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The Rise And Fall of the Nintendo Wii


Darth Groovy

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I just HAD to post this, because of all the lolz I been getting from many of your posts and tweets as of late.

 

About 2 years ago, I had become totally fed up with the Nintendo Wii. I owned one for a year, and for the most part of that year and some months, it collected a lot of dust.

 

When I traded my unit in, and all of it's games two years ago, many of you made fun of me. I can honestly say, that in the last two years, I have not missed that console even one bit. Not at all.

 

The good times.

 

Nobody, not even me can crap on Wii Sports. Yes, the pre-packaged gift that came with the console itself. And probably the last game that ever did anything right. I had great times bowling, and boxing my brother in law, even baseball was fun again. I also had a great time playing Legend of Zelda The Twilight Princess. THAT alone was worth it's measure. Also my favorite game was Rayman Raving Rabids (teh first one, not any of it's hell spawn sequels). The last game I really enjoyed on that console was a simple arcade shooter known as Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles.

 

The bad times.

 

I guess the biggest disappointment for me, was the real reason I bought the Wii in the first place. The virtual console. All of us have had such glorious memories of Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. and related titles. But the harsh fact remains is that I now knew why I stopped playing these games in the first place. Back in the day, when there were no game saves, we were forced to play through levels time and time again. I guess we all had more patience back then. I don't want to go through Bowzer's castle anymore, deal with the fireballs, and I sure as hell don't have the patience I once had to complete the Tri-Force pyramid on Zelda anymore. **** that! These games are a bitch, and my patience has run thin over the years, along with my enormous amounts of free time.

 

I guess the first time I felt REALLY STUPID playing the Wii, was when I picked up a copy of Mortal Kombat Armageddon for the Wii (mind you this is now out of print...and for a damn good reason!). I had visions of using the motion controls to punch the **** out of Scorpion over and over again. What I discovered is what is now referred too as the Wii "waggle". You only used the damn D pad for punches and kicks, instead of motion. The only time you use any motion is some gay waggle combination for a few of the special moves. This became the industry standard for what to do with the wii version of any popular game. Waggle it this way and that to do this. How amazingly ghey! Not to mention, I felt pretty stupid shaking that wii mote in my bedroom in front of a 27" television. At times it felt downright obscene and embarrassing. Then there is Mario Party. What the **** was that game about anyways? I could never figure out for the life of me what the hell I was supposed to be doing in that game. The instruction booklet is printed in several languages, and none of them ever tell you what you are supposed to do in that game. Even Umbrella Chronicles was the battery killer, which ultimately became the game killer for me. Especially at the end of a very nasty boss fight. And the worst was the couple of FPS games I played. Namely Far Cry Vengeance. With it's ****ty graphics and synthesized cheese metal sound track....also having to hold your hand at a perfect 90 degree angle to keep from looking down was the most painful video game experience ever. Call of Duty 3 was somewhat better quality, but equally as painful to play.

 

In retrospect.

 

I admire that the Wii did what it set out to do, it captured a new demographic in video games, and brought new people into video games for various reasons. They talked it up and it worked. Now I get to watch old people and rednecks shell out good money for crap titles like Chicken Shoot, and Carnival Games. I get people in my store that I have never seen, and never will see again, because they want a Wii game where you can play Bean bags. Bean Bags?!! Are you ****ing serious?! Hat's off to you Nintendo, you pulled it off. You can now make a game about putting applesauce on pork chops and pass it off as Cooking Mama: Cook Off and make millions. The end result is that the rest of us are left twisting in the wind. Now two years later, we are all left wondering what the hell left is there to be excited about this system for, and many of us are left wanting. E-3 has brought nothing new to the plate that has not already been re-hashed before. So for now, unless Nintendo makes a game where I can soak the console in kerosene, light it on fire, and then piss on it's ashes, I am going to continue to stay the hell away from it.

 

*cue Jimi Hendrix: "The Star Spangled Banner"

 

~fini

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Sounds like you played and expected all the wrong games to be good on Wii, Groov. After reading what you've written it seems while we've experienced the better games together (which are the more obvious ones to get), you have also played a lot of games I didn't bother to even look in the general direction of because I just knew they wouldn't work and that the developer was just crapping em out for the hell of it. That and I haven't bothered to invest in any of the "new generation games" kind of games. Most of what I have is very traditional based... but it seems like we've actually played very few of the same games on the system.

 

I point more than I waggle. Best thing about Wii is its pointer.

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I don't really know what to think. On one hand, I've had a really good time with the games I've played for Wii so far. The waggle device that the Wiimote ultimately turned into has been really disappointing, but I've held out hope that the Wii MotionPlus will change this, and I think that it does have potential if it's well supported by game developers (such as the rumored next Zelda game that was just "announced" by Miyamoto).

