As the US prepares for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I have my own chores to do in preparation for a house full tomorrow with family and friends. Therefore, unless one of the other contributing authors comes through with a review to post, things will likely be quiet around here until Friday. But be sure to check back just in case. =)
It doesn't help matters that after a long 16-hour wait in line Saturday at WalMart I managed to bring home a Wii, and on which I have been playing the remarkably sublime Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess during most of my idle time away from administrating the blog and working on my masters thesis project.
Hopefully I will have some time soon to reflect on the best (and worst) experiences with the Wii so far, but I will say that there haven't been many disappointments, if any at all. In a nutshell, the Wii offers an amazing new way to interact with video games, and it does so in a mass-market device that is as exceptionally easy to set-up as it is to pick-up and play. My best advice is to pick one up as soon as you possibly can, as demand will likely exceed supply for much of the immediate future.
Have a happy holiday, and let us never cease to remind ourselves that we have much to be thankful for. =)
Ugh... my mom bought me a Wii and Twilight Princess, but refuses to give me them until Christmas. Any arguments I can make for her giving them to me early? I can't take this wait!
I waited 17 hrs to get mine. I think it was worth every penny and minute. I got Zelda and Rayman Raving Rabbids. Rayman is such an overlooked game right now, but hot dog, is it fun!
I got the wii, and twilight princess, I had it in the car ride home and I was looking at the shiny case the whole time... but then when I got home I was about to open TP after I setup my wii, and she took it away and said it was for Christmas. I'm so pissed off... wii sports won't last me that long, I'm already almost bored of it.
But, on the other hand at least I have one...
I am thankful for having access to a fun site, with great entertainment and good blog companions. Life passes and it is the people that we meet that affect our lives and our happiness, however brief those encounters may be. Thank you to you all and most especially to Jay for providing this forum.
Happy Thanksgiving All!
ZOMGWTFROFLOL!
I CANNOT WAIT until I get to hold the Wii in my hands and play Twilight Princess!
I may not be able to obtain a Wii unfortunately, and may have to get TP for GameCube. But I NEED to know if it's anywhere near as good on GameCube as it is for the Wii!! (besides the whole Wii part.)
Personally...I did not care for the Wii, but that's just me. I've often not liked many Nintendo titles in general and I'm sure that's played a part in my feeling this way.
However, I AM looking forward to all the injuries it will cause.
You know...when someone needs to get by the TV just as someone is taking a 'golf swing' or hacking at some ninjas and catches their brother upside the head instead. Now THAT is entertainment.
Does the latency in controller movement or the inaccuracy bug you at all?
I have a Wii but have only tried a couple games so far... have found in some of them that the latency drives me nuts (for example, some racing games). Curious to hear what you think!
Here here, Me! I stumbled upon this site via....stumble upon. I looked around for a bit and played a few games. This site keeps me coming back with it's no-in-your-face ads and spyware free site. Thank you Jay and Co. for bringing us a work of art website!
i'm getting a wii on friday (when the next shipment [supposedly] gets in) i have not slept a full night since january because of this thing and i hope it's as good as i have hoped.
This game is great, except it took me forever to get the hang of fishing!
Jay you should star a thread to post Wii codes, for the record mine is:
2460 6320 0886 7606
Congrats on getting your hands on a Wii! Twilight Princess looks absolutely gorgeous in the screenshots on zelda.com.
I actually heard that WiiSports was really fun.
But I want to buy a Wii and TP. There's nothing I want more in this world for the next three seconds.
Harumph! You have heeded my advice and passed the first task, although it's quite a shoddy and undignified job you have done! Your trials do not end here grasshopper!
Look for your next assignment when the Slot of Tenido glows...
14 hours in line here :P
I suggest you pick up Excite Truck. We played that for about 6 hours straight. The control is so intuitive the only way to play is to forget the controller altogether. The Wii may have actually kindled an interest in racing games in me.
And I haven't noticed any controller lag, madsax. I've heard that a lot of direct light can mess up some of the controller functionality, if that helps.
I'd REALLY like to get my hands on a wii, but it's Australian release isn't until December 7th, AND I'm not actually going to be able to buy one until I can get a job and raise $400... *sigh* Oh well.
