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Wii Warm Up: A time for sober reflection
It's been just over a month since Super Mario Galaxy released in the U.S. and Europe, and we normally find that's enough time for us to be able to objectively stand back and view the aftermath of a game's true impact. Our question today is a simple one, then: is Galaxy really one of the best games of all time, a worthy title to be wrestling with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for that #1 spot on Game Rankings? Or would it -- shock, horror -- not even be your choice for GOTY? Speak out!
Wii Warm Up: Manual? We don't need no stinkin' manual!
We admit it. Sometimes we just jump right in to a game without busting out the manual first. We figure, hey, we're professionals here. We've been doing this gaming thing for years. We've progressed far beyond reading the manual before getting into the game.Of course, we're also often wrong, and we retreat, tails between our legs, and start flipping through the little booklet, grumbling all the while. The thing of it is, we remember way back in the way back, in the days when we were smaller than we are now, reading the manual was one of the best parts of getting a new game! The useless character profiles that we pored over, the descriptions of monsters, the control schemes ... it was all part of preparation. Maybe we've just grown impatient in our old age. What approach do you take? Do you read the manual before you start a new game? If not, did you ever, or have you always been a risk-taker?
Wii Warm Up: Warming up to Wii Fit
Wii Fit may seem shiny and new, but not only is it a concept that console-makers and game developers have tried before, but it's part of a philosophy Nintendo has long tried to pursue. Over at Water Cooler Games, Ian Bogost recently spent some time remembering the Joyboard, a peripheral for the Amiga -- which boasted a single retail game -- that is similar to the balance board that is set to release with Wii Fit. Of course, it's not the only example; many of us still have dance pads for Dance Dance Revolution lying around, and some of the old-schoolers may even have old NES Power Pads tucked away in a closet, collecting dust, while gamers fondly recall Dance Aerobics and Track & Field. What Bogost doesn't address -- which we think is a fascinating issue -- is Wii Fit's potential to succeed in the current market environment. Quite rightly, he calls upon gamers and critics to look back over the history of the industry in order to gain a better understanding of how we reached this point, and we agree with him that people should be less shocked by Wii Fit than they have seemed to be. Nintendo is no stranger to "non-games" and unusual peripherals. Particularly now, when the Wii has the potential to move even beyond the ubiquitous past presence of the NES and get into every home in America (and perhaps the world, huzzah!), it's no surprise that Nintendo is again angling to break the market wide open and offer something for everyone. Does Wii Fit surprise you? Obviously, we knew a health pack of some sort was coming, but this is rather expanded upon what we expected. We know some of you don't like the concept -- while others, like this blogger, think it's the bee's knees -- but does it surprise you? What other market-expanding ideas do you think we'll see from Nintendo?
Wii Warm Up: Ever PS2
We here at Wii Fanboy are pretty intrigued about Endless Ocean, because it looks like such a unique gaming experience-- underwater treasure-hunting mixed with adventure game elements. But, strictly speaking, it is not unique at all. It is, in fact, another entry in the Everblue series of diving adventures for the Playstation 2. Well-rounded and experienced gamers though we are, there is a big old hole in our gaming history in the shape of the Everblue games. This is especially embarrassing for us, as we are possibly alone in our fandom of Arika games like Technic Beat and even the Street Fighter EX series.We figure somebody out there has played one of the Everblue games. We'd love to know what you thought of the experience. Should we stop caring about Endless Ocean? Should we be getting Endless Ocean tattoos? Also, do you think this game is the sort of thing that waggle can genuinely improve?
Wii Warm Up: E3 -- your thoughts
This year's E3 had a lot of ups and downs. First and foremost, of course, there was the changed format ... and second, Nintendo's presentation and news seems to be pretty polarizing among fans. Some people thought the show was a win, and others are less convinced. We're interested in knowing how you feel about the show over all, and your favorite news and video items from the coverage. Go ahead. Spill. After all, we showed you our ending thoughts.
