The Last Word? Why Wii Is Relevant

To some extent, when I started Garden of WiiDS, I hoped to point out why the Wii is relevant to everyone and why the gaming press wasn’t as qualified to discuss it as one might think. Somewhere along the line I started writing about video games in a general sense, something I’ve mostly shuffled over to my 1UP page. Though whether I’m playing my Wii or my 360 more varies from week to week, I still very much feel that the Wii (and my DS, though I scarcely write about it these days) is the most significant piece of gaming hardware on the market.

While I was off doing other things, someone wrote the magnum opus of the Wii manifesto. It sums up so much of what I’ve wanted to say for so long that I’m rather ashamed that I didn’t write it myself.

Garden of WiiDS is taking a break. Go and read that article. It’s okay, I’ll wait.

N’Gai Croal on CNN’s “American Morning”

I’m a bit late to the party having not discovered N’Gai Croal’s writing until last year. But this guy goes beyond being a video-gaming authority to something dangerously approaching a force of nature.

That’s one reason why I was pleased to read about his recent appearance on CNN’s “American Morning,” where he talks common sense about Manhunt 2 and continues to fight the good fight against the infantilization of video gaming.

You can read his write-up on the appearance here.

Competition

Nintendo shares have hit a record high. With some reports also placing worldwide Wii sales ahead of the XBox 360 despite being a year its junior, it seems like Nintendo is poised to take and hold the lead in the current hardware iteration of console video gaming hardware. But if Nintendo is really winning, where are the games?

I’ve said before that I’m no Nintendo fanboy. I’m a well-wisher. I did my Nintendo time growing up, and some of my fondest memories are behind white/black/gray/red and white/gray/purple/super-purple controllers. I remember the jingle from the Nintendo breakfast cereal commercials. I was just as excited about Super Mario Bros. 3 as I was my first kiss. I just want to make that clear before I say that the 360 rules my household.

I really enjoyed Metroid Prime 3, but in general the Wii games just arent there. And in a holiday season that is being heralded as the greatest season for video games since 2003 (when I was still on video-gaming hiatus trying to finish my master’s), I can look forward to only two more AAA games this year: Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

On the other hand I look at the XBox 360 and I see The Orange Box. The Simpsons Game. Assassin’s Creed. Mass Effect. Rock Band. And a lot more I’m neglecting to mention. Let’s also not ignore the fact that my girlfriend has almomst totally abandoned Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree and Wii Sports in favor of the five-minute crack rock sessions of Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Now, you can ask me how profitable the games division at Microsoft is, and I’ll smile sheepishly and shrug to the tune of an 80’s sitcom jingle. But the XBox 360 is not just the gamer’s system that I believed it was prior to owning one. The casual and marketplace content is there in spades, but marketing is just telling us to “Jump in (to an FPS).” I recently asked Microsoft Group Marketing Manager Aaron Greenberg about this image discrepancy, to which he responded, “We felt it was important to satisfy our core first.” I think it’s pretty safe to say the core is now satisfied, but beyond that you’ve got the other stuff as well.

Contrast this with Nintendo. The core of the Wii user base is people that don’t game regularly or at least didn’t before the Wii. Wii Sports, Warioware: Smooth Moves, Cooking Mama and Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree have done a lot to draw these people in, but with so few titles that appeal to them (and those themselves being long in the tooth) the core audience is growing restless.

How about that other stuff? You know, hardcore games? Metroid, Mario, Smash Bros. That’s what you get (okay, maybe Guitar Hero III). I couldn’t even tell you what the next big hardcore game on the horizon is beyond December.

I’ve heard people criticizing Nintendo for months now about not bringing the equivalent of Nintendogs to the Wii — that piece of software that really shows what the system can do and others can’t. I’ve also heard that Nintendo needs to bring more hardcore franchises to market so that they don’t lose their GameCube core. I don’t think either of those are that important. Nintendo is making money hand over fist no matter how loudly we complain. But I do see one glaring difference between Wii’s AAA titles and the 360 competition: Microsoft doesn’t have to make all their own AAA titles.

It’s been said that when you’re developing for a Nintendo hardware platform, your biggest rival is Nintendo. That may be true, but Nintendo needs to at least encourage them to compete.

E3: Metroid Prime 3

Nintendo’s press conference may not have packed any surprises for the hardcore audience, but neither did anyone else’s. For the most part, we saw what we hoped we would see. It just seems that Steve Jobs might have us a bit spoiled with that “one last thing” that people hope to see.

The next hardcore first party release out of the gate will be Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which ships to retailers on August 27th. I found it interesting with Halo 3 just around the corner that Nintendo would bill it as the the console FPS to play this year. Bold words! Though not so bold for me, I guess, as I couldn’t give less of a damn about controlling my aim with the right analog stick.

