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We want more Miis (Wii annoyance #012)
When we first read in the Wii manual that "up to 100 Miis can stay in your Mii Plaza," we weren't overly concerned. After all, how many different oblong-headed caricatures do you need on one system. Now that we're actually bumping up against the Mii limit after only a few months of use, though, we can't help but be annoyed at what seems to be an arbitrary restriction. Granted, most Wii users probably won't fill up their Mii channel quite this quickly. We're both blessed and cursed with friends whose obsession with Mii creation leads to new arrivals in our Mii plaza every other day. And sure, we could probably stand to clean out some of the less inspired Mii examples in favor of some of the dozens interesting creatures running around our Mii parade. But why should we have to? We have hundreds of blocks of space left on our Wii's internal memory, and nothing much to do with it unless we suddenly decide to download Urban Champion. It should only take a relatively simple system update to let us fill that unused space with hundreds more Miis -- enough to create a Where's Waldo? style scene of Mii inasanity. Even if technical issues prevent showing that many Miis on one screen, the over-100 excess could be placed in seperate rooms in the Mii plaza. We know we've had some harsh words for the Mii channel in the past, but really there's no limit to our enjoyment of the little character maker. That is, of course, except for the limit Nintendo places on it. Free the Mii Channel from your self-imposed shackles, Nintendo. You have nothing to lose but your chains. PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Why can't I demo my VC downloads? (Wii annoyance #011)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Why_can_t_I_demo_my_VC_downloads_Wii_annoyance_011'; Sure, the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel is full of classic titles that many remember from childhood, but does that mean we should buy games on nostalgia? Maybe we've been spoiled by Xbox Live's demo system, but Microsoft's service has been around long enough for Nintendo to learn from its competitors. Given Nintendo's tiny disk space, we don't expect demos of traditionally-released Wii titles. But these are retro titles being charged at a premium. Not everyone has played the classics, and beyond that there are original titles that have been promised. If not a full-fledged demo, why not a 5-minute time constraint, and our purchase can turn off the clock -- that shouldn't be too much of a logistical issue.We love the little console, we really do; that's why we don't want to see WiiConnect24 (or PlayStation's no-use-for-a-name online network) function below its predecessors.PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
No Wavebird Wii navigation (Wii annoyance #010)
Wii buyers who skipped getting a Gamecube might have a hankering to play the games they never could before (Super Smash Bros. Melee!). Having a Wavebird controller is probably one of the best accessories to get for the Wii, due to its extreme compatibility with non-Wii games and ridiculously long battery life. For a controller that is a jack-of-all-trades on the Wii, it's kinda sad that you can't navigate the Wii menu with it. Heck, you can't even get past the "WARNING-HEALTH AND SAFETY" screen with the Wavebird. When you put in a Gamecube game, you have to find your Wii-mote to activate the game from the main menu. It's a little thing that would be a nice simple fix in a future update. There is still much Super Smash Bros. Melee to be had and using the Wavebird to navigate and shop on the Wii menu would be nice.[Thanks, Blink]PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Power-hungry Wiimotes (Wii annoyance #009)
Since this blogger purchased a Wavebird controller back in late 2002, the batteries have been replaced only twice. In that time there have been at least 2,300 games of Smash Bros Melee played, as well as five completions of Resident Evil 4 and several other diversions here or there. However, after two weeks of playing Twilight Princess and Wii Sports, I am halfway through the second set of AA's in both of my Wiimotes. We know that both Microsoft and Sony controllers also suffer from less-than-ideal battery lives, but we expected a little more from Nintendo, whose GameBoy lineup has been noted for its exceptionally long use of two AA's. After creating officially-licensed 1GB SD cards, the big N should consider doing the same for rechargeable AA batteries. Or how about Wiimote Lite? C'mon, Nintendo, you're missing a golden opportunity here. PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Mii Channel misses (Wii annoyance #008)
