Will the Wii stand the test of time, or are we destined to get bored of its quirky charms? Ben Tyrer investigates.
By Tribune Tech Guru Ben Tyrer
NINTENDO. Three years ago the word meant nothing to anyone who doesnt play games, but with the Wii, the company have seemingly become a household name, and definitely a household product.
The beauty of the games mean that anyone can drop in and play, changing the industry, which has been under fire recently, and making games cool again for anyone aged eight to 80.
Or so you would think if you spoke to the average person, but behind the initial 30 or 40 minutes of waving your arms around maniacally, does the Wii revolutionise the way we play games or simply change button mashing to arm waving?
In its defence, some of the most inventive games came out on the console last year, but chances are they were overlooked.
Hands up who owns Super Mario Galaxy, which was single player only (gasp) or how about more mature games like Resident Evil 4?
Both games sold well and won plaudits everywhere for their ingenious use of the controls and providing an impressive game experience that few consoles have ever offered.
Yet a quick look at the charts shows that the average Mario and Sonic at the Olympics is still dominating in the charts and Wii Play is out of stock everywhere, despite being 12 mini games lasting little longer than 10 minutes each.
In fact, looking at the charts, my heart falters a little. Is this really the revolution we were promised?
I suppose this is my main gripe, the DS and Wii can churn out amazing games but there are four or five in a year, among a sea of brain training games and other mini game compilations.
Nintendo has delivered on the hardware front, the console is a technical marvel, but the games themselves are yet to trickle through, with very few being totally original and providing an experience that has never been experienced before.
And thats before mentioning other consoles.
The Wii may first appear to be pushing forward with new ideas, but if anything, the gameplay is actually regressing, which is something the other consoles are avoiding.
The PlayStation 3 or XBox 360 are pushing forward in terms of graphics and sound, and this in some cases has aided games, especially in the recent Burnout game or Call of Duty 4.
The Wii cannot offer anything like this, and though some games look beautiful, a quick whip through on Call of Duty 4 soon makes you forget about them. This isnt to say that the Wii is all bad though.
Its a rarity to see a console accepted by all in a family and most of the games on the Wii cant be made on other consoles as you would lose a lot of the fun in them.
Games like Mario and Sonic are beloved of many, because you can play them with many. Few things are as enjoyable as trouncing a family member at the shot-put, or in a game of baseball.
But again the other consoles still offer modes like this. Where Nintendo are still blissfully ignorant is online play, something which Sony and Microsoft are reaping the rewards of at the minute.
Although in some games there are belated offerings, the PS3 and 360 are certainly offer more engaging and entertaining play online.
But, from the view of a parent, its not hard to see why the Wii is universally loved. You don't take the risk of your child getting hold of more violent games (although Manhunt 2 and Resident Evil 4 are on the console) and can easily control online play (as no-one really knows how to use it). The price, at s189.99, didnt hurt either.
My final point is multimedia. The intention is valid, its a console only, so a small hard drive and no chance to play DVDs or CDs is forced on it, allowing the price to be kept down and the experience be as focused as possible.
Good idea yes, but in execution, it feels a bit limp, it wouldnt be hard to bump in a DVD playback option, and compared to the mammoth amount that the PS3 and 360 can do, it makes the Wii fell like a bit of a relic already.
So the Wii, eh? Is it this amazing console or the picture of woe where gaming is being dumbed down so parents and kids can play together?
The truth is an uneasy compromise between the two.
While I hope to never, ever see a copy of Carnival Fun Games (seriously, how does this game sell?) or the number of Wii Play clones sell, they continue to do so.
Games like Super Mario Galaxy and the upcoming Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Brawl offer hope for that fabled, next generation experience.
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