Wii Impressions

[Blivsey]

Everyone has heard about it. Everyone has an opinion on it. Everyone has made a joke about the name at some point or another.




Give your general thoughts on Nintendo's latest console here.

______________

First of all, I think that Nintendo has made a very smart move in their approach. Their marketing of the machine as beneficial to health has given the console appeal as an exercise utility for people of all ages, which is a very good thing to market in the USA/world in its current state. They have also widened their target audience to include all sorts of people, giving them incredible sales and presence in the market. And with its lower price tag, it is almost automatically more appealing than its competitors.

Yes, many gamers will hate them for making gaming "mainstream" or whatever. Personally, I think that it's better that we can include more people. Gaming should not be an elitist hobby for the few, it should be a form of recreation open to all.

And the games themselves perform wonderfully. Of course, there are always a few poor games that sneak in, but many of the games are solid. Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Sash Bros. Brawl are only a few of the outstanding examples of this machine, besides the easily-accessible Wii Fit, Sports and Play. These games make me forget that their intent is for my health at times. While gimmicky, they've got a bit of charm and are very entertaining. And it's not just first-party stuff that stands out: in my short times with de Blob, the Wii version of Guitar Hero and the LEGO games, they all were fun to play and held up similarly to Nintendo titles (well).

Between smart marketing and great performance, I think that the Wii is a great machine that, while still a bit gimmicky at times, bypasses that and is genuinely fun.

[cornbr3d]

I pretty much agree with everything you just said. However, there are some things I wish Nintendo would've done to improve some aspects of the Wii:

1. Have Wii motion + done sooner.
I just feel that within the time the Wii motion + was announced and released, there were several titles that could've benefited from it, had it been released sooner. Take titles such as "new play control" Mario Tennis and Indianna Jones: the staff of kings. Both were great sounding titles with much effort put into them, but both ended up being kind of meh-ish because they lacked good controls, and weren't released around the time the Wii motion + was.

2. Use more connection between the DS and Wii.
Why not? Pokemon Battle Revolution did it (and I found it better than some people said it was) but other than that...I don't know much else.

Other than, that though, I'm very much for the Wii. It has a much, much bigger selection of great titles than many believe it to have, and much more "hardcore" stuff than what people would expect. After all, it is a console aimed at all ages, meaning adult, mature games are in there, too.

On the topic of Wii impressions, what do you guys also think about the Wii motion +? Aside from what I said above, I think the Wii motion + is an add-on to the Wii done and used well. It's movements are super accurate, it's cheap (20$ alone, 10$ bundled with a game), and it's getting a great library of games to go with it (Wii sports resort, Tiger Woods, the next Zelda for Wii, and much more).

[Blivsey]

Hmm... the Motion Plus looks like it'd be a handy accessory to improve and smoothe out the motion-sensing. But it seems more like an optional add-on to me. I've never had too much of a problem with the motion sensor, anyway.

[maskedpirate82]

I cannot seem to find a good game for the Wii, but I refuse to buy a PS3 or a 360, because I'm a Nintendo fanboy.

Can anyone suggest a good Wii game?

Here are the games I own:

Wii Sports: Way too limited. The training/fitness thing was an excuse to have more features using what they already have. The baseball mode and golf mode were horrible. On the plus side, I like how you can bowl or golf without multiple wii remotes in the multiplayer mode. Also, it's free.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Too hard. I cannot get past the beginning when you have to catch the fish. It always gets away. I've been stuck there for 3 and 1/2 years.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves: I actually like the ways they came up with to hold the Wii Remote. The game is too short, however.

Super Paper Mario: A Mario game with decent story, but not turn-based battles = WIN.

Pokemon Battle Revolution: What can you do here that you can't do in Diamond or Pearl? The graphics suck as well. Not worth the money.

Wii Play: This is for ages 3 and below. UGH! The n00bs are probably happy with it though. *cough*maskedninja82*cough* JK. I don't know anyone with that name. Just making fun of the whole ninja vs. pirate thing.

Mario Party 8: I haven't played any other MP games other than 4. It seems like they just ruined the franchise. Candies instead of items? Horrible graphics? Different ways to earn stars? Huh?

Mario Strikers Charged: Very nice online. Other than that, crap.

