Let's Get Ready to Rumble:
Nintendo’s putting their dukes, or rather a linked nunchuck-and-remote combination, up to Sony and Microsoft in an attempt to return video games to their roots: a time when video games were fun and based on gameplay, instead of graphics. Nintendo has always been known for video game innovations, and they’re bringing millions of veteran gamers and enthusiastic newbies along for their newest ride. Will this ride, complete with black eyes and chipped teeth, be what Nintendo needs to climb its way out of the lowest tier of console sales? Let’s take a look.
Inside the Wii (Hardware):
Basically, the Nintendo Wii is a Nintendo GameCube on steroids, complete with a new interface, controller, and features. Its few noteworthy improvements over its predecessor are built-in Wi-Fi, broadband internet connectivity, support for SD memory cards, and backwards compatibility with all GameCube games along with being able to connect GameCube controllers. The technical specifications are listed here.
Grab My Wii (The Controller):
Nintendo’s history of controller innovation has hit an all new height with the creation of the Wii’s fully motion-sensitive, two-part control system. This two-part system allows and even demands at times that gamers get off their lazy butts and move around the room to correctly control many games. Getting into the game has never been this easy or this demanding as Nintendo attempts to return video games to what made them great years ago: a focus on innovative gameplay rather than cutting-edge graphics, true replay value, and a simplistic interface that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
The main control, cutely and aptly dubbed by the gaming community as the “Wii-mote,” dons an unusually unorthodox resemblance to the common television remote control. It features far fewer buttons than conventional controllers, but its built-in motion sensors allow game developers to map each direction of controller movement to a different function. For example, holding the Wii-mote over one’s shoulder will trigger a baseball player to assume a batting stance. Moving the controller forward then forces the batter to swing at the ball with a force equal to your own. The Wii-mote also includes a built-in speaker that provides personalized sound effects to each character during multiplayer events.
Just as important as the Wii-mote is its companion extension, the again aptly named Nunchuck extension controller that plugs conveniently into the bottom of the Wii-mote. Its overall look and feel should be very familiar to any gamer with any experience with the Nintendo 64 controller. It features a large 360-degree directional joystick, which is ideal for character movement within games. Like its counter-part, the Wii-mote, the nunchuck is completely motion sensitive in all directions allowing for the same range of gameplay possibilities.
The Wii “Channels”:
The Wii’s user interface is broken into many “channels” from which the user may pick. The online-enabled channels consist of Wii Shop, Weather Forecast, News, Internet browsing, Message Board, and Virtual Console. The Virtual Console channel is the most impressive channel at the moment, allowing users to spend “Wii Points” to purchase classic emulated games for the NES, TurboGrafx-16, Mega Drive/Genesis, SNES, and Nintendo 64 systems. This is a very welcome addition to the overall Wii package and will keep gamers playing in between official Wii release titles. New features are being released all the time, including the new “Everyone Votes” channel, a basic quiz channel that asks questions of Wii-owners.
Opinions / Conclusions:
The Nintendo Wii has an overall great design. Backwards compatibility, built-in online capability, and the system menu are all performed well. The entire system is based around the use of the new controllers, and it seems to be working well for Nintendo. However, the responsiveness of these controllers is lacking in many of the launch titles, including a couple of the Wii Sports. Also, my largest pet peeve with the Wii is its use of AA batteries to power the controllers, giving the user no option for a charge pack or plug. For some people, this may not be a big deal. For avid gamers, purchasing new batteries about every 15 hours of gameplay will become annoying. Consider rechargeable batteries or be prepared to spend.
In conclusion, I will say what I tell everyone who asks if I like the Wii, “Play it for yourself, and don’t buy it for just Wii Sports.” If you have the spare cash and think Wii Sports will hold your attention until more entertaining software comes along, then go for it. It is a great system for parties or a dorm full of sports fans. However, with buggy controls and the only other strong title out thus far being The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, an excellent game in its own right, Nintendo will have to work much harder to take my money for this system. The multiplayer social gaming aspects of the Wii show almost boundless potential, and Nintendo’s life in the console wars will depend on its ability to drive this feature over the next few years.
Pros:
1) Exciting new control scheme with great potential.
2) Backwards compatibility with GameCube games and controllers.
3) Impressive online support with Wii Channels and the Virtual Console.
4) At $249 retail, a tempting price point over the XBox 360 or Playstation 3.
Cons:
1) Controllers require AA batteries. A 3rd-party charger is on the way, but no Nintendo brand.
2) Highly priced extra controllers. An additional Wii-mote runs $40 retail with no included nunchuck.
3) Responsiveness of controllers a bit lacking in some applications.
4) Online capabilities requiring a wireless connection or a $30 ethernet adapter.
