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I was lucky enough to get my original Wii console package with three Wii games thrown in at the normal purchase price. Included in this was of course - Wii Sports, and also Big Beach Sports and Carnival Games. Wii Big Beach Sports comes with 6 games including Volleyball, Disc Golf, Cricket, Bocce Ball, Soccer and Football. The graphics is cartoonist. The Football is just a two player a side game which means your limited in play options. Disc Ball and Bocce Ball are similar - just "push-throw" the Wii remote and exert the right amount of force to get close to the target, it gets boring after awhile. The cricket is the best game of the 6 although you only control the bowler and batter in each innings and hitting a six and four is pretty easy. Judging a run is a much harder proposition and I found it was just easy not to run and hit boundaries, as every wicket loss is minus runs - just like indoor cricket. The soccer and volleyball are fun although the controls in soccer are difficult to master with you not controlling the players movements only the "kicks".
Wii Carnival Games is 25 mini-games set in a carnival atmosphere. Many of the games can also be found in your bigger arcade's - games like alley ball and ka-pow (knocking down clowns) should be familiar to all. If you like fairs this is just like one on your t.v., but without the expensive admission prices, the crowds and the month old food. It can have up to four player at one time so it a really good family/ social game. Winning games wins you ticket which you can trade in for various items/ prizes. The controls on the games are pretty intuitive and work well, although minute control is difficult on more precise games.
I don't know if I would have normally brought either of these games off the shelf. But with both of them having been thrown in with the original Wii console purchase I'm glad for the added variety they give to my Wii game collection.
Are you looking for more Wii games - you can download them off the internet.
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As most Wii console packages come standard with the Wii Sports package I thought I would start my games review with this one.
Wii sports comes with five sports.
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Golf
- Tennis
- Boxing
You can play all bar the boxing with the controller that comes out of the standard package. But to play the boxing game, you will need the nunchuck. At least two controllers and nunchucks are ideal as this game is best in a group.
Baseball:
Apart from the Mii's having no legs the game is graphically quite nice. The game choses your Mii's as players first so you will see you own names coming up on the team roster first. It you don't know what a "Mii" is, you can generate them in the Mii channel so keep all the stats for yourself, family and guests. I have one for each family member and the Mii looks similar (i.e. the kids Mii's are shorter, slimmer, etc). The pitching in baseball is easy. Just hold the holder in your hand (cord attached to wrist for safety) and swing forward and downward - fast for a fast pitch, slow for a slow pitch. Pushing no button gives a straight fast ball, the "A" button a screw ball and "B" for a curve ball and "A" and "B" for a splitter (dropping ball).
Batting is even simpler - just swung the controller like you would a baseball bat. Timing is everything if you want a home run.
Unfortunately you can no longer steal bases as in the old Nintendo favorites, this and the fact the game is only 3 innings long are my only criticisms.
Bowling:
Ten pin bowling. Swing an underarm and hit the "B" button to release. My secret - hit the "B" at the very last moment - the ball will hit down and stay on track. This works until you improve to "PRO" level in which case you will notice the ball spins off to the side more. You can make the ball spin by moving your wrist while swinging.
I'm a much better bowler online than in real life getting scores of over two hundred. However the game is very realistic with bowling alley sounds, pins dropping and more.
Golf:
Like the real game Wii Sports golf requires patience, timing and the right application of force. Up to a nine hole golf course with ever more difficult and challenging holes. The best bet is to be conservative in your shot selection and power it you want any hope of reaching a hole in par. Its also import in Wii Sports Golf to stay on the fairway as you have a significant penalty in power if you land on the rough.
Tennis:
This is the only game that is disappointing. Wii Sports Tennis is lacking the necessary control in the ability to slam and directing the ball it a matter of very fine timing. Also running the "Mii" over the court is difficult and slow, meaning you often are in the wrong place to even get close to hitting the ball. The two player game isn't too bad if you play with someone else on your team as you are able to cover the court better making up for the lack of movement in the Mii's.
Boxing:
Wii Fit Sports should come with a medical warning - see you doctor before you play, especially with the boxing because you will end up huffing and puffing. This is the most difficult to get to pro rating with the boxers you face getting increasing better. You will have to learn to dodge, weave and time your punch combinations. Its sometimes difficult to get the Mii to box as quick as you want, or in the place you want. I find making a side body shot particularly difficult. Boxers normally get back up after a knock down. Only a really good upper head shot combo while they are on the way down will keep them down.
Wii Sports also comes with a fitness and training option to test your reflexes, timing and power.
Its a great package to come standard with the Wii.
Wii Downloads
One of the things that sets the Wii apart from previous consoles is the ability to download off the internet. Thanks to the Wireless connection its not hard to get online. I already had a wireless connection set up for my laptop so setting up the Wii to download off the internet was a breeze. All I needed to do was hit the search for wireless connection on the Wii and then type in the WAP code and the wireless setting was connected. Unfortunately you have to pay $15 to get 500 Wii points to download the URL browser bar to turn your Wii into a full download machine. It will download off the Wii channels without having the URL browser but then your paying Nintendo company prices for your downloads if you buy off the Wii shopping channel, - there are a huge number of cheaper download options for your Wii. Click the picture above for an example.
In latest posts I will rate various download sites and how I found them in terms of price, variety and ease of use.
