The Wii has always been considered by hardcore gamers as a bit of a joke. While it was a blockbuster money printing machine for Nintendo, it was less then what we hardcore gamers grew up. During the course of the Wii's lifespan it would seem that Nintendo had turned its back on its fans and embraced our grandmothers instead. I myself had these aversions to the Wii, but the novelty of the system as well as the price point led to me purchasing one anyway. While the motion control was neat for a while when it first came out I instantly yearned for an experience closer to real gaming and abandoned my new purchase to go back to my Xbox 360.
Months went by with my Wii virtually un-played until I traded it in towards a couple of new Xbox games and forgot about it completely. I didn't follow it and dismissed it out of hand until my son grew old enough many years later and his interest in video games began to grow. Santa Clause then brought him a Wii for Christmas. Occasionally I get an Nintendo kick going on fueled by nostalgia and I go through a binge where I catch up on all things Nintendo. This time it has lasted more then most because I finally figured out why the Wii doesn't suck.
In the throes of one of these kicks at this very moment I realize WHY I love Nintendo and the Wii so much. Recently I've been playing back through Super Smash Brothers Brawl because we had lost all our save data and playing it has been like a breath of fresh air; I didn't realize why until recently. First of all the game is just downright fun. While that seems like something that's a given in video games it really isn't. On the Xbox 360 we have games that are engaging, intense, have great stories, character leveling and all that, but it seems sometimes developers forget why most of us play video games in the first place: fun.
Nintendo has never taken their finger off this pulse, not once since they launched the NES. You could argue that their games are essentially the same as they used to be with various tweaks and you wouldn't be wrong, but the same could be said of almost any franchise on PlayStation and Xbox. Mario may have difficulty appealing to hardened and cynical teens and adults that adore blood covered violence, but play Super Mario Galaxy 1 or 2 and your tune might change. Gameplay is king in Nintendo's eyes and I think as a gamer I wholeheartedly agree.
So we have the sense of fun that Nintendo seems to nail in their games, but that wasn't quite what has me hooked lately. As I played through Smash Brothers I unlocked trophies, stickers, new levels, new characters, new songs, and even new parts to build new levels. There was a constant reward in actual content that I didn't have to pay a dime for. I desperately miss the time when you can just play a game knowing it's the complete game and that a month from release you won't be buying a new pack of costumes. The things like costume changes we used to unlock in our games during play are now regulated to DLC. If this game had been released now a days on 360 or PS3 I shudder to think what it would be like. Most likely the first roster of characters would be available, but instead of unlocking the rest of the content in the game you could buy a expansion pack with new levels for another ten bucks!
Don't get me wrong I enjoy good DLC and even DLC that adds new characters. Say a pack were released today with a couple of new characters for Super Smash Brothers Brawl that was actual developed content I would snap it up as fast as my bandwidth would allow. However, it's not used like that at all on the more powerful consoles. Instead the game is cut into pieces before it ever releases and offered up to you at a premium. As of now Nintendo doesn't do that and I pray they don't start with the Wii U. If your like me and you miss unlocking new things within the game then look no further then the Wii and it's myriad of games. Playing something like Super Smash Brothers Brawl is a refreshing experience and there is just so much to do, see and unlock.
Lastly, while it may have had a rough time keeping gamers busy over the years if it was their only console, I dare you to pick one up today and complain there are no good games. Of course Wii is home to more then it's fair share of mini game compilations and crap shovelware, but it's also filled to the brim with top notch gaming experiences that if you've never picked up the Wii would keep you busy for months. Here is just a short list from my recent experiences over the last year.
- Super Mario Galaxy 1
- Super Mario Galaxy 2
- Metroid Prime Trilogy
- Madworld
- Super Smash Brothers Brawl
- New Super Mario Brothers Wii
- Super Paper Mario
- The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
- The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword
- Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
- Battalion Wars 2
- Zack and Wiki
- Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
- Warioware Smooth Moves
- Epic Mickey
- Sin and Punishment
- Kirby's Epic Yarn
- Donkey Kong Country Returns
- Monster Hunter Tri
- Red Steel 1 and 2 (2 is far better)
- Muramasa: The Demon Blade
- Punch Out
- Sonic Colors
Factoring in Nintendo's nostalgic appeal and good gaming memories older fans have with them it's hard to see why most people don't give the Wii a try. Even if you don't like every game on the above list or it's respective genre you've got to admit it's an eye opener. The Wii catches a lot of flack for not having any games or being kiddy, and I fell prey to the same notions, but recently I've certainly changed my tune. If tiresome DLC, lackluster gameplay, or just wanting something new to play is affecting you then you might just want to give the Wii a spin. It totally doesn't suck!
After falling in love with the Wii all over it's easy to see if Wii U can leverage the fun of the titles above, it's innovative ideas, fantastic first party games, and third party support while also continuing to support it's casual demographic with games like Wii Fit and Wii Sports then Microsoft and Sony may just be in trouble.
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