Bit-tech.net hands on review of Wii

[Cookyman]

Nintendo hands-on (p)Wiiview

Author: Ryan Garside

Published: 26th October 2006

Introduction

The Nintendo Wii is arguably the most anticipated gaming console… well, ever. This is a rather odd fact considering that the Wii has so drastically bucked the trend of games console development. Instead of the traditional addition of more brute power to the gaming system, Nintendo have gone for a far more subtle approach, hoping to entice us in with promises of an enhanced gameplay experience that will be delivered through the magical power of the Wii remote.

 

So, the best/only way for anyone to really tell you what the Wii will be like is someone who has spent some time with the console. Fortunately, Nintendo gave me the opportunity earlier this week, to get to grips with the Wii in all its glory; the remote, the nunchuck and some of their launch titles. Read on to find out why exactly I think the Wii will still end up in third place once the dust has settled on the next-generation battle.

 

 

What's it like to play the Wii

We arrived in a bleach white room, complete with whites couches, white floors and of course the white Wii. The Nintendo rep handed me and a fellow journalist hack a Wii remote and invited us to the screen whispering "Play, play, play." It felt very much likesome kind of religious ritual as he positioned us in front of the widescreen television. The tennis game of Wii sports shone out at us like a shrine to which we should worship, the Nintendo rep eagerly watching us with wide eyes - and then the game began.

 

There is no doubting the Wii is intuitive. You raise your arm like you were throwing a ball, imagining a little furry, yellow sphere floating into the air before bringing your hand down to smash it over the net. As if some kind of instinct has taken over, my left handed (the game had to be stopped to set this up) journalist opponent instantly swung his arm round to bat back my serve. I panicked; fortunately my little Mii character did not, charging across the screen positioning himself for a return. Worried I might embarrass the little fella by missing I swung my arm again, hitting a back-hand that Andy Murray would be proud of deep into my opponent's court. He stretched, let out a little yelp of exasperation, before the ball rushed past him leaving me fifteen-love up.

 

 

Do we look silly?

No instructions, no tutorial, just jump in and play. It was simple and effective and everyone, including the Nintendo-rep watching us, was chuckling at our efforts. Then we switched and started boxing – a similarly instinctive, though far more tiring game. In this, you had to punch backwards and forwards with both nunchuck and remote, swinging your hands right and left to dodge, moving up and down to duck. Despite each round lasting only a minute the whole process was hugely active, the Nintendo Wii will put paid to Jamie Oliver's plans to go on a crusade about 'Fat kids play games'. The Wii generation will be super fit, super toned athlectic Gods amongst men. Well, maybe not - but at least they won't be fat like this generation.

 

Within these two games I really began to appreciate the nature of the Wii's appeal. Nintendo want games to become a natural experience, make us jump, make us move and make us have fun. There's something fundamentally amusing about seeing a man of 32 swinging his arms backwards and forwards, hysterically laughing as he makes a cartoon character throw punches - it's the beginning of slapstick gaming. With the Wii, Nintendo want to tap into our physicality, make it fun and make the gaming experience enjoyable for everyone.

 

The Problem

Herein lies part of the problem I have with the Wii. Is it all going to end up as just a novelty? Before you lambaste me with fanboy induced rage hear me out. The pictures on the previous page were carefully selected. At the top you saw the Nintendo produced images, pictures of models enjoying themselves, frolicking around or looking like they are intensely embroiled in a game. Below are pictures of 'real' people, looking overweight, disjointed and ungainly – we're still having fun, albeit of the ugly and humiliating kind.

 

So what does this really mean? I see it as most comparable to playing charades at Christmas. We've all been in the situation, it's the holiday season and the family is round. Everybody has had a few drinks and someone suggest playing charades. The game quickly degenerates into ridiculousness, everybody having a great time, until finally your Uncle Fred is tasked with miming the 'Full Monty' and ends up collapsed and naked, sprawled like Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man in the middle of the living room floor. The point I am trying to make is we're all happy to embarrass ourselves on special occasions, doing silly things and getting naked - but can Nintendo really convince us to do it on a day to day basis (not the naked part)? I have my concerns.

