My Grandma died last week, and before you start giving me condolences I want to tell you I don't want them. It isn't that I didn't like my grandma, but she was a real hermit who lived 9 hours away from us. So, needless to say, we didn't see her very much. Anyway, my parents made the drive down to her condo in Wichita, Kansas, to go through her belongings, clean everything out, and take care of legal issues. Meanwhile, I had gotten time off work that I was going to use to go down to see the family, but because of the way things turned out my parents asked me to stay with my 11, 13, and 15 year old siblings while they were gone. I spent Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, over at my parent's house and consequently I got to spend a good amount of time with the Wii my wife and I got them for Christmas.

I must say, that while the Wii controls show a lot of promise, I can't really call myself a fan. The games I spent most of my time on were Wii Sports (of course), Mario Party 8, and Trauma Center: Second Opinion. I also played Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, but there were a lot of problems with that game so I didn't spend much time on it. The biggest problem I had with the Wiimote is that it does not interpret your controls with 100% accuracy. This is especially a problem for highly competitive people like myself who end up losing due to a misinterpretation, or lack of recognition, of my motions. Another problem is when games use motion controls for things that could be much easier mapped to the d-pad. There was one particular game in Mario Party that required you to doge coconuts falling by moving to the right or left, but instead of pressing right or left you're required to twist the controller, very hard, to the left or the right. Problems like this are made worse by the first problem I mentioned. There is a third problem, but I think I'm one of the few people who really care. The Wiimote is poorly calibrated, and I know Nintendo is trying to keep things simple, but when I point at the center of the screen I want it to point. Again, for competitive people like myself, I would like my pointing to be accurately represented on screen, its not. If you can calibrate the DS, I see no reason why you can't do the same thing with the Wii.

There are some places where the Wii really shines though. I really enjoyed Trauma Center. The game is a great example of correct ways to use the controls. Its simple, but it works. I also really enjoy the Miis and wish there was more Mii support. In Mario Party 8 your Miis walk around in the background, but I see no reason why you couldn't select your Mii as your character for the game. Another advantage of the Wii, which I actually find annoying, is everyone at least THINKS they can play it. It is probably the most approachable system ever made, but it is still video games and it is so annoying to be stuck watching your 13 year old sister and your 21 year old wife lose over and over again. Still, I've got to give Nintendo props on creating a system my wife actually has some interest in playing.

So, thats my assessment. I am honestly fairly glad I don't own the Wii myself, because I found it too frustrating most of the time. A lot of the Wii's problems are software based, but some are on the hardware. The system is not practical for me for a few reasons, the inaccurate interpretation of your motions, the inability to properly calibrate the Wiimote, and the poor internet features (including lack of voice chat). If you're an online competitor like myself the Wii is not for you, but thats not to say it is horrible. It is the most fun my wife has ever had playing video games. Also, it is the only system that my entire family, including my mom, is willing to play.

Have you played the Wii? What are your thoughts?