 

On the other hand, at some point I have to wake up and smell the shovelware. The vast majority of games released for Wii are sub-par at best. And when the first-party content for Nintendo start to lack substance, that's when I start to worry. It seems Nintendo is only intent on getting as many people to buy a Wii as possible. The casual games seem like a good way to get new people to play, but that doesn't excuse the fact that they're just bad games with nothing really going for them other than a gimmick that pulls in new players. I mean, first a scale, and now a pulse sensor? What's next, Wii Blood Pressure Monitor?

I'd like to say that my Wii hasn't been gathering dust in the corner for a while now, but unfortunately that wouldn't be the truth.

 

But do I think I've got my money's worth with the Wii? I actually think I have. There's been some great games, and there are more on the horizon. Nintendo is basically leading me along with the breadcrumbs that are its main franchises. Sadly enough, as much as I'd like them to do more, that's all they really need to do. Honestly I think Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Smash bros, along with some of the other rare instances of good exclusive Wii games, are enough to justify the price. And the promise of more crumbs in the future is what's keeping me going.

I do find that, for the first time I'm slightly disappointed by the announcement of a new Mario game. Sure, Mario Galaxy 2 looks great, but part of me wishes they would have built something new and fresh. I have an idea in my head of exactly what kind of game needs to be made for each of their franchises, but I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that none of them are never going to happen.

 

I guess what I'm really upset about over Wii is more Nintendo's mindset than anything. They think they can have the whole pie, and so far they've proven themselves right. But how long until Nintendo realizes just how fickle the casual market is and it all comes crashing down? And how long until hardcore gamers get fed up with their quest for inclusiveness? Or the lacking graphics and online capabilities? I don't think the Wii is dead yet, but especially after this E3, Nintendo's gonna have to step it up if they want to stay in the game.

 

My posts have been really long-winded lately. >.>

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I don't actually mind Nintendo's mindset at the moment... cause in place of Nintendo I'm actually playing some interesting things from third parties.

 

Everyone seems to expect Nintendo console = Nintendo games only. It's not like Nintendo is doing anything that different... they're still releasing all of their usual kind of games with their usual franchises. It's just that that their newer stuff specifically is focused on that new audience they've found.

 

As for shovelware... Wii has it, PS2 had it... with Wii it seems to be coming from Ubisoft at the most and from certain developers who feel that Wii is just a cheap money grabbing console where they dump all of their crap... think Cruis'n by Midway. Yeah Midway, you made a great business decision with that one.

 

As I said before, the most interesting and new stuff on Wii lately is by a few select third party developers. So far Sega's been doing the most good on Wii, but Capcom seems to want to play catch up with them.

 

I wrote articles about this on my blog :phttp://www.twilightlynk.com :p

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*is conflicted over this issue*

 

Maybe it's just because I haven't played a really big Nintendo game in a long time and I'm having withdraws. I've been a hardcore Nintendo fan for as long as I can remember, and I'm not giving up now. I just haven't been excited over anything Nintendo in awhile and I hope they don't totally take up all of their time with casual games. Maybe they wouldn't bother me so much if Nintendo actually gave their casual games some story, graphics, and depth. Is that something casual gamers really just don't want? I guess I should just wait it out till New Super Mario Bros., Galaxy 2, and Metroid Other M come along. I just feel like I was relatively underwhelmed by their showing at E3 this year and I feel like I'm changing my mind about them a lot because there's not much to grasp at ATM.

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I do agree that it's pathetic what Nintendo is doing with their support for more traditional based games... at least when it comes to trying to create new ones. At the moment Nintendo seems to be focusing on just making sequels and such based on their existing franchises.

 

Therefore, if anyone didn't like Nintendo for what they already had for years now, then there's no reason for them to focus on Nintendo now. That and the fact that people seem to turn a blind eye to (the good) third party titles on Nintendo console... which I find completely amazing.

 

http://www.twilightlynk.com/2009/05/03/nintendo-to-the-core/

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As far as the Nintendo's casual game and whatnot, I think that the ones developed by Nintendo themselves are really novel ideas, and are innovative, for the most part. What is wrong, however, is third-party publishers that see the massive success of Nintendo's Wii games, and try to cash-in to the hype by poorly emulating Nintendo's original titles, i.e., shovelware. This is not Nintendo's fault by any means, but simply publishers enslaving the developers to create said shovelware.

 

As far as bad hardcore games go, that's a lie. At launch, yes, most of them were anywhere from mediocre to god-awful. One reason for that was probably the unfamiliarity with the new controls; Red Steel was a perfect example of that, but, seeing Red Steel 2 at this year's E3, it seems that Ubisoft might have learned from their mistakes, and that RS2 might be of real quality.

 

Still, I don't think you've played the good amount of quality titles on the Wii as of late.

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Actually Red Steel had a lot of other problems relating to it too... it was a very rushed game and had a lot of bugs... http://www.twilightlynk.com/2009/05/18/game-spotlight-red-steel/ (lol, shameless... i know)

 

For Red Steel 2, I'll wait and see what happens with it. I think Ubisoft is using this opportunity to redeem themselves with Red Steel 2 so despite by distaste for the first one, I'll give them a chance with their second try.

