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Wiimbledon tomorrow, no sign of strawberries and cream
Where were we weeks ago? We so would have made a pilgrimmage to Brooklyn to get our Wii tennis on. Maybe next year we can get in on this, since we hope tomorrow's Wiimbledon Wii Sports tennis tournament is the beginning of a yearly event. And where are the other Grand Slams, people? Get to work!Unfortunately, Wiimbledon is closed to new entrants at this point -- the 128 player pool is full -- but hey, the tournament is being held in a bar, so if you're in the area, can you really lose if you head out to watch? We think not. Wiimbledon gets going at 11 am at Barcade in Brooklyn, New York, and entrants are encouraged to "dress with moxy" like our man Richie Tenenbaum here. We encourage spectators to do the same. Just leave the bird at home. [Thanks, Conor!]
Friday Video: Consequences
With the Wii injury cropping up all over again, this short comedic video seemed like the perfect way to wrap up the week. And if a simple game of tennis can set off this extreme chain of events, just imagine all the Wii injuries that are possible when it comes to using the Wiimote and nunchuk for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. We shudder at the very thought.
Waggle Tennis circa 2000
Wii Sports is totally innovative for its motion controls, right? You can move the Wiimote and swing your tennis racket, which is what makes the game so accessible and compelling. That's probably why the Wii has been such a big hit. Just like online gaming, the Dreamcast already did it. While experimenting with the Dreamcast fishing controller, The GagaMan from The Dreamcast Junkyard discovered that its motion sensors worked perfectly with the fantastic Virtua Tennis. In fact, he claims, the controls are more nuanced and sensitive than Wii Sports Tennis. On top of that, you can actually move your character around with the analog stick. We wonder if things would have gone differently for the Dreamcast if anyone had figured this out back then. Probably not. But at least we can pick up a fishing controller and try this ourselves!
Three-year-old's Tennis tantrum
Brian McConnell left his son, Adam, alone with a game of Wii Sports: Tennis for only a few moments to fetch a drink, but that was all the time the little demon needed. Not even a Wii remote strap could've saved Brian's plasma TV once the three-year-old set his mind on avenging a lost match. Brian came back to the living room to find his £1,000 television ruined, its 42-inch screen bashed by his Wiimote-wielding progeny. Queue up the darth_vader_nooo.jpg images. The forgiving father let Adam off the hook with only a light lecture and a two-week Wii ban. That's a lot more lenient than the hanging, drawing, and quartering punishment one of our NintenDadz would've sought. [Via Engadget]
Pac-Man + tennis = love
Sure, Virtua Tennis 3 had some strange gimmicks ... like collecting giant pieces of fruit whilst avoiding deadly bouldering tennis balls. But Namco's upcoming Smash Court Tennis looks to out-do quite possibly every tennis game ever made with this utterly brilliant duo of retro-themed gameplay modes. Above, you'll see the rad flavors of Pac-Man infused into the typically high-brow sport of tennis. After the cut, you'll see some equally cool gameplay inspired by the retro groove of Galaga.These simple additions have made this game suddenly shoot up much higher on our radar. For some "regular" (aka "boring") gameplay, don't forget to check out our previous coverage of the game.
The dog that can play Wii
The odds of this being real are incredibly slim, so take that into consideration as you head past the post break to watch the video. While we'll agree that the video is quite hilarious, we're pretty sure the dog isn't making those moves on its own and certainly isn't tearing up the courts of Wii Sports: Tennis all by itself. Notice how the camera never pans below the dog's elbow?Let us know what you think: fake or real?
Smash Court Tennis: for boys and girls
Namco is promoting their new PSP exclusive tennis game, Smash Court Tennis, with a strange emphasis on gender. The game allows you to create your own tennis star, male or female. As these videos show, the character customization looks to be rather deep, something that can be easily appreciated in games. The graphics certainly represent the sport quite well; let's hope the gameplay can do the same.
DirecTV subscribers to get Tennis Channel HD
Considering that Fox is giving HD-loving baseball viewers the shaft, yet cable will once again regain Extra Innings privileges, it's been quite the whirlwind in HD sports of late. Thankfully, we've got more positive news on the tennis front, as an agreement has reportedly been reached to allow DirecTV subscribers to start catching the Tennis Channel later this summer. According to the network's CEO, a firm date for the launch hasn't been set, but "late August" appears to be a relatively safe bet. Of course, the feed we're all waiting for (yeah, the HD flavor) won't go live until November, but hopefully DirecTV will have had time to set up a few additional HD channels to keep us occupied in the meantime.
