So tell me about the Wii...

Cafe Society
1

Another thread originally about contrasting the Xbox vs. the PS3 devolved at some point into a pros-and-cons discussion of Nintendo’s Wii.

Well it so happens that my mother is all keen on getting my family a Wii for Christmas, and has overpaid MSRP significantly to make that happen.

Now, I myself am not a “gamer”; years ago I used to play a lot of First Person Shooter and fantasy quest types of games on my PC (and before that, on a C=64), but after I was unable to finish Half-Life and Wolfenstein 3D due to a lack of free time I basically stopped playing. I was probably at my peak back in the days of Quake II, even ran a deathmatch server to play with my friends and co-workers.

Nowadays if I try to give, say, Doom 3 a whirl I get motion sick from the blurring on my 20" LCD flat panel. I don’t know if it’s the difference between a 17" CRT and a 20" LCD, though, maybe I’m over the hill :slight_smile:

So I think I’ll find the Wii reasonably fun. My question though is this: while the selling point of the Wii is definitely its unique controller technology, I have also read that it’s compatible with Nintendo DS and/or GameCube games. Is that true? Is there not a standard Nintendo controller that will work with the Wii for these games?

And, I will be hooking it up to a 50" HDTV plasma screen. I have also read that the native resolution of the Wii is 480p at 854x480 – are the games “widescreen” in format then?

Aside from the “sports” games that come packaged with the Wii, what about games like the Simpsons game or something? I’ve read reviews that said the quirky controller detracted from the game play, but shouldn’t there be some standard Nintendo controller that would work in the “normal” fashion?

2

I’ve played the Wii very sparingly, but it’s fun for parties and such. It’s a nifty little toy, but I DO love my 360 with all my bosoms (which, admittedly, isn’t much, but with all of the bosoms that I do have, I lurve it that much).

3

The Wii will play Gamecube games out of the box, by just inserting the Gamecube disc into the Wii and plugging a Gamecube controller into the top of the system. I haven’t heard of any DS functionality as of yet, but I’ve fallen way out of the loop since leaving my video game retailing job. You can also buy a controller that looks like an SNES controller (with analog sticks) for use with the older Nintendo games (which are periodically added to an online database of downloadable content, for a small fee).

Make sure to check the reviews for Wii games. The controller, while making some games insanely fun, has really ruined a couple of other games. It’s still early in the system’s cycle, developers don’t quite know how to use the system. I’ve really enjoyed Excite Truck, Legend of Zelda, and Trauma Center.

4

[QUOTE=robardin]
So I think I’ll find the Wii reasonably fun. My question though is this: while the selling point of the Wii is definitely its unique controller technology, I have also read that it’s compatible with Nintendo DS and/or GameCube games. Is that true? Is there not a standard Nintendo controller that will work with the Wii for these games?

And, I will be hooking it up to a 50" HDTV plasma screen. I have also read that the native resolution of the Wii is 480p at 854x480 – are the games “widescreen” in format then?

Aside from the “sports” games that come packaged with the Wii, what about games like the Simpsons game or something? I’ve read reviews that said the quirky controller detracted from the game play, but shouldn’t there be some standard Nintendo controller that would work in the “normal” fashion?
[/QUOTE]

a) GC games require GC controllers for somewhat obvious reasons–there’s plug-ins for four on the top of the machine. You will also need a GC memory card to save those games.

b) As far as I can tell it stretches. You tell the system on set-up if you have a 4:3 or a 16:9 TV, and it scales accordingly.

c) There’s a classic controller (actual name) that will plug into the Wiimote that can be used for some games. It’s basically a SNES controller, only white. Not all games support it though, you’ll want to check that out before buying if you plan on using a classic controller (It’ll be indicated on the top right corner of the backside of the game case). Some games really benefit from the Wiimote, others just become rapid arm waving.

5

As for the classic controller, you CANNOT use it to play Gamecube games and must supply an original gamecube controller, which awkwardly plugs into the top of the console. This is a major oversight on their part, as you’re looking at a $50 or so outlay of cash just to actually play gamecube games on the system - $20 or so for a controller and another $25 or so for the memory card. Every time I’ve been close to picking up a gamecube title, I realize that I’m looking at $80 or so just to play it and I put it back.

6

As for the DS, they’ve been claiming that you’ll be able to download DS demos through the system, but they haven’t made it a reality yet.

7

Yes, the Wii can be either 4:3 or 16:9. I have a native 16:9 digital projector I run mine through. The Wii doesn’t come with the component cable, though, so you’ll want to pick one up as soon as possible.

