Why I Bought a Wii: Disenchantment and Reconciliation with a Gaming Juggernaut

by John Ostermiller , COMMUNITY WRITER

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Tags: Nintendo, Wii, Gears of War, SNES, Ninja Gaiden, Super Mario World, Shadow Complex, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Halo: Combat Evolved, Super Mario Sunshine, Muramasa: Demon Blade, Metriod: Other M

Editor's note: John is excited by Nintendo's return to the 16-bit era through recent games like Muramasa: Demon Blade -- enough so to finally purchase a Wii. He's a little disappointed in Sony and Microsoft for not giving games like Bionic Commando: Rearmed the retail presence he feels they deserve. Is there still a place in triple-A game development for the 2D side-scroller? -Rob

For a long time now, I've only supported one gaming platform: the Xbox 360. Microsoft's system has just been able to fill my more recent gaming needs. I'm an average gamer with moderately diverse tastes -- action/adventures, first-person shooters, driving games, and even Japanese role-playing games.

I'd been a PlayStation owner back in the late-1990s but had slipped from Sony's grasp into the unlikely arms of Microsoft. I fell in love with Xbox exclusives like Halo, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Ninja Gaiden.

When the time came to join this new generation, I never hesitated to get the Xbox 360 and a copy of Gears of War.

Before you cry "fanboy," know that my tendencies haven't always defaulted to Microsoft. Many of my fondest gaming memories reach back into what I consider the halcyon days of Nintendo -- the Super NES.

But I really can't stand the Wii.

I'm not blind to the system's accomplishments. The Wii offers a unique way for non-gamers to play and provides them with direct results to their actions. Many titles are extremely specialized for mental and physical health while others offer a variety of pick-up-and-play mini game collections. All-in-all, the Wii a very accessible platform to new players.

All of which means I'm completely outside this console's target audience.

I always feel like I have to qualify my dislike of the Wii. Though I think the system has done and will continue to do wonders for the industry as an accessible ambassador of gaming, the Wii simply doesn't fill my needs or fit my idea of what a game platform should be. Nintendo's retreat from the golden era of the SNES felt readily apparent with their latest home console.

Since the end of the 16-bit era, I have become less engrossed and engaged by the games crafted by Nintendo's iconic mastermind, Shigeru Miyamoto. The Mario series is a good example of how I feel iconic Nintendo titles have drifted in recent years: the creative, deep settings of Super Mario World has given way to "gimmicky" new bite-sized 3D puzzles.

The spark and flair of Super Mario Sunshine's "blobular" cast has become tepid and as amorphous as the candy-colored Jello townsfolk of Sunshine. And while some would point to games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess or Super Smash Bros. Brawl, these are titles I either lost touch and interest with years ago or never identified with in the first place.

In some ways, I feel like Miyamoto shares some things in common with George Lucas. Both are extremely influential, gifted men who have left a lasting impact on their respective industries thanks to their early work. Secure in their later years, they seem to indulge whimsy over depth and connection with previous entries.

If I'm so disenchanted and dissatisfied with Nintendo, why the hell would I want to purchase a Wii? The answer is simple: retro-gaming. The past Nintendo had abandoned is what ultimately saved them in my eyes.

I bought a Wii on the goodwill of one title: New Super Mario Bros. Wii. A couple of worlds into the game, I can tangibly feel childhood memories of myself huddled in front of my parents spare TV as I attempt to beat some ungodly snippet of Super Mario World. The art style -- especially in the underworld -- strongly resembles a 3D side-scroller homage to its distant predecessor.

Gone is the DS iteration's game breaking Mega-Mario and in-level power-up box. What remains is something of an evolution that ignores the 3D entries of the franchise. Power-ups uniquely pepper the game with the flavor of previous Mario titles; however, I don't find myself grasping any of them as iconic as the Raccoon Suit, Frog Suit, or Cape. And though I'm not sure how I feel about two generic Toads, I can find enough here to give some small reconciliation with Nintendo.

I'm also salivating over prospects like Muramasa: Demon Blade. The game looks downright amazing and plays within the confines of the Wii's power. Team Ninja's upcoming Metriod: Other M is another title which piques my interest in the Wii.

This is where the strength in the console lies for people like me -- the Wii can offer something that Microsoft and Sony can't or won't: full support of enhanced 2D sprite or 3D side-scrollers. Sure, games like Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Shadow Complex exist, but they aren't given the same chance to be showcased as system sellers with a full retail presence. For once, Nintendo's hands-off attitude toward third-party publishers has led to the reemergence of the beautifully crafted, finely honed 2D experience.

Ironically, in order for me to fall in love with Nintendo again, I have to ignore all the strengths of the platform and latch onto an ancillary feature as my key selling point. A repackaged youth -- one of smudged and worn memories so sweetly reworked into a beautiful new beginning.