 

Those of you who remain one step ahead of me may suggest that the Wii need not be played standing up. To you I make two points; first, some would suggest that would take away from the fundamental essence of what the Wii is meant to provide. That you're meant to be active, you're meant to be doing silly movements as this is what makes the Wii what it is. I think that argument certainly has a lot of weight; however, it is my second point that should raise more concerns for those anticipating the Wii:

 

Spending some extra time with the Wii controller I began to get a feeling for how it all actually works. Sitting down to the fishing mini-game in Zelda: Twilight Princess (see over for more detail on all the games) I started out by swinging my arm in the air to try and cast my rod over the furthest distance. It seemed to me to be the most natural way to use the remote, swing it high and fast and I'd do a long cast, yet my lure didn't seem to be going very far. Bemused I flicked my wrist almost accidentally and, oh my word, the lure flew through the air almost out of the lake.

 

What I had discovered is that as much as we all want the Wii remote to actually work as if it was a magic wand, the actuality is that it has been designed to mimic a joypad, with a few neat tricks thrown in. When I was swordfighting in Zelda for instance, I wanted to be able to hack and slash in a way that felt natural. The actuality is that it is easier to sit down, and instead of hacking and slashing, flicking your wrist in one way or another. The wrist flicks correspond to what button presses would have done in years gone by and so ultimately you end up with a game that is not drastically different to what you're used to (except you do wrist flicks instead of button bashing).

 

This isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world but it did take away some of the sparkle of the Wii. I wanted something different, something complete unique that really deserved the name revolution. Instead what I found was immensely fun to play though in actuality felt a bit like a mouse, light gun and joypad rolled into one wireless package. This package works brilliantly well with fun games, like WarioWare but had me reverting to joypad techniques and tactics when playing more serious games like Zelda.

 

Wii Games

Below you will find our thoughts after getting hands-on with some of the upcoming Wii titles.

 

Wii Sports

Release Date: Launch

 

Impressions: Wii sports is a vitally important game for Nintendo. It comes as part of the Wii package so will be sitting there when you first unpack your Wii. It consists of a few simple sports game such as bowling, tennis, golf and baseball. Controls are very limited and generally involve you moving as you would in real life to create movement on the screen.

 

The problem Wii sports could have is that without the multiplayer element this game is fairly shallow. Its great fun when playing with a friend though, both of you dancing around the screen as if on drugs, laughing and giggling like children. The game provides a huge incentive for new Wii owners to rush straight back to the shop and buy another controller, which I will come back to in my conclusion.

 

Excite Truck

Release Date: Unspecified in Europe – 19/11/06 US

 

Impressions: Excite Truck was brilliant fun even though I was absolutely awful at it. The idea is simple, hold the Wii remote as if it was a steering wheel, use one button to accelerate, one button to brake and tilt the control to steer. It sounds easy but is actually pretty tricky to get the hang of at first.

 

Of all the games I saw this was definitely the most next-gen like, fast paced racing round dirt tracks, smashing into trees and making huge jumps over chasms all going on at once. It was also the most pleasing on the eye – certainly not comparable to a 360 or PS3 title but still pretty nice. Certainly one to watch for all you racing fans out there.

 

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Release Date: 08/12/06

 

Impressions: We got our hands on one of Nintendo's biggest hitting franchises, Zelda, which is due to be released for both Gamecube and the Wii in the next couple of months. I have to say my first impressions weren't great; the game looked pretty dire when compared to other next-gen titles, suffering badly from a lack of anti-aliasing. Despite voicing my concerns to the Nintendo-rep he replied by telling me Nintendo "weren't worried about the graphics – it's all about the gameplay".

 

Soldiering on I played through a few levels, and found myself enjoying what was essentially Zelda Windwaker with a less cartoony and more serious graphical appearance. All Link's old tools were present: the sword, the shield, the grappling hook, and of course the ability to use the Wii remote. The implementation of this is fairly simple, press a button when the arrow is drawn and you'll receive an aiming reticule you can control using the remote. The sword is also easily controlled, through slashing and jabbing motions which can be strung into combos.

 

I think Twilight Princess will be the must-buy title for Wii gamers this coming Christmas. Despite the dodgy graphics, the strong following the Zelda franchise already has, plus the fact that legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto is still at the helm will provide a big incentive for people to buy this game. Zelda: The Twilight Princess is definitely one to look out for.