Console FPS done right?

Since I’m not there to play it, I pay close attention to people whose journalism I trust. That’s why my eyebrow raised when I encountered a glowing hands-on impression of the game from Game|Life’s Chris Kohler. In a word, “mindblowing.”

Jeremy Parish also had generally positive things to say about Metroid from his time with the game. His major complaint appears to be that the game feels more FPS than Metroid at this point, which goes in contrast to the spirit of the franchise.

August isn’t so far away, and given how long this game was delayed from launch, it probably stands a better chance than most of living up to expectations. Either way, we’ll find out soon enough.

E3: Wii Fit

First let me make it clear that I am not at E3 this year though last year’s Wii-tastic E3 is what made me want to start this blog in the first place. This year’s I-can’t-believe-it-ain’t-E3 is a media and press only event, and though I may technically qualify with my freelancer status, the last thing I want to do is take a vacation from my main job just so I can work a secondary one.

So let’s take a moment to examine E3’s whipping boy this year: Wii Fit. Effectively unveiled to the painful groans of the gaming press, some journalists have already taken it upon themselves to severely criticize Nintendo for the release of this software, many without actually playing it. Way to check your expectations at the door, guys and gals!I should also make it a point before discussing Wii Fit that it isn’t my purpose to defend a title I haven’t played, though it may seem that way at times. Milky says I need to get off Nintendo’s jock and buy a 360. I told him Microsoft needs to get off its ass and bring $400 worth of games to market that I want to play on their console to justify the investment.

For those who don’t greedily lap up every bit of video gaming news that drips from the plate of E3, Nintendo announced Shigeru Miyamoto’s newest title in the works: Wii Fit. The game includes a wireless, battery-powered balance board and (at first glance) consists of a number of exercises, stretching routines, and simple games to engage the whole family. The game also keeps track of your BMI (body mass index) to see how healthily your weight corresponds to your height. It’s another Nintendo non-game aimed squarely at the entire market.

Yes, this is what you wanted to play.

In watching the onstage demos (that went none too well for various reasons), I asked myself, “Why is this title important to me?” For me it was an easy question to answer. I play Dance Dance Revolution Max 2 in workout mode three to four times a week for cardio before launching into my weight training routine. The music selection is odious, but it keeps my mind occupied so that I don’t focus on wishing I were dead as I sweat and huff. I would love for Wii Fit to replace DDR in my workout routine, but truth be told, I’ll probably be jogging again by the time it’s released. It’s worth noting that when I finish 20 specifically chosen songs on Standard workout mode in DDR that I am bathed in sweat and short of breath; I have my reservations about whether Wii Fit can cause the same.

The second question I asked myself is, “How widespread is the appeal?” Nintendo is aiming this title at the entire family. My household consists of one (one and a half if you count the dog) to three people at any given time — all of which play Wii (except the dog) — and I think I would be the only person to use it regularly. However thinking to the Thanksgiving scenario, it could be a hit with my family. And by Thanksgiving scenario, I mean the very common occurrence of people taking their Wiis home for the holidays and having fun with the whole family. I do believe that everyone in my family would try it, and my brother and mother might even get semi-competitive about it.

The final question is, “How many Wiis will this move?” As fantastic as DDR is as an exercise medium, the learning curve is brutally steep. Some people’s bodies just aren’t coordinated enough to play it well enough to use a difficulty that would provide a decent workout. However, the Wii is rapidly entering the public eye as an electronic entertainment (notice I didn’t say game!) for everyone, and non-gamers who are inclined to buy something that resembles a game that might help them get in shape will have this the day it hits shelves.

Okay, I lied. I have one more question. “What would make this great?” I’ve already been surprised once this year by Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree; I thought there is no way in hell that game could possibly be worth $50, but when you factor in the community aspect and the readily approachable party-type modes, it really is a crowd pleaser. So what would I like to see for Wii Fit?

• A diet and calorie-burn tracker a la Traineo
• A community aspect that allows you to share BMI/calories burned/etc. with Wii friends
• Some form of online record keeping system that encourages competitive play
• Custom soundtracks for step exercises that are automatically tempo matched or step- (not time-) advanced

As far as I know, Miyamoto doesn’t read my blog, so I hope he has ideas this good or better. I know he can create great action and adventure titles, but I don’t trust just anyone when it comes to my fitness. We’ll all just have to wait and see.

Mario Party 8 Socks

A couple of friends came over on Sunday, and we all tried Mario Party 8 together for the first time. Many view the Wii as the party system already, and with Mario (who doesn’t love Mario?) and 8 (implying they’ve done this enough times to get it right) in the title, how could Nintendo go wrong?  