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Comments (15)

John Ostermiller

November 24, 2009

And then there's Dead Space: Extraction. That's another really great game I want to check out... despite my aforementioned dislike of point-and-shoot and the less then stellar graphics compared to similar titles on the other systems...

Daniel Feit

November 26, 2009

Heh, we have similar yet opposite stories with the major consoles. I bought a PS3 and played it a lot but picked up an Xbox this year because I was tired of missing out on their exclusives. Now I switch between both depending on the title.

My Wii has fallen into disuse for exactly the reasons you mentioned: I feel like it's not for me. I bought it out of enthusiasm for Wii Sports and the hopes that it would be a way for me and my wife to play together, but she never got into it.

And yet I have high hopes for New Super Mario Bros Wii! They're pushing the game quite heavily on Japanese TV right now and she is intrigued. I tried it recently and had a great time, so my fingers are crossed that it will finally make good on the "gaming for everybody" promise that sold me a Wii in the first place.

John Ostermiller

November 26, 2009

Both my Dad and his wife are really excited to get a Wii. Earlier today he and one of my stepbrothers played Wii Sports to death, and because said step brother "doesn't use his Wii enough", he may sell it to his Mom... she's keen on getting Wii Fit, but I have a feeling copies of games like Mortal Kombat among others will probably be resold or continue to gather dust. And really, that's fine with me - I might buy the step brother's copies of Super Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess if they're in danger of being tossed out - but the Wii fits the interests and needs of people like my folks. They're not gamers, but they enthusiastically game nonetheless.

Score one for goodwill unto video games.

John Ostermiller

December 07, 2009

Thanks for the front page love!

William Figueroa

December 08, 2009

The Wii has brought me better experiences than the other consoles out there, but I have always wondered what it was like for people who weren't like me and could not enjoy the benefits of simpler games.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii or Muramasa actually don't interest me as much as say Mario Galaxy or Smash Bros. Maybe it's because of when I entered gaming, back when 3D was introduced, and it was always hard for me to look back.

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Bryan Harper

December 08, 2009

I enjoyed No More Heroes on the Wii, along with Mario Galaxy and Zelda. And...

Yeah, that was about it. $450 worth of Virtual Console titles, sure, sure. It was my Nintendo in a Box. That got sold to Gamestop stripped of all its games for something disgusting like $70.

I really hope I can get that stuff back if I pick up another one. The Wii Store was amazing.

John Ostermiller

December 08, 2009

I know a TON of people who really dig the new controls - and in that respect, the Wii has done a fantastic job for those "non gamers" out there. But for "people like me", those who're in their mid twenties or later and are so used to a traditional controller in their hands... well let's just say there's truth to trying to teach an old dog new tricks. Case in point - I bought Resident Evil 4 Wii (having loved it on Gamecube) I couldn't even survive the first wave(s) of guys inside the village... but pop in a gamecube controller, and no problem.

At least I know what my girlfriend feels like when she (a PC gamer accustomed to mouse/keyboard) tries to play dual analog/console games.

sean kennedy

December 08, 2009

I'm later then my mid twenties, and I got my start with the atari 2600 and have played games through the current generation.

And to be honest, I think this is all on you. I think the truth is that you've decided that the Wii isn't for you cause, it's not "hardcore". It makes no sense to me that you revel in the greatness of 2d, yet admit that you " fell in love with Xbox exclusives like Halo, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Ninja Gaiden" which are nothing but 3d games.

Now I do respect the fact that if you don't want to play Wii games, then you shouldn't. However, I feel, and this is just my opinion, that the problem is that people aren't WILLING to TRY what's available on the Wii. There are good games on the system, you just have to be willing to try something that might not fit what you think is going to be okay.

Zack and Wiki (dumb name, great game), No More Heroes, Mad World, Mario Galaxy, Zelda TP, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, House of the Dead: Overkill, Dead Space Extraction, The Conduit, Mario Strikers Charged, De Blob, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Pro Evo Soccer, Metroid Prime Trilogy. There's a LOT of good games out there, you just have to get over your prejudices and get over the idea that games are more then graphics, and controls are more then just analogue sticks and D-pads.

Now all that said, I do respect your opinion, and think you wrote a good piece.

Alex Gagne

December 08, 2009

I am rather down on the Wii, simply because I have played it a tiny fraction in comparison to my PS3, or any other Nintendo console they have ever made.

The only "waggle-fest" game I own is Warioware: Smooth Moves. I simply do not see the benefit of playing most games that way, because it usually does not work.

I really enjoyed Mario Galaxy, but it would have been improved a great deal if they only let you replace the waggle functions with a simple button.

