Nintendo Wii

[Katuluu]

Is it confirmed that Smash Bros Brawl isn't using the motion sensor?

[mothershipconnection]

Everything I've heard is that it won't use it.

[foamboy1]

What is RPG? (I'd like to disguise my ignorance in smaller type, but you guys need to be able to read it).

[gypcasino]

Role Playing Game

[bjkrautk]

Is it confirmed that Smash Bros Brawl isn't using the motion sensor?

 

From the 1UP.com preview:

Controls: There are four preset control schemes -- GameCube controller, Classic controller, Wii Remote, and Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Most Smash Bros. pro-hopefuls will probably gravitate towards the GameCube controller, especially if they're stuck in their Melee ways. The Classic controller offers nearly the same experience, with the right analog stick acting as the yellow c-stick on the GameCube controller and shielding mapped to the shoulder buttons, but obviously lacking the rumble (an important feature to some).

Given the lack of buttons, the Wii Remote-only preset, which you play with the remote held horizontally, uses Up on the D-pad for jump and the 1 and 2 buttons for attacks. While the Up for jump setting is a slight nuisance, the shield button, which you have to hit with your middle finger behind the remote as it's mapped to the B trigger, is probably the most awkward part about the remote-only control scheme. But, regardless of which controller you have access to, Brawl will have a fully customizable control scheme, allowing you to map actions to any button you want on any controller, which you then can save to your profile. Conceivably, this could narrow the gap between the different controller setups.

 

I shouldn't have said it doesn't use the wii-remote; I should have said that I won't be using the Wii remote.

[foamboy1]

A couple of years back I got hooked on collecting baseball cards again.

 

I have been wondering if I'll get hooked on video games again....but from reading some of the responses, I'd need a Ph.D. to play again.

[TooLiveBrew]

Uninformed-lacking-time-to-read-entire-thread-guy asks:

 

Does the Wii have a baseball game (maybe 2K sports?) that isn't cartoon-y or NBA Jam-y? While I respect your piece on Power Pros, bball123h, I just want a decent baseball game without the novelty feel.

[bball123h2]

The best for now would technically be MLB 2k7 for Gamecube. I haven't played it, though.

 

I'm hoping 2k8 comes out for wii, though I don't see any release dates.

[mrbergmann]

Has anyone heard of a college hoops game at all for the Wii?

[bthurley19]

Just to let everyone know that owns a wii, like me. Nintendo is including remote jackets in all the new hardware being shipped but they are also sending free jackets for all remotes you own already. I got 2 in the mail today and didn't pay a dime. They are comparable to a jacket you would buy for a MP3 player. I played a couple of games tonight and absolutely love how much better the remote fits and feels. No nunchuck jacket but I can deal with that.

 

Here's the link to the deal: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/jacket/jacketrequest.jsp

 

You can get 4 jackets per system serial number.

[foamboy1]

The Wii wireless remote is awfully cool. Why don't the other game makers (microsoft or sony) have something similar?

I am sure there are some patent issues on the particular technology, but the concept cannot be protected. I'm surprised the other guys haven't created something similar.

[TooLiveBrew]

Not sure what you mean specifically, foamboy, but the 360 has the best wireless controllers I've ever used. Not one problem with them in hours of gameplay.

[laserbomb]

Godfather and Resident Evil 4 are my favorites so far. But these holiday games are coming just in time, it's starting to get a little stale waiting for new exciting stuff to come out.

 

We love our Wii, but I'm tired of waiting for it to get to that potential too, so I'm getting a 360 and XBL to go along with it.

 

Check out the list of Virtual Console games that are available so far, and definitely hook it up to the internet if you can (it can pick up a wireless signal, otherwise you have to pay for a usb/ethernet wired adapter).

[laserbomb]

Too live: No great baseball game yet. The BIGs was messed up, the game forced you to learn the wrong timing (swing early to get a hit, if you swing at the right time you won't hit it) and that turned me off all by itself.

 

Power Pros sounds great at what it does, but I don't like RPGs or a lot of extra stuff outside playing the game. It does sound like the best so far, by far. But I'm just not interested for a few reasons and it sounds like you're not either. So that's pretty much it for now.

[JoeHova]

Guitar Hero III. I've been playing it all week, pretty much non-stop. I realize it's out for all the systems, but the Wii version is sweet. The only problem is that you can't buy a 2nd guitar yet (unless you buy a whole nother game, which I can't bring myself to do because I couldn't even give the game to someone). Also, I can't find any of the pick guards, but that's not a big deal.

