Wii Remote - Revolution in itself - 10/10
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Nintendo's Wii Remote. The basic or standard controller, for the most amazing console that we all come to this website to talk about. The only true way to see the most awesome might and power of the Wii remote is to actually have held it in your own hands, and see what it's capable of. If you have ever used a standard controller where you sit 2 hands on it, and have never seen a wii-mote... you are in for a big surprise. Just amazing enough that i was able to write a whole review about it.
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4 main features
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Motion Sensors:
What a good idea aye? I mean to put motion sensing in it, then release a game like wii sports with those videos, was the ultimate gimmick to show off it wasn't just another gaming console, I know for a fact that I was downloading videos and wanted to see what the Nintendo Wii (revolution back then) was like. So i downloaded some Wii Sports ones... I was swept away, it looked so fun! Just how everything worked. And the price of it all was really a kick on the face not to get a PS3. Then seeing other things like Red Steel on videos was so awesome!
Actually using it as i said is just the most amazing thing itself, it was just so amazingly fun to play. To actually be able to swing the video game controller to hit a tennis ball? I mean what could be better, same with boxing, that was a true revolution, able to detect different types of motion. Most people don't realise how much detail is into how the motion works! They think if it senses something it just hits the ball. But no, once you really pay attention and figure out how it truly works, you only then truly begin to appreciate the coolness and complete complexity while still maintaining it's simplicity.
The one thing i think they could have improved on though in this section when it comes to people who don't read it, or don't understand the video game world. I mean they did print most of it in black and white throughout games like wii sports, but it's the stubborn ones that will hold the remote, like (dare i say) my dad. He will hold it in the wrong way, then blame it all on the machine and call it stupid. I see that happen to a lot of people. But when it comes down to it, it's the users fault, not Nintendo. They gave them the chance to read what to do. It's the same as how people throw the wii remote at other people and sue Nintendo? When Ninty practically spams the words 'please wear the wrist strap' throughout like every game.
So really, considering this was the first of it's type in the video gaming world, i have to see that this got 2 thumbs up in my books. They innovated, and owned.
With the power of motion in your hands, anything is possible
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Sensor Bar:
Wow, what a cool little thing, nice to see you can like point at the screen and watch it controlled to your sensitivity, i mean really, if you have seen it, it's just 5 LED lights on a little black bar, and this opens so many opportunities for the wii it's literally crazy. Something i noticed was that wii sports, the launch title really took advantage of the wii's motion sensing, and people that bought a second wii remote, bought it with wii play, which showed off the sensor bar, so people would know the capabilities of it. This itself to me is a very, very good plan. I know i bought both of them.
Sure it can be annoying to set up, having too much light in the room, too close, too far away, blah blah blah, but once you get it just right, it's perfect, and then it can be truly fun to play games like wii play and others. The one problem most newcomers have towards is though it that they always seem to for some reason not understand how sensitive it is, they move it around like crazy. Maybe a new feature to turn down how sensitive it is, even playing games some of the newer people to gaming have trouble. I mean it's not terrible as in the end they get used to it, just like everything else.
But this opens so many opportunities for wii video games in the future, like you saw red steel? it was an alright game, but the shooting was awesome, and my personal favorite coming round the cornet, Metroid Prime 3, is taking on the shooting control scheme with the Sensor bar, you can also edit the sensitivity of it as well, which is even more better! It is the closest thing on video games these days to a PC mouse, nothing beats a PC mouse when playing a game though, but it close to it, and just about the closest you can get in a video game.
As usual Nintendo still seem to come up with the most simplistic ideas and adapt them to their amazingly designed games to bring another feature that will never be forgotten.
Being able to point and click/shoot, a new level to gaming
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In-built speaker:
Ah, not the best thing to do a 3 paragraph review on but hey, let's give it a shot. The in built speaker aye? Yet another one of Nintendo's cool little features that all comes together to make the gigantic thing we like to call a console, heh heh. Anyway this is a nice feature because say your TV is on mute, or something like that, you can still hear those minor yet important noises from the wii remote, like in Zelda, when you draw an arrow back, it makes the noise on the wii remote. How cool is that!