Super Mario Galaxy: Not too bad, but nothing to write home about either. Middle of the road. Average. Yet I'm still excited for the sequel.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: THE MANUAL IS BLACK & WHITE!!! WHO DOES THAT!? I bet none of you read the manuals. Meh. I do. Yeah, go ahead, call me a n00b, but in all honesty, I prefer gaming that way. I tried playing one game without reading the manual. It was ridiculously complicated. I needed the instructions. As for the game itself, it is too exhausting. I play the DS version, though.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: If you've been to the SSB4 discussion thread, you know that I hate this game. Tripping killed the experience for me. And so did a bad online mode. They have an Action Replay code to remove tripping, but I do not have an AR.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock: I play games fast. I like getting through levels as fast as possible. I do not want to have to wait for the notes to come to me. Because of that, I hate all music games, with very few exceptions.

Mario Kart Wii: You should not have unlockables in Mario Kart. I prefer the SNES/N64/GBA games just because of that. The GCN/DS/Wii versions really had too much stuff. I liked simplicity better. Great online (Probably the best on the Wii). EXCEPT FOR ONE THING. You can see your opponent's names online. (During my first match, I went up against "h1tler")

Mario Super Sluggers: Too many odd characters. King K. Rool is probably my least favorite video game character of all time. WHY is he in this!?

Wii Fit: Too exhausting. Plus it's a hassle to play every day. Also, I do not know where I can keep the board. It's too big.

Link's Crossbow Training: What's fun about just getting a lethal weapon and killing all life on earth?

Wii Music: I hate music games.

Animal Crossing: City Folk: Better than the DS. Worse than the GCN. You have to play it every day, which is a hassle.

Okami: I have this game, but I haven't played it yet. I probably should.

Wario Land: Shake It!!!: Too weird. Let me summarize the story. Tell me if this makes any sense at all. In a far off land, a princess is kidnapped (They really need to get leashes for those things). Her treasure, a magic sack that never runs out of coins no matter how much you shake it (I gotta get me one of those), is stolen by her kidnapper. One of her servants tries to find a hero to save the day. He goes to Wario (not Mario or Luigi? It's the sign of an apocalypse!) and asks for his help. Wario couldn't care less about the princess, but he does want the treasure, so he goes anyways.

Guitar Hero: World Tour: Another music game. They have beginner mode. When I saw that, I said, "Yay! Something for me!" I was wrong. I fail at that too. Even after putting 500 Wii Points into downloads for it, I still don't like it.

DOWNLOADS:

Star Fox 64 (VC): Too hard.
Mario Kart 64 (VC): I like it.
My Pokemon Ranch: Unnecessary as long as a PC exists in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.
World of Goo: Weird, but nice.
Mega Man 9: Too hard.

I still have 1000 Wii Points left. Any suggestions?

[maskedpirate82]

I forgot to mention that I'm only 16, so you guys can't suggest anything rated M or AO for me.

[Blivsey]

What? Twilight Princess, too hard? I just don't think you've got the fishing part down. Ya watch the bobber. When it goes down, yank and hold the Wiimote up. You actually have to capture two fish for the cat to be satisfied. It's not a hard game, you just missed the one bit.

And I think you missed the point of Wii fit: It's supposed to be exausting. It's designed to be a workout.


I recommend playing through Okami before getting anything new, but... Super Mario RPG is definitely worth your time, and it's only 800 pts. All three Legend of Zelda games on there are definitely keepers and within your price range, but given what you've been labeling as "too hard," I think that you might abandon them out of difficulty as well.

[maskedpirate82]

I have Super Mario RPG on the SNES already. It ain't bad, but Mario and turn-based battles don't really mix too well.

Yeah. VC doesn't interest me much anymore, because I already own every system that Nintendo's come out with (except for G&W and Virtual Boy).

And yes. I accomplished that feat without emulators. (I still don't have a DSi, but I can still play those games on the DS (or DS Lite) anyway. Plus I'm hoping to get one for Christmas so that I don't have to pay for it.)

[maskedpirate82]

I have Super Mario RPG on the SNES already. It ain't bad, but Mario and turn-based battles don't really mix too well.

Yeah. VC doesn't interest me much anymore, because I already own every system that Nintendo's come out with (except for G&W and Virtual Boy).

And yes. I accomplished that feat without emulators. (I still don't have a DSi, but I can still play those games on the DS (or DS Lite) anyway. Plus I'm hoping to get one for Christmas so that I don't have to pay for it.)

[Flaming Phoenix]

OBJECTION! (Guess what DS game I've been playing...)

I'm going to have to disagree, maskedpirate.

Since we're brothers (yikes! plot twist!) and therefore we both own the same games, I'll give my impressions.

You may find them radically different. But only on some games.

