Super Mario Galaxy just came out. According to pretty much everyone, that game is amazing. Metroid Prime 3 was also a pretty good game, according to what I hear. Alright, anything else good? Oh wait, there was that one game called Zack and Wigi... or was it Wiki?... that I hear is pretty good. Though I hear that fromthe few people who actually played the game. Those people are a distinct minority. Too bad, because if Zack & Wiji or whatever is a good quality game, then it's being overlooked. I just went to my local rental store hoping to check this game out which I'm hearing (from the few) that it is being criminally over-shadowed, and I find out that it certainly is being over-shadowed... Cause the store didn't have the game. In the spot where the game should be, I see countless mediocre titles. Disappointed that I might be missing a real quality game, I decide to rent a new release from a series I love (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn). That game got a 6.0 from GS, and from the 2 hours I spent playing it, I can already tell that GS was really off the ball with this one. I truly am satisfied with the game... Though what about Zack & Wiki (did I finally get it right???)? Is it a Silver Rupee lost in the Great Sea of Mediocrity? (Wind Waker reference)

The Wii... I've said this many times already... Could be the greatest system of all time. Though if keeps on getting flooded withmediocrity, it could turn out to be another Nintendo system with the status of the GC, only with motion-sensing controls. There is a thing called the Nintendo Seal of Quality... Yeah, that's acutally what it's called, the Seal of Quality... What a joke! They pretty much slap that on every game as long as it isn't like Big Rigs. That thing should instead be called the "Nintendo Seal of Not Being as Much of a Rip-off as Big Rigs." Big Rigs, if you don't know, is probably the biggest rip-off ever. It was an uncomplete failure (as opposed to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on the NES, which was absolutely abysmal, but the game was at least finished... meaning that it was a complete failure). So as long as your game isn't as glitchy as Big Rigs, you can easily get your game on the Wii, and if you want to earn some cash in the process, just put a nice description on the back cover and slap a nice fancy title that will attract those casual gamers whom can entice to knavery easier than oil exploding with an inferno on top of it. Then go buy a nice new fancy couch, sit back, relax, and enjoy watching money flood into your bank account.

Meanwhile, Capcom, a company known for making uber-quality games like Mega Man and Resident Evil and the Oracle Zeldas, jump into the mud, and try to produce somethign that the Wii is lacking. Take a wild guess as to what it is. ...If you guessed quality, you would be correct. When they decided to import Resident Evil 4 to the Wii, they improved it vastly (according to many). They didn't just slap on some silly motion-sensing controls to earn a quick buck. Then they decided to go out and try something new. Instead of sitting back on their success, they took some time and decided to make another quality game to clear some of that "Mediocre Mud" from the Wii's Great Sea of Games. They created Zack & Wiki (yes, got it right twice in a row, woohoo), and according to Pierst, it kicks ass. Though did it clear some of the pollution in the Wii's library? Nope. It just simply sunk below that mud, and became completely over-shadowed. Since it isn't the most appealing of games, very few are willing to actually dive into the sea and pull out the game. What a shame!

Now back to the Seal of Quality. Why did Nintendo name it that and slap onto all of those mediocre titles? Well, they too want to earn some quick bucks. They're also a business. You can't expect them to be so saintly. Especially not in the kind of world we live in today. So you can't blame them... Wait a second, yes you could! Now back to my repeated statement: "The Wii is potentially the greatest system of all time." However, Nintendo is allowing all those mediocre games itno such a great system, and it's ruining their amazing creation. As great as the Wii is, it is being looked down upon the ones who are keeping the industry alive: the hardcore gamers. It's great and all that Nintendo is trying to expand the market, to get more people into gaming, to make more money for themselves, to go back on top of the industry... Though what is happening could ultimately lead to their demise. Three things can happen:

1. 3rd party developers actually begin making more qaulity games, Nintendo listens to us true gamers, and overall, the Wii climbs onto top of the console war, taking Nintendo to the top of VG ladder.

2. Nintendo does nothing to change for the rest of this generation, and the Wii ultimately becomes another N64 or GC.

3. Same as the above, except some thigns go very wrong, and because Nintendo in a way neglected their true loyal fans, they end up dropping so low, they would eventually have to quit.

Now, #3 may seem a little extreme, but anything is possible. It's mostly up to Nintendo to try to clear up the "Mediocre Mud" to please us loyal fans, and to ultimately save this amazing system. I'm hoping #1 happens, and it very well could. Though so could #2, and #3 is possible as well. I only hope Nintendo sees the potential disater. Though the problem is, they are at the moment being very successful, and I highly doubt they're going to change much. We can only hope that some more 3rd Parties try to do what Capcom is trying to do, and that Nintendo continues making amazing games. Though the 3rd Party could ultimately decide the fate of not only the Wii, but of Nintendo's future.

PS: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, according to my first hour of experience, is a very good game. If you want a challenging strategy game, go ahead and at least rent it. I'm really wondering where that 6 popped up from when GS was reviewing the game. Maybe it's because they were becoming too usedto mediocrity on the system...

PS 2: Due to my great grades (posted in the below blog post), I got Honor Roll with Distinction! That pretty much certifies that I will be getting SMG by the end of this year.

PS 3: At least the Wii isn't bankrupting Nintendo like the PS3 is really afecting Sony's sales. That system could really end up disastrous for them. Though it is starting to gain a little bit of ground in recent times...