The Nintendo Wii
November 20th 2008 18:21
The Nintendo Wii was launched back in 2006, since then, it has become the fastest-selling console of this generation, with over 21 million units sold worldwide.
The console is currently outselling both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 by a very large margin, a fact that continues to puzzle and confuse many gamers. There are many gamers (and even non gamers) out there who have a thing against the Wii, and that too for several reasons. Hopefully this article clears the misconceptions that so many people have.
Everything about the Nintendo Wii is unusual, which includes: the controllers, the games and even the name itself. When Nintendo first unveiled the console, people were quite sceptical, to say the least, but very soon they realised that Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing and what they were getting themselves into.
Other game consoles like, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, are very powerful consoles and the size of each console is a testament of the powerful hardware. However, the Wii is much weaker in comparison, and even the console itself is very small and compact.
The main reason which makes Wii somewhat unique is its control scheme. This incorporates motion-sensing technology and replaces the traditional game controller. Wii games are played using the Wii remote (a.k.a Wiimote) and a Nunchuk joystick. The Wiimote looks like a TV remote while the Nunchuk joystick features an analogue stick. The motion sensor that one has to attach on top of the TV screen detects motions made by these controllers and it works quite well.
I would like to clear a common misconception regarding how games are played using this motion-sensing control scheme. Since you hold both controllers with your hands, the motion sensor will only detect movements made by your hands and arms, so if you are one of those people who were jumping and running around, then, I have to say that you were overdoing it. A few Wii games do require one to stand up, so that the sensor can capture movements more accurately but, believe me, standing is the only action your legs have to perform.
The motion-sensing technology has been incorporated quite well in a variety of different genres, but to say that the Wii replaces the need for one to go outside and exercise would be an overstatement. So far, most third-party Wii games have not made good use of the motion-sensing control scheme since they feature simple game-play mechanics that require mindless and random shaking of the controllers, but, in time, we will see games with deeper game-lay mechanics that require accurate hand/arm gestures.
A common grudge that most gamers have against the Wii is that the first-party exclusive games are sequels to series that have been around since the 1980s, such as Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Donkey Kong, etc. And yet Nintendo continues to expand them with new sequels. But do gamers yawn at the sight of them? Do they honestly wish them out existence?
Most video game series do grow stale because of endless dry sequels but every new Zelda, Mario and Metroid, etc., experiments with new ideas and they have evolved enough to appeal to modern gamers. Nintendo Wii exclusives such as: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bos. Brawl and Metriod Prime 3: Corruption, etc., have been very successful from both a commercial and critical viewpoint.
With record-breaking sales and unanimous critical acclaim, it becomes very clear that the gaming world has not grown tired of these ancient franchises and this success is not because of reputation, but because of the fact that these games are truly exceptional.
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