Review:NintendoWii
FWCentral's review of the Nintendo Wii!
Ah, the Nintendo Wii. Where to start? Maybe with graphics? Or games? Gameplay? Sound? Overall, this system is amazing except in graphics, but don't let that fool you - this is not a console to be missed!
Then there's the system setup. This is fairly easy as well. When you first start it will tell you to hit A on the remote. You do so and a cursor will appear on screen. This is moved like you're using a laser pointer. You point the Wii controller at the screen to select stuff and whatnot. After that, it will ask basic stuff like screen resolution, sensor bar position (above or below the screen), a nickname for your console. It all goes fairly smoothly and the only step in which you will need to know anything technical is if you're hooking it up to the internet. However, that is pretty easy too. After that, it's all ready to go. The system needs no calibration, which worries me if something does mess up, but so far there have been no problems.
Fortunately this is extremely easy, made moreso due to the controller. The Wii interface takes the form of a channel system. This is the first thing (aside from the health warning) you will see when you boot the system. There are approximately 42 channels that you can use. The first is always the disc channel. This is simply used to start up Wii and Gamecube games. Then there's the Mii channel, an avatar creation system for the Wii. The Photo channel comes third, which is used for displaying images from SD cards and the message board (more on this in a sec). The next three channels won't be active unless you have an Internet connection. The first is the Shopping channel, which is used for buying Virtual console games and new channels and software. You will need Shopping points, which are about 100 points for 1 USD, to purchase stuff in here. It is running right now. The next two, however, are not up just yet. The Forecast channel, a weather checking system that gives you a 3D globe you can spin, will not be up until late December. The News channel will not be up untill January. Overall, the channel system works very well.
There is also the Message board, which is used as a post-it note sort of messaging system. You can write messages for other users of the Wii to see, and also send messages over the internet by exchanging friend codes. Aside from this, you will also receive messages from games. For example, Wii Sports will post statistics about matches if you played that day. A future Animal Crossing game might post the local news. The possibilities are endless.
There are also some other features of this. It will always have a message that lists what you've played today for how long. Messages can contain Miis and photos (1MB maximum size). Overall, the interface seems to work very well and there are no major problems. Everything is smooth, no glitches.
The controlls work great. Firstly, pointer functionality, which you'll be using for menus and first-person-shooters mostly. I would have liked a calibration option for this, but it still works great with no setup whatsoever. You point at the screen, and it works! It's very responsive and, after a few awkward minutes, you'll be blazing through menus and typing out messages faster than the other consoles could possibly achieve. Second, is general movements of the controller. There's The Legend of Zelda, which uses this perfectly. It's very responsive, so you won't have to tire your arms out. You could do a full arching sword motion to swing Link's sword, or a small flick of the wrist which will do just as well. Games like Rayman and Super Monkey Ball both have minigame sections, which will show you just how many ways it could be used. And for the most part, it works perfectly.
Well, what about if you throw it? If you get so into the game of Tennis that you forget it's just a game and the controller goes flying out of your hand? This has happened a few times, and in the end the Wii controller usually remains un-damaged. I haven't experienced this, and when I show it to non-gamers it still hasn't happened, so just remind them to be careful, as it is just a controller. Also, one important tip that is made known everytime you start a game, is strap on people! The strap isn't the thickest, however it does help. And don't just slip it on, cinch it down too. Really, if you take a moment to do this it will work out so much better in the end.
