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Wii Warm Up: Renting
Renting at the start of a console's lifespan always made sense to us (and the N64 kid): at a platform launch, all games carry a premium price tag, so borrowing your games is plainly a good idea.However, the Wii is now well past its second birthday, and cheap games are absolutely plentiful. Renting therefore seems redundant, but a quick Google search will reveal plenty of places willing to sling you a Wii game for a few bucks, so somebody is borrowing them.Are you one of those people, and if so, why? Maybe there's a good reason to rent that we haven't thought of. Are current economic woes causing people to explore cheaper ways of playing games?
Wii Warm Up: Celebrities
Not so long ago, Nintendo was content to advertise its biggest franchises with kids rapping awkwardly on a sofa. Since then, things have changed somewhat. In a bid to capture more and more of the expanded audience, Ninty is throwing the celebrities at us, such as those in the UK advert above (Harry Redknapp's evident confusion during the Brawl segment is something we shall always enjoy seeing).How do you view slebs being used to endorse some of your favorite gaming products? Is it a horribly cynical marketing ploy, or simply a very cunning tactic on Nintendo's part? Also, do you know of anybody who was nudged toward a Nintendo-branded system by one of these adverts?
Wii Warm Up: Bit.Trip: Which Beats?
The debut footage of Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip: Beat received a mainly positive response from our (obviously very cultured) readers, but one comment in particular got us thinking. Reader Go1denchi1d suggested the game needed an editor, to allow us to compile our own chiptune ditties, and we could not agree more strongly.No such feature has been announced (yet), but if it were, which song would you want to recreate (and deflect colored blocks to) first?
Wii Warm Up: How long?
It's a simple question, but also a vital one when it comes to establishing those all-important fanboy credentials: in an average day, how long do you spend playing on your Wii?Does your time playing on Nintendo's system vary greatly from the time you dedicate to other gaming platforms? And in your memory, what's the longest period you've not played the console for?
Wii Warm Up: Building a tower
Quite a specific Wii Warm Up this morning, in that it's just for World of Goo players. Having recently started the game (remember that it only came out in Europe recently), I'm still only on the third chapter, but find myself constantly drawn back to the "World of Goo Corporation" mode. Here, players can construct huge, wobbly towers of goo from the excess goo balls they rescue in the main game.I am transfixed by this mode (which I realize is basically Tower of Goo, the game that kicked off 2D Boy's WiiWare adventure), and will contentedly spend a couple of hours building, before inevitably watching my creations collapse. So far, I've managed a tower of around 23 meters, which I know you guys have bettered. What's the highest you've managed?%Gallery-16000%
Wii Warm Up: Gaming tantrums
To what extent do games make you lose your temper? While it may seem silly for an older youth/adult to lose their rag over a game, we recognize that our hobby can still be frustrating. Do you loudly voice your annoyance, throw controllers about the place, or, like this blogger, mutter dark thoughts under your breath? I'd like to just let it all out in the same way as the kid above, but this sort of behavior is "frowned upon" once you hit 28. %Gallery-19378%
Wii Warm Up: Your chat, show us it
Well, we'd like to start today by saying: Hey, you reading this! HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM WII FANBOY! The site wouldn't be the same without our unfailingly handsome and beautiful readers, so thanks for being one of them! Just as we did last year, we're reserving this space for anything you want to talk about (so long as it's within, y'know, the bounds of decency). Tell us who you're spending today with. Talk about the TV you'll be watching, or the games you'll be waggling to. Brag about all of your cool new gifts. And remember: whatever you want to chat about, make sure you consume twice your own body weight in turkey and eggnog first. That's kind of the law today.
Wii Warm Up: The Club
So it's happened -- Club Nintendo has finally made it to North America. Sure, the website has been a bit shaky on its newborn legs, but the important thing is: it's free stuff. Some of the prizes are unexpectedly awesome as well, hailing as they do from the Japanese program. Browse most forums and it's clear that Game & Watch Collection is a favorite, but we're also loving those classy DS Card and Stylus cases.What's your favorite freebie on the service (full range here), and have you ordered anything yet? Have any of you found a reason to grumble about Nintendo giving away gifts?
Wii Warm Up: Ready 2 Rumble with Hasselhoff?
Ready 2 Rumble is making a Balboa-esque comeback on Wii, but here's the catch: Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution will follow an example set by Celebrity Sports Showdown, by having only caricatured celebrities as fighters. That means no Afro Thunder, Boris "The Bear" Knokimov, or any of the other original cast.While fighting as a moobed Simon Cowell wouldn't be our first choice, if the game is as fun as the Dreamcast titles were, we'll suck it up and get throwing haymakers. What do you personally make of AKI wheeling in the slebs? Would the fact the original line-up is totally missing color your decision to buy Ready 2 Rumble? And who did you use back then? We were Angel Rivera experts.%Gallery-38364%
Wii Warm Up: Turkey Day
To those of you who celebrate it, happy Thanksgiving! And happy Thursday to everybody else! We'll be running a reduced shedule today, but we'll still be there, in the form of a few posts and also in your hearts (perhaps). Anyway, let's talk Turkey Day, and more specifically what role gaming will take in your Thanksgiving celebrations. As this is a time for families and togetherness, the Wii is probably the ideal Thanksgiving console. What will you be playing between mouthfuls of turkey and cranberry sauce?
