The Wii Thread

[Mahdi]

So, who among you all has a Wii?  What games do you have?  Which do you recommend?  What virtual console games have you purchased?  What do you think of the upcoming Wii motion plus?  What game cube games do you recommend purchasing for it?  What are your friend codes?

I purchased my Wii almost two months ago now.  I bought Mario Kart Wii right away and it is still my favourite game, although I have not been playing it much recently.  I prefer the wiimote and wheel over the classic controller, although I've only actually used the classic controller (really a Gamespot chameleon controller) for a few races when I had some friends over.

I have bought Super Smash Brothers but have not spent much time playing it.  My girlfriend bought big beach games but we have decided to re-sell it as we did not enjoy it.

I plan on buying both Super Mario Galaxy and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 when I can find them used for a decent price.  I will be buying Ghostbusters brand new the moment it comes out.

I've played Sonic and the Secret Rings and made it to the final boss battle.  I recommend it as a rental as it does have some good elements but it's drawpacks (poor level design, awkward controls) mean it is not worth the price tag to buy.

We've rented Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman.  Indy was awesome, batman less so, but still fun (except for vehicle levels).

We've also rented Walle and I hated it.

I've bought Donkey Kong Country on the virtual console (I never had an SNES as a kid and always wanted to play it) but have spent he last week and countless lives trying to beat the same level.  Gah.

[chatfsh]

Funny you should start this thread.  I just purchased the Wii system and a new laptop for my birthday last month.  Well, mostly the Wii was for my 8yr old son, but he and I play tennis, baseball and bowling.  It

[Dragoon Knight]

I got my Wii quite a while ago now... must be over a year.  I'm sad to say that I have barely touched it in all that time, since the lack of decent games being released (in comparison to the Xbox 360 or the PC) didn't really provide me with an incentive.  Co-incidentally, I've recently started playing it a lot more.

With the release of Resident Evil 5, my interest in the series was re-kindled, and I decided to break out Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition; a game I had bought but never really played.  I was almost immediately hooked once I got past the starting village (talk about testing your skills early), and I must say it's the best Wii game I've played - a must have for anyone with the console.  The Wiimote and nunchuck are perfect for controlling movement and shooting, and the game is very lengthy - even when you complete it, you're not done.

Other Wii games I own include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario, both of which I can recommend.  As for Wii Sports, it's a gimmick-game that gets very old, very quickly... but since it comes free with the console, you can't really complain.  Not yet tried Wii-Fit, since my room is prohibitively small and tends to creak when I walk, never mind jump and stretch.

Virtual Console games are another great feature that I have invested quite a lot in - I got the three Streets of Rage games for the Sega MegaDrive (Genesis), the Donkey Kong games for the SNES (I did play them, Mahdi :P), Breath of Fire II, Bomberman, Toejam and Earl... a lot of really good classics that you just can't get from XBL Arcade or the various "Collection" games they keep releasing.  With new ones being released all the time, including WiiWare titles developed especially for the Wii, it's something that can give your Wii new purpose.

The real gem for the Wii, however, is the back catalogue of Gamecube games.  Now I have a Gamecube, but I don't have it set up anymore - the Wii has the ability to use Composite connections (as opposed to SCART) meaning better picture quality overall.  Plus, games seem to run a little faster - maybe it's just me.  Some essential Gamecube games for the budding Wii owner:

- Legend of Zelda Collection (rare; has Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Zelda 1 and 2, but not A Link to the Past)

- Eternal Darkness (horror game based around sanity, with strange things occurring as you lose yours, e.g. busts of heads moving to watch you move down a corridor)

- Skies of Arcadia (excellent RPG ported from the Dreamcast)

- Resident Evil / Resident Evil 0 / Resident Evil 2 / Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (all excellent games, the first is a remake of the original, the second a prequel, the other two direct ports from the PlayStation)

- Tales of Symphonia (one of the best "Tales of" RPGs to grace any console)

Hope this was informative and helpful to anyone considering getting a Wii, or is looking for more games for one. :)

[chatfsh]

Hope this was informative and helpful to anyone considering getting a Wii, or is looking for more games for one. :)

Yes, very. :)

Do you think that Legend of Zelda would be an appropriate game for an 8yr old boy?  I don

[Mahdi]

Funny you should start this thread.  I just purchased the Wii system and a new laptop for my birthday last month.  Well, mostly the Wii was for my 8yr old son, but he and I play tennis, baseball and bowling.  It

[Andrew]

I don't have one but have played one a bit.

