Post by Gilvan Blight on Feb 6, 2007 13:47:23 GMT -5
Quickly: I wouldn't call this next gen, I would call it first gen for a whole new type of gaming. Thus far very cool, will have to wait to see where it goes.
Notes: I'm not normally an early adopter. You know, one of those guys that has to have the latest technology as soon as it comes out. I'm more of a 'adopt soon after' type of guy. I like to give it a year for most new things, wait for the price to drop, wait for the bugs to work themselves out and then buy. I got an Xbox 3 years after they were out (might have even been 4, Halo 2 was coming out), I picked up a PS2 about a year after they came out and mainly because I wanted a DVD player. My PC has just recently been upgraded to 3.0GHz, etc. Now the Wii is one exception. Everything I have seen just made this system look like so much fun. All the reviews have been fantastic. The sales figures very convincing, and the games look like genuine fun. So I did it, I bought a system within the first 3 months of launch, I even shopped around in a 400km radius to find one. Was it worth it?
The Good:
The packaging was just awesome. I know it's a silly thing to be happy about, and it really has no impact on the overall play value, but this was one of the nicest packaged products I have ever purchased. It comes packed in two distinct slide out treys that are even numbered 1 and 2. There's a bunch of warnings right on top, and then the quick start guide. A 5 paragraph sheet telling you how to get your system set up in under 5 minutes and playing in under 5.5 minutes. Very nice. The system itself is very compact, about the size of an old 4.25 inch drive. It has a ton of hidden hatches and stuff to make it totally 100% (!!!) compatible with the old game cube. There's a hidden flap where you can even plug in 4 game cube controllers and 2 memory cards.
Hooking up the system was uber easy and could easily be done without reading instructions, though you may be confused by the sensor bar. The remote already comes tuned to your system so you don't even have anything to set up for that. There's a quick set up when you first boot that was very easy to get through, including wireless Internet hookup with WEP enabled. Yes, I didn't even know it but this thing has built in Wireless. That rocked. It was a piece of cake to set up too, way easier then the PS2 network card or even Xbox live. Another benefit over Xbox live, no fee! I had the system up and running in about 5 minutes, and about 15 minutes after that I had downloaded a web browser and posted here. For a console that's just too cool.
The interface is all done through Channels, you can tell Nintendo is still working on this as you get three pages of 'screens' to choose from but only about 8 that come with the system and one you can download (the Internet channel). The system is kinda neat. You can check the latest news (even local, it had Canadian news when I jumped on), the weather, check for system updates, go shopping for classic games and other updates, play a disc, make a Mii (a rather cute avatar of yourself that you will play in a bunch of the games), check a system calendar, make notes and post them, and a bunch of other stuff.
The Miis. Okay when I first read the Mii thing I though it was dumb, but then after making one and then seeing it used when playing Wii Sports I decided I liked it. You can make up to 100 avatars for yourself/your family/your friends. When you play certain games you choose which Mii to play, and it tracks things like records, favorite games etc. It's kinda like an xbox live gamertag, but you can edit them and have tons of them. There's also this funky thing called the Mii parade that I don't quite get. You can set you Mii to 'travel' mode which while you aren't playing it will travel to other people's Wii's and visit. Other people's Miis can come visit your Wii too. It seems kinda odd, but kinda neat, though I still don't' really get it. I think it just may be a way to meet people, I don't really know.
Lastly: the Remote controller. Or Wii Remote as it's actually called, or Wiimote as everyone else likes to call it. This input device is one of the coolest things ever. Within seconds it becomes more intuitive then a mouse for navigating pages, scrolling windows, selecting icons etc. You don't think about it at all, you just do it. It puts you in a place I used to call "the virtual game' almost immediately. This is where you forget you are holding a controller, or typing on a keyboard and just play the game. You don't think move the mouse up to move forward, you just think move forward and do it. It's such a cool and easy to use input device. I immediately fell in love. Trying out some of the games you realize just how versatile this thing is. You not only can point, you can twist, or you can thrust or you can swing, or you can pivot. Each game handles the movement different, including having a different way to hold it for each game. You have to try it just to see how much fun it can be.
