Earlier this week, I camped out at Walmart to get a Nintendo Wii at launch because I'd missed the pre-order. (…I was on a plane at the time!) 😅
… It's pretty cool! Here's some additional information, and a few mini-reviews of the games I've played so far. 🎮
Getting setup
The system was really easy to configure, and it supports even the latest security modes (WPA/WPA2, etc.) when connecting to home Wi-Fi. There's no Ethernet option out of the box, though.
Getting used to the “Wiimote” controller at first was a bit funky. — It was challenging to find a good place to sit in order for the sensors to align and play the games accurately based on what was displayed on-screen! It kind of reminded me of playing Duck Hunt a little bit, but with slightly different hardware frustrations. 😄
Video modes, GameCube hardware similarities
One of the things I was surprised to learn was that the system only supports progressive scan, and not high-definition video output? 😰
I previously wrote about how to enable progressive scan on the GameCube (Nintendo's prior console), but I'm surprised that this newer hardware doesn't pack at least 720p HD resolution.
So, that kind of sucks. — Unlike the PlayStation 2, the GameCube did at least offer a significant graphics boost when outputting in 480p versus the standard “Composite” video mode. But, I'm actually now rather suspicious of the hardware similarities of the GameCube and Wii. Did they change much? 🤔
Games
The game that I've been playing the most so far is “Red Steel,” but here's the full list:
- Red Steel— A Yakuza-themed (Japanese mafia) first-person shooter adventure. The game itself is cool, but I'd say only in small to medium doses. It can get a bit boring if played at length, but it does make full-use of the Wiimote and “nunchuck” controller accessory combination, which is cool. Learning to play the game was pretty frustrating at first, but worth it in the end.
- Wii Sports— This one comes free with the console, and is super easy to understand. Even my parents enjoyed playing it! Includes tennis, baseball, golf, bowling, and boxing mini-games. (And, the “nunchuck” controller accessory is only needed for boxing.) — My favorite mode is tennis! 🎾
- Excite Truck— This is basically a straight-up party game, as there's no real point in playing it solo. I'd skip buying this one, personally. You use the Wiimote (without the “nunchuck”) flipped sideways like a steering wheel to drift and race offroad vehicles. It's really easy to learn, but mostly a competitive title for small doses only.
… I also have The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess tucked away for Christmas (since I have to finish Wind Waker first, anyway 😅), so I'll have to post about that later.
My guess is that this latest Zelda title is probably the strongest launch title of them all, so if you're not waiting to play it and only had to choose one game, I'd definitely go for that one and otherwise stick with just the bundled Wii Sports title for multiplayer. 👍🏻