And the beauty of it all is that it is completely adjustable from the HOME button. This can actually get really quite loud when you turn it up. It's good because then it's like having 2 speakers, the only problem with it all is that the louder it gets, and like most things, that aren't super expensive, it loses quality the louder it gets. I would really like to see some future compatibility to do with the so called built in microphone, something about it has the hardware, just not the firmware. But it would be nice to not only have a speaker there, but to have a microphone also, would be a great! idea for a game.
So really, not much to talk about here, but the main point is, that this little feature does make me love this great controller a lot more. And if used right, this could have massive potential behind future plans.
Such a simple yet awesome idea
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Vibration:
ooo, whoever knew this would be such a big part of gaming? I'll take you an adventure through time now, back to my youth, in the time of the N64. Back then there was no rumble. If you wanted it to have rumble/vibration, you would have to buy some adapter. I don't know where i got it from. But back then it was just that much not a part of gaming that you needed an adapter, with a battery in it, just to feel some random vibration that has no match for the wii's built in one.
Back to the wii. Why am i so excited about the one on the wii? Because Nintendo finally realized how much depth just feelings in our hand does. I first noticed when i placed my wii-mote cursor thing on top of a wii channel, and i felt a small rumble. Isn't it cool, how they managed to fine tune it to vibrate that small amount. And when you play say a game like Red Steel in multi-player, and you die. What happens? This high amount of vibration goes through your hands.
I noticed eventually that this became a part of average gaming in games like Zelda. Everywhere you went, whether you were shooting things, flinging your sword, or doing that little addictive Roll that Link always loves to do, you could feel it, a different tone, a different feeling, one was soft, one was harsh.
Most people don't realise just the amazing impact the Wii remotes vibration has on them. They only ever notice once the are used to it and turn it off. And they are truly amazed.
Fine Tuned vibration to give depth like never before
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Ways using the wii-mote (side, nunchuck, retro controller)
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Nintendo never settle for 1 thing
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Plain Wii-mote:
Well it's the wii-mote. This is great for games like in wii sports tennis, baseball etc. As it is very light, and oh so easy to hold in your hand without bugging you. This is really great because it lets you have such a wide range of things to do, while not becoming annoying to hold.
Although trying to play a heavy game like this would be next to impossible. There is a lack of a lot of buttons. And even with the small amount you have, some are in stupidly hard places to reach if you were playing a very intense game like Brawl. But the reason it doesn't need those buttons is for the next thing...
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Nunchuck:
Doesn't it just sound like something you would enjoy because of its name it has. It sounds like something i ninja would use. This not only provides the extra add on off 2 buttons as well as the extra little joystick thing. But it also offers it's very own seperate motion sensing, yes that is right, another one!
It is perfect to use in games like the launch titles zelda and red steel. And now games like Mario Strikers, it is perfect the use the toggle as it is much better control then using motion sensing to steer, which they don't do anyway. Plus it is easier then using the d-pad to do everything. The fact of having this as a motion sensor as well gives a big boost on things
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Wii-mote on side:
I haven't had much experience with this myself, and the only game i have that has this feature is 'charge' from wii play. I personally don't like this very much, tilting the remote to turn, i would rather just steer sometimes, but it is new, and features are still being worked out and edited. So i might give it some time to adapt to the gaming industry.
Using number 1 or 2 as go and reverse, then making the d-pad the new steering thing is much easier though then if it was normal. As the d-pad is easier to reach. But hey, if it's another way to hold it, and it's free, and makes things easier, it's always ok in my books. Also they say you can play brawl like that for the people that don't have a nunchuck or GC controller.
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Retro Controller:
Now wasn't this cool? I never am going to need one as i have Gamecube controllers and extension cords, which feel perfectly comfortable in my hands. But for all those new wii owners, that don't have GC controllers, this is the option for them. It is only about $15 and it plugs into the same place the nunchuck does, put the wii-mote somewhere, and it's completely wireless.
It does though run off the wii-motes battery, but not much of it. And it does save cords coming out of the top of the wii looking all messy. My personal option would be (if i could afford it) buy a wavebird. Wireless, doesn't look ugly from your wii, too much... and then it doesn't have vibration! So in the end it's up to you what you use for things like VC games, mines still on the GC controller.