52" tv + wii + 4 controllers/people + mario kart = awesome party game (for all ages apparently).

played super mario galaxy. Looked good, although at times frustrating to get things done (hard on the hand, even with two players).

Destroy all Humans! was humorous at first with its umm vulgar stuff? (big willy, and other sexual/violent stuff, forget the word you use to describe it). Probably get boring after a while.

Played some other games but forget which ones. I know of wii sports.

[Dunenewt]

My girlfriend's got a Wii, and she's got Wii Sports, Wii Play, Beach Sports, and Mario Kart.

I really like all of them to be honest, and love playing on the Wii.  My favourite game on Wii Sports is probably Tennis; my score is about 1700, the others are alright too.  I am addicted to the Tanks game on Wii Play, especially the 2 player version, I can play that for hours.

I don't think I can speak highly enough of Mario Kart Wii!  I use a Gamecube controller to play it, I just find it easier that way, but I'm almost as good with the Wiimote.  I've almost unlocked all the characters now, just got about 3 left.

I'm interested to see how much better the MotionPlus will be, because on some games the lack of motion detection really annoys me, such as Billiards in Wii Play.

[Dragoon Knight]

Hwi, I can definitely recommend Zelda to anyone, young or old.  If I recall, there is some fantasy-themed action and fighting, but nothing that I'd class as unsuitable for an 8 year old.  Rent it, try it for yourself and judge if it's something you'd be happy for your son to play. :)

Mahdi, I can certainly recommend the games I posted above.  Only the first one (Legend of Zelda collection) is rare - the others in the bullet-point list are all separate titles and should be available second-hand from just about any decent game retailer.

You could also get some of the classics, like Super Mario Sunshine, Pikmin and Metroid - those are all pretty good as well.

[Mahdi]

Hwi, I can definitely recommend Zelda to anyone, young or old.  If I recall, there is some fantasy-themed action and fighting, but nothing that I'd class as unsuitable for an 8 year old.  Rent it, try it for yourself and judge if it's something you'd be happy for your son to play. :)

Mahdi, I can certainly recommend the games I posted above.  Only the first one (Legend of Zelda collection) is rare - the others in the bullet-point list are all separate titles and should be available second-hand from just about any decent game retailer.

You could also get some of the classics, like Super Mario Sunshine, Pikmin and Metroid - those are all pretty good as well.

For some reason I thought I read that all of the game syou listed were collections of older games, and not gamecube games.

Is there any special requirement other than a controller to play gamecube games?  I've ordered a couple used (Super MArio Sunshine, the first sonic the hedgehog collection) and I hate to get them and not be able to use them.

[Mahdi]

My girlfriend's got a Wii, and she's got Wii Sports, Wii Play, Beach Sports, and Mario Kart.

I really like all of them to be honest, and love playing on the Wii.  My favourite game on Wii Sports is probably Tennis; my score is about 1700, the others are alright too.  I am addicted to the Tanks game on Wii Play, especially the 2 player version, I can play that for hours.

I don't think I can speak highly enough of Mario Kart Wii!  I use a Gamecube controller to play it, I just find it easier that way, but I'm almost as good with the Wiimote.  I've almost unlocked all the characters now, just got about 3 left.

I'm interested to see how much better the MotionPlus will be, because on some games the lack of motion detection really annoys me, such as Billiards in Wii Play.

Wii Play bored me after I'd went through all the games a couple of times (except for the cows running over scarecrows, but that's because you're riding a cow running over scarecrows!).  What buttons are what on the gamecube controller?  I can't figure out how to do tricks.

[Dunenewt]

Up on the D pad when you go over the jumps, or to recover quickly from the 'pow'.

They've remade some of the GC games to make them compatible with the Wiimote, and take full advantage of the motion technology.  I think I am going to bring my Wavebird controller back from my parents house to play on the Wii, so I can be wireless too when I'm playing.

[Mahdi]

D-pad - So you have to take your thumb off of the analog stick steering your cart and hit up on the D-pad?  That seems kinda dumb when there are so many other unused buttons.  Is it the same for throwing a weapon backwards?

