Are Wii having second thoughts?

[bsodmike]

Today a buddy of mine showed me some screenies of some Wii games in-action and they looked quite sad.


Notice that Mrs. Pink here has lost her legs...








Makes me wonder, is this simply just hype?

I'm sure we all don't expect this to shine in the gfx department, but once we see GoW in-action, I think it's going to cause a huge 'void' in every gamers heart. As the bar gets raised, we will be demanding more of our games - better gameplay, better graphics, better control systems, better AI.

I wonder if the Wii will be able to survive in this arena, but then again it is a Nintendo product, so it'll still sell. I'm starting to have doubts hrm...

[djwhizzkidd]

Yeah, Wii seemed like a cool idea at first, but Ive lost interest.

I know its not all about graphics, but that controller thing is just a gimmick and once the novelty wears off, your just left with sub-standard versions of old games (Far Cry being a prime example).

Im fine with my 360 !

[directhex]

i've been playing Super Mario 64 lately. t'is 10 years old now. looks a bit sad.

t'is also one of the best games I own for any platform.

[djwhizzkidd]

Thats the Wii's only hope, but lets face it, Mario hasnt been very good for years.

Zelda is sort of an average adventure game.

Their franchises are not what they once were.

I imagine Im not making any friends with these anti-nintendo posts!

Still, the new Animal Crossing might be good ! You could use the remote like a fishing rod! Imagine that!

[Steven W]

Oh man, bowling is brilliant. I was really surprised with the graphics, some games look extremely good, like Call of Duty 3, Red Steel and Zelda where others have more cartoony graphics. Wii is about fun, certainly not about the best graphics.

One thing though, I don't thing Nintendo should even look at doing ports. Once you've seen and played them on another console, there's no point playing a poorer version and having to learn new controls. I'll be buying those games that are aimed at fun rather than serious games like COD3.

We should have some hands-on stuff up on the site today about Wii so take a look.

[Nick]

I think the graphics reflect the gamer the game itself is aimed at.

Wii Sports graphics are simplistic but the games are aimed at the casual player, so why clutter it up, or perhaps even alienate the player with motioned captured images of some bowling star or tennis ace?

Red Steel looks great, if a bit grainy... a bit like a PS2 shooter if I'm honest... but it's how you interact with it that's the real hook.

[5lab]

its fairly well known that the wii isnt really any more powerful than the last gen of consoles, but no-one knows if that level of console will sell well. its a gamble, but i think they've admitted they can't keep up with sony and m$ (much in the way that several gfx card manufactures - matrox et al - dropped out of the race a few years back). in japan i think it'll sell incredably well - over here i'm not so sure. i agree with the comments on novelty value - my 2 pairs of bongos sit fairly unused at the moment -but maybe thats because them (and most other unusual controllers) only work for a very select number of games - the wii could, possably, throw such new controls into existing formats that it works brilliantly..

[Nick F]

oh my, they look like Sega Dreamcast graphics. Hopefully the better games will have something more to offer us!

[Spud1]

You just have to not care about the graphics - until Total Immersion Gaming™ appears then the level of graphics actually makes no difference past a certain point ( arguably the point the PS2/Xbox/GCUBE were at ). Sure newer ones look prettier but you are still 100% aware that it is a game..so it really doesn't change much.

The xbox360 and PS3 are both sold largely on their graphics (moreso the 360) and to be fair, the games do LOOK amazing, but its how they play that matters..the wii games may not look amazing but as long as they are fun to play and the graphics give you all the information you need - then thats all you need to do

For this reason i agree with 5lab - I don't think it will sell that well in the UK. Here consoles seem very image based and people look at graphics as a major factor in which to choose..nintendo have a totally unfair 'kiddie' reputation wheras sony, and more recently MS, have the 'street' reputation, that people like. Japan is a different market where people base their sales on the games and not the company or amount of street cred - hence why the Gamecube and PS2 totally outsold the original Xbox by miles.

I'll still be getting a wii this december =)

[Kezzer]

I've always loved Nintendo games. My DS Lite is fantastic, but I don't think we can judge until we have a bash on one to be honest. Nintendo games have always been the most enjoyable games for me to play.

[Raz316]

i dont mind the look of the wii sports games at all, its got character and i am positive it will look better on a tv screen and in motion too. Some of the other screens do look a bit ordinary though (again probably better on a tv).

But the Wii is the only 'next gen' console I'll buy.

[Steven W]

Wii - First Impressions.

http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=90942

[GeorgeTuk]

I have to agree those graphics aren't great but the others are pretty good and as said before simplistic and built for purpose. I know they need to have some bigger named games to get people interested but the graphics do not compare favourably with the other systems.

But take Rayman Raving Rabbids, its fun colourful simple graphics (i like the style) and the way you play should make it good. Same for Mario, I know many people didn't like the 3D but lets face it he couldn't stay as a 2D platormer forever. I quite enjoyed it actually, maybe I'm alone!?

[directhex]

I have to agree those graphics aren't great but the others are pretty good and as said before simplistic and built for purpose. I know they need to have some bigger named games to get people interested but the graphics do not compare favourably with the other systems.

But take Rayman Raving Rabbids, its fun colourful simple graphics (i like the style) and the way you play should make it good. Same for Mario, I know many people didn't like the 3D but lets face it he couldn't stay as a 2D platormer forever. I quite enjoyed it actually, maybe I'm alone!?

mario 64 was hailed by the press as a triumph, and still considered one of gaming's finest moments

so it's not just you

[bsodmike]

I just read the first impressions on the Wii and R^3 (rayman) - does look like it's still going to be a lot of fun, so here's hoping I'll be able to get a Wii at somepoint

Just to double check, does the stock Wii come with the gamepad type controller as well?



iirc i think not hrm...

[directhex]

I just read the first impressions on the Wii and R^3 (rayman) - does look like it's still going to be a lot of fun, so here's hoping I'll be able to get a Wii at somepoint

Just to double check, does the stock Wii come with the gamepad type controller as well?



iirc i think not hrm...

no. that's the virtual console controller, it's an add-on for playing VC games only. you can use cube pads instead if you prefer.