It's the little things that grab you
Now that many of us have had the time to get friendly with our Wiis and maybe toss a Wiimote around here or there, let's take a moment to celebrate the little things the small details. In the frenzy of anticipating and buying and box-opening, sometimes we lose track of the details, the really fabulous things about a new console that begin to shine after a few days of serious gameplay. Fanboys that we are, we like to pull those details into the spotlight and coo over them whilst giving our European friends an idea of what's in store for them. Thus, after the jump we've listed a few of the little things that warm our fanboy hearts -- and we wanna hear what you love most about the Wii as well.
Of course, not everything is always perfect ... so we might have a few little beefs as well ....
Alisha
Love it: It's the tiniest thing, but I adore being able to eject a disc without turning the console on. Sometimes you're in a hurry and you have to return a rental or something you've borrowed from a friend and you hit eject, but with most systems, then you have to go in and turn the whole thing off. Not so with the Wii! Sometimes I just pop discs out for the hell of it, because I can. And also, forget all the worries that the Wii will have you flailing about, exhausted and drained, all the time. Sure, you can jump up and down if you want, and some games cry for it. But if you're not in the mood, the Wiimote and nunchuk setup is the lazy gamer's dream. I can sprawl completely across the sofa, right hand pointed at the screen, left hand lazily pushing the nunchuk down by my knee or whatever, and it's great. It's fabulous. No more clutching the controller and trying to find a comfortable spot. I may never move again. I'm actually there right now, playing Twilight Princess, and blogging using only the power of my mind.
Hate it: The cord between the nunchuk and Wiimote is just a leeeetle bit too short. When we were first flailing about in Red Steel multiplayer (which has become a big favorite), I just knew I was about to rip that cord right in half. Two more inches would have been perfect, I think. Also, sometimes the Wii just doesn't register your movement. I don't know if it's a failing with me (and my motion wasn't clear) or with the system, but there have been times in Wii Sports tennis (latest addiction) when I have quite firmly swung and my little Mii just stands there, racket in hand, as I yowl in frustration. There's nothing more anger-making than missing a shot when you didn't really miss a shot, amirite?
Jason
Love it: I'm a huge fan of the built-right-in instruction manuals in Virtual Console games. In fact, I'm such a fan that I'm not sure why this approach isn't used in modern games. Why not include the manuals right in a menu screen, for in-game browsing? Those archaic little books in our DVD cases are hardly looked at anymore. I also really enjoy that the flaps on the front and top of the Wii can be removed, improving the aesthetic quality of the console for those of us who enjoy having Gamecube equipment in for easy access.
Hate it: There's nothing on this planet more beautiful than that blue disc slot glow, and the only way to truly appreciate it is to send a message or E-mail to the Wii console externally, and then never turn it on. Even if you don't check the message, the glow is erased. Boo! I also don't like that there's no easy way to remove power to a secondary controller without either waiting for several minutes or having to disconnect all controllers at once. The whole synching process is a bit iffy, I think.