Also, I'd like to point out this website: http://www.wiicade.com/Home.aspx. It's a collection of various flash games, all playable on the wii's opera browser. I'm not sure if the browser's available yet, but even if it's not, you may want to remember the address.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone =]
Thanks for the great Wii arcade link, Flay!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May you guys cherish it with family, friends, and loved ones.
As for the Wii, personally I think it's gonna be better than the PS3. For the fact that we all stand ground on gameplay and innovation of gaming. This is a first in gaming history, evolved from the gaming of the DS. You can't beat (for now) anything that will make you interactively do actions to be reproduced onto screen. It's simply amazing. Hope you guys will get a chance to play a Wii and see what I am saying..
I'm saving up for my Wii by my self... So far i have exactly 100 dollars... I also will need money for games. Hopefully by the time i save up, the prices will be lowered a bit, but who knows by how much.
*jealousy* ...
Personally, i don't understand what's so fun about the wii. Yes, the new controller is suprising, but how long will the fun last? I think that in 5 years for example the PS3 will still have great games. But the wii's technology will probably be outdated then.
I only waited an hour for my Wii at Traget and I got a free t-shirt too. :)
Hi Madsax!
I believe the issue depends on the perspective. From the end-user side, if the expectations are for gestural pinpoint accuracy, then there may be some disappointment. That being said, games like Wii Sports Bowling, for example, provide enough accuracy for the game to actually feel like the real thing. I have enjoyed real bowling for a long time and the Wii brings much of that fun right into my living room. I am even good enough to be able to hook the ball now, which is essential for higher scores (just as in real bowling).
For the game designer, I think the Wii is tremendously inspiring because it redefines the way we approach creating games, and yet it also presents a challenge to find applications for the new interface that are appropriate. Some of games I've played so far make excellent use of the controller(s) and others use it more as a novelty. This is likely more a function of time with respect to how long the console has been in the hands of developers rather than what is possible with it. I remain optimistic that as game designers and developers become more familiar with the nuances of the new interface, we'll begin to see a new generation of titles that use the controller in ways that bring about new forms of gameplay.
lovefists - if you don't understand what's so fun about the Wii, then my first guess would be that you haven't played it yet. (Sour grapes perhaps?) I don't profess to be able to see the future, but I can see the precedence that Nintendo has set with its innovative DS handheld and the creativity it has inspired within game designers, not to mention its unequivocal success and popularity among gamers and non-gamers alike.
Time will tell, but I will go out on a limb and say that I believe the Wii to be a step closer to the future of gaming than the PS3 is. With the PS3 our hands are still tied together as with shackles; the Wii provides unprecedented freedom of movement with a respectable degree of accuracy from a second generation gestural input device (cameras being the first as with Sony's EyeToy).
PS3 will likely outstrip Wii for great games, but as for their release, check out the Gamespot game reviews for what is currently available and coming soon for both platforms. Clearly the Wii has far superior titles on its release, and at half the price and waiting time. Especially if you are into roleplaying/adventure games, for now there is no competition.
I'm so jealous of everyone playing Twilight Princess! I'm a total PC freak - I can play any point-and-click but I find console games really hard, so believe it or not I'm still working my way through Ocarina of Time (yes, a year and a half later, I'm still stuck in the Water Temple!). But I can't wait to watch my brother play Twilight Princess - much more satisfying because it doesn't take him ten hours to do everything.
Nothing will beat Ocarina of Time for me, I don't think. Hopefully there won't be anythingas tedious as the sailing from Windwaker in TP!
Isn't the wii just a wireless game controller? That's what I can gather from the flashy-but-not-actually-that-informative website. I think I'll stick with my lappy cheers.
Any suggestions to convincing my mom to give me my Wii early? She's saving it for Christmas, but I won't be able to make it a month. I couldn't even take the past few days!
The Wii pisses me off. I'm in a wheelchair and have no arm movement. I have been a dedacated Nintendo player for 15 years and not I can't play! There should be a setting to turn the lazer off or something! Grrrrr!
I have always loved Nintendo. It was the original gaming giant so naturally I WANT it to succeed, I'm sure this is at least partially the reason I support the Wii over PS3 or Xbox360.