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[QUOTE=VCO3]
As for the DS, they’ve been claiming that you’ll be able to download DS demos through the system, but they haven’t made it a reality yet.
[/QUOTE]

In Japan they have, and soon to be the US. Plus some games have already included this functionality, such as Geometry Wars, which allows you to download a demo of the DS version to your handheld.

9

The thing about the Wii Controller is that programmers that really have it figured out, it has made the game really fun. Other programmers have made it somewhat awkward. So definitely check out hte reviews. Wii Sports is great fun for the whole family. The New Mario game that came out is amazing. You can buy and download older versions of classic Nintendo games. (I have Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Kart downloaded… I plan on someday buying all the Zelda games, but have suffered from a severe lack of funds for this type of spending :frowning: )

The Wii only broadcasts at 480p like you mention, but can do a 16:9 screen. You just set it as such in your Wii settings.

For the record, I love my Wii. But I’m mad into party games, and not so much the xbox/ps2&3 type of games. (Which makes me insanely sad that there are no plants for Wii Rock Band- but that is another thread)

10

Thanks for the info. My in-laws have a Nintendo GameCube and my kids like playing a couple of the games they have for it, featuring Pokemon fighting Donkey Kong and other assorted Nintendo characters from video games past, I was wondering if I could play those games on a Wii as well.

So I’ll have to get GC controllers and memory cards? I hope those aren’t as hard to get as the Wii is!

So how many games are actually “natively” 16:9? I have mucho component cables as they came with all my HD cable boxes and DVD players, but I’m running HDMI connections for them.

And, for those games whose play have been funkified by poor implementations for the Wii controllers, can I use the “Wii Classic Controller” to get “normal” gameplay?

11

Oh and here’s another question: if the Wii is best at “party games”, how many controllers should I be getting? Two? Four? What are the “nunchuks” all about?

So far I think I’m getting two nunchuks and two Wii controllers included in the Wii set I’m overpaying for (or rather, that my mother is overpaying for), and two “classic” controllers, which I was hoping would let me play GameCube stuff but I see now that I’ll need yet more stuff to get that going…

12

[QUOTE=VCO3]
Every time I’ve been close to picking up a gamecube title, I realize that I’m looking at $80 or so just to play it and I put it back.
[/QUOTE]

Well, it is a one-time overhead cost, and in my case I’m not paying for the Wii itself. But yeah, that’s counterintuitive and seems bogus.

Still, are there no titles available for both GameCube and (native) Wii? You’re expected to spring for the controllers and memory I guess?

To be honest I’m getting a little lost as to what games are available for which platforms. I’m sure there’s a website out there that basically shows all current games by category in a tabular grid of compatibility/availability, like this:



Title      Wii   GameCube  PS2  PS3  Xbox  Xbox360  PC   Mac/OSX  [...]

Zelda's Spring Break
            x         x          x     x      x
[...]

So I can prepare with, for example, the Pokemon fighting games my kids like, along with the Simpsons game I think I’d like to try, plus some Wii-specific titles, etc.

Being something of a fossil I’d love to see some older games listed as well. Are older Nintendo games (NES, Super NES or whatever) backwards compatible with GC and Wii at all?

13

By the way, I read that they recently added the ability to hook up a USB keyboard for use on the Wii menu, like when you’re surfing the Internet. I haven’t tried it yet.

14

[QUOTE=VCO3]
As for the classic controller, you CANNOT use it to play Gamecube games and must supply an original gamecube controller, which awkwardly plugs into the top of the console. This is a major oversight on their part, as you’re looking at a $50 or so outlay of cash just to actually play gamecube games on the system
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but the two controllers aren’t similar enough to use the classic one for gamecube games. Nintendo significantly reworks their controllers every time they release a new system, and the classic controller is missing many of the buttons the GC controller has. I think it’s more aimed at people who already have a GC than people who are buying the games new for the Wii.

15

[QUOTE=robardin]
Oh and here’s another question: if the Wii is best at “party games”, how many controllers should I be getting? Two? Four?
[/QUOTE]

I would probably suggest four Wii Remote in total, assuming that many people plan on playing. My family loves Wii Sports (the game that comes with the system) and we always play four player on it. However, I should mention that most of the games within Wii Sports only require 1 or 2 controllers (you can pass it around in some sports, like Bowling and Golf), but a couple like Baseball and Tennis require 1 per person. But I’ve found it more convenient to just have one per person. Plus if you plan on playing additional games (like Rayman Raving Rabbids), then you would definitely want four.

