Nintendophiles 12.07.06
Posted by Theo Fraser on 12.07.2006
I’ve finally played Wii! And uh…Starfox Command!
1 day to go, 1 day to go, 1 day to go! Can you tell I'm excited? In fact, it's actually less than a day, as I'm going to a midnight launch party this evening. Well, they call it a "party" but I don't exactly live in the centre of the universe, so it will probably be about 3 people. Still, who cares…I'm getting a Wii!
But as the teaser…um teased…I've actually played the Wii! I think I can sum up my thoughts in one word:
"JRDCFGKEMDUHJRFGVSTAG!"
Yeah, that's a well known expression round these parts. But I guess I could simplify to just "wow." The Wii just blew my mind. Even though I've been following it ever since it's inception a few years ago, nothing prepared me for that first moment when you clasp the Wii-mote in your clammy hands. It's that moment of realisation that the world of video games has changed forever. But let's go back to the beginning, shall we? I'll tell you the story from the start.
OK, so I got up pretty early on Thursday morning (last week) and drove about an hour to a huge shopping mall near me, Cribbs Causeway (free advertising, I demand some discounts!). Couldn't park at first, had to go into an overflow car park. Didn't put me in the greatest of moods; I hate car parks. Don't ask me why, it's just that they are all designed terribly. Bah. Anyway, I ended up parking pretty much as far away as possible from the entrance, and literally ran to the shop (half because it was cold, half because I'm a complete nerd and I was desperate to play me some Wii!).
Got a liiiitle bit scared at first, because I could find no mention of the Wii ANYWHERE! But after a bit of searching, I found a big Wii booth on the top floor. With lots of people there wearing "Wii move you" t-shirts and white clothing. Someone should tell them the clothes look horrible. But I didn't really care as about a metre away from me was a frickin' Wii!
I still can't get over how small everything was (and that's a good thing). We've all seen the life-size pictures and everything, but the Wii just looked magnificent. You could hardly notice it tucked away in the corner. And I actually had to physically search to find the sensor bar. That thing's tiny.
Because I got there early, there wasn't much of a queue, save for some pesky kids (and why weren't they at school eh?!!), but I gave them an evil stare and they soon hightailed it out of there. So it was just me and the Wii! Um…and a guy who knew absolutely nothing about it. He said he works for an agency and was just hired to try and tell people about the console. And so he proceeds to tell me about the fact that I "don't actually have to press any buttons, I can just swing the remote." Oh really?!! Is that so? Gosh, I didn't know that! *Rolls eyes*
When I first heard about the UK equivalent of the Nintendo Fusion tour, it was said that the booths would feature Wii Sports, Twilight Princess and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Unfortunately, the booth I went to only had Wii Sports, but I'm not too fussed as I GOT TO PLAY WII! Like I said earlier, when you first wrap the wrist strap around your…wrist (surprisingly), it feels incredible. My first game was Wii Tennis, and I was so surprised at just how fluid it all felt. This sounds like an incredibly dumb thing to say but…I'll say it anyway…it really felt like I was playing tennis! That's the best compliment I can give.
I moved on to Wii Boxing, and the guy plugged in the Nunchuk accessory. I went pee pee in my pants. Lots of people have said that the Boxing game was the worst of the bunch, but I thought it was pretty deep, and looks an absolute blast in multiplayer. I kept coming back past the booth throughout the day, and this was the game that was bringing people in. 30/40yo guys were lining up, hoping to punch their best friend in the face. There is absolutely no doubt that the Wii appeals to the non-gamer, and Wii Sports was raking them in.
Finally, after I got chucked off the system the first time round ("Oi, stop hogging the machine, you twat!" I vividly recall being shouted at me), I managed to get back on it and have a go at Wii Bowling. Oh, this was just fantastic! The motion of twisting the remote to add a little spin to the ball just feels so right. And I got a strike, which impressed a rather hot-looking girl. I'd like to say got her number, but I don't think my Wii skills were THAT impressive.
So that was that. I have now officially played the Wii. I really have to stress that if anyone is sitting on the fence about purchasing a Wii, try and find a way to go and play one, whether it be at a Nintendo Fusion tour event or at a friend's house; you HAVE to try it out for yourself. I am convinced that just a few minutes on Wii Sports will tempt you to fork out the moolah and pick the console up for yourself.
Aside from the Wii, I played Starfox Command for the DS whilst waiting for my turn on the Wii. That may not be very significant for many of you guys, as Starfox has been available in the US for a few months now, but for me it was pretty cool as Starfox Command won't reach these shores until mid February. I only played a couple of training missions, but I enjoyed it actually. It received somewhat of a lukewarm reaction upon being released Stateside, but I thought it seemed pretty accessible. And as much as I am loathe to admit this…I actually FAILED at the god damn training mission! Yes, the TRAINING MISSION! In my defence, it wasn't all that clear what you were supposed to do (obviously you had to shoot the enemies, but I didn't know you ALSO had to pick up the coins left behind). Nevertheless, I am intrigued by the game and would love a chance to play it in more depth. I doubt I'll purchase it from the get-go, but I imagine I'll rent it out for a bit.
Onto the news!
