I just walked out of the train station at Melbourne Central this morning and there it was... the Wii demonstration. I had heard they were doing the rounds at various Melbourne shopping centres (Highpoint & Chadstone at least - i know there's others though) and was actually thinking how cool it would be to see it in action when there it was, right in front of me! They've got four big screens with all the 1st party games playing - Zelda, Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Excite Truck.
I jumped on Excite Truck first and could not contain my grin. I know it’s already a cliché but the controller really is quite simply 'intuitive.' It might be a little tricky to start off with, and getting a feel for the movement takes a few minutes, but by the end of my first race I reckon I nearly had the hang of it. Playing the game was totally fun and one race was definitely not enough - I felt like I could have played for hours... its just such a new and exciting sensation - not quite as natural as holding a steering wheel in an arcade but very close. This definitely might be a launch-day purchase for me.
Next I had a quick 2-player go with the Laser Hockey (Air hockey) mini-game on Wii Play. I could see this being pretty fun once you get the hang of it, and actually it was still very fun but very sensitive and tricky to get used to.
I then had a reasonably long go at Wii Sports - Tennis (2-player again). I was actually surprised how simple this one was to pick up. Whenever I've seen footage of the Gamespot editors and others playing, I've been a bit sceptical - it looks a little difficult and I wondered whether anyone really could just pick it up and play. Well rest assured you totally CAN. Seriously, some of these guys must be so unco because from my first hit it was completely simple and felt incredibly natural. Most of all though - it was fun as! Both myself and the guy I played were both laughing our heads off - it was so simple and fun. Can’t wait.
I didn't play Zelda but spent a good amount of time watching. People seemed to pick it up fairly quickly and were hitting enemies with arrows at about 50% accuracy from the get-go. Still, the remote aiming looks tricky compared with the motion-based moves, which was my experience as well when comparing the aiming-based laser hockey with the other two motion-based games. Anyway it’ll be interesting to check it out - i might try and give it a go for myself this arvo if I get a chance.
In conclusion, most of my fears about the new control system are put to rest. Excite truck and Wii tennis = AWESOME FUN. The motion sensing is really tight and natural. Remote aiming seems very touchy and will take practice but I think with time it'll be fine. And one last thing - to those complaining about getting 'tired' and having 'sore arms' etc... I say good! Get off your lazy arses and move around a bit. Good! Video games aren't just for anti-social, unfit nerds anymore! Good! Nintendo is influencing the video game industry to begin moving away from gameplay that contributes to the obscene levels obesity in our world today. Viva la revolution! ;)
Seriously though, the controller is way light and responsive, and can be played off the hip with ease. Nothing to worry about there. I look forward to many long hours on the couch playing Zelda etc, just as much as I look forward to some energetic, arm-swinging, mini-games with friends and family. I think the Wii will cater for both styles of gameplay very well.
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