Wii Q&A Thread

[schild]

Same thing.

Picked up Zelda and Trauma Center. Bought SimCity (SNES) and Soloman's Key (NES) on the VC. Obviously, Wii Sports came with it. Could not get a classic controller. Totally burned by the option of turning on Widescreen or leaving it at 4:3, but not able to buy component cables.

I had the option of naming Link and his horse in Zelda, I named them Wander and Aggro (bonus points if you get it - and if you've seen the new Zelda, you'll understand why).

I have beaten the first 4 operations in Trauma Center. Wiimake indeed, but looks to be really good assuming I get decent with the Wiimote.

The Nunchuk (what they call it, why leave out a letter?) attachments feels like a $5 toy you would pick up at KB Toys. The Wiimote is a solid piece of equipment. The lightness in my left hand feels really strange when I've got a one pound controller in my right hand.

Looks like total dick through composite, I'm almost willing to hold off a review until I get component cables.

If they get third party support, they might have something here, but anyway - questions. FIGHT!

[Quinton]

How many titles available on the VC?  Just a handful or a pretty good collection?

-Q

[schild]

I just looked at it about an hour ago, I remember the following:

Donkey Kong 500
Altered Beast 800
Mario 64 1000
Mario Bros 500
Legend of Zelda 500
SimCity 800
Soloman's Key 500

That's about it. It's a mixed bag, and IMO - they're charging too much. Nintendo games should've been $2-3 instead of $5. SNES and Genesis should have been $5. N64 should have been, at most, $7.

[Shavnir]

Is paying for virtual console stuff done through credit card I'd assume, or is it some card you buy at the store?

Comparisons to Shadows aside, how is the new Zelda game?  Does the controller use feel forced?

[schild]

Card online and card in store.

Controller use, thus far, should not have been made a necessity. Having played Trauma Center, I can see where the controller opens up new gameplay possibilities. One of my roommates watched me play a bit and said that it is fundamentally different. He might be right. But thus far, it also feels like the newer Zelda titles rather than a throwback to pre-N64. And since I like the earlier stuff a whole hell of a lot more, I may just be pissed that the sort of raw gameplay experience I'm looking for has been thrown out the window.

[ahoythematey]

Eh.  Oldschool-style Zelda games are still made for the portables(unless phantom hourglass fucks that all up).  Any games actually using 720p right now so I can decide on whether or not I need the component immediately?

Edit: oh yeah.  Are the online "forums" a cesspool of faggery yet?

[Trippy]

No Super Monkey Ball?

[schild]

There are no "online forums." One of the things I'm going to gripe about is the pitiful, awful, lie that was Connect 24. What a crock of dick. It's not 720p I care about. Wii doesn't output 720p, that was a lie also. Max output is 480p. 480i looks so fucking terrible though that the upgrade to 480p through component will make the wii jump from RF to HDMI. Composite 480i gaming on a 37" LCD is a joke.

No Super Monkey Ball. Never enjoyed it. I love me some Marble Madness though.

[ahoythematey]

So wiichat is really just a limited chat room like the DS has?

What are the load times like?

[schild]

Wiichat isn't even available yet. The only things available are Wii Weather and oh, wait, nevermind those things aren't working either. They're just logos.

For all the trash talking that went on, Nintendo was, by far, the least prepared for this launch. I patched 3 times before I even got to play a game. It's a fucking mess. But hey, no one gives a shit. They have Zelda.

[ahoythematey]

Ahh.  Like an mmo launch.

[schild]

Chatting would be completely impossible with the Wiimote anyway. Inputting text with that pointer might be worse than using a D-Pad. Nay, an analog stick. Seriously, I'd rather use the PSP nub.

For all the shit Nintendo got right, they sure did flub enough. I mean, here's my problem. You can find information about PS3 problems everywhere. Even I have my handful of concerns that are irking at me. But for the Wii, it's only getting good press. Well, Nintendo overlooked some REALLY rudimentary shit. Like a Start button. Find me a start button. Also, what the fuck are the 1 & 2 buttons? And there is no way Nintendo can claim the Wiimote is more easy to use than a controller. I have 25 yeras of controller use. I have zero days, 2 hours of Wiimote use and gotta tell ya, that shit is sensitive - and I have the sensitivity turned way down.

Really, I don't even know where to begin. But I do know that the Nintendo component cables cost $29.99 and the component cables from MadCatz cost $49.99. In what world is that ok? Oh, and of course Gamestop is stocking the MadCatz ones a week before.

[ahoythematey]

Madcatz cables are more expensive?  What the fuck.

[schild]

See, my gripes about Sony pertain more to things like "they couldn't get development kits to devs early enough to have a decent launch." Meanwhile my gripes about Nintendo are "HEY GUYZ, WAY TO FUCK UP SOMETHING EASY, LIKE CABLES AND CONTROLLER SHIPMENTS."

Quite honestly, the Ninty one pisses me off more. Sony went with standard equipment and backwards compatibility on accessories (my PS2 component cables work on it - and it's a multisystem madcatz pos). Meanwhile, Ninty went with all sorts of proprietary shit and screwed the pooch. Weak.

