New channel blowout: Everybody's Nintendo, Mii Contest, and more
If you've been wondering what to do with all that space from Wii channels you don't use so often, you can stop -- you're about to start spending a lot more time clicking around the home screen. This latest enormous press conference unveiled an avalanche of channel-related content that will should satisfy even the pickiest of Nintendo fans.
From DS demos to strutting around with your Miis, channel content is about to blow up ... at least, in Japan. We can only hope that the new channels are soon to follow for Wii owners in the rest of the world. Until release dates are confirmed, however -- or even rumored -- we'll have to settle for checking out what's to come, and we've got a ton of information for you after the post break.
First up, in our eyes, is Everybody's Nintendo channel. We've all asked for downloadable DS demos from day one, and now they're coming. Not only that, but the kind of preview footage we saw of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption looks to be a staple for this channel. When you're forced to decide between several games you'd like to buy, this baby should come in right handy. And with everything else we saw today, expect that crushing feeling of emptiness to hit your wallet right about ... now.
With Everybody's Nintendo channel, you can also access statistics and information about current and past Wii games, as well as provide your own ratings. If that sounds like a lot to digest, perhaps this video will help tie it all together.
But never fear; while you save up to buy the enormous pile of awesome Nintendo unleashed upon us today, there will be more channels to fill your time. It looks like the Mii Contest and Check Mii Out channels ended up being one and the same; at least, from everything we saw today, the Mii Contest Channel plays out just as Check Mii Out was supposed to. And that's good, really; we always thought there seemed to be a gratuitous overlap between the two. After all, how many Mii-themed channels do we really need? We can't help but wonder if this is Mii Audition as well. But what's in a name? Nothing when it's compared to the content. The Mii Contest channel actually looks pretty fun from the video below. There's nothing like choosing the best Mii from a set of Marios. It makes us nostalgic for Mii Spotlight.
And now we slide into the realm of speculation. Pokémon fan? Then you'll want to take note.
It's rumored that the Wii Ware title Pokémon Farm, aka Pokémon Bokujou Channel, or Pokémon Ranch Channel, will be more of a channel than a game, per se. Since downloaded games essentially become channels in their own right, the distinction may or may not be at all important ... but it could have a great deal to do with the way the trainer is handled. Channels are currently downloaded via Wii Ware, so until there's more information released on this one, it looks like it's open for questioning. Here's what we know: you can pull in your Pokémon from Diamond and Pearl on the DS for a little quality time. You can take pictures of your monsters and "manage" them, but we're not sure yet just how that's going to work.
Finally, something we found particularly interesting: Wii Fit will morph into a brand new channel as well, as soon as the disc is swallowed by your Wii. We knew Wii Fit was set to monitor your fitness levels by transmitting data to medical professionals, and we wondered just how that would work -- and really, if it will. It sounds good in theory, but we know some people would probably prefer to turn that option off. However, we wondered just how that would be managed in game. It looks like it won't -- instead, it will be handled within a channel. How interesting! It's good to see that Nintendo is getting creative with their channels, and we can't wait to see how this game/channel hybrid words for later titles, as we're certain it's something we'll see again.
Everything out of the conference looks exciting, but we're really looking forward to not only these channels, but to whatever Nintendo does next. Wii Ware is shaping up to be an awesome springboard, and we can't say no to demos and videos, certainly. Even the channels we often consider fluff are looking good!