Wii is a big success in Japan
Credit: Gamesradar, IGN
Much like the US launch a few weeks ago, the Japanese Wii launch went very smoothly, and Nintendo are pleased to report that the first batch of consoles completely sold out in the land of the rising sun. 400,000 Wiis were handed over to excited gamers over the launch period, with 350,358 units being sold in the first two days alone! This just goes to prove that Nintendo is still as popular as ever in its home country.
Other good news is the fact that the majority of consumers picked up extra controllers and games along with their Wii, implying that the consoles would not end up on eBay by the end of the day, and were in actual fact intended for personal use.
Since the launch was a big success, as Nintendo had hoped for, execs have stated that another 600,000 Wiis will be made available before the new year to meet the ever increasing demand.
First details of SSX Blur
Credit: IGN
As reported yesterday by Ramon, EA have announced a Wii-exclusive SSX game, heading your way in Q1 2007.
"According to the press release every move the player makes in real life will be translated into the game, which probably means you tilt the Wii-mote to change the angle of the board. "
It'll be very interesting to see if EA actually make the Wii enhancements an integral part of the game or if they are just tacked on for the sake of being there. The idea of using the Wiimote to represent the snowboard sounds pretty fun in my mind, so hopefully EA deliver in this department. Alex Hyder, producer of the series, had this to say about the game:
"We wanted to take the soul of the franchise - the air, the speed, the tricks, the fun - and Wii-ify it. You're going to see that reflected in the on-the-ground and in-the-air controls, the characters, the user interface, and every other aspect of this game." Fair enough, then!
And that was the first incredibly blurry screenshot of the game. Ha! SSX Blur…and it's blurry! It's funny…because…ah nevermind.
And um…that's it
Yes, it's a bit of a slow week, news-wise, as Nintendo are busily preparing for the UK launch on the 8th. As such, no ground-breaking news has been released, but at least snowboarding fans should be kept happy with the SSX Blur news. Once Christmas and the New Year are out of the way, I imagine business will pick up once again.
Add this to your Christmas List
You should all be writing your Christmas wish lists right about now, and we've got a special treat for you at the 411 Games zone coming soon; your very own Buyer's Guide, compiled by the most fantastic people on the planet. And Andrew Mellick. Hey, I had to get a Sony jab in there somewhere! Anyway, that should be up for your viewing pleasure shortly, but I wanted to bring your attention to something I picked up earlier in the week and should immediately go on all your Christmas lists.
The Video Games Guide by Matt Fox.
Yes, a book. Crazy, I know! For those of you who know about Halliwell's Film Guide, this is basically the video game equivalent, listing every single video game in existence, with a short write-up of each one. It's a brilliant reference tool, and something any hardcore gamer should have in his bookcase.
Did I mention that I'm excited?
Tomorrow! The waiting has finally paid off. A Wii and Twilight Princess…the easy way to my heart! I don't really know what to expect from this launch party; I honestly wasn't kidding earlier- I barely live in civilization. Seriously, I met someone the other day who actually said "I've been to London once in my life…didn't like it very much. Never been back!" And these are the sort of people I'm queuing with to get my Wii? *Sigh*. But if any of you DO live in a well-inhabited area, and there's a midnight launch going on near you, get yourself down there as they're meant to be pretty cool. The big on is in the HMV store in London on Oxford Street, where the first 200 to arrive get the console and get a chance to play Wii against "celebrities" such as Ian Wright, Pat Cash, Ricky Hatton and Nell McAndrew. Is that supposed to be incentive? "Hmm, let's roll out F-list celebrities to show how cool Nintendo are!" But I'm not knocking it; I'd love to go and smack Ricky Hatton's (Mii's) face in. So get yourself along if it's feasible!
I forgot to buy a new SD card, so for the moment my Wii game saves will have to share space with my wrestling photos, but I've seen a cheap 1gb SD card for only £9 so I'll be sending off for that soon. Hopefully you guys aren't as forgetful as me and have got that area sorted out.
Well, it's been a bit of a shorter column this week, but that's what happens with these slow weeks. Next week I'll at least have my views on Zelda, and a detailed account of my experience from the launch party…AND an extra special treat for you all! Yes, I've got something a bit different planned for you all next week, so fingers crossed it works out. Until then, pray that I don't get stuck next to an obnoxious kid in line tonight.
Throw these guys a bone and check out their columns
First up is the Select and Start News Report by Vincent Chiucchi, which this week features my favourite man in the whole wide world; Sir Reginald, aka Mr Reggie Fils-Aime! C'mon, you gotta love the Regginator!
In the Negative Edge News Report, Tommy Coloma looks at whether or not the next-gen consoles are worth buying into yet, modded 360s, and whether or not the PS3 is worth taking a bullet for. Obviously, you'd sacrifice your family for the Wii, but can the same be said for the PS3? Find out what Tommy thinks and click the link!
Will Scott gives us the lowdown on how licensed games SHOULD be made in this week's Unlockable Content. Are you taking note, Enter the Matrix?
Finally, we have the debut of Angry Title by Damian Sarcuni and Jordan Williams. Ooooh, multi-authors, eh? Very 21st century. Damian and Jordan go into Co-operative Mode as Angry Gaming meets Working Title. This week, the hate master and his partner in crime take a look at just what the hell went wrong with the Final Fantasy franchise.