[ahoythematey]

Good to hear my ps2 component cables won't become trash when I upgrade.  I'm wondering if Nintendo underanticipated just how popular extra controllers and cables would be, or they just plain couldn't ship enough for the demand.  Well, about the controllers anyways, since we know they aren't worried about HD.

Still, the wait remains unbearable.  If EBgames hadn't royally fucked up I'd be getting my zelda on right this moment.  Looking forward to Elebits too.

[Sauced]

Ours failed at the Languange Selection screen.  The system hangs, currently trying to find a solution.

[Margalis]

Wii Sports tennis is fun. Just don't play near a floor lamp.

[Morfiend]

Schild, or anyone,

Can some one talk about how the Wii online features stand up to the Xbox Live, like friends list and ease of inviting people to game and shit like that. Also, does it come with built in wireless network card, I totally forgot to check this. And did anyone get RedSteel?

[schild]

The Wii online features are trash. I don't know how else to say this. And I'm being nice.

[Margalis]

It comes with wireless. The online strategy is basically roll-your-own per game, I don't think there is any umbrella system.

[schild]

I have a friend code, it's not as cool as "schild" but it's a bunch of numbers! So, fun!

[CaptainNapkin]

Wii Launch - The Anti-PS3 Experience
I put my helmet on before posting this here... since there's usually so much love for G4. 

The Wii launch Saturday night at Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles was a joyous, happy and lighthearted affair.  Not one spec of desperation or anger.  No one got shot.  No one fought.

It was the anti-PS3 launch.

Last night reminded me why we love video games.  One thousand people were in line playing Mario Kart DS with complete strangers, talking excitedly about which games they'd buy and just having a good time. The Wii itself inspires this kind of glow.  Its just flat out fun to play and to watch other people play.

I'd be surprised if many (if any) people in line will end up putting their Wii's on eBay.

Now in Sony's defense, they're not responsible for the goons that made their launch lines ugly.  But they are responsible for creating the desperate hype that lead to all of the horrible things that happened Friday.  And I'm sure they don't mind the press.  I wouldn't either if I were them.

So that's that.  Happy people being nice to one another, playing games and not being elitist a--holes.  Crazy.

I love to here stuff like this, even if I'm not a fan of the source.

[schild]

Too bad the moment they get home and back on the internet, Nintendo fans are the equivilent of Apple fans.

[stray]

Now in Sony's defense, they're not responsible for the goons that made their launch lines ugly.  But they are responsible for creating the desperate hype that lead to all of the horrible things that happened Friday.  And I'm sure they don't mind the press.  I wouldn't either if I were them.

Stupid comment, first of all.

Besides that, the hype came from the success of their last two products, not Sony's PS3 marketing effort specifically. They made the last two great consoles. Nintendo, unfortunately, did not.

[Kageru]

Nintendo must be pretty happy, having far more consoles available that Sony but still managing to sell them out, in addition to actually making a profit out of the exercise.

[Quinton]

Nintendo must be pretty happy, having far more consoles available that Sony but still managing to sell them out, in addition to actually making a profit out of the exercise.

PS3's more my speed, but I think Nintendo is bloody brilliant here:  cheaper (and profitable!), another Zelda for the diehard fans, funky new controller getting a lot of buzz, lots of units to move over the holidays, incremental improvements in CPU/GPU/memory keep cost down and make development and backward compatibility simple.  Letting Microsoft and Sony fight it out over the high end and to see who can lose the most money on hardware is plenty clever.

- Q

[Kitsune]

Sony's fault here doesn't lie in any sort of marketing, just sheer incompetence.

PLAYSTATION 3: Spring 2006
PLAYSTATION 3: Oops, did we say spring?  We meant 'sometime'.
PLAYSTATION 3: Oops, did we say there'd be millions of them?  We meant twelve.

In most of the reports I saw of PS3 crowds getting ugly, it invariably involved, 'The store told us they'd get fifty, but late that night they said they only got twenty.'  When someone's been sitting out in the cold for eight or so hours, thinking they're a sure-fire winner, only to be told that because Sony couldn't actually build the console they are getting squat, they're going to get pissed off.  Ditto for someone who had a pre-order and finds out that they weren't going to get the thing.

Not being able to meet the distribution amount that they apparently told the stores to expect is 100% Sony's own damn fault.

That being said, you know it was more than likely scalpers who were starting shit.  A gamer denied a system they want would be upset, but they can always get it later.  A scalper who doesn't get the system while it's hot is out a few hundred bucks, and likely won't get another chance to get a console to pop on eBay before the season's over.  Add that to the fact that scalpers are scum and you get the recipe for cops having to pepper gas a crowd.

[Roac]

Wii.  Early Christmas for me - the wife decided she wanted to get me one.  However, since she can't keep a secret (she usually has to send my presents to family/friends to avoid giving them to me even if I say I don't want them early) and couldn't figure out how to hide being gone for six hours, she went ahead and spilled it.  It's up and running now.  Wii.