Wii Sports: Dude. This game MADE the Wii. Every time I pick it up, a wave of nostalgia pours over me and almost drowns me. It was my first Wii experience, and that will never change. Yeah, it could have been better, but the price was right. It's still a great game to show beginners what the Wii is capable of.

Twilight Princess: For me, it isn't too hard, but too long. And kinda boring. I prefer other Zelda games. (Windwaker, Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time)

WarioWare Smooth Moves: I'll agree with you on this. Desperately needed more content.

Super Paper Mario: I also agree. I think turn-based battles and consoles shouldn't mix. If it's on a portable, then fine. But I want to be able to take it with me and not sit in front of a TV, waiting for my opponent to finish.

Pokemon Battle Revolution: Not too fun, but Surfing Pikachu was win.

Wii Play: I only got it for the Wiimote, but it's still [kinda] fun nonetheless.

Mario Party 8: Agreed. Too many gimmicks ruined the franchise.

Mario Strikers Charged: What?! Great online (albeit a bit tough), great single-player mode. What's not to like? Honestly. What don't you like about the single player mode?

Super Mario Galaxy: I can't seem to get "drawn" into this game. Other than that, repeating level 1 hoping I'll like it is fun. NOT.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games: I read some manuals, but others (like Pokemon) are just repeats of previous games in the series, so I skip them. Anyway, I, too, am not a fan of the Wii version.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Agreed. For tourney players like me (woot! tourney coming up on Saturday!), I HATE tripping. I still play (seeing as tourneys now mostly use Brawl), but I prefer Melee.

Guitar Hero III: It's not too good, not too bad. Neutral.

Mariokart Wii: Sloppy controls, boring courses, bad unlockables. What more can I say? This game is HORRIBLE. I can't stand racing games. [sarcasm] 'Cuz it's sooooo much fun to hold "A" and tap the D-pad/analog stick at the right time. I just love that! [/sarcasm] The online WAS good, though.

Mario Super Sluggers: Great enhancements over the GameCube version, but still, the random characters seem like they got lazy along the line.

Wii Fit: If I had time for this, I would love it. Sadly, I don't.

Animal Crossing City Folk: The DS version is MUCH better. Just the fact that it's portable is good. So if I forget during the day I can play it when I'm supposed to be asleep, roadtrips don't bug me, etc. Also, for some reason, I can't stand having a HILL in my town. And City Folk does.

Okami: Just like Zelda, but better. What's not to like?

Wario Land Shake It: To me, platformers don't work. Except for a few. This is not one of those few.

Guitar Hero World Tour: This is just like Guitar Hero III, but with better songs and enhanced features. Sign me UP!

DOWNLOADS:

Star Fox 64: I have a strange addiction to this game. I can't stop playing.
Mario Kart 64: As I said before, I HATE racing games.
My Pokemon Ranch: It was cute, but FAILED nontheless.
World of Goo: EPIC WIN. 'Nuff said.
Mega Man 9: Just the level of difficulty I expected.

And I recommend Bit.Trip.BEAT.

[maskedpirate82]

I thought we agreed not to tell people that we were related...

Oh, well. Too late now.

We've had these debates in real-life over and over. What's the point of posting them online just to argue with me? If you were actually giving your own impressions, I would understand, but...

Anyway, if you wish to argue with me, do so in real life. We're just spamming up Blivsey's thread now. I remember when my SSB4 thread turned into an argument. Can't say that I enjoyed it. I imagine Blivsey feels the same.

If you still wish to talk, do so in reality.

[Flaming Phoenix]

We agreed not to tell???

But I want others to know my side of the story, so I told my opinion.

And either way, if they saw we had the same Wii games, they'd put two and together and make four. Er, determine we were related.

But let's stay on topic now, okay?

[cornbr3d]

So, you want some good games for the Wii, masked pirate? Here's some suggestions:

1. Metroid Prime 3. Excellent game. Fantastic graphics, music, and the controls are absolutely super. Plus, it includes a difficulty setting (easy, veteran, hyper). But wait until metroid prime trilogy is released, so you can get this game and the two others with updated controls.

2. De blob. Came out the same day as wario land shake it, and people seem to prefer this one more. I don't actually own it, but it sounds groovy.

3.Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Another Wii motion plus game to join Wii sports resort, just it focuses of golf and disc golf more. Plus, it has much better graphics, sound, etc. Man, though, that Wii motion plus REALLY IS accurate.

4. Some other suggestions: Little king's story, punch out!!!, excitebots trick racing.