However, In all actuality I applaud the innovation of control that the Wii controler brings and hope everyone realizes where this sets the bar for the future. It's one step closer to "Matrix" style games where you just plug in and zone out to your own little world. Now your motions, which are natural to you are more accurately portrayed on the screen than by having to translate your motion into joysticks and buttons (not that there arent both of these involved with the Wii).
To the Nay-sayers who dislike the control maybe they haven't played with the Wii long enough to get used to it, because there is definitely a learning curve for some games (Red Steel). And about inaccuracy, It is inaccurate, but it's consistantly inaccurate, so you know that "ok, I'm pointed here and if I move a foot to the right, my cursor will move a foot right." It is relatively accurate, relative to itself. And people are very good at adjusting to consistant inaccuracies.
Zelda=Excellent
Wii sports=Amusing
Red Steel=Fun
Paul - Did you pay for it? Did you stand in line for it? If no to both of those, you can wait. You're quite possibly a kid, so you have the time to wait. Unless you have a terminal disease that will kill you before Christ Mass comes around.
To non-believers - You have to play it.
Madsax - I haven't had any diffuculty with mine, save for when it's too bright outside (I have big windows next to my tv). Try opening the sensitivity option thingy (Where you can see where your wii remote is pointing) and see if it needs to be configured or some such.
paul-
you should get up at 2 in the morning and take your wii, then play it for an hour or so and put it back where you found it before your mom notices.
http://www.thelastboss.com/post.phtml?pk=1618
Jay should get this and tape himself using it, eh? Nice little novely gift.
@ Bezax: I actually played PS3 AND wii at the gamepower expo in flanders expo, belgium. I enjoyed both consoles very much, so don't think i'm a ps3lover or a wiihater. I'm just concerned the wii won't look that appealing anymore in a few years, everyone will be used to the "new" controller. I certainly hope that it wi(i)ll be a succes, but personnaly i don't think it's gonna happen. So it's up to nintendo to prove me wrong
Hey Jay - thanks for your well-written response! I'm looking forward to playing some more Wii games to see if the games continue to be a lot of fun and use the input device in new ways.
Here is a bunch of Zelda: Tp videos for the wii. It should give you a rough idea about how the controllers work together in that game.
http://us.wii.com/soft_loz_tp.jsp
I have not stoped playing with my Wii Wii since last 11-19. Darned job gets in the way of all day adventures. Agree with StarSnuffer on the games he rated, TP is amazing, but you have to check out Trama Center, it is nutz!!
I love the feel of the Wiimote, if you are having issues you can change the settings if it does not respond properly. Perhaps the sensor is blocked as well, or configured improperly top vs bottom. I have NO issues at all with it's response or feel.
Has anyone gotten the component cabel yet, I am still on the look out for it.
"Personally, i don't understand what's so fun about the wii. Yes, the new controller is suprising, but how long will the fun last? I think that in 5 years for example the PS3 will still have great games. But the wii's technology will probably be outdated then."
Compared to the PS3, which the Wii's new technology is making outdated now, even though it's brand spanking new. (Wink)
Not to forget in 5 years we will be looking at PS4, Wii 2 or XBOX 1080.
That, and the fact that I don't want to wait 5 years to play, I'd like to play right now. =)
Technological progress is occurring at such as rapid pace that anyone that buys for the future is likely making a poor decision. The reason for this is that computer chips and components drop in price rapidly, and newer products tend to make existing products obsolete.
That's why I believe it's a poor bet to put your chips on a vendor that promises their product will be the only thing you'll need for the next 10 years.
Amen Jay!!
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-11-27-wii-ps3-war_x.htm
That's a spiritbreaker....
My birthday is tomorrow, and my parents told me that they searched forever on the internet to find a wii in stock. If they had found one, i would be enjoying my wii tomorrow. They didn't though, so i'm stuck in my wii-less puddle of despair.
My mom is so great, she got me a wii, along with Zelda, for christmas and told me that she even pre-ordered both of them. Now I just have to wait, but that doesn't bother me at all. :D
Happy Holidays everyone.
THAT'S HORRIBLE!!!!! PEOPLES HAD WII ON NOVEMBER. AND ME? ON JUNE!!!!!! I WAS OBLIGED TO WAIT MY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Update