Love! New Smash Court Tennis screens
Ready for a game of tennis? Namco Bandai recently sent us some new screenshots from their upcoming PSP-exclusive Smash Court Tennis, and it certainly looks like ... well, tennis. At the very least, this game will feature Game Sharing, so friends can play against each other with just one UMD. Namco's support of this feature has been quite nice, as it can also be found in the upcoming Naruto fighter. Now, if only Namco can combine these two great tastes into one game: Smashing Naruto Ultimate Ninja Tennis Heroes, anyone?
Retractable Wii Sports Cuff fails to reel us in
The Retractable Wii Sports Cuff replaces the subtlety and elegance of the Wii remote's wrist strap with a bulky band that we wouldn't be caught dead wearing. We don't doubt that the adjustable neoprene cuff has an agreeable fit, but did anyone ever find the original straps uncomfortable, if even noticeable at all?And what sort of human does the retractable thirteen inches of slack benefit? Are there people whose hands extend that far away from their wrist? Or are these cuffs marketed towards some sort of video-game-playing race of long-fingered mutants? Creepy!You would think that the shop would take advantage of all the "faulty Wii Strap" controversy and emphasize the durability of the cuff's cord, but the product description makes no mention of any improved toughness. What's there to reassure us that we won't end up with a Wii remote sticking out of our television after a heated game of Wii Tennis? Even at a sale price of $5.99, you'll probably want to stay clear from this accessory.[Via CAG]
Wii Warm Up: Wii Sports revisited
So, we've had both dry weeks and deluges -- overall, a fair number of offerings to distract us from Wii Sports over the past few months. And yet, it remains in the news as a media darling. But let's not worry about the rest of the world at the moment; let's talk serious, f'real gamers. Are we still playing Wii Sports? For fun, for profit exercise, or just out of sheer boredom -- if you're still whacking the racket or throwing punches, we want to know. And if you are still playing, we want to hear about those crazy, off-the-chart scores.
Smash Court Tennis 3 goes PSP; includes Game Sharing
Namco Bandai just announced Smash Court Tennis 3 for the PSP. It'll feature 16 tennis stars, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin. "We are thrilled to announce that the next iteration of our popular Smash Court Tennis series is set to appear on the PSP system," said Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO of Namco Bandai Games. "With the franchise's signature gameplay and new enhancements, Smash Court Tennis 3 is the perfect on-the-go package that's made for a jet-setting tennis pro."Virtua Tennis will be the game to beat for Namco's next. However, there's one feature that I'm particularly psyched about: the ability to compete against other PSP owners with a single UMD through Game Sharing. It's a horribly under-utilized system: being able to play tennis against any other PSP owner should offer a great deal of potential. [Update : New screenshots can be found at WorthPlaying.]
NPR commentator: Wii Sports bad for self-esteem
First Newsweek's Stephen Levy alleges that Guitar Hero is "dumbing down musicianship," and now this. NPR commentator Kelly McBride recently aired her fears that Wii Sports is artificially inflating the self-esteem of her Wii-playing children. According to McBride's logic, children used to effortless success with minimum effort in Wii Sports tennis will be frustrated when they pick up a real tennis racket and aren't immediately experts. She has a point -- mastering a video game simulation is often much easier than mastering the real world activity it mimics. Just ask a fighter pilot or a world leader. But while the barriers to success are lower for many video games, the rewards for success are also lower. While schooling someone in virtual basketball might let you hear your opponent's moan of defeat over a headset, the real look of anguish when you take someone down in a hard-fought game of real basketball is infinitely more satisfying. There's something about the physical exertion and human interaction of real sports that makes it compelling in a way that's totally different from sitting alone playing a video game. Even jumping around and playing Wii Sports with friends isn't quite as interesting as taking them on in a real sport (though it's often more practical). This is why paintball hasn't gone away even though Halo is popular and people continue to ski even when Alpine Racer might be available at a nearby arcade. Sure, children will often be more interested in the instant gratification of a simple game than the complex rewards of real competition, but as they get older most mature adults will come to realize the importance of sticking with something and attaining new skills in the real world. Video games aren't a replacement for real world activities. They never have been and they won't start to be now just because Nintendo lets you move your arms a bit while you play them.