Don't get us wrong, we love the Mii Channel. We've spent hours tinkering around making versions of ourselves, our friends, our families, celebrities, strangers, that homeless man on the corner in front of our house, etc. Good times. But for all the fun of avatar creation, there are a few niggling issues with the system that we'd like to see addressed. More face building options - I know Nintendo claims there are, like, a gazillion possible unique Miis to be made on the Mii Channel, but despite the wide array of selectable facial features, there are still some important things missing. The first thing I noticed when trying to make a Mii version of myself was the lack of sideburns, meaning my Mii doesn't look a lot like me. Some of the other face parts, like the nose, lips and eyebrows, could also use more options to choose from. A Mii Lobby - Why is there no way for me to share my Miis with people besides those who I actively register as friends? I want to be able to free my Miis to roam the world at large, and I don't mean by uploading a picture to some online clearing house. And I want to be able to download Miis from strangers who choose to share them in some sort of Wii-accessible, searchable online database. I know your worried about little Johnny coming across a Mii named "PenisMan" or something, but parental controls can prevent this from being an issue. Editing others Miis: So my friend makes a Mii version of himself and sends it over. It's perfect in every way, except the mouth is a little too high. In an ideal world, I'd make a quick edit and send it back to my friend, possibly with a note making fun of his low-hanging mouth. Instead, I try to edit the Mii and get an annoying message telling me "you can't edit Miis you didn't create." I can understand not wanting to let people plagiarize other people's Miis, but it doesn't seem too hard to add an "originally created by" area to acknowledge the original Mii creator while still allowing for people to build on the works of others. We know the Mii Channel can be updated through the Wii's system update function. So how about it, Nintendo, how about making an already great feature even better?PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Dude, where's my friends? (Wii annoyance #007)
It's hard to think up a more convoluted way to set up communication between consoles than the one set up by Nintendo for the Wii. Not only do you have to get your friend to give you a hard-to-remember 16-digit code that represents their Wii, but you have to give them your code and both of you have to hand-enter the sequences in your address books before sending so much as a "Hello!"We realize that this extremely unfriendly system is designed to prevent little Timmy from getting any inappropriate messages from "ChildMolester666," but surely there's a better way to balance security and ease-of-use. Xbox Live lets you connect with your friends using easy-to-remember GamerTags and in-system friend requests, while still allowing you to block would-be spammers and annoyances with a few button presses. Finding new friends on Xbox Live is easy through leaderboards and online matchups, where Wii users have to rely on third-party listing like those on MiiPages.At the very least, Nintendo should allow players to nickname their Wiis and find potential friends by searching through some sort of Wii-friendly lobby system. As it stands now, connecting to other Wii owners is an unnecessarily frustrating experience.PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Extra points leak out of Wii Shop Channel (Wii annoyance #006)
OK, we understand that using a universal Wii Points system is simpler than adjusting individual virtual console prices for different regions and currencies. What we don't understand is why we have to buy these points in increments of 1,000, even if all we want is just one game. Once we buy Bonk's Adventure for 600 points, what are we supposed to do with the 400 remaining points stuck in our account? Buy four-fifths of an NES game?The pat, fanboy response will likely be to buy more points and find more games to download, but we're not too excited about the prospect of spending more money just to get our change. Even worse, those without a credit card are thus far stuck laying out $20 for a 2000 point card at retail. That's a lot of mark up if all you want is a single $5 NES download.We know Xbox Live has a similar system in place for their Microsoft Points, but their minimum purchase price is only $5 and there are small, 100 point items available to soak up your leftovers in a pinch. Sony has them both beat, though, letting you deposit exactly the amount you need when making an online purchase instead of grubbing for a few extra bucks with every transaction.The whole point of digital distribution is to make buying games and content simpler. Forcing us to buy extra digital money we might not want does not serve that goal.PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
There's a Wiimote in my pocket (Wii annoyance #005)
The Classic Controller hid the awkward lap placement shown on the packaging insertDangling from the end of the Classic Controller is the Wiimote. What are we supposed to do with this thing?Some have speculated that Nintendo will release a device (a separate purchase?) that will allow the Wiimote to be clipped to the back of the Classic Controller; however, this still wouldn't eliminate that pesky cable connecting the two controllers. For now, we're forced to rest the Wiimote awkwardly on our laps or stuff it into our pockets -- we suppose duct tape is an option too. Our advice: stick with GameCube's wireless Wavebird for all your Virtual Console needs (it's only about $10 more than the Classic Controller and it's more compatible to boot!).Wii delights vs. Wii annoyancesPS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Wii on an HD set? It'll cost ya extra (if you want it to look good). (Wii annoyance #004)
