I didn't know that about the c64 and Amiga games - how cool!
Anyone who can't hold onto that controller doesn't deserve to own a Wii in the first place - bunch of fuckwits.
Anywho - here's my Wii experience:
-------------------------------------------
Part 1
I collected the console at 7am on the morning of the 8th. My local GAME wasn't exactly heaving with people, but there were around 20 or so tired-looking folks like me, queuing up to receive their pre-packed pre-order bags. My full launch-day purchase list was:
Wii Console (with free Wii Sports)
Zelda: TP
Call of Duty 3
Wii Play (with free Wiimote)
Extra Nunchuk
Wii Points card (2000 points)
…I usually try to pool games with my mates, so I also have access to a copy of Red Steel and the Marvel Superheroes game.
The first thing I should mention is the joyful experience of turning the Wii on for the first time and holding that controller in your hand. After getting past a disclaimer page, you're greeted by the Wii menu page – and the first thing I noticed is the incredible responsiveness of the Wiimote. I know, I know, people have been raving about this since E3, but nothing can compare to actually using it yourself. You quickly have to break the habit of vaguely pointing the remote in the direction of the TV as you would a TV remote, as you realise that if you move it too much, you'll lose sight of the on-screen pointer – but it's surprisingly easy to break that habit. In fact, that comment could sum up the controller in general: you will see decades-old habits just disappearing in a couple of minutes with this thing, and an hour or two later you'll be wondering how you ever played games WITHOUT a motion-sensing controller.
I had an unexpected but very welcome surprise when I realised that when you pass the pointer over a "clickable" option, it vibrates ever-so-slightly, it's kind of equivalent to how on some websites, if you pass the mouse pointer over a link, the text of link becomes enlarged or bold – it's a beautiful little touch, one of many unexpected joys to be had from using this machine. I was determined to get all the firmware updates before I started playing the console for real, but it appeared that there were server problems, so I abandoned my hopes of getting the updates for a moment.
I opened up the Mii channel and created myself an avatar – this is another beautiful touch about the console that looks ok on paper, but is actually much more amusing and engaging when you do it for real. The avatar creation tool is simplicity itself – and once you're familiar with the navigation, you can knock up a decent likeness of yourself in about 3 minutes – perfect for those random visitors who turn up on your doorstep from time to time, and after a while when you've made avatars for most of your friends, you will have a lot of fun creating your Mr Ts, Ali Gs, Osama bin Ladens etc – the only real limit is your imagination, although I'll admit that even though the Mii Creator is extensive, it could benefit from a few extra options (maybe a better selection of hats for starters, and a bigger colour palette would be nice).
Choosing my first game, I opted to put Wii Play in the machine, since it is basically designed to help you get used to the controller. It's a series of minigames, starting with just one, but unlocking a total of about 10 more as you play each one. The first minigame is an update of the NES classic Duck Hunt – I felt a massive gormless grin breaking out onto my face within about 5 seconds of playing this – light gun games, when done well, can be a lot of fun – provided you have a decent light gun. The Wiimote is, amongst other things, the best light gun EVER!!! So once you've done some pointing and clicking, the other games give you a hint of the controller's other awesome capabilities: click n drag, tilting, adjusting the distance to the TV, holding the remote sideways, using the nunchuk – if you buy Wii Play, you should certainly make it the first title you play, because it's a great tutorial and frankly, you probably won't play it much again.
At some point near lunchtime, my girlfriend (who had also taken the day off work) emerged from her slumber and poked her head round the door. For the purposes of this article, I'll call her "Helen". So it was time to break out Wii Sports and that other controller. She seemed a little frightened of the controller at first, so I made her an avatar while she dictated its "look", then we hit the tennis court. I immediately warmed to the Tennis control system – it seemed logical to me that you don't control the characters' running, and that you can only play doubles, but these seem to be the biggest gripes people have about the tennis game, which in my opinion is perhaps asking too much. I'm sure we'll see a "proper" Virtua Tennis style Wii tennis game one day, but on launch day? They want people to get used to the wiimote first. Not just dyed-in-the-wool gamers like us, but grannies and the like who haven't touched a console in years, perhaps never. I can wait a while for those people to catch up, because when they do, there will be even more developer interest in this machine than there is currently – and that will ultimately mean better games for all of us.
The missus didn't quite share my enthusiasm for Tennis, and I could see her beginning to get a bit bored, so – determined to convert her – I quickly suggested we tried another game. Bowling seemed like the obvious choice, because my ability to move vigorously was severely hampered by my aching guts (I was ill that day), and bowling seemed like the kind of sedate pace I needed. It didn't disappoint! I found Bowling to be one of the best minigames for gaining an understanding of the subtleties of the remote – the intricacies of spin, power and release combine to make every throw unique just like real bowling – but without the ignominy of having to wear dodgy-looking shoes that have been worn by about 5000 sweaty gentlemen since the last time they were cleaned.