The Bad:
2 USB 2.0 ports are included though there is absolutely nothing stating what they are/will be used for.
The cost of extra controllers is a tad too high. After playing Wii Sports for 5 minutes with someone else in the room you will want a controller for each bystander. After one game of bowling passing the controller you will want another one. After looking at the Virtual Console, you may want to download a game. To play it you need not another controller, but a different one. Want to play that Virtual console game multi-player, that more then one new different controllers. You get the point.
I was also rather disappointed with the Virtual Console selection. This is one of the major selling points of the system for most people, and was one of the reasons I wanted one, but once on line and looking at the selection it wasn't nearly as impressive as I expected. There are games from the NES, the SNES, the 64, even the Genesis and the TurboGraphix 16, but there weren't really any of my favorites. I will probably download Street Fighter II and Golden Axe at some point, but I was hoping for some RPGs like Phatasy Star and the original Dragon Warrior. Prices were reasonable at most $6 US for a full game.
Will it last? How much fun will this be. How much can be done? Will developers run out of ideas? These are a few of the negatives being tossed around out there about the Wii. People worry it may be the next Virtual Boy. I personally don't think so, but as so many people doubt the staying power, I thought it worth mentioning. Personally, I find, especially with the classic controller, there is no reason they can't make traditional games as well as 'interactive' games. No reason they can't play both parts of the market and keep the Wii strong no matter how much it's 'gimick' catches on.
The Ugly:
Finding one. For a system that came out in November of last year these things are bloody hard to find. These still sell for insane prices online and there are a ton of people out there trying to rip people off using this as bait.
Be careful! You do have to be quite a bit more careful of your surroundings with this one. I have to admit my basement isn't the best place, I have hit the ceiling a couple times with my Wiimote and once with my Knuckles. My Cat has has lost one of his nine lives, and Pandora now knows the value of sitting farther away (just a near miss, no worries).
Overall:
Playing with the Wii at least with the stuff that comes in the box is such a unique new feeling experience. It's a totally different way to play games. This is why I stated it's like it's a first gen system. The first with a whole new style of game play. A style of game play that easy to get into, simple to learn, anyone can do and is a ton of fun. I think Nintendo has a winner here. The future will show if this one really has the staying power, I personally think it does and have already put my money where my mouth is.
Notes: I'm not normally an early adopter. You know, one of those guys that has to have the latest technology as soon as it comes out. I'm more of a 'adopt soon after' type of guy. I like to give it a year for most new things, wait for the price to drop, wait for the bugs to work themselves out and then buy. I got an Xbox 3 years after they were out (might have even been 4, Halo 2 was coming out), I picked up a PS2 about a year after they came out and mainly because I wanted a DVD player. My PC has just recently been upgraded to 3.0GHz, etc. Now the Wii is one exception. Everything I have seen just made this system look like so much fun. All the reviews have been fantastic. The sales figures very convincing, and the games look like genuine fun. So I did it, I bought a system within the first 3 months of launch, I even shopped around in a 400km radius to find one. Was it worth it?
The Good:
The packaging was just awesome. I know it's a silly thing to be happy about, and it really has no impact on the overall play value, but this was one of the nicest packaged products I have ever purchased. It comes packed in two distinct slide out treys that are even numbered 1 and 2. There's a bunch of warnings right on top, and then the quick start guide. A 5 paragraph sheet telling you how to get your system set up in under 5 minutes and playing in under 5.5 minutes. Very nice. The system itself is very compact, about the size of an old 4.25 inch drive. It has a ton of hidden hatches and stuff to make it totally 100% (!!!) compatible with the old game cube. There's a hidden flap where you can even plug in 4 game cube controllers and 2 memory cards.
Hooking up the system was uber easy and could easily be done without reading instructions, though you may be confused by the sensor bar. The remote already comes tuned to your system so you don't even have anything to set up for that. There's a quick set up when you first boot that was very easy to get through, including wireless Internet hookup with WEP enabled. Yes, I didn't even know it but this thing has built in Wireless. That rocked. It was a piece of cake to set up too, way easier then the PS2 network card or even Xbox live. Another benefit over Xbox live, no fee! I had the system up and running in about 5 minutes, and about 15 minutes after that I had downloaded a web browser and posted here. For a console that's just too cool.