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Other Things
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Button Placement:
I think Nintendo really wanted to do something different with this. Most other controllers in the past few years have been simple ones with maybe 2 toggle things, a d-pad and 4 buttons as well as triggers etc. But this was different. First of all just holding the wii-mote by itself in your hand, you only have access to 2 buttons and a d-pad, and a plus and minus and 2 numbers, but in fast paced games you wont have time to move your hand like that.
This puts a large strain on what you can do with it. But they overcame that problem with the motion sensing, in some games it does a lot, sometimes most of the work, meaning that you don't often press buttons just swing the wii-mote in the direction the screen tells you. Also the sensor bar helps out too. Each of these things really seem to intertwine, that's why i like Nintendo.
And even when you think they can't inter relate anymore, what happens when yo need to make a game, that can't really use motion sensing, but needs more buttons! Plug the nunchuck in! Yes, Nintendo can think of everything. They always change and manipulate their controller everytime, from the N64 to the GC and now to a revolution in gaming we call the Wii-mote.
Motion Sensing/Sensor bar replaces the need for overuse of buttons
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Weight and Size:
Seeing it on the screen, some trailer of someone playing wii sports, then opening it in the box the day i got my wii, it was a lot smaller then i thought it would be. It just seemed to be smaller then what i thought it would be. The weight of it was amazing too, it was so light, and i mean really lite compared to some things. Thinking about how much is crammed into that poor thing it's really quite light.
And looking at the way it's designed it fits so sleakly into my hand that sometimes i find myself just still holding it in my hand when i don't need to be! They always seem to get things just right, this wasn't too small, or too big. It seemed just right. Just the right weight, just the right size, just the right feeling. I am not much of a critic when it comes to things as i look at positives of life. But this is truly something that is great!
So...so so so.....just.....perfect....
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Battery Life
One of buyers biggest concerns when it comes to playing the wii is the wii-motes battery life. If you use some cheap battery that you may use in TV remotes, you are in for a shock, especially it running at full scale. If you are using everything at once, the motion sensing, sensor bar thing, vibration, high speaker sound, have the nunchuck in as well. It will eat your batteries like there is no tommorow.
Solution? buy rechargable batteries. I mean of course not every kid can say to their parents 'hey can i have 50 bucks'. And if you don't. And you have to buy your things yourself like me, and barely have money, buy them in bulk, i bought like 20 cheap ones for like $5. It's great. But that's not the point. People still say the the best thing to use is things like high powered lithium batteries, rather then use a whole lot of cheap ones.
Things like turning off the inbuilt speaker to save battery life i think are ok. But people that turn the vibration off to save power. I think it is a massive part of gaming (read above). I would rather run out of battery having fun with depth, rather then out of boringness. But besides that. You think for a second about how much the Wii-mote is handling at once. Then you can appreciate that it actually seems to run a pretty long time for something like that. But housing that much technology, it is amazing.
It does chew up a lot of power, but it's worth it
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Price:
Have a think about it. Think about what is inside a wii remote. Think about how many features are in this thing, and the capabilites of it. Now i personally anyday think one of these is worth $60 (may vary). You take a look at the average price of a Wavebird? A controller from past generation. Compare the prices, and the wii remote is incredibly amazing price.
Motion, Aiming at screen, inbuilt speaker, fine tuned vibration, wireless, add-ons. The list goes on, and you can buy it for something around that price. If you ask me it's one of the best value things out there to buy.
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Conclusion:
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Finishing up here. The Nintendo Wii Remote. Nintendo Wii, the console has broken the launch sale record in history. This is a true acheivement. Nintendo always come up with their amazing library of games. That is what will always attract most attention. But the real revolution behind this whole scheme that took the world by storm. It's small, lightweight, and a innovation like none seen before in the gaming industry. From the first time you saw Nintendo staff on stage at E3 holding and playing tennis with the wii remotes having the time of their life, to the long awaited launch of the console. To my own bedrooom where i play it, hang on the net, all happening because of the miracle of the wii remote.
To this day i don't think the gaming industry has come out with a bigger breakthrough, at least not for a while since the first ones. This Wii remote is what has gotten the wii where it is today. It is the backbone of the Wii and it's success. It has changed the way we play video games. And it has changed the future of gaming forever.
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Yours truly
-Chambalam
Submitted by Cham-balam
10/07/2007
88
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