You'll never have to put yourself through this hell again……
Helen was much more into the bowling, and obviously the slower pace compared with Tennis allows you to get used to the control system without having to lose any chance of winning in the process. The first time you get a strike you will giggle like Gary Glitter at a PGL camp. After this I asked Helen if she wanted to test out Boxing for me. I think it's fair to say that Boxing brought out not only Helen's competitive side, but also a hitherto dormant propensity for extreme violence and intimidation. As soon as she'd finished the brief tutorial, she was flailing her arms like a woman possessed and screaming obscenities at her unfortunate CPU opponent, "Steve". After a vicious series of blows to the head, she floored him and began taunting the computer while still flailing her arms - "you'd better stay down Steve, if you know what's good for you, ya bastard". I can tell you that playing it is loads of fun, but possibly not quite as funny as watching someone else play it. You'd better forget the concept of dignity if you'd like to do well at Wii Boxing, that's all I'm saying… And people have pointed out that you wake up with sore arms the next day. To be honest, I'd rather gets sore arms like that than having to do 100 press-ups.
Wii Tennis: finally, a new way to strengthen your arm!
By now it was mid-afternoon, and friends started to file into my house for a look and a try, so there was much playing of Wii Sports after this – bowling seems to have been the most popular sports game, but 4-player tennis, if you have the space for everyone to stand up, is a huge amount of fun. To be honest, I enjoy all of the Wii Sports games, even Golf and Baseball, which seem to have generated the most uncertainty from players so far. As the evening got under way, my friend (who had bought a Wii that morning, and had been playing it all day too) arrived, bringing Red Steel with him. I thought it was time to try the Shop channel again, and sure enough, this time it updated properly, and I could finally browse the shop. It's very easy to navigate, if slightly slow for those of us spoilt on high-speed broadband, and with a somewhat bland design, but generally I like the Shop interface a lot. Entering Wii Points is easy – but even more worryingly, you can enter your credit card details in a matter of seconds too, so you can buy Wii Points without even owning a Points card – this could be the beginning of the end for my finances.
Anyone who can't hold onto that controller doesn't deserve to own a Wii in the first place - bunch of fuckwits.
Anywho - here's my Wii experience:
-------------------------------------------
Part 1
I collected the console at 7am on the morning of the 8th. My local GAME wasn't exactly heaving with people, but there were around 20 or so tired-looking folks like me, queuing up to receive their pre-packed pre-order bags. My full launch-day purchase list was:
Wii Console (with free Wii Sports)
Zelda: TP
Call of Duty 3
Wii Play (with free Wiimote)
Extra Nunchuk
Wii Points card (2000 points)
…I usually try to pool games with my mates, so I also have access to a copy of Red Steel and the Marvel Superheroes game.
The first thing I should mention is the joyful experience of turning the Wii on for the first time and holding that controller in your hand. After getting past a disclaimer page, you're greeted by the Wii menu page – and the first thing I noticed is the incredible responsiveness of the Wiimote. I know, I know, people have been raving about this since E3, but nothing can compare to actually using it yourself. You quickly have to break the habit of vaguely pointing the remote in the direction of the TV as you would a TV remote, as you realise that if you move it too much, you'll lose sight of the on-screen pointer – but it's surprisingly easy to break that habit. In fact, that comment could sum up the controller in general: you will see decades-old habits just disappearing in a couple of minutes with this thing, and an hour or two later you'll be wondering how you ever played games WITHOUT a motion-sensing controller.
I had an unexpected but very welcome surprise when I realised that when you pass the pointer over a "clickable" option, it vibrates ever-so-slightly, it's kind of equivalent to how on some websites, if you pass the mouse pointer over a link, the text of link becomes enlarged or bold – it's a beautiful little touch, one of many unexpected joys to be had from using this machine. I was determined to get all the firmware updates before I started playing the console for real, but it appeared that there were server problems, so I abandoned my hopes of getting the updates for a moment.
I opened up the Mii channel and created myself an avatar – this is another beautiful touch about the console that looks ok on paper, but is actually much more amusing and engaging when you do it for real. The avatar creation tool is simplicity itself – and once you're familiar with the navigation, you can knock up a decent likeness of yourself in about 3 minutes – perfect for those random visitors who turn up on your doorstep from time to time, and after a while when you've made avatars for most of your friends, you will have a lot of fun creating your Mr Ts, Ali Gs, Osama bin Ladens etc – the only real limit is your imagination, although I'll admit that even though the Mii Creator is extensive, it could benefit from a few extra options (maybe a better selection of hats for starters, and a bigger colour palette would be nice).