The interface is all done through Channels, you can tell Nintendo is still working on this as you get three pages of 'screens' to choose from but only about 8 that come with the system and one you can download (the Internet channel). The system is kinda neat. You can check the latest news (even local, it had Canadian news when I jumped on), the weather, check for system updates, go shopping for classic games and other updates, play a disc, make a Mii (a rather cute avatar of yourself that you will play in a bunch of the games), check a system calendar, make notes and post them, and a bunch of other stuff.
The Miis. Okay when I first read the Mii thing I though it was dumb, but then after making one and then seeing it used when playing Wii Sports I decided I liked it. You can make up to 100 avatars for yourself/your family/your friends. When you play certain games you choose which Mii to play, and it tracks things like records, favorite games etc. It's kinda like an xbox live gamertag, but you can edit them and have tons of them. There's also this funky thing called the Mii parade that I don't quite get. You can set you Mii to 'travel' mode which while you aren't playing it will travel to other people's Wii's and visit. Other people's Miis can come visit your Wii too. It seems kinda odd, but kinda neat, though I still don't' really get it. I think it just may be a way to meet people, I don't really know.
Lastly: the Remote controller. Or Wii Remote as it's actually called, or Wiimote as everyone else likes to call it. This input device is one of the coolest things ever. Within seconds it becomes more intuitive then a mouse for navigating pages, scrolling windows, selecting icons etc. You don't think about it at all, you just do it. It puts you in a place I used to call "the virtual game' almost immediately. This is where you forget you are holding a controller, or typing on a keyboard and just play the game. You don't think move the mouse up to move forward, you just think move forward and do it. It's such a cool and easy to use input device. I immediately fell in love. Trying out some of the games you realize just how versatile this thing is. You not only can point, you can twist, or you can thrust or you can swing, or you can pivot. Each game handles the movement different, including having a different way to hold it for each game. You have to try it just to see how much fun it can be.
The Bad:
2 USB 2.0 ports are included though there is absolutely nothing stating what they are/will be used for.
The cost of extra controllers is a tad too high. After playing Wii Sports for 5 minutes with someone else in the room you will want a controller for each bystander. After one game of bowling passing the controller you will want another one. After looking at the Virtual Console, you may want to download a game. To play it you need not another controller, but a different one. Want to play that Virtual console game multi-player, that more then one new different controllers. You get the point.
I was also rather disappointed with the Virtual Console selection. This is one of the major selling points of the system for most people, and was one of the reasons I wanted one, but once on line and looking at the selection it wasn't nearly as impressive as I expected. There are games from the NES, the SNES, the 64, even the Genesis and the TurboGraphix 16, but there weren't really any of my favorites. I will probably download Street Fighter II and Golden Axe at some point, but I was hoping for some RPGs like Phatasy Star and the original Dragon Warrior. Prices were reasonable at most $6 US for a full game.
Will it last? How much fun will this be. How much can be done? Will developers run out of ideas? These are a few of the negatives being tossed around out there about the Wii. People worry it may be the next Virtual Boy. I personally don't think so, but as so many people doubt the staying power, I thought it worth mentioning. Personally, I find, especially with the classic controller, there is no reason they can't make traditional games as well as 'interactive' games. No reason they can't play both parts of the market and keep the Wii strong no matter how much it's 'gimick' catches on.
The Ugly:
Finding one. For a system that came out in November of last year these things are bloody hard to find. These still sell for insane prices online and there are a ton of people out there trying to rip people off using this as bait.
Be careful! You do have to be quite a bit more careful of your surroundings with this one. I have to admit my basement isn't the best place, I have hit the ceiling a couple times with my Wiimote and once with my Knuckles. My Cat has has lost one of his nine lives, and Pandora now knows the value of sitting farther away (just a near miss, no worries).
Overall:
Playing with the Wii at least with the stuff that comes in the box is such a unique new feeling experience. It's a totally different way to play games. This is why I stated it's like it's a first gen system. The first with a whole new style of game play. A style of game play that easy to get into, simple to learn, anyone can do and is a ton of fun. I think Nintendo has a winner here. The future will show if this one really has the staying power, I personally think it does and have already put my money where my mouth is.