Wii Warm Up: How long before someone cheats at exercise?
Not even one whole day of Power Pad ownership had passed before we were on the floor, drumming on the pad with our fists, flagrantly breaking the implicit rules of World Class Track Meet. Our other favorite move? Extending our long jump by simply stepping off of the pad. Yes, we are overweight now.There's a new Power Pad in town, although it has fewer buttons and a more solid-looking construction. And it's meant more as an exercise tool than a game controller, really. But we're gamers, and we can't help the way we are. Some of us are going to cheat. Do you think you have what it takes to play it straight, or will you take the hands-on approach to Balance Boarding?
Wii Warm Up: What haven't you heard?
This new-style E3 has had its ups and downs so far, and today, we want to talk about the downs. What had you hoped for that you haven't heard about? Disaster: Day of Crisis is among the first things that come to mind for us, but we want to hear from you. Any announcements or games you were hoping for that just seem to be MIA? Just remember, campers, not to fret ... just because something hasn't been discussed doesn't mean it's not coming. It just probably means it's not priority, at least for right now. You can still keep your fingers crossed. We won't tell.
Wii Warm Up: Surfin, skatin, potential heartbreakin with the balance board
Yesterday, the air was filled with wanton speculation about potential uses for the Wii Balance Board that will be packaged with Wii Fit. Now we're looking to get all those ideas down in one place -- specifically, here. We've heard some things already, like surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding sims, and maybe for boxing games, but what else can you think of? Feel free to be both outrageous and creative. Also, are you interested in trying out something like surfing with an interface like this?
Wii Warm Up: Keeping those fingers crossed
So what game -- Nintendo or third party title -- do you hope to see the most of of at this year's E3? Or rather, read the most news about, considering the new format. What game does it for you? Are you hoping for all the details on the new Metroid that are fit to print? Is it Boogie that gets you excited? Are you hoping Take-Two will reveal their plans for Manhunt 2 after the ESRB debacle? Are you crossing your fingers for some sign of Super Mario Galaxy? Or is it something else that gets you going? Let us know what game you hope shows up in the news this week.
Wii Warm Up: Your E3 predictions
We've been laying down some predictions -- albeit ridiculous, silly predictions -- for quite a while now, and while we may just get serious later ('cause E3 is serious business), we thought it might be a good time to take a break and ask you what you think will happen at the new show. Tragic game delays? Hot new announcements? New channels? C'mon, share!
Wii Warm Up: Tabletop style
With the news that Jenga is coming to the Wii, and with the Wii so perfect for certain other games (DS/Wii Pictionary, maybe?), we're curious what else you might possibly be interested in. One of the best parts about board games on XBLA, for example, is the lack of setup or cleanup (which is always nice), but how many games really translate well? Also, are such games better suited for download services or budget titles?
Wii Warm Up: Acceptable ports
We talked about this a little a few months back, but now that we've seen that a waggle-port can be done quite well thanks to Resident Evil 4, we thought it might be a good time to revisit this topic. Are you a little more inclined to be curious about ports with new controls now? And since you know there will be ports, what would you like to see redone for the Wii? What games do you think could really benefit from the addition of motion-sensitive controls?
Wii Warm Up: A question of multiplayer
We like online gaming as much as the next set of obsessive gamers; in fact, we even brave the friend code system on the DS every week, like clockwork, just to throwdown via the WiFi network. But just because we like it -- and sometimes prefer it -- does that mean that every game with available multiplayer needs to have online multiplayer? For that matter, does every game even need a multiplayer mode? Obviously, we're thinking here about the recent confirmation that Metroid Prime 3 will have no online multiplayer, but it applies to a lot of things. Let's take Wii Sports, for example. Tons of fun! Could in fact be online! But does it need to be? The philosophy behind Wii Sports seems to be that playing with others -- in person -- is fun. Isn't the philosophy behind the Metroid series pretty centered on the themes of loneliness and isolation, as well as exploration? With games like Saint's Row and Halo on the Xbox, online multiplayer makes perfect sense. Whether we want it or not aside ... is it really right for Metroid?We'll definitely come on board and say that we hope that the Wii boasts many online games by the time its cycle ends. We particularly hope for at least one or two great FPS games with online multiplayer, but perhaps that's a dream. Still, is it worth hoping for online multiplayer when it runs counter to the central idea behind a franchise or game ... and worse yet, should we be hoping for multiplayer from a team who has yet to show us that they can even manage decent local multiplayer, much less online?Sure, online modes add replayability, and that's always nice. But if that's all we need in a game, should Nintendo start tacking online multiplayer onto Zelda games, for instance?
