Post PAL Release Wiikend

[bignige]

If you mean sync'ing up the second controller that doesn't really involve the front end? Unless you phsyically mean the front end of the unit.

I think he means the wiimote settings - rumble speaker etc. I missed this to begin with, press the home button and a life size pic of the remote shows. Click it & you get the options. The options are all over the place, it needs some coherence.

[elkatas]

The Marketplace on Wii is just a bit slow compared to XLM, sadly. Hopefully they'll improve it like Microsoft did, as well as the front-end, as I'm not a massive fan either.

Shop Channel is actually Opera Webbrowser without Flash support and address bar. It connects into shop channel's webpage. Considering how simple the page design is, I'm amazed how ****ing slow it is. Of course crypted connection does slow things down, but I think that Nintendo seriously underestimated how big webresources they would need to run worldwide shop.

[shuurajou]

The more people who go to the shop (albeit slow), the more people buy, the more money Nintendo makes, the more money they have to sort out any issues, the more money they make because people can access it faster, the more money is spent on improving the front end .

At least that's how I'd like to think it will work...

[MattyD]

I'm immensly pleased with my Wii. The actual machine itself looks great and feels very well built. And it's so quiet! My 360 sounds like a jet engine and blows a similar amount of hot air out the back, but this thing barely warms up and is practically inaudible unless you put your ear right next to it. I've also noticed it only draws 37 watts of power - that's less than a GC or PS2 (50 Watts a peice) and over four times less than a 360 (160 Watts during games), so it makes me feel less like I'm flinging carbon into the ether with wild abandon. The only thing I'm not keen on is that when you try to press the d-pad buttons whilst holding the remote (such as selecting items on Zelda) I can't quite reach it without adjusting my grip and taking my finger off the B button.

Miis are a masterstroke as they're not only fun to make and collect, but they allow you to make your console feel more friendly - when you play Wii Sports for instance you can use your own Mii and see your friends and family's Miis in the background.

As for the games, Wii Sports is fantastic considering it's basically a bunch of concept demos given away for free. It does a good job of showing the Wii's abilities, from the fast and frenetic boxing to the precision of golf.

The only other game I've played is Zelda and it's fantastic. This one seems to be more tightly structured than before yet it doesn't seem overly contrived or linear - sort of like Resi 4 I suppose. The Wii controls are such a great improvement over standard controllers that I'd find it hard to go back to them.

The main thing I've experienced with the Wii is that no matter how small the movements you need to make - such as flicking the remote to do a sword attack - they always invlve you more in the action. With normal controllers your body almost drops away from your thoughts and you get sucked into the game almost as if you're disembodied. With the Wii though, I find that using body movements makes me more aware of my body, and aware of the game in context of my surroundings instead of it being something that's sucking me in. Personally I find the experience is far healther both for things like your posture and also your mindset.

My pleasure is slightly tainted however by the bitter aftertaste of 50Hz Virtual Console games and signs that already certain third-party publishers aren't playing ball and adding 60hz modes. I'm tentatively planning on selling my PAL Wii when I've finished Zelda and using the cash to import a US one when the availability improves, but I'm still inwardly hoping that some clever clogs will come up with a boot disc or mod chip.

The only area I think could use some improvement is online. It was very easy to set up and is simple to use but the friends code system is a pain in the ass after using Xbox Live and it will hamstring online gaming. I've met loads of really cool people on Xbox Live but if the Wii operates the same way as the DS - which it looks to be - you just won't be able to communicate with the people you're playing with and that's the main reason why I play online at all.

[thebuddahman]

if the Wii operates the same way as the DS - which it looks to be - you just won't be able to communicate with the people you're playing with and that's the main reason why I play online at all.

Nice read mate but I believe the new Pokemon games already out in Japan and coming here and to the US very soon, enable you to talk to the person you are battling against onlin via the Mic. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

To be honest, fwith the Wii I'm thinking in two ways. Nintendo will either:

- try and get away with the bare minimum in terms of online content, design, internet, Wiiconnect24 integration, friends lists, mii flexibility etc. and ignore the huge potential the Wii has got in favour of a cheap-to-run system which offers a few things for the 'casual' gamer.

Or

- they will constantly improve the online integration and make the Wii something special, utilising Wiiconnect24 to the maximum. Improvements in the online service and firmware updates etc will be regular and within 6 months we will see a blossoming service incorporating the suggestions that a lot of us have been saying on forums and elsewhere.