We got Wii Sports of course, Zelda, Trauma Center, and Red Steel.  I haven't gotten to Zelda yet, so can't speak to it.  To start off though, Wii Sports is fun.  It is by no means complex.  In baseball for example, you only pitch and catch - fielding is automatic, no stealing bases, etc.  While you can select your club in golf, you only get putter, wedge, iron, and driver.  Tennis is doubles, with only one surface.  Still, this isn't the point - it's a party game, not "Tiger Woods Golf", and for that it's a blast.  It's all about getting the timing down, which isn't as easy as I'd hoped for.  Golf in particular made a point of being picky about how the Wiimote handled, but after an hour or so we were getting the hang of it.  It doesn't have a natural feel, but we didn't feel like we were fighting it either.

Red Steel seems to be fairly vanilla.  You get a mix of guns and a sword, but it's obvious when you use each since every so often a Japanese guy with a sword runs up to you, and you dutifully put away your gun.  There's a little bit of reflex involved to win a sword fight, but overall it seems very uninspired.  Other than that, this is a standard first person killfest.  The room layouts are good, with lots of hiding places to hide yourself and badguys behind, and alternating constricting corridors and open arenas with multiple points to get flanked on.  The Wiimote again didn't feel quite as natural as I'd have hoped, but after a bit I got the hang of it and was getting a few trigger pulls before the baddies.  I don't think it will ever be easier than a mouse (ask again in a few months though), but FPS games are going to be MUCH more fun. 

If Red Steel had come out on the PC or 360/PS3 it would have bombed.  On the Wii, it's fun.  Using the Wiimote to target requires more skill than a mouse, but is easier than using an analog stick.  Even in the Wii Sports baseball for example, I can see where there is much more opportunity for fun play by using this over just timing your "A" to swing.  I'd give the Wiimote a "B" - it seems to have some quirks, but I think Nintendo came very close to where they wanted to be with it.

As for online stuff, news and weather aren't active yet, and I haven't setup an account to look at the game listings.  Oh, and the Wiimote comes with a wrist strap.  Use it.

[Margalis]

The first thing my friend did when he played the Wii for the first time (bowling) was take two steps towards the TV and swing his arm forward as we all screamed at him not to put his hand right into the front of the screen.

[Trippy]

Make sure you wear that wrist strap!

[Jain Zar]

My impressions:  Put a Wiimote cover on my controllers which gives em a great feel.

Grabbed Zelda, Excitetruck, Call of Duty 3, and Monkey Ball.

Haven't touched Zelda yet, and I am one of the many people with wireless net connection issues making it so I can't rock the online stuff.

The Wiimote KICKS ASS.  It definately takes getting used to.  But the immersion factor, the exercise you get using it and the accuracy its capable of makes up for it.

Excite Truck: Its like an offroad Burnout.  Its almost TOO FAST.  Control is tight.

Wii Sports: Its simple, but its a blast.  I wish my dad was still alive.  He used to love bowling.  He would probably love a good round of bowling. :( 

Call of Duty 3.  It looks almost like CoD2 did on the 360.  Except its more fun and control is solid.  Fighting in hand to hand is very intense.

Monkey Ball:  LOTS of minigames.  Some of em will be good, others not so much.  Solo mode is gonna require me to completely relearn how to play the game though.

As to the mention of graphics:  I think it looks pretty on my 28 inch normal 480i square TV.

So far outside of my net connection issues I am VERY happy with this system.  I have a feeling the PS3 might not  be the king this generation.  Wii already outnumbers it in US owners by a good 4 to 1 margin if not more.  (Walmart PS3s: 4.  Walmart Wiis: 20.  Best Buy PS3s: 34  Best Buy Wiis: 84.  It sold out everywhere and the lines were full of great people.  And the more folks see how awesome the Wii is, the bigger its gonna get.

[Big Gulp]

As to the mention of graphics:  I think it looks pretty on my 28 inch normal 480i square TV.

Eh, not a very good standard to judge by.  I'll wait 'til I hear from someone with an HDTV who bought component cables.

[schild]

I find Jain Zar's comments a little weird. I thought Excite Truck was slow and unwieldy. Call of Duty Wii looks nowhere near as good as CoD2 on the 360 if you were running 1080i. The Wiimote is kinda reminding me of the powerglove due to some dead zones (when you get too far above or below the bar it would seem, going outside of the range of motion or whatever).

I can say this, very few games will get the Wiimote right. The ones that do will be great. The ones that don't will be many.

[sigil]

Jain's comments are only odd if you don't have an regular TV.

I understand where he's coming from, and am glad to see the good report.

An  hdtv is three years away in this household. It's just not considered a must have. But thanks to the rest of you for driving the prices down ;)

Go, buy more. I want to buy my 42 inch plasma for $500 when we get around to it.

[Big Gulp]

But thanks to the rest of you for driving the prices down ;)

And thank you for that smug sense of superiority I get every time I see one of you plebeians with your sorry little cathode ray tubes.