Graphics
I thought I'd start here and get this out of the way. If you are looking for an amazing power-house that will output a bazillion polygons, you'll be dissapointed. Nintendo has chosen not to go the route of graphics like Sony and Microsoft did. They are trying to introduce a new kind of gameplay, and have succeeded, but the graphics aren't comparable to the PS3 or XBOX360. The graphics are approximately twice as powerful as the gamecube, and can run in 480p and widescreen formats. However, beyond that they aren't really impressive. Though some titles, like Zelda, look astounding.Setup
Now that that's out of the way, it's time to get on to the good points. Which is practically everything else! The setup is simple. There are five ports on the back of the console, two of which are USB ports for accessories. There's a port for the power, another for the sensor bar (more on that in a moment), and one for the TV outputs. You simply plug it in, put the sensor bar on the top of your television (there's adhesive strips on the bottom), hook it up to the TV and you're ready to go!Then there's the system setup. This is fairly easy as well. When you first start it will tell you to hit A on the remote. You do so and a cursor will appear on screen. This is moved like you're using a laser pointer. You point the Wii controller at the screen to select stuff and whatnot. After that, it will ask basic stuff like screen resolution, sensor bar position (above or below the screen), a nickname for your console. It all goes fairly smoothly and the only step in which you will need to know anything technical is if you're hooking it up to the internet. However, that is pretty easy too. After that, it's all ready to go. The system needs no calibration, which worries me if something does mess up, but so far there have been no problems.
Interface
Since the system's up and running, now you just need to know how to operate it!Fortunately this is extremely easy, made moreso due to the controller. The Wii interface takes the form of a channel system. This is the first thing (aside from the health warning) you will see when you boot the system. There are approximately 42 channels that you can use. The first is always the disc channel. This is simply used to start up Wii and Gamecube games. Then there's the Mii channel, an avatar creation system for the Wii. The Photo channel comes third, which is used for displaying images from SD cards and the message board (more on this in a sec). The next three channels won't be active unless you have an Internet connection. The first is the Shopping channel, which is used for buying Virtual console games and new channels and software. You will need Shopping points, which are about 100 points for 1 USD, to purchase stuff in here. It is running right now. The next two, however, are not up just yet. The Forecast channel, a weather checking system that gives you a 3D globe you can spin, will not be up until late December. The News channel will not be up untill January. Overall, the channel system works very well.
There is also the Message board, which is used as a post-it note sort of messaging system. You can write messages for other users of the Wii to see, and also send messages over the internet by exchanging friend codes. Aside from this, you will also receive messages from games. For example, Wii Sports will post statistics about matches if you played that day. A future Animal Crossing game might post the local news. The possibilities are endless.
There are also some other features of this. It will always have a message that lists what you've played today for how long. Messages can contain Miis and photos (1MB maximum size). Overall, the interface seems to work very well and there are no major problems. Everything is smooth, no glitches.
Games
No point in buying a gaming console if there aren't any good games for it. Fortunately, the Wii has plenty of great games that are going to be out within a few weeks of launch. There's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (available Nov. 19), Rayman Raving Rabbids (Nov. 19), Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Nov. 19), Elebits (early December), Red Steel (Nov. 19), Excite Truck(Nov. 19), and many more coming out before mid-December. Overall, it's a strong launch, with Zelda being the driving force. The games play great, and overall display the Wii controller functionality very well. Which brings us to...Controlls
Yes, what everyone's been worried about: the controlls. Will it work good? Will your arms get tired? Won't you throw the controllers and break them? It goes on and on. Even I was sceptic about the controlls when I was buying the Wii. However, after setting it up there's no worry in the world.The controlls work great. Firstly, pointer functionality, which you'll be using for menus and first-person-shooters mostly. I would have liked a calibration option for this, but it still works great with no setup whatsoever. You point at the screen, and it works! It's very responsive and, after a few awkward minutes, you'll be blazing through menus and typing out messages faster than the other consoles could possibly achieve. Second, is general movements of the controller. There's The Legend of Zelda, which uses this perfectly. It's very responsive, so you won't have to tire your arms out. You could do a full arching sword motion to swing Link's sword, or a small flick of the wrist which will do just as well. Games like Rayman and Super Monkey Ball both have minigame sections, which will show you just how many ways it could be used. And for the most part, it works perfectly.
Well, what about if you throw it? If you get so into the game of Tennis that you forget it's just a game and the controller goes flying out of your hand? This has happened a few times, and in the end the Wii controller usually remains un-damaged. I haven't experienced this, and when I show it to non-gamers it still hasn't happened, so just remind them to be careful, as it is just a controller. Also, one important tip that is made known everytime you start a game, is strap on people! The strap isn't the thickest, however it does help. And don't just slip it on, cinch it down too. Really, if you take a moment to do this it will work out so much better in the end.