Plenty's been written in the past week (on myriad blogs) about how much better (or, in the case of the new Zelda, less ugly) the Wii looks when connected to HD displays via component cables instead of the composite cables included in the Wii retail box. For those of you who've made the leap to HD sets (there are more than 19 million American households that have HDTVs according to this September Forrester report), the price of Wii gaming just went up by $30. That's annoying. We're not the only ones annoyed by this hidden cost. Joystiq reader Shawn wrote, "I'm really disappointed that the Wii doesn't come with component cables by default. Who the hell wants to use composite? Even on a standard def TV, component is a lot better, but obviously everyone with an HDTV will have to spend an extra $30 ..." PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Wii have no room to play (Wii annoyance #003)
The Nintendo Wii has been getting plenty of buzz over the past few weeks from various sources. Nintendo isn't too shocked by it; they did build the machine to accommodate a whole new target audience. However, Nintendo may have one fatal flaw in their design: space. It would seem that Nintendo didn't account for room size when dreaming up the little wand that links our world to the Wii world. Some guys over at MTV decided to run a four player Wii match and found their existing room -- which is wide enough to fit a couch and have four-player traditional matches -- didn't accommodate their Wii gaming; they were getting in each others way. The Wii may be the smallest next-gen console, but it clearly requires the most space to truly enjoy. And yet another traditional element of console gaming has vanished in the Wii's growing wake; no longer can the console be moved to a back-room and be enjoyed. Either that, or we're going to have to learn to play without looking like a toolbox. PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Dude, where's my MP3s (Wii annoyance #2)
We've known for a few months now that the Wii would be able to play MP3 music from inserted SD cards, but we weren't sure of the exact form this feature would take until we actually got our hands on the system. Now that we've had a chance to try it out, we're quite underwhelmed by this undersold "feature" of Nintendo's latest system.While the Wii easily facilitates viewing of digital photos with the intuitively named "Photo Channel" on the main system menu, there is no similar Music Channel to play your MP3s. Instead, users that want to hear some tunes have to go into the Photo Channel, select some pictures, view a slideshow, go into the options, and only then will they be able to choose from their selection of songs.Calling this photo slideshow soundtrack an "MP3 player" is too generous -- basic features like fast forward and rewind are not even available, and the selected song will simply loop unless another one is actively selected. It's hard to believe that Nintendo equipped the system with the ability to play music without also including some rudimentary music player software, but that is exactly what has happened.The only other way to play MP3s on the Wii is with custom soundtracks, a feature supported on a game-by-game basis. While setting up and using the feature on Excite Truck was relatively easy, we're a bit miffed that Nintendo didn't decide to build this feature into the system software, so a custom soundtrack could be added over any game at the player's choosing. Making MP3 soundtracks an optional feature that has to be actively added by developers practically ensures that the feature will be underutilized.Nintendo could theoretically upgrade the MP3 playback function with a future software update, but as it stands now this Wii "feature" pales in comparison to similar music playback offered by Sony and Microsoft.Wii annoyancesPS3 annoyancesXbox 360 annoyances
Dude, where's my cursor (Wii annoyance #1)
For the most part, we've been impressed with the responsiveness and stability of the Wii remote as pointing device. The whole pointer system fails, though, when your remote hand wavers a bit and the pointer goes off the screen. Unlike a computer mouse pointer which stops at the edge of the monitor, the Wii pointer completely disappears if the remote is not pointed directly at the screen area, even if it's still well within the sensor bar's range. What's more, the system doesn't even give any indication of where the missing cursor was last seen or which edge of the monitor it departed through.It only takes a few seconds to get over the confusion and realign your remote, but it gets a little annoying when it happens multiple times in one play session. The problem is especially apparent when switching from gesture-based to pointer-based functions, such as transferring from sword-swinging to boomerang throwing in Zelda, or from racquet swinging to menu selection in Wii Sports: Tennis.It doesn't seem to be solely a hardware problem either -- the sensor bar seems perfectly capable of detecting much of the off-screen pointing, but the software and system menus just don't acknowledge it. Even if the pointer is completely out of sensor range, some sort of on-screen indicator of its last known position would be nice. We urge any and all future Wii developers to consider this problem carefully when developing their pointer-based gameplay.