Wii Warm Up: Is it price or content?
Apparently, the Wii outsold the PS3 6 to 1 last month. Just the Wii -- the DS, of course, outsells everything (maybe even food) in Japan on a weekly basis, but even the Wii is churning along and beating out the PS3. But why? Obviously, we're big fans; we hope you noticed the banner proclaiming our superfandom. But what's driving the Wii's success in Japan? Could it simply be a matter of price, or is it the controls or the content? We'd love to hear your theories.[Via Digg]
Wii Warm Up: Across the top
We haven't talked much about this since the earliest box art pictures debuted, but now that you've had a chance to get used to them ... what do you think of the look of Wii boxes? Does the white line across the top and the simple logo do it for you? How about the white boxes? Do you feel that the look suits the system? How does it compare to similar GameCube boxes? What about to the box art designs for the other latest consoles?
Wii Warm Up: More Mii
Miis are great fun, and it's pretty easy to make a reasonable approximation of yourself, provided you already look like a caricature, like we do. But there are so many more features we could have. Putting aside the obvious expansions of existing features-- more hair and eyewear options, for example-- we can think of one major addition that would make us super happy: custom t-shirts. Let us import an image or just draw one. A Mii is just not me without a video game t-shirt.What would you add to the Mii creator palette?
Wii Warm Up: Wii = Wii Sports
We all love the mainstream attention the Wii is getting. It's a bona fide cultural phenomenon. But does anyone else wish that the Wii wasn't conflated with Wii Sports one hundred percent of the time? At this point, if you see or hear anything remotely related to the Wii system, you already know what game they're going to refer to. We love Wii Sports, but enough is enough.
Wii Warm Up: Original fare
Now that we know that original games are coming via WiiWare, we've got to ask what kind of things you expect -- or hope -- to see. Any particular developers or existing franchises you're crossing your fingers for? Adaptations of existing games, perhaps? We all know ports are (not) where it's at. Surely you've pondered this question; now the time has come to share your musings with the other kids in the class. Also: do you think this announcement makes a hard drive more likely, despite yesterday's denial?
Wii Warm Up: Waggle adjustments
Yesterday, we talked about some of the problems we've had with motion-sensing controls. But here's the thing: traditional control schemes often have problems as well. The best controls are those that just feel "right." You automatically hit the right buttons to shoot and jump, and in other games, sometimes it's a struggle to adapt.So here's our question: is it really any different with the Wii's waggle? Is it just the same struggle as with any game, or is it made worse by less-than-optimal motion-sensing controls?
Wii Warm Up: The no-waggle zone
Sometimes, waggle makes everything better ... and sometimes, it makes us want to gouge out our eyes, or maybe a friend's eyes. Really, any eyes will do. We're not picky. The thing is, everyone has different opinions one what makes for a good waggle game. And what exactly counts as waggle, anyway? Excite Truck and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam used limited motion-sensing controls, and that worked out pretty well. But a lot of people are uncertain about how a fast-paced game like Super Smash Bros. Brawl will work with the Wiimote and nunchuk control scheme. Will we like it? The good thing is, if we don't, we have option. But we're not always so lucky.In the games released so far, where do you think the controls have worked, and where have they been less than good?
