360 the second, as soon as they shrink the processor down using a 65nm process in Q1'07. And the PS3 will eventually be bought...as soon as the price comes down to earth.
The problem is that developers outside of Nintendo are going to have to do something innovative with the controller in creating new gaming concepts or new ways of controlling existing games that make them more fun. If said developers take the easy way out, you may wind up with very forgettable games.
Unfortunately aside from Nintendo first party games, most of the 3rd party games on the Wii doesn't seem as interesting to me. Obviously Red Steel is the most hyped of the Wii games so far but I probably need to play it before deciding if I like it or not. So the bad side so far is that I'm not really feeling that deep down excitement and craving for any of the 3rd party games (yet), but Metroid Prime and Zelda seem worth the price of admission (for now).
The real measure of Nintendo's success is what the 3rd party developers do with the system. The positive on that front is that Nintendo's 3rd party support seems the strongest it's ever been since the SNES days. The bad part is so far none of the games I've seen seem to be innovative or at least different enough using the Wiimote to give it the extra "must have" oomph. Hopefully the second generation of titles for the Wii will get much better as developers get a better sense of the Wiimote controller.
Jeremy @ Nov 17th 2006 2:36AM
Any of us that have been gaming since Atari 2600 and C64 days can't possibly argue that graphics make a game playable. I could play my C64 games for hours on end in all their 64k glory.
Petterz @ Nov 16th 2006 12:45PM
Of course CNN thinks the Wii is "a heck of a lot of fun." They're the ones behind the Wii's news channel. And Time... well, Time also thinks that Wii Sports might be the greatest videogame ever made. At least they've already got the attention of their non-gamer crowd.
As far as which system I'm getting this week... it's the Wii. Sure, the graphic capabilities suck compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360. All the people I know that have a PSP... hate it. It was funny how they shoved it in my face to taunt me about its graphic capability over my DS' N64-like power. And now they ask to play with my DS. Why? Because it's fun. They hardly touch their PSPs.
Even though I'd like the Wii games to look as great as Gears of War, I like the innovative gameplay that Wii has to offer.
I'd eventually buy an Xbox360 next year, though. Or at least after they fix that damn heat issue and quiet it down. I heard that the PS3 does that very well.
George @ Nov 16th 2006 2:35PM
For everyones information the reviews of wii games are being posted on ign and gamespot now. The reviews arent any better than some of the average titles on the 360 so how is the wii so much more fun? Graphics are important and if most people didnt care then why is hdtv and hd dvds the hot thing right now? The graphics help get you into the game and story so by saying they dont matter well your a simple person. I had considered buying a wii a week or so ago but after seeing the reviews my mind has changed.
chilander @ Nov 17th 2006 6:06PM
i love graphics! but if u were to give me 2 games... one with top notch graphics and plays well to one with mediocre graphics but plays exceptionally... well i'll play them both but everyone will like the one with better gameplay!.
Wut is this argument about? to me its cost vs quality. I'm someone who CAN NOT afford all 3! and i have a choice...
potentially 500 PS3 with out of this world technology that would have a shelf life of 10yrs (i think i read this months ago, may/maynot be true now)
to a confirmed 179 Wii with good graphics and potentially out of this world game experience..., shelf life... 3-5 yrs?
doesn't take a mathematician to figure which one is worth your dough.
hmmm then i would buy the Wii first ( prob 6-8months later so they smooth out all the bugs) then buy the PS3 after saving some money as i don't think they will drop the prices down for at least another year of release. That means i get both experiences...
who will win the race... i'm banking on ninty. Heres a probable scenario.
xmas is here, wii is here, its cheap, hyped up, ppl will buy it not only from fanatics but from other groups etc...
Games get better, bugs smoothed out.. ppl are having fun... wooahh here comes the PS3... bloody expensive lets wait until it gets cheaper... oops here are more games for the wii, everyone having fun... time to buy the PS3...
so which console has made the most sales? whos made the most money per unit? 3-5 yrs later who is going to plan development of another console?
i think wii already have a winner...
time to sit back and watch the fireworks... btw this is just crazy but wut if... just wut if (not that i'm into these games) a 3rd party dev. were to bring out a sex game... on all consoles... like... which console would u think will benefit from it? how would they use the wiimote to utilise the game???
don't ask me... just a crazy idea...