Uploading Photos to your Wii
You can upload your photos to the Wii Photo channel and use the Wii like you would have with the old slide nights. Just because you don't have a slide projector any more doesn't mean you can't annoy your friends with endless slides of happy snaps of your latest holiday with it all uploaded to the Wii. If you get sick of the Wii virtual keyboard you can even plug a keyboard into your Wii remote controller and type as you would for any other computer. To add photos you can just simply put your SD card into the the Wii console and away you go, mini and micro SD cards can be fitted with an adapter.
Why the Nintendo Wii?
It was my birthday and my great wife wanted to buy me a console for my birthday. When she ask which one I wanted I said without a doubt the Nintendo Wii. She said she had wanted to surprise me with a Sony Playstation, but I said I wanted the Wii for not just me but for the whole family.
Its not that I have anything hugely against the Playstation 3, (I used to own an original playstation console and currently own a PSP - which is a great little machine), or for that matter against the Xbox 360 - my brother has one. Graphically even the Wii agrees it doesn't compete with the PS3 or Xbox in terms of graphic potential. The PS3 and XBox360 certainly appeal to an older market in terms of the games they produce. For example I can't get Assassins creed (yet) on the Wii and its graphics wouldn't be as lifelike as the PS3 or XBox360, but in terms of playability, fun and all round appeal the Wii beats them hands down.
There a number of reasons for this.
- Size
- Price
- Motion
- Family
- Add on's
- History
- Fun
Size:-
The Wii is small enough to place just about anywhere. I've got my on the size of my big screen tv in the stand that comes with the original package. This is the so call upright position. You can also have it horizontal and sitting under or on top of the tv. When space is a premium you don't want a console that won't squeeze into your TV cabinet - I don't very much you will have any problems finding a space for the Wii. The motion sensor bar is small as well and very easy to set up.
Price:-
At $388 Australian dollars the Wii was about $300 cheaper than the nearest comparable console - included in that price I had 3 games thrown in as well. Some PS3 people would argue but you get a blue ray disk player with the PS3 - but that would just mean more expense in changing over all my DVD's to blue ray disks - I'll skip that opportunity for now thanks. The Wii accessories aren't too bad in price either - a must have being a nunchuck that plugs into the controller. They go for about $28, but I got mine on special for just over $20.
Motion:-
When I first heard about the Wii controller motion sensor I thought it would be difficult to use. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Wii and the player become one. You swing the controller like a baseball bat when playing baseball, you chip the controller just as if you had a club in your hand with golf. If you box in a game you "box" the controller and nunchuck. I didn't want another console where I grew fat just sitting on a chair. No chance with that with the Wii, you can do your workout playing games - ITS GREAT. One game I played for hours on end with constant punching and a component of a 16 round boxing match had me ripping off my shirt as I was sweating from a serious workout. After a week of this you notice your muscles actually bulking up - its quite amazing and you hardly notice it your having so much fun - it beats gym fees and endless weights.
Family:-
The Wii produces games that appeal to a family market. Whilst there are games for adults, the Wii has more children related games than any other console. The Wii sports that comes with the console package is a great way to spend time with your kids. Play ten pin bowls with them, baseball, and more. And trust me - my 7 year old is unbeatable in certain games - no matter how hard I try - thankfully I can also rely on a game of golf to restore a battered ego. My 2 year old even gets the motion concept of the controller so finds playing a game much easier than a solely button based controller.
Ad-on's:-
The Wii has lots of cool add ons. From turning your Wii into an internet surfer, to the Wii Fit which turns your Wii into a home gym. Wii wheels, nunchucks, 'guns' and traditional controllers all these add on's create even more playing environments. I think the Wii Fit is a great idea and likely to lead to having to split time between playing and the wife doing exercise. Oh well - sharing is important. The nunchuck is a must add on and a second contoller as well ($54) - so figure paying out another $70 within a couple of weeks of first buying the Wii.
History:-
The Nintendo Wii has a great history. Nintendo being the original lead producer in the home console market. This history has not been forgotten despite the dramatic new direction Wii is going. Old Nintendo game cube controllers still have a port on the new Wii is you choose to use them. Nintendo has shown loyality to its traditional titles like Mario and the Zelda series while continuing to develop new software options. Old Nintendo favorites can even be downloaded to your Wii and stored on the Wii huge hard drive. This protecting the history means your games today have a long future with the Wii.
Fun:-
Most of you have seen the Wii advert where a cute bubbly girl represents the Wii and a nerd represents other consoles - the Wii argues although not as bright as the other consoles (i.e. less computing power), its more fun. I have to agree with them - the Wii is a fun machine, more than that - its a family fun machine.
That's my reasoning for why I went with the Wii - its a decision I have not regretted.
Nintendo Wii Fanatic Blog opens.
This blog is going to be totally dedicated to the Nintendo Wii. Wii games, Wii downloads, Wii console, Wii Channels and all things Wii.
And rather than being written by some one who writes without the experience - this blog will be dedicated to the Wii Fanatics - i.e. those who use and love the Nintendo consoles.
With this in mind this blog is going to be my own opinions on various Wii games, Wii downloads and a pleb's view of the Wii. I'll be taking advantage of how my own children find various games and how easy the Nintendo Wii is to use. I will review games that I use and add suggestions that I hope will help increase you enjoyment of the Wii.
I'll also look at various Wii accessories as I buy and use them.
I hope you enjoy the future posts which will come from my own first person experience.