Choosing my first game, I opted to put Wii Play in the machine, since it is basically designed to help you get used to the controller. It's a series of minigames, starting with just one, but unlocking a total of about 10 more as you play each one. The first minigame is an update of the NES classic Duck Hunt – I felt a massive gormless grin breaking out onto my face within about 5 seconds of playing this – light gun games, when done well, can be a lot of fun – provided you have a decent light gun. The Wiimote is, amongst other things, the best light gun EVER!!! So once you've done some pointing and clicking, the other games give you a hint of the controller's other awesome capabilities: click n drag, tilting, adjusting the distance to the TV, holding the remote sideways, using the nunchuk – if you buy Wii Play, you should certainly make it the first title you play, because it's a great tutorial and frankly, you probably won't play it much again.
At some point near lunchtime, my girlfriend (who had also taken the day off work) emerged from her slumber and poked her head round the door. For the purposes of this article, I'll call her "Helen". So it was time to break out Wii Sports and that other controller. She seemed a little frightened of the controller at first, so I made her an avatar while she dictated its "look", then we hit the tennis court. I immediately warmed to the Tennis control system – it seemed logical to me that you don't control the characters' running, and that you can only play doubles, but these seem to be the biggest gripes people have about the tennis game, which in my opinion is perhaps asking too much. I'm sure we'll see a "proper" Virtua Tennis style Wii tennis game one day, but on launch day? They want people to get used to the wiimote first. Not just dyed-in-the-wool gamers like us, but grannies and the like who haven't touched a console in years, perhaps never. I can wait a while for those people to catch up, because when they do, there will be even more developer interest in this machine than there is currently – and that will ultimately mean better games for all of us.
The missus didn't quite share my enthusiasm for Tennis, and I could see her beginning to get a bit bored, so – determined to convert her – I quickly suggested we tried another game. Bowling seemed like the obvious choice, because my ability to move vigorously was severely hampered by my aching guts (I was ill that day), and bowling seemed like the kind of sedate pace I needed. It didn't disappoint! I found Bowling to be one of the best minigames for gaining an understanding of the subtleties of the remote – the intricacies of spin, power and release combine to make every throw unique just like real bowling – but without the ignominy of having to wear dodgy-looking shoes that have been worn by about 5000 sweaty gentlemen since the last time they were cleaned.
You'll never have to put yourself through this hell again……
Helen was much more into the bowling, and obviously the slower pace compared with Tennis allows you to get used to the control system without having to lose any chance of winning in the process. The first time you get a strike you will giggle like Gary Glitter at a PGL camp. After this I asked Helen if she wanted to test out Boxing for me. I think it's fair to say that Boxing brought out not only Helen's competitive side, but also a hitherto dormant propensity for extreme violence and intimidation. As soon as she'd finished the brief tutorial, she was flailing her arms like a woman possessed and screaming obscenities at her unfortunate CPU opponent, "Steve". After a vicious series of blows to the head, she floored him and began taunting the computer while still flailing her arms - "you'd better stay down Steve, if you know what's good for you, ya bastard". I can tell you that playing it is loads of fun, but possibly not quite as funny as watching someone else play it. You'd better forget the concept of dignity if you'd like to do well at Wii Boxing, that's all I'm saying… And people have pointed out that you wake up with sore arms the next day. To be honest, I'd rather gets sore arms like that than having to do 100 press-ups.
Wii Tennis: finally, a new way to strengthen your arm!
By now it was mid-afternoon, and friends started to file into my house for a look and a try, so there was much playing of Wii Sports after this – bowling seems to have been the most popular sports game, but 4-player tennis, if you have the space for everyone to stand up, is a huge amount of fun. To be honest, I enjoy all of the Wii Sports games, even Golf and Baseball, which seem to have generated the most uncertainty from players so far. As the evening got under way, my friend (who had bought a Wii that morning, and had been playing it all day too) arrived, bringing Red Steel with him. I thought it was time to try the Shop channel again, and sure enough, this time it updated properly, and I could finally browse the shop. It's very easy to navigate, if slightly slow for those of us spoilt on high-speed broadband, and with a somewhat bland design, but generally I like the Shop interface a lot. Entering Wii Points is easy – but even more worryingly, you can enter your credit card details in a matter of seconds too, so you can buy Wii Points without even owning a Points card – this could be the beginning of the end for my finances.
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