Pasty @ Nov 17th 2006 12:46AM
What you must remember is that reviews for launch games, unless they're really outstanding, generally don't score above the 90th percentile. How would Mario Kart Wii fare if IGN rated Excite Truck with a 98% and Mario Kart only got a 96%? Reviewers leave score room for the great games that they KNOW are going to come out eventually.
michelle maria @ Nov 17th 2006 3:58AM
i'm 31. i started out gaming on pacman, joust, burgertime and all the old arcade games. i remember the atari, nintendo, snes, sega and so on.. and don't get me wrong, i have a ps2. but sony and microsoft are both getting away from what gaming is about. i think we can blame microsoft for that.. they're pretty much just packaging up a gaming computer and selling it as a shiny console. ps3 is just keeping up with the jones. the wii is keepin it real! :P i mean, who wants to put down 600$ for a console? i'm cheap. you know how much joy the price alone will take out of my gaming? :P
i can't wait to get the wii! i can't wait for the old games, can't wait for the new games! i can't wait to kick my kid's butt on all of them! :D
animePHIL @ Nov 17th 2006 1:17AM
ok...this is such an interesting topic...since the announcement of ps3...I have been so yped up about it...hearing tall tales from all corners of the internet, how the ps3 has a processor faster than ibm's super coputer...and all this other stuff...how the graphics are gonna be superior to anything!!...how I can control my own home and pull gold out of my butt....look...600 dollars is insane to spend on a freakin GAMING machine...I don't use my dvd player on my ps2...why do I need all the stuff that the ps3 has? I wanna play games...not my house...I don't wanna pull gold outta y butt...especially 600 to pay or it...call me cheap...go ahead..I know I am...anyways...so I was so hyped up to get the ps3(this is a true story)..till I heard th price tag..so I was seriously considering a Xbox360...this coming from someone who was a huge PS fan...no ps fan likes xbox...but I want a gaming machine...then I heard about the nintendo wii...I didn't even know it was coming out till early this nov...and I will tell ya what...I already have a computer...if i wanna play a "pixel perfect" game...i will play it on that...if I wanna play a good game that isn't made for the computer...imma play it on my wii...especially with this controller...it will help some games...make playing some games more fun...but again...I have a computer, couple dvd' players, cell phones...I just want a gaming system...play some ff3 donkeykong...all that plus more...if your looking for a gaming computer that rivals an alien ware system for a better price...get an xbox360 or ps3...if ya just want to game...get the wii...
Joe @ Nov 17th 2006 4:28PM
I'm getting the Wii for my family and I. It's something anyone can play and enjoy; reminds me of Duck Hunt. One of the few things my parents remember about the original Nintendo (my first console) is that game. That's a (small and personal) testament to Nintendo's ongoing originality.
Also, for $600 I'd rather get a nice new rifle. Now THAT'S fun!
Branzig @ Nov 19th 2006 3:01PM
I got my Wii, and I love it. Granted i am not looking into the best graphics avaible, but the picture clear and colorful. The graphics may not be AS good, but they still look amazing, and def. an improvement from the previous systems. I bought Zelda, and my girlfriend feaking hates Zelda games Now, with the new controller, she has played more than I have. I hated ps2, so if anyone has a bad taste in their mouth after buying their second ps2, buy a wii. Congrats to all that got one.
Legacy @ Nov 22nd 2006 6:07PM
Why do people make comments when they haven't played on the system yet? Every time a new system gets released there are these "experts" who have a big opinion about something they know nothing about. Then the new whizzbang item comes out and everyones tune changes. The real "experts" in the field have given their reviews and many actual users have given their reviews. Save your "That remote controller thing, I'm pretty sure i've seen one of those on airplanes. How innovative of nintendo." and "Compared to ps3 and 360, Wii is definitely, a poor mans console" comments for after you've given a system a fair trial.
I think all the great reviews the system is getting in it's first week of release says it all....and just think of the potential this system has when game companies have time on their side to develop games like Zelda and then improve on it!
Mark @ Jan 29th 2007 7:26AM
We purchased a Wii and an XBox 360 on Christmas. The Wii gets nearly all of our attention. The XBox has not been played since Christmas day.
Wii hits a home run with respect to recruiting people of all ages. Over the holidays, a collection of non-gamers spanning 4 years to 71 years old played the Wii and ALL loved it. Most of these people would never have TRIED a videogame. We held a dinner party recently--at the party, three families tried the Wii and all resolved to buy it.
The XBox 360's graphics are superior to the Wii, but who cares? The Wii is a lot more fun!
tom @ Sep 12th 2007 11:27AM
I think wii should come out with a game where you can build treeforts an houses. You swing the cotroller like a hammer, move it back and forth like a saw, and pin it like a screw driver. If you like the idea i could kinda use some cash.
Jonathan @ Jun 8th 2008 4:37PM
Some of you say the wii will get boring over time. Well i think not. Did you guys not hear about the craziness to get a wii before the holidays? There always comeing out with new stuff. Now i hear their coming out (soon) with this new thing called wii-fit. Want more info on wii-fit just google search wii fit and go to the link that says: Nintendo E3 2007-Wii Fit. Then just scroll down and look at the video.
Wii-Man @ Jan 10th 2008 4:36PM
Compared to any other gaming console, the wii wins. How many gaming consoles do you know that you can play with a wireless remote or move around more than you normally would with a ps3. With those other consoles you just become a couch patatoe, but not with the wii. Trust me they will come out with new things for the wii. So for those people that say the wii will get boring- I say: NO it wont. And remember the wii is also a gamecube too. I dont see many gaming systems that are two consoles in one!!!