 

Elebits

Release Date: 22/12/06

 

Impressions: Elebits is a bit of a mental game. Essentially it is a light gun/first person shooter in which you're tasked with shooting electricity at little fluffy creatures called Elebits. These little monsters are hiding in a house (in the level we played they were hiding in a kitchen) and you have to walk around zapping objects like a frying pan or cupboard drawer to uncover them.

 

By shooting them you receive electrical power which you can then use to turn different utensils in the room on such as the fridge or oven. This generally gave access to more Elebits and the whole random, bizarre, electrifying-small-balls-of-fur-to-get-more-electricity process continued. I feel Elebits sums up Nintendo's general strategy, a game that will serve as idle amusement, which can be picked up and played by anybody. How the gaming public will react to that remains to be seen.

 

Trauma Centre

Release Date: 22/12/06

 

Impressions: Trauma Centre is a doctor sim that's great fun. Based on a DS Lite game, the idea behind it is simple: you're a doctor who is tasked with saving lives. By using the Wii remote you perform surgical operations; such as stitching people up, applying ointment and removing foreign objects such as glass. Between saving peoples lives you'll encounter a story worthy of Casualty, involving love triangles between doctors and nurses presented to you in a typically Japanese anime style. As of yet no word on whether there will be a gynaecology expansion.

 

WarioWare: Smooth Moves

Release Date: 15/12/06

 

Impressions: One of the best games for the DS Lite makes an appearance on the Nintendo Wii and to be brutally frank, it's more of the brilliant same. A series of mini-games that will be ideal for children and definitely have some appeal to adults too. There is very little I can say about this game, you are tasked with doing things like blowing up balloons or high-fiving your pet dog and all this is done through the Wii remote. Addictive and fun, it's a game I'm looking forward to playing come Christmas.

 

Conclusion

Don't get me wrong, this preview wasn't intended to slate the Wii and everything it stands for. The Wii is fun to play and has some interesting titles lined up for release. What I do want to do is provide a little realism. Too many journalists are giving out the impression that the Wii will provide an unbelievable, unique experience unlike anything you will have ever played before. That the Wii remote allows for completely dynamic gameplay that will revolutionise the gaming world. These facts are half-truths, based most probably on people spending a small amount of time with the console at a booth at one of the big conventions. When you get down to the nitty gritty of the Wii you find something a bit different from the 360 and PS3, but not drastically as you may have thought/hoped.

 

We will soon see whether my rather less positive preview of the Nintendo Wii is correct. The console is due for release on November 19th in the US and will land in Europe on December 8th. Currently the Wii is priced at £179.99, coming with a nunchuck, Wii Sports and the Wii remote. If, however, you're looking forward to playing some multiplayer Wii Sports then get ready to shell out around £210, as you'll need to buy an extra remote which will cost you £30.

 

The fact that this second remote is essential for the Wii experience raises an interesting question. Peter Moore claimed, not so many months ago, that the consumer would be able to buy the Wii and 360 for less money than a Playstation 3 – spawning the name 'Wii60'. In actuality the PS3 will cost around £430 but the combination of a 360 premium and a Wii with two remotes will actually be close to the £530 mark. Remember, that's without a HD DVD drive and with only a 20GB hard drive instead of the 60 GB one found in the PS3. It leads us to one final question (and our only 'wii' gag – aren't we mature?) about Nintendo's upcoming gaming console: Are Nintendo and Microsoft wiieally going to Wii all over Sony? The answer, surprisingly, is maybe not.

[The Bard]

Haha, Zelda has "dodgy graphics" this guy clearly doesn't know the gaming masses as well as he thinks he does.

[thomaschung]

if it was played on a massive widescreen tv then maybe it didn't look quite so good. but then i reckon it will look just fine on my 28 inch as it's better than anything else on Cube.

[DCK]

Anti-aliasing is a classic GameCube problem really, so I'm not surprised TP is troubled by it, especially considering the TV was likely to be huge.

 

It's a good thing he's complained about the graphics instead of the gameplay though.

[LazyBoy]

He admits its a lot of fun. Thats all I want to hear.

[AshMat]

A lot of people thought the DS would just be a novelty. What does that tell you?