[QUOTE=robardin]
What are the “nunchuks” all about?
[/QUOTE]

As for the nunchucks, those are an addition controller that connect to the Wii Remote, and you hold it in your left hand. It’s not required in every game (like Wii Sports), but most make some use of it. As such, I would also recommend having as many of these as you do Wii Remotes.

[QUOTE=robardin]
Well, it is a one-time overhead cost, and in my case I’m not paying for the Wii itself. But yeah, that’s counter intuitive and seems bogus.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the $80 figure VCO3 spots are horribly out of date. That may have been true when the GCN was new, but these days you can find the components for much, much cheaper. Looks like Amazon is selling the wired GameCube controller new for $20. Memory cards are a bit more expensive, but it looks like you can buy the largest one for less than $30.

[QUOTE=robardin]
Still, are there no titles available for both GameCube and (native) Wii? You’re expected to spring for the controllers and memory I guess?

[/QUOTE]

Do you mean a single game that works on both systems? Sadly, no. However, a couple of games have been released as two separate ones on both, such as Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii and GameCube (the GameCube one will work on Wii of course, but you’ll again need the controller/memory card, and you’ll be missing out on several features.)

[QUOTE=robardin]
Being something of a fossil I’d love to see some older games listed as well. Are older Nintendo games (NES, Super NES or whatever) backwards compatible with GC and Wii at all?
[/QUOTE]

Well, not in the sense that you can plug them in and play. But I think as previously mentioned, there are now hundreds of these games available for download on the Wii for anywhere from $5-10 each.

16

Okay, a few more things. Gamecube equipment is significantly cheaper than VCO3 thinks it is. If you can’t get a controller and memory card for ten dollars all together then look somewhere else. Even if you don’t buy used you can get them for $10 each new. The Gamecube controllers are well worth it both for backward compatibility (the Gamecube has a good library of first party Nintendo titles that you couldn’t get for other platforms) and because you don’t need the classic controller if you have them.

The Virtual Console is the download service for games essentially older than the Gamecube; they’ve got NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Genesis, Turbographix, and Neo Geo games and I’m sure I’m forgetting a platform or two. These games work very well but the Virtual Console is not compatible with 16:9 televisions and the image stretches (it does not stretch for Wii and most Gamecube titles since they have a proper progressive scan widescreen mode). On some titles you may not notice things but if you’re one of those people like me (and I know I am) then watching things in the wrong aspect ratio drives you crazy and you’ll be switching back and forth.

If you want a large crowd to play then you definitely need four Wiimotes but consider only getting two nunchucks to start with. Most of the party games don’t need the nunchucks but there’s plenty of games for two players that do. One of the better ways to get a Wiimote is to get Wiiplay which includes the controller and for $10 more a game similar to Wii Sports.

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[QUOTE=Red Barchetta]

Yeah, the $80 figure VCO3 spots are horribly out of date. That may have been true when the GCN was new, but these days you can find the components for much, much cheaper. Looks like Amazon is selling the wired GameCube controller new for $20. Memory cards are a bit more expensive, but it looks like you can buy the largest one for less than $30.

[/QUOTE]

$19.99 for a controller + $24.99 for a memory card + $30 for the game = $75.

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[QUOTE=Just Some Guy]
Okay, a few more things. Gamecube equipment is significantly cheaper than VCO3 thinks it is. If you can’t get a controller and memory card for ten dollars all together then look somewhere else. Even if you don’t buy used you can get them for $10 each new.

[/QUOTE]

I would absolutely love to know where I can find a new controller and new memory card for $10 each. Both Target and Gamestop have the controller for $19.99 and the memory unit for $24.99. Even Gamestop’s ugly, embarrassing generic controller is $14.99.

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[QUOTE=VCO3]
I would absolutely love to know where I can find a new controller and new memory card for $10 each. Both Target and Gamestop have the controller for $19.99 and the memory unit for $24.99. Even Gamestop’s ugly, embarrassing generic controller is $14.99.
[/QUOTE]

As I mentioned before, I found the controller for $10 new at Amazon. And the largest memory card for $25, and i’m positive even better deals exist elsewhere.

20

[QUOTE=Red Barchetta]
As I mentioned before, I found the controller for $10 new at Amazon. And the largest memory card for $25, and i’m positive even better deals exist elsewhere.
[/QUOTE]

This is the only one you can get new, and it’s a bootleg/generic.