Tuesday, Jan 23, 2007
I've had my new Nintendo Wii for over a month now and I have to say that I only have two complaints. I'm going to address these two slips because I do not have the time to detail all of the things that I love about Nintendo's little miracle. The first problem is that the "virtual consol" is a total bore. The second is that there doesn't seem to be a really good first person shooter yet.
The virtual consol (as I've mentioned elsewhere on the site) currently has only old games which if I didn't play to death 20 years ago, I could play for free on an emulator. I don't want to encourage anything illegal (at least anything infringing on the rights someone has to their creative work) but who are they trying to kid. Even the least savvy computer novice can find and run an emulator and some roms.
What do I want to see? Some original games. I'm not expecting any geometry wars but I'm sure they could whip up some brain games for the shop. Of course they're probably going to make a $50 disc of that one instead. But even some tried and true games slightly modified for the wiimote would be worth 100-200 points to some. A motion sensitive snake game for example would probably cost one programmer an afternoon and rake in more points than any of the golden oldies they dusted off for the VC.
And if they're going to dust off oldies for the VC, why don't they sell old arcade games that wouldn't even work on the other new systems. I'm thinking about all those old arcade light gun shooters of yesteryear like Chiller (remember that disturbing bit of programming?), Operation Wolf, and Terminator 2. These would be perfect for Nintendo's new controll scheme and could run with the wiimote alone. Yea it might take a little reworking, but I'm sure they would rake in way more points than Mario Bros., NES Soccer, and even the Zelda games. Why is Nintendo reviving the light gun style but neglecting the classic light gun games?
These games would be especially welcome at this point as we don't really have too much shooting action to choose from on the Wii specific lineup. Red Steel was okay but I am glad I waited to see it on sale before buying it; the full $50 price is a bit of a rip off. Call of Duty wasn't the reinvention I expected either. For the system that revolutionised the light gun, they seem to not have the software to really make it shine as a shooter just yet. Most of the other games I've picked up however, do prove that this control scheme works well and can be quite intuitive.
Those are my only problems. Of course neither of these little problems have overshadowed the great big strengths the Wii has going for it and in no way do I regret my purchase or the three hour wait outside the Nintendo World Store. Besides being fun for gamers like my wife & I, friends who never had an interest in games want to get one after trying ours.
The price and the simplicity are proving that this is the most inclusive game system ever. It's certainly less intimidating than the current competitors whose $400+ tag and many buttoned gamepads bewilder most non-gamers. People who lost interest in games when the joystick went beyond one stick and one button are finding the Wii to be the next logical progression from the atari. In the end I believe all the game makers will be on their knees thanking Nintendo for expanding the market like this.
-Gonzo