Sega: Virtua Tennis 3 brings its 1080p game to the Xbox 360
We're sure Microsoft exec Scott Henson -- who last March said 1080p graphics were "basically impossible" -- is probably going to help himself to an extra generous portion of humble pie as Sega announces that Virtua Tennis 3, already running proudly in 1080p on the PlayStation 3, will be arriving in full true HD glory on the Xbox 360 as well. Sega's press release can barely handle the full resolution of the news, gushing, "For the first time, Xbox 360 gamers can experience high-definition 1080p graphics on their console with Virtua Tennis 3." Of course, it's no coincidence that the first Xbox 360 game to hit that magic resolution was one of the few PS3 launch games to make it there as well. The tennis court remains relatively static while the players (choose from up to 20 tennis pros!) move around, unencumbered by dozens of creepy monsters from an alternate history intent on killing them. Now that Sega's paved the way (with clay we imagine), how long before future titles sign-up for 1080p doubles?
Off the charts in Wii Sports [update 1]
Last week, we bragged chatted about our Wii Sports accomplishments, and suddenly our e-mail blew up with stories of folks screaming off the charts in their favorite sports. Here we were, feeling good about being mid-range pro in tennis, and there are folks with rankings that make us feel like we might just be the noobiest noobs who've never noobed.We'll be comforting ourselves with chocolate while you check out the pics.[Update 1: Fixing an error both heinous and gratuitous.]
Conan takes on Serena in Wii Tennis
What should you do when you have a former World Number 1 ranked tennis player on your late night talk show? Challenge her to Wii Tennis, of course!That's what Conan O'Brien decided to do last night when he had Serena Williams on as a guest. We caution the little ones to avoid direct eye contact with O'Brien's scantily-clad body, as the sheer paleness reflects light and can blind you. Look closely and you'll see that the production team made Miis of the host and guest.We won't give away the final score, but it was a close game. Video embedded after the break.[Thanks, Sam]
The progression of ennui(i)
Has your Wii Sports experience gone from exciting to stale? Apparently that's the case for some, as is exhibited in the amusing video embedded after the jump. So tell us -- are you still bouncing around all willy-nilly, or have you figured out that you can just as easily Wii while slumped on the couch with a beer in one hand?
Everybody's doing it: Wii workouts
We've run across a couple of bloggers taking on Wii Sports workout regimens and we must say that it does sound appealing. It's funny -- preWii, people were complaining about the potentially tiring effect of playing for hours, and now other people are looking to maximize that very effect. We must say that a few rounds of boxing or tennis are pretty nice after a long day at the computer. What's your take on it? Think that Wii Sports can have any effect on a gamer's physique?
Wii Sports Pack offers trio of Wiimote extensions
In what's likely to go down as the most heavily accessorized (and harmful) controller ever, Nintendo's Wiimote sure is garnering a lot of attention from accessory makers. Sure, those Wii Gloves may keep butterfinger disasters from ever occurring, but they really don't give you any sort of competitive advantage when throwing down in Wii Sports. While we knew JoyTech was planning its own barrage of controller add-ons, it looks like Brando is offering up a sweet trio of Wiimote extensions to presumably improve your Wii Sports play. For just $22, you'll get a tennis racket, golf grip, and a baseball bat, which could arguably pull double duty as a sword in Red Steel. Of course, you'll still need to pick up that foam donut separately (or bundled in with another game) for the ultimate Excite Truck experience, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Wii Sports wins Game of the Year award in Time Magazine
Once again, Wii Sports is the media darling of the mainstream press. Time is as big as they come. But Game of the Year? Many of us may disagree. As hardened, totally awesome gamers, we've come to expect grand adventures, interesting characters, nail-biting action sequences, and wonderfully infuriating logic puzzles. (And if you were wondering, dear readers, our own game of the year award goes to Twilight Princess, naturally.) But totally awesome gamers do not run Time, and thus, we don't think they really care about such nonsense.Still, stepping off our pedestal for a moment, Wii Sports has brought more new and lapsed gamers to the screen than any game since Super Mario Bros. Having fun with friends and family; is this not the point of gaming in general? It's an interesting question, and one akin to comparing Old School with American Beauty. One may have been an inspiring, cinematic masterpiece, but which did you have more fun watching? Which do you guys think deserves the award?[via Joystiq]
