What's up with the Wii?

metalface13 wrote:

I really think that it's one of the best game systems I've ever played, period. I don't get this whole onus that it has that it's a "kiddie" or "mom" system. I mean, I can play FFTA2, FIRE EMBLEM, ADVANCE WARS, and a whole host of great RPGs, strategy titles, and hardcore old school games like CONTRA 4 on it. It totally satisfies my video game hungers on every level, and the format and medium are perfect for my lifestyle and gaming habits. Nobody's making you play NINTENDOGS, BABIEZ, COOKING MAMA, et. al. There's so many great games for the system ranging from old-school stuff to really quirky, off-the-wall stuff. A total winner on every level.

That's what I initially thought about the GBA. Then the DS comes around and it's even more awesome.

What I can't figure out is why this isn't happening for Wii? I mean that console has sold bajillions (an actual figure, look it up) but nobody can figure out how to sell anything that's not JoJo's Ice Parade Carnival Minigames The Game. And when developers do try, they go the M-rated route with Madworld and No More Heroes. Yeah, no parent in their right mind is going to buy an M-Rated bloodfest for their unsoiled Wii. And no "hardcore gamer" is going to pick it up because they'd rather play Fallout 3 or Street Fighter IV or something on 360 or PS3.

But then that's what confuses me. Because when it comes to handhelds, what is viewed as the more successful for both gamers and kids? The DS over the PSP. So obviously there is a group of gamers out there who don't care about having the most extreme graphics, they just want fun games. So why aren't there fun games on Wii? It's driving me mad.

Maybe The Conduit can pull it off. Or maybe Punch Out or Muramasa. Or whenever Dragon Quest X comes out.

Dodging a threadjack from the DS thread.

The Wii has some dynamite games. Honestly. Some of the best gamning ever, if you ask me. Add on the Virtual Console, and it's practically endless. Now, this is coming from a guy without a PS3 NOR an Xbox360. My console history (recent) is SNES --> PS2 --> Wii. I agree that there is a TON of total shit gaming no the Wii, but the good games are -so- good.

SUPER MARIO GALAXY may be the best platformer ever. Seriously. I don't give a shit how cute it is, it is fucking HARD when it needs to be. (Luigi's Purple Coins haunts my dreams). You are a serious gamer in my opinion if you completed that thing.

Maybe your complaint is that third party titles are pretty weak so far? Even then I can respond, as the RESIDENT EVIL 4 "Wiimake" was really awesome, as are the following:

• GODFATHER: BLACK HAND EDITION
• BOOMBLOX
• PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER: 2008/9 (best sports control ever)
• HOUSE OF THE DEAD: OVERKILL (with the Nyko gun? INSANE.)
• RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS
• WORLD OF GOO (this is the only console version worth playing)

..and I hear the TIGER WOODS GOLF game with MotionPlus might be the "last golf game." It won't get any better.

The games are there, man. Go play them.

second boom blox. I'd like them to expand the multiplayer alittle, and allow for sharing of custom maps...but its so much fun.

rayman raving rabbids though? ugh, another mini-game collection that's cute and fun for alittle, but gets old pretty fast...

Someone is going to accuse me of bribing you fuckers.

My article set to run tomorrow is a review of a fantastic Wii game. I'm posting this from my wii.

Outside of the incredible VC service (which has strangely slowed down over the past six months) and some of the best AAA titles in the business (for example- SMG _is_ the best platform game ever released and BRAWL is one of my favorite console games in years), the Wii is a huge case of squandered potential. Remember when you played WII SPORTS for the first time? It was like a revelation. Then all the waggle games came out, and only a couple of developers seemed to have any idea about what to do with the revolutionary control scheme. And they still don't.

Instead, we get tons of crap ports of last-generation titles, shovelware minigame collections, and all kinds of stuff with big-headed characters and fluffy subject matter. The games are simpler, easier, and more accessible- which isn't necessarily a bad thing until it means that the medium becomes diluted and inundated with opportunistic shovelware. In a lot of ways, the Wii has emerged as the console equivalent of Eurogames.

It was always my hope that games like WORLD OF GOO would be more common than MADWORLD. I didn't want a 360 or PS3 because I'm sick to death of the kinds of games that those games feature heavily (although both have some really amazing games). I wanted a Wii not only because I wanted to play Nintendo games, but also because I thought some great developers would see the potential it had for some really off-the-wall ideas. Instead...CARNIVAL GAMES. Or PARTY BABIEZ. What the hell happened?