Wii Warm Up: Joy be thine
Christmas: for those who celebrate it, a time of joy, happiness, togetherness, and rampant, ugly consumerism. Love it or hate it, you can't exactly ignore it, so let's talk some more about your plans for this season of "love and laughter and joy" (thanks, Cliff). Which Wii games do you plan to put on your list to Santa, and -- more importantly -- what will you be buying others?
Wii Warm Up: What's your set-up?
The Wii has its fair share of titles that look and sound stunning, but how do you show them off? Today we're talking gaming set-ups, and want to know about every aspect of yours: TVs, sound systems, projectors, speakers, amplifiers, the lot. We're especially keen to see pictures, so if you want to attract our extreme envy, now is your chance. If anybody comes close to competing with the ($6 million) set-up above, feel free to add your address.Also, because it's amazing, let's look at some more Super Mario Galaxy:%Gallery-4735%
Wii Warm Up: Peripheral issues
Wii peripherals have proven a profitable business for Nintendo, and a new member, the WiiSpeak microphone, will join this rapidly growing family later this month. In our experience, these accessories mostly enhance the games they support, and that's great and all, but it has been a while since we actually perched on our Balance Boards, or waved our Wii Wheel about to Mario Kart Wii, or Zappered zombies. When was the last time you played a Wii title with something other than a naked Wiimote and Nunchuk, and what was the game?%Gallery-23865%
Wii Warm Up: Virtual Console plus
Okay, hypothetical question time. I recently acquired an Xbox 360 to keep my Wii and DS company, and have spent most of my time playing games on Xbox Live Arcade. My chief obsession in this short period has been Treasure shooter Ikaruga, which I previously enjoyed on the GameCube. The Xbox Live Arcade version is different, however, having been fleshed out with some neat additions, including the ability to upload/download replays and online leaderboards.Now, I like these features. In fact, I like the leaderboard aspect so much that I began to wonder why Virtual Console games didn't offer such extras. Given the choice, would you like to see stuff like leaderboards and other additions (for example, some new galleries of old art, a developer commentary or interview, etc.) included with Virtual Console releases, or would you rather not spoil the pristine authenticity of the service? I used to be in the latter camp, enjoying the unspoiled genuineness of VC games, but now find myself wanting more! The big gallery feature is approaching at full throttle. According to the data, it is identified as "Awesome Treasure Gallery."
Wii Warm Up: Tempted by Rock Band 2 now?
On the Wii, Rock Band 2 is everything the first Rock Band should have been. Like the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, the Wii edition of the title will ship with head-to-head online play, online co-op World Tour mode, and daily downloadable "Battle of the Bands" challenges, and you'll even be able to download all Rock Band 1 DLC. We'd congratulate EA and Harmonix on such a turnaround, if just releasing a complete game was worthy of our praise. It isn't, but we're happy things are better this time.Has the knowledge we now have about Rock Band 2 caused you to alter your plans when it comes to deciding between EA's game and Guitar Hero: World Tour?
Wii Warm Up: On how Travis can win your heart
So our secret is out: we're already totally hot for No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle. Aside from its name and the brief trailer we gushed about yesterday, little is known about the title (it might not even be a Wii game), but our love for the first No More Heroes means we're already unhealthily excited for this follow-up. We recognize that not everybody feels the same way, however. In the replies to our 9/10 review of Goichi Suda's Wii debut, a number of people suggested they were -- gasp -- disappointed by the game. If you were one of those non-fans, what needs to change in the sequel to convert you? %Gallery-34131%
Wii Warm Up: Get your prediction on
This time tomorrow, we'll know whether the much-discussed Nintendo Media Summit was worth all the excitement. In the meantime, we've a simple question: what do you all expect and/or hope to be announced at the event?The Wii Fanboy staff tend to be divided on the matter. Dave is predicting a Wii Fit add-on pack or new Channel update that uses the leaked pedometer peripheral, Wesley suspects this rumor could mean the unveiling of Kid Icarus or Punch-Out!! (though says his "money would be on Kid Icarus"), JC forecasts dates for Disaster: Day of Crisis and Fatal Frame IV, while Mike and Dave both think we could see a solution to our ongoing storage woes (as do I, actually).Over to you, reader. What has Nintendo got up its sleeve?
Wii Warm Up: Wii Cubed
It's been a while since we previously enquired, but as this blogger restarted Pikmin 2 last night (and naturally can't wait for the follow-up), we felt compelled to ask again: what was the last GameCube title you played on your Wii? Did you miss being able to waggle?
Wii Warm Up: Your ideal Hero
We've had Aerosmith, we might be getting Metallica, and, if we believe the words of Guns N' Roses axe-wielder Slash, we could yet see Hendrix. Whether you like them or not, one-band Guitar Hero titles appear to be on the rise, which leads to the inevitable question: if you occupied a position of great importance at Activision, who would you base a Guitar Hero game on?%Gallery-19372%
Wii Warm Up: On commercials
Nintendo history is littered with famous TV commercials (many of which have since become memes in their own right), and there have been plenty of memorable efforts for Wii games so far, including some really funny Fatal Frame IV spots and the love-it-or-hate-it Cowboy Jed trailers for Mario Kart Wii. What's your favorite Nintendo commercial of all time?