I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

[EvilBoris]

I think it is more likely to be the 1st option, as has happened with the DS, Nintendo are so hell bent on making it "simple and safe" that its actually just pretty damn plain.

[MattyD]

I've used voice chat in Metroid Hunters on the DS but the problem with it is you can only talk to people on your friends list. you can't even speak to people on your 'rivals' list (the list of people you've met in random games and added as friends). That's all well and good but what it won't help you do is be sociable with strangers - something Live does very well. Not only is that a loss in itself, but online games where team play is important would basically be broken. Imagine trying to play a game of football where you couldn't speak to your team mates. That's the only thing that worries really.

[deded]

managed to pick one up on friday, words cannot describe how pleased i am with it

zelda, wow. just wow. good 30 hours played between me and my flatmate already, haven't even got past the third dungeon yet

->Open Spoiler<-

(the one in lake hylia)

but am ****ing loving every second of it. every time i see a new environment i'm just completely in awe (nearly had a wank when i saw zoras domain). controls are perfect, can't find a single fault in the whole game really (except sometimes the wolf thing lasts a bit too long for my liking.. the wolf things pretty cool but i'd rather just be link most of the time) kinda helped that my flatmate was as excited as me about the whole thing aswell, making the whole wii/zelda experience pretty fat really

wii sports is pretty decent aswell, racked up loads of hours on tennis and golf already, both pretty sturdy control systems, good laugh really. even managed to get some of my mates who don't touch video games with a barge pole to join in on some wiisports

wii play on the other hand, i thought was ****ing rubbish, didn't really like a single game on that, except pool really (the presentation of which is absolutely atrocious) but hey, toys r us somehow completely ****ed up my preorder list meaning i paid 179.99 for a console, wii play, zelda, an official nintendo 1gb sd card and a docking station for the lot of it.

big thanks to that spotty teenage dumbarse who sorted us out by not actually checking if we'd paid for the lot of it or not!

got my machine online today, took about err 2 minutes to set the whole thing up and get it updated. spot on.

shame the news and weather things aren't working yet but can get on virtual console no problems, not that i'm actually gonna bother forking out 6/7 quid for yet another copy of nes mario bros/zelda

in summary, wii = best console since dreamcast

well done nintendo.

[bignige]

in summary, wii = best console since dreamcast

well done nintendo.

Possibly the worst curse to put on anything.

[Angelo]

I hope with this unified code for each Wii you dont run into the same stuff we had with the DS. I look forward to playing Mario strikers and Super Smash online with friends. They do need to address the mic issue, but I assume a wireless headset is in the making (or they allow you to use the DS one). Like all my friends, they got a Wii for the same reason as I did, a fun system. If its hardcore or not, I dont care, as if I am looking for larger time sinks then Zelda I just switch on my PC

[PeteJ]

I agree that the shopping channel is horrible to use, in fact I find the whole front end pretty difficult. Finding your Wii Code is way too difficult, and it took me ages to work out how to find it after I had entered some numbers in my address book. Likewise it took two days before I found how to turn down the volume on the remote and I still don't really know how the Mii Plaza works or what it is meant to do (or the point!).

All that said, I wasn't expecting any of the above to be particularly good. I didn't buy the console for online gaming, nor did I buy it for the Mii, messaging or Virtual Console - I have the 360 to do all of those things. I bought the Wii to play Nintendo games and have something a little different, and so far it hasn't disappointed. Zelda is pretty much exactly what I expected (very good) while I've had a lot of fun on Monkey Ball and Rayman.

They've got a lot to sort out in terms of useability on the front end, and an awful lot to do to fulfill the potential of the controller, but heck - this is Nintendo, I'm pretty sure they'll get the most out of the system.

With PS3 and 360 going head to head, the Wii compliments them both perfectly. Wii60 is a great gaming combination at the moment.

[Prophet Hero]

I'm loving it to borrow a rather overused and tacky slogan. As PeteJ says the Wii complements the X360 (or PS3); there's plenty of room for both.

I'm a little narked about the cables situation, but boosting the sharpness in combination with my less than perfect eyesight makes it bearable. Plus, I don't have the willpower to put Zelda on hold; I don't get enough time with the game as it is.

[deded]

****, only skimmed through this thread before, completely missed out all the vc games running at 50hz business. just spent about 15 quid on games, would have not bothered if i'd read this thread properly

and double bollocks to downloading mario bros thinking it was super mario bros