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The Wii isn't failing at all. It's very scuessful. It's just not appealing to me (or other gamers) anymore. There may be some good Wii titles out there, but they're few and far between. Plus, any multipltform game I buy will be the 360 version.

 

Now they're coming out with an additional accessory to get better motion control. It just all looks gimmicky to me, and I'm passing on Wii now.

 

I can count on one hand the number of Wii games I own. Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, Smash Bros, and one more I can't remember right now. Plus, I have a few Game Cube games out.

 

 

I still like my DS, but I'm giving up on Wii.

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The reason why the Wii has sold better than anything is because people who don't even know what games ****ing are are buying the crap out of it. I just still can't get the image out of my head of my non-gaming uncle playing Wii Sports Golf and remarking on how it was the coolest **** (graphically) that he's ever seen.

 

Idiots who buy Carnival Games don't know what game are, they really don't.

 

In other news, I don't think I'll ever sell my Wii... something about just at least owning it makes me feel more whole. But yeah, almost nobody plays their Wii anymore, just listen to any podcast and probably 80-90% of them will admit to not playing Wii in many weeks or months.

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I still don't know what Carnival Games actually is since it doesn't sell very well down here at all and I'e never actually seen it on shelves... of course from my guess it's a collection of mini games (lol).

 

It seems like the only games people have invest on Wii are the games which have proven themselves years before Wii even existed... and people are obviously weary of motion controls... of course Wii isn't all motion controls. That said, it's not all button and analog sticks either. The pointer is the key.

 

I still stand by my high praise of House of the Dead Overkill but it seems like I happen to be the only person on this entire forum who has actually played the damn game. It's completely obscene, packed with humour, has great gameplay and is just plain fun. The controls are great and the pointer is accurate.

 

There is an option for the game for you to calibrate it and actually turn the crosshairs off. You wouldn't believe you accurate it is. The technology works when the developer actually utilises it properly and it certainly is done well with HotD Overkill as well as with many other games.

 

Of course, the problem is that if those games haven't proven themselves before Wii existed in peoples eyes, they won't bother to even look at it and simply brush it off... that and the fact that lightgun games never sell very well lol. In fact, HotD Overkill is the best selling console lightgun game (at least in Europe).... EVER.

 

I'm one of the few who has actually tried out all of the different kind of games on Wii. At the moment I have almost 30 games for Wii and 90% of them were damn worth the price and effort to play.

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there may be a wii in my bedroom that i use to play cooking mama if im really really bored, but its the girlfriends, and i still say wii's suck

 

Thats my case with a few notable exceptions:

 

My girlfriend hates Wii as much as I do.

I'd never ever ever EVER play Cooking Mama.

And I'd never allow a Wii to enter my household.

 

And for emphasis: Wii sucks.

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About 2 years ago, I had become totally fed up with the Nintendo Wii.

Yeah, I remember your describing it as a "useless bucket of goat piss" or something. :p

 

Good times.

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My kids are enjoying the Wii a lot, and we have zero concerns about the Red Ring of Death with it. We have the Lego games, Ninja turtles, Spiderman, and I don't recall what else anymore, and they play just fine. We're having a great time playing Rock Band 2 on it, though I'm disappointed that we don't get the same DLC as PS3 or 360--sort of the leftovers. Wii Fit is annoyingly cute, but it works, and my kids like it enough to exercise with me, so we get even more family time that way. If you're talking appeal for the kid/casual gamer demographic, it's highly successful. If you're talking about appeal to the more serious gamer, 360 and maybe even PS2 are still going to overshadow Wii.

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I fit more into the Sarcastic Gamer catergory. :)

 

My folks got a Wii, but my they won't allow any violent games on it - it's mostly the maternal unit. Smash brothers is cartoony enough to be allowed, but The Force Unleashed is beyond what she'll tolerate. So we rented it when she wasn't looking, lol.

 

The only other console we have is a Nintendo. It's not the original model, it's basically a missing link between regular and Super Nintendo. It plays only the original Nintendo games, but loads from the top and is much more compact than the original model.

 

Really glad we have a PC - too bad some games are never released for it. :(

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Well, Groovy, I think I can relate. While I will say that anything metroid like is definition of awesome in my book, you pretty much found out the same thing I predicted that I would find if I chose to go with the nintendo wii. So your agony is not in vain. I thank you personally so that I don't need to waste any unnecessary $$$ on it. Not taking away from Nintendo, but they have proven to have been reaching out to an entirely different gaming demographic. I agree: they have left chunks of their old core audiences behind.

 

I know you don't have the patience anymore, but, it sounds like you have fond memories of the retro gaming era back in the day? (BTW I started a social club just for that very thing, if you want to join and talk about old school gaming) Yeah those were fond old memories and I tell ya it's a crime with what is happening to the dignity of all those older series of games. Long established games, now reduced their dignity to this crap? WTH?!

 

Yeah, Mario Party...when that series hit the N64 console, I figured my time (save a few things) with Nintendo was mostly over. I moved on to Sony. Now it seems I can't afford *that* anymore either. That and I'd rather do other stuff with my dwindling free time.

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