See what roses really smell like… 

The answer is, apparently, just like they did with Mario Party 8. The game is an absolute nightmare. It straddles the threshold of unplayable; if only one iota worse, you’d turn it off and go back to catching Pokémon. As it is, you’ll feel compelled to play to the end of the game / turn limit, at which point the very apt Penny Arcade review becomes entirely understandable. 

This game *SOCKS*. Save your money; Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is much more fun as a party game.

CNNMoney.com: Wii Will Rock You

Despite the cheesy title, this article from CNNMoney does an excellent job of explaining why Nintendo is the strongest business performer in this console generation. In particular, it explains very well a concept that almost completely lead to the conceptualization of this blog: that it isn’t very important what the hardcore gaming press thinks about the Wii and DS. Money tends to speak for itself.

Stylus Pressure?

I recently read Chris Kohler’s review of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl on Game|Life, and one particular part caught my attention.

… the touch-screen implementation … feels half-baked — you can’t control the whole game with the stylus a la Animal Crossing, even though there’s nothing in the game design that should stop you.

My surprise wasn’t purely because I think the huge touchscreen buttons during combat are a great addition. Then today I found this editorial on GoNintendo that expresses concern for the pure stylus-based controls when the essence of 2-D Zelda controls were conceived using the control pad. I got some hands-on time with an early build of The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass at last year’s E3, and while at first a bit put off by the stylus-only gameplay, I quickly got the hang of it for the purpose of the demo.

I’ve owned a Nintendo DS since its launch date, and I’ve seen a number of well-thought-out control schemes as well as a ton of crap ones (especially around launch). Bad controls break the game — everyone knows that — and it’s no secret that Nintendo was putting on the pressure to utilize the touch screen early in the console’s life. But now that there has been a Meteos and a Nintendogs and a Brain Age and an Elite Beat Agents, is the pressure to use the stylus still so great?

Chris Kohler wanted the option of full touchscreen control in Pokémon because it was possible. Raw Meat Cowboy wants D-pad and button control for Zelda because it’s traditional. It’s hard to tell with developers whether the stylus pressure is off or on these days. What’s the right way to do things?

The answer to me seemed to come from an entry in the developer blog for Etrian Odyssey on 1UP.com. Designer Kazuo Niinou begins by saying the following:

I have a strange confession to make: I don’t like using the Nintendo DS’s stylus.

There are a few reasons for this. First off, it’s a portable game system, but because of the stylus you can’t play it while lying down. Second, since holding the system in one hand and a stylus in the other feels unnatural, it’s tiring to play for long periods of time. Third, if the pace of the game is slow, then your hand tends to cover the screen as you play.

However, there are many things that you can do only with the stylus, so you can’t count it out entirely. We think we can solve the problems above by making games designed not to be played that way.

And it just gets better from there. As an aside, I’m looking forward to this game because I like my RPGs like I like my women: smart, complex, long-lasting and with touch action.

Doubtless there is something to be said for innovative control schemes. Likewise, a longstanding franchise can avoid alienating its core audience by not trying to fix what isn’t broken. However, Niinou-san shows us that there is a middle ground — that the new thing, the old thing, and the right thing don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Developers that realize this are worthy of our support.

Nyko Charge Station

Yesterday while at Fry’s to pick up Super Paper Mario, I also snagged the Nyko Charge Station. I’ve had my eye on this for a while, but I had never actually seen it in a store until yesterday. Or, to be more specific, I had never actually looked at Wii accessories since launch until yesterday. Here are my observations.

• The rechargeable batteries have small contacts that are exposed through the back of the Wii remote to interface with the charging station. For this reason, it is necessary to use the included rubberized battery cover, which exposes the contacts via a hole.
• The rubberized grip on the battery door feels comfortable.
• There is a small groove through which the the wrist strap can be dangled while charging.
• The charger is very particular about the placement of the Wii remotes when charging, but there are helpful feedback LEDs at the bottom which show that the controller is charging (blue), fully charged (green), or not docked properly in the cradle (no light). It may take a little finesse to put the Wii remote in the cradle “just right,” but I haven’t found it to be annoying. The controller stays put once it’s in position.
• The battery charge is *REALLY* fast (under four hours if I’m not mistaken). However, the batteries may have been partially charged from the factory.
• The construction is solid, and it looks nice standing on your entertainment center.

At $29.99, the Nyko Charge Station is a good value. It gives you an attractive place to store your controllers when not in use, and it eliminates the need to buy huge packs of AA batteries to ensure uninterrupted gaming.

Your Mii on Your Mac

A friend of mine surprised me with an email this weekend that contained my Mii’s face in a huge 1680xwhatever desktop image. Using a few applications, he came up with a method for transferring your Mii to your Mac.

You can digg the article here.