Wireless for the gamecube controller would be cool.  I bought a chameleon controller instead of an actual nintendo controller ($10 cheaper) but it's really stiff and feels like it will break fairly simply.  The cord is also short, so I have to move my Wii into the middle of the room whenever I want to use it.

I've ordered the Sonic collection (the classic genesis sonic games) gamecube disc for $5, and Mario Sunshine for the same price.  I may need to buy another controller so I can play multiplayer with them....

I heard about those wiimakes, but I'm sceptical of them.  It seems to me all they are doing is taking gamecube games, adding a couple motion-related moves that the game was never designed for, and shipping them out again to make a ton of money.  Some of the worst elements of the games I've played on the Wii are the tacked on motion controls, and that seems to be the only selling point of these games.

[chatfsh]

Thanks Dragoon.  Based upon the reviews that I read on-line, it should be fine for him.  Plus he

[Dragoon Knight]

Is there any special requirement other than a controller to play gamecube games?  I've ordered a couple used (Super MArio Sunshine, the first sonic the hedgehog collection) and I hate to get them and not be able to use them.

No, but you might want to invest in a Gamecube Memory Card as well - other than that, you just plug your Gamecube controller into the top of the Wii, pop your GC Game into the Wii, select the Game Channel and away you go.

[chatfsh]

Ordered Wii Fit w/40 games yesterday, should arrive any day now.  Can hardly wait! 

[Mahdi]

Ordered Wii Fit w/40 games yesterday, should arrive any day now.  Can hardly wait! 

...are there 40 games on the wii fit disc, or did you order wii fit AND an additional 40 wii games?

[chatfsh]

Well, the item description said:  Training is at the core of Wii Fit. You can spend as much (or as little) time as you want trying out all of the 40+ activities Wii Fit offers. 

They described the games/activities as skiing, snowboarding, running, yoga, etc.  So they may be more workout activities as opposed to actual games. But once it arrives, I'll let you know for certain.

[Mahdi]

Oh, ok.  I thought you meant you bought 40 games (ie. Mario Galaxy, mario kart, and 38 more!).

They're mini-games designed to increase balance, strength, etc.  My favourite is the soccer one.

[chatfsh]

Honestly

[Mahdi]

I bought Super Mario Galaxy today used (girlfriends out of town and nothing to do, might as well play a video game).

I haven't been playing too long, but I'm enjoying it.

[chatfsh]

I bought Super Mario Galaxy today used (girlfriends out of town and nothing to do, might as well play a video game).

Well, at least you have your priorities straight.:D

*checks outside front door*  Wii Fit hasn

[Mahdi]

Super Mario Galaxy is very kid friendly.  Lots of cute and cuddly characters and story book elements.  I played for about 2 and a half hours tonight.  I'm really enjoying it. 

[Dragoon Knight]

Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess are the staple Mario and Zelda games for the Wii - Nintendo put a lot of effort into making sure that their most prominent titles are always well designed and fun to play.  Sega made the mistake of becoming complacent with Sonic the Hedgehog - he never really made the transition from 2D to 3D.

Sure, there have been a lot of Sonic games since the MegaDrive / Genesis, but you don't see them getting re-released via Virtual Console / Xbox LIVE.  Nintendo are pretty intent on learning from Sega on that front - they almost let themselves slip with Mario Sunshine / Zelda: Wind Waker (both for the GameCube), but they seem to have done well with the Wii releases.

[Mahdi]

Like I said before, I played Sonic and the Secret Rings (cannot beat the final baddie) and there were a lot of good elements to it, but they were overshadowed by unresponsive controls and poor level design.  I was a Sega kid, I'd love to play another amazing Sonic game, but I doubt I will.  I hear Sonic unleash was almost there, but ruined it with the "werehog" levels.

[Dragoon Knight]

They released a Sonic game for the DS that was actually quite good, if a bit different from what most Sonic fans probably enjoy.  Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is an RPG game, with elements of the classic 2D action that made the 16-bit games a success, coupled with characters and abilities that are influenced by the newer titles.

It was developed by BioWare, who have a history of making excellent games.  While I can't say that I like it more than the classics (Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic & Knuckles), it was still a really enjoyable play.  The first Sonic game I really liked in a good while.

I was a Sega kid, too. :P