I've heard that it's hard to develop on the system, and the fact that it's a weaker system with an alien control scheme makes ports of the top cross-platform games extremely hard. That was a big mistake- the console should have had more horsepower and shipped with a standard controller along with the Wiimote. WII SPORTS only goes so far.

Plus there's now the going-on-three-years reputation the system has of being for your little sisters and your mom. That's fine, and there should be a system that addresses those groups, but the fact that it's Nintendo's flagship system is disappointing. The difference with the DS is that they have actively marketed and developed the system as literally being for everybody, and there are literally games for all tastes on it. The Wii is so skewed at this point to women and young children that it puts off everybody else.

The writing is on the wall though, I think. Nintendo and all these shovelware publishers likely didn't expect that the "casual" gamers are more than satisfied with WII SPORTS and likely won't buy many more games. Even on the news, when Wii sales are talked about these days it's usually mentioning how they're falling and that largely on the fact that the demographic they decided to bum-rush isn't spending any more money on it. Casual gamers spend casual dollars.

But now they have HEY THAT'S MY FISH on WiiWare. All is well, right?

Yeah OK, there are still some Wii games I still need to play. Also, the wife doesn't allow for any M-rated games ... so no RE4, no House of the Dead, no Madworld, no No More Heroes, etc.

I still need to play:

Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime 3
Okami
Battalion Wars 2
Dokapon Kingdom
de Blob

I either have in my collection or have owned:

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princes - totally awesome and epic. My favorite game so far. I sold it though, but I kind of want to play it again. I guess I should pick up Okami.

Super Paper Mario - not enough of a platformer or an RPG for me. Just a weird in-between. The graphics were great, and it was well-written though.

Super Smash Bros. - It did not induce the kind of mad gaming that went down in high school on Smash Bros for N64. Anonymous internet play isn't the same either.

Boom Blox - It's awesome. And a party game done right. I can't wait for the sequel.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - Great, great game. Fun mix of puzzles and simple action. Plus there are a million Star Wars characters to play as. Almost at 100% completion though.

Deadly Creatures - An OK brawler. The story was good, but overall it was just pretty average.

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 - Didn't get much play. Traded it to Barnes for Galactic Emperor which I traded for Dragon Dice.

WarioWare - Great micro games.

Guitar Hero 3 - Duh.

Rayman's Raving Rabids - Pretty lame.

Mario Party 8. Pretty fun, but I almost always win. Where's Mario Party 9 already?

Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn - Awesome. I love Fire Emblem games.

But still, I think the pickings are pretty slim compared to the DS.

metalface13 wrote:

Yeah OK, there are still some Wii games I still need to play. Also, the wife doesn't allow for any M-rated games ... so no RE4, no House of the Dead, no Madworld, no No More Heroes, etc.

I still need to play:

Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime 3
Okami
Battalion Wars 2
Dokapon Kingdom
de Blob

Yeah, you need to play SUPER MARIO GALAXY. It is awesome. In some ways though, it may disappoint you in that you'll wonder why more Wii games aren't as good. (mutters) Goddamn that is a good game.

METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION is pretty good, and given your wife's limitations, this is a must buy for you. A METROID PRIME Wiimake isn on the way this year too. If you didn't play the first, get that one too.

I would have had OKAMI on my first list of awesome third party titles if it wasn't a pretty basic port of the PS2 title. If you didn't play that, then by all means, it's awesome and cheap.

I just got BW2, so I'll talk about that more later, I guess.

I haven't gotten DOKAPON KINGDOM because I don't have folks to play it with. If folks are coming over, we're boardgaming, pretty much. Kids are too young.

I have zero info on de BLOB.

metalface13 wrote:

I either have in my collection or have owned:

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Super Paper Mario
Super Smash Bros.

I'm pretty meh on ZELTA:TP. It's in my to-be-traded pile. I love Link as cartoon (see MINISH CAP, WINDWAKER, PHANTOM HOURGLASS), but Link as disaffected youth is a fucking bore.

I haven't played SUPER PAPER MARIO yet, still working on PAPER MARIO: THOUSAND YEAR DOOR.

SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL didn't do much for me either. I never played MELEE, so this is just a fighting game for me. I liked that baseball minigame though--I rocked over 1200 yds with every character. Traded this away.

metalface13 wrote:

I either have in my collection or have owned:
Boom Blox -
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Deadly Creatures
Medal of Honor Heroes 2
WarioWare
Guitar Hero 3
Rayman's Raving Rabids
Mario Party 8.
Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
But still, I think the pickings are pretty slim compared to the DS.

That's true, but the DS has been out for going on 4.5 years now. The library is now totally robust.

I traded away LEGO SW--it's awesome, but once I was done I realized I didn't want to keep going unless I was co-op--this is probably the best co-op title on the Wii, by the way.

I want BOOMBLOX, but not $40 worth of want--need to catch this on sale.

I recommended RRR because my brother's kids swear by it. The plunger thing never gets old for them.

I can also vouch for WARIOLAND: SHAKE IT. Good platforming, easy enough for the kids, but rewards the hardcore Dads out there. You can beat the game in like 20 minutes, but if you want all the medals you are going to have to bust your ass.

I just started OPOONA--easiest control scheme ever. I just started--it's like jRPG for beginners.

I let my kids play ENDLESS OCEAN as much as they want. It's like playing National Geographic Presents.

I think you're also forgetting that the Wii has a GameCube in there.

The Wii browser also gets better and better. Plus you cannot ignore all the awesome old nostalgia on wiiware.

I'm considering a keyboard so that I can do email from upstairs.

Sag.

I know I can play Gamecube games on my Wii but I'd have to buy a controller, memory card and a game. That's like a $50 investment to play a last generation game.

What are the essential Gamecube games I'm missing out on?

But for the DS, yeah it's been out 4.5 years, but it had good games after year one. When it first came out it sounded goofy, but after a year it had Mario Kart, Castlevania, Advance Wars, Mario & Luigi, Animal Crossing. And it's kept churning them out. There has been nothing for Wii in the past year.

This trailer for Red Steel 2 looks pretty cool.

kotaku.com/5240009/first-red-steel-2-trailer

More games need to go cel shaded period.

It's worth it. GC games are pretty cheap on the used market. I got a Wavebird (FUCKING AWESOME), memory card, and PAPER MARIO, INCREDIBLE HULK: ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION (think GTA 3, except you're the goddamn Hulk), and ETERNAL DARKNESS for about $50 all told--and that's with the Wavebird taking up about half that budget. Other titles to track down (for me at least):
SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE
LUIGI'S MANSION
ZELDA: WINDWAKER
VIEWTIFUL JOE
BEYOND GOOD & EVIL
ROGUE SQUADRON 2 (mebbe)
Hell, just look at racketboy's list .

I'm in a real bind about this, 'cos I'm probably going to pick up a new console this year and my partner is really interested in getting a Wii. And being able to play video games with her would be great, and I have friends that have them and they're certainly fun. But the fact of the matter is that the two games I am most itching to play - Blood Bowl and Brothers In Arms: Hells Highway - aren't on the Wii and aren't going to be.

It won't be a tough choice. Family gaming wins over anything, even ports of classic boardgames and drool-fest tactical WWII shooters with genuine historical depth. But it's annoying to think I'll end up buying something on which I cannot play my most anticipated games of the new generation. I wish they'd get some ports out, I really do, but I'm not hopeful that it'll actually happen.

I don't know... I don't see what the problem is really... There's still plenty of interesting games for the Wii, and hard too... True, there's plenty of shovelware too, but we can just ignore it...

It's funny because the DS took a while to take off too. At first most games were either ports with slapped on touchscreen controls, or titles like Nintendogs and Brain Training etc... Now, as the system has gotten older and developers seem more confident with the features of the DS we're seeing all kinds of interesting games being released.

I think we'll see something similar with the wii and eventually developers will "get it" and start releasing more interesting stuff. The Motion Plus accessory will probably help a lot too.

Right now I'm playing my DS more than my Wii (I don't have other consoles appart from an old GBA and a GBC) but there are some titles I'm very much looking forward to like Sin & Punishment 2, the new Pikmin and a few others...

If you haven't played Metriod Prime 3 yet, you should be ashamed. Go buy it today and redeem yourself. While you're spending money on games, you should also pick up Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure, and Defend Your Castle. Both excellent.

Has anyone played no more heroes? I always hear that is a great wii game, but I am surprised not to see in anywhere in this thread.