[Zechs Merquise]

Interesting article, it actually pleased me a little to know that games like Zelda could be enjoyed in a more conventional way without having to hop around my sitting room swinging wildly - games like Zelda wouldn't suit this, where as games like Wii sports may well do.

[Gaijin von Snikbah]

Well, he didnt play games like Metroid, Red Steel, Rayman, or Monkey Balls. Maybe his preview would have been more positive if he had done that.

[solitanze]

Can someone enlighten me of what Anti-aliasing is?

[Cube]

Can someone enlighten me of what Anti-aliasing is?

 

No Anti-aliasing:

Anti-aliasing:

[solitanze]

No Anti-aliasing:

Anti-aliasing:

 

Thanks, so anti-aliasing just makes the game crisper and smoother, more appealing to the eye, are there any benefits gameplay wise to be had with it?

 

 

 

:horse: @ NINTENDO, FOR NOT MAKING THE GAME BETTER!

[Phube]

No Anti-aliasing:

Anti-aliasing:

 

But not many games comprise of black and white tiles disappearing into infinity... Can anyone post pictures of in game AA vs. no AA!!??

[raven_blade2006]

I think he had a very opinionated review there. There were some good bits, some bad bits but Overall I think he enjoyed what he played.

[ViPeR]

But not many games comprise of black and white tiles disappearing into infinity...

 

Hahahah that made me chuckle. Well i'm not bothered about the graphics of Zelda as it's not a next-gen title. They admitted ages ago it'd receive no graphical improvement through the Wii hardware. At least this review is a lot more honest than others i've read. It does make me question the price they're asking for the console and especially the controller. I want a second one but i'm not sure if I want to shell out the same price of a game for another. To be honest though, I need Smash Bros. Brawl so missing this console simply isn't an option.

[That Guy]

Hopefully the fickle people don't start thinking they don't want one based on this. Was an interesting article and I'm not going to slate it with fanboyism.

 

These are some of the concerns I have about the console, although I will buy one and make my own mind up, I'm sure it'll be great, but I am glad I have a 360 incase it isn't as great as we hope.

[Hellfire]

Clearly he doesn't know TP is a GC game at heart. Idiot.

[triforce_keeper]

He says something about the Wii mote can be used with a flick of the wrist instead of full swings and stuff. So? If you wanted more fun you would just do those swings and stuff.

 

And yes. Nintendo and M$ will piss all over Sony.

[darksnowman]

He says something about the Wii mote can be used with a flick of the wrist instead of full swings and stuff. So? If you wanted more fun you would just do those swings and stuff.

 

And yes. Nintendo and M$ will piss all over Sony.

 

Whoa chill... but yes Nintendo will have a good deal more success this gen than last

 

As for what he said about the controller being usable more subtly - Im positive I read that Miyamoto-san said that very thing in an article a while ago. Does anyone remember it? He was talking about Wii Sports: Tennis in particular and that at over the course of time, as you get used to it, you'll be able to control it with little movements rather than big extravagant swipes, if you so choose.

[blender]

This is an excellent article.

 

Gamecube zelda fTW.

[The3rdChildren]

Nice to read some un-biased opinions.

[Hellfire]

This is an excellent article.

 

Gamecube zelda fTW.

 

Work with me here. He says the wii controls are great, all he complains about are graphics, which are worse in GC. How is the GC version "ftw"?

God, it's like working with monkeys.

[Jasper]

Anti-aliasing is the fading of objects over enviromental colors. A good example: look at drop shadows of windows in operating systems. They fade into your background. Without anti-aliasing, he wouldn't make your background darker towards the win dow, he would make one line of black (check for old operation system to see that, wikipedia has good qstuff on old windows')

 

Good article, though - but I don't think that anyone is able to say what will happen. And switching from buttons to flicks is a step in the good direction.

[blender]

God, it's like working with monkeys.

 

If you can't beat them join them : peace: The future is Nintendork's et al

[The fish]

Thanks, so anti-aliasing just makes the game crisper and smoother, more appealing to the eye, are there any benefits gameplay wise to be had with it?

 

It kills the fps...

 

Nice to read some un-biased opinions.

 

Hard to tell if you are being sarcastic or not...

[Maverick]

But not many games comprise of black and white tiles disappearing into infinity... Can anyone post pictures of in game AA vs. no AA!!??

 

 

VS

 

 

FIGHT!