 

I know Metroid Prime III is supposed to be great too, but I've owned it for a month or so now and I haven't even tried it yet. First I got obsessed by Madden 08 and now by Guitar Hero. I guess I'll play it at some point though.

 

So, to conclude, my favorite games for the Wii are: Madden 08, Guitar Hero III, Super Paper Mario, WarioWare Smooth Moves, & Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. Zelda is too hard for me for some reason, though it is fun on the parts that I can do.

[TURBO]

I have a related question...

 

Are these going to be hard to get this x-mas season?

 

My kids want one, but there are none to be found in the Appleton area.

[dadofandrew]

I got mine on Ebay for $291 and 38 shipping. They will be tight, to be sure.

 

As long as we're discussing Wii, looking for games my 5 year-old will enjoy, other than the Sports one and Play.

[laserbomb]

Maybe he'd have fun with Big Brain Academy. There are a couple handfuls of quick games split up into 5 categories, and after you run through a section they give you a brain score based on how fast and well you did.

 

We had a lot of fun with it for a while until there wasn't quite enough variety to keep us coming back playing the same handfuls of games and watching our scores for months. The reason I bring it up in spite of that is I'm not sure how that might all translate for 5-year-olds, and I wonder if it might be in a good way.

[TooLiveBrew]

Too live: No great baseball game yet. The BIGs was messed up, the game forced you to learn the wrong timing (swing early to get a hit, if you swing at the right time you won't hit it) and that turned me off all by itself.

 

Power Pros sounds great at what it does, but I don't like RPGs or a lot of extra stuff outside playing the game. It does sound like the best so far, by far. But I'm just not interested for a few reasons and it sounds like you're not either. So that's pretty much it for now.

Thanks, lb. You hit the nail on the head. Fortunately, I've seen that the Wii has FIFA Soccer & Winning Eleven soccer, which, iirc, are both very solid games. Tiger Woods, too. Should be enough to tide me over, as I can't see them not adding at least MLB 2k8 by next year. But that's obviously me being optimistic!

Turborickey - I think the Wii will be a very, very hard item to come by this X-mas season. Take dadofandrew's path and get on Ebay sooner rather than later. From the prices I've seen looking around, $291 was a great deal. The only availability beyond Ebay that I've seen is the Wii being sold in bundles (extra games, controllers, etc.) for roughly $500.

 

[TracyThom]

For those in the Madison area, the Wal-Mart Supercenter that is set to open in Monona on Thursday has at least 6 in stock.

[Terok Balefire]

Warioware would be great for a 5 year old. It's a bunch of silly quick challenges that speed up as you go along, like brushing your teeth with the remote or pretending to do a hula hoop. Good game. Get Mario Strikers if you want a sports game for him.

 

If you played the old adventure games or love puzzle games, Zack and Wiki is a must buy. For some reason Capcom didn't advertise or push this game at all even though the game is great and review sites are raving over it.

 

Some great games are coming out or have recently come out, including the forementioned Zack and Wiki, Battalion Wars which is like a real time strategy game except you are in control of a unit as you command the rest and can switch to any unit in your command, ie switch from an infantry to a tank. Fire Emblem is a great strategy RPG if you are into that type of stuff, horribly addicting as you try to perfect your tactics. All three Lego Star Wars games is also being released together if you had never played those, I never have but it's always been held in a higher regard. Mario and Sonic Olympics and Rayman Raving Rabbids is also coming out if you still need your minigame fix. Resident Evil rail shooter is also due out. Medal of Honor looks great and will have 32 people online play.

 

All these games for November and I didn't even mention Mario yet, yeesh.

[mothershipconnection]

Gamestop currently has a pretty nice bundle for pre-order online. It's the system with an SD card, extra remote, extra nunchuk, remote charging station, Wii play, Zelda, and Metroid for $474. It sucks that you have to buy the extras, but these are the extras many would buy anyway.

 

link

[mrbergmann]

Anyone else see previews/reviews for Super Mario Galaxy? That game looks great and everything I've read about it makes it seem like the ideal game for the Wii system. That will be a hot item this Christmas season!

[rluzinski]

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/915692.asp

[Terok Balefire]

Mario has been playable at Gamestop for a week or two if you want to give it a test run. Full game too.