Smash Brothers for the Wii worked well because it had no waggle, but it is a sad state for me to want to use the Gamecube controller to play that game on; where it was the superior option. The Gamecube had the WORST controller when compared to the original Xbox and PS2--and the fact that it is the best option to play traditional style games on the Wii is sort of...wrong. The classic controller has a better functioning D-pad (in the fact that it functions) although it is strangely uncomfortable to hold.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is fantastic, I must say. The game is a perfect blend of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, and the game changes completely depending on the amount of friends joining you on your quest to rescue (Spoiler?) Princess Toadstool.

One quick warning for those looking at Muramasa: The Demon Blade. I was completely pumped up to play this game due to how much I enjoyed Odin Sphere. After putting three or four hours into the game I found that in nearly every aspect I preferred the former rather than the latter.

The graphics even looked better in Odin Sphere, despite the severe slowdown, because the small sprites on the Wii were never as detailed or alive looking -- even with component cables -- though that is partly a fault of the hardware.

The gameplay was reduced to fast paced but mindles hacking and slashing for the most part which was nowhere near the complexity of Odin Sphere.

The story was the biggest dissapointment because it was much more generic and there was far less of it in comparison. Odin Sphere had fantastic voice acting and a suprisingly well written script for a JRPG, which made Muramasa all the more empty.

The last problem is the repetition. I can admit that Odin Sphere was not the...freshest game after ten or fifteen hours (and there is a little bit of backtracking), but compared it was like Uncharted 2 when compared to Muramasa. I found that after you tore through a level in order to battle and kill a boss, you have to walk back through the nearly empty environments to get to the next objective. It felt like beating a world in a traditional Mario game, only being forced to go backward through all the levels with the amount of enemies cut by 80%. I was told that far later in the game you can teleport around, but it was long past the point of the patience of most gamers.

That is my little "sad face" review for Muramasa. On a scale of one to ten or F- to A+, I give it a rent.

Alex Gagne

December 08, 2009

@sean. As you said, not every gamer just hates the Wii without reason, and I certainly do not.

I think it is a mistake to believe that the only reason the hardcore hates the Wii is because they don't play the right games, or are biased against the graphics. Honestly, waggle controls are rarely superior to the alternative and usually are inaccurate or tiring if played for more than 20 minutes.

I own a solid 10-15 Wii games, but I still barely play the system. Maybe a few hours when a good game is first released, or longer if it is Smash Bros or New Super Mario Brothers. After that short time I quickly gravitate back to my PS3 and enjoy what is offered much more. It is not a 2-D or 3-D thing, becuase I assure you I play my NES more than I play the wii, it is just because I am clearly not the market Nintendo wants to aim for.

Kenneth Wesley

December 08, 2009

@Sean-I own a Wii with too any games. I bought it at launch and ive liked the games I bought. And I don't think any of the games I have have to appeal to certain segment to garner any kind of respect. I put in as many hours with Wii Sports Resort and Muramasa as I did with Uncharted 2 and Guitar Hero: Metallica. I'm totally in agreement with you with your assessment. I like and buy good games and the Wii has a bunch of them. Just not the ones 'hardcore' gamers might like.

John Ostermiller

December 08, 2009

First off, thanks to everyone for the replies and feedback.

@sean: I absolutely agree with you that this is on me. I also apologize if I gave the impression that "gamers like me" was somehow all "hardcore" gamers, or everyone else who didn't like the Wii. I merely meant gamers who have similar opinions like me. Yes, people give Nintendo a hard time about the graphics because, frankly, they haven't improved when almost every single home console generation before this has improved (and usually quite noticeably) on the graphical power of their predecessors.

I would also agree with Alex - many of the games developed for Wii are not unique to the system. They are ports (even in the case of Twilight Princess) that shoe-horn or adapt controls to the Wiimote. Additionally, as Alex pointed out, sometimes the controls are not better - they don't offer a superior game play experience, they are merely different (and in some case worse) then what the alternative (traditional) methods are.

That said, I totally support the Wii for users who do find it accessible and have no problem with people who can and do adapt to the console's unique controls. Clearly, it works for them. Me, I get frustrated when what was had become muscle memory or reactionary now takes me out of the experience. I don't think I'm alone when I say I don't want to learn all over again some times. So, I either struggle through it or plug in my Game Cube controller, or simply go play something else.

I also don't consider myself "hardcore", I simply consider myself a gamer. I like games, I like good game play, and I do enjoy pretty graphics. That said, I'm willing to try and experiment - and for me, I found that taking experiences I've had on other consoles and putting them onto the Wii doesn't work out so well for me. But when developers work with a systems strengths and hybridize or offer the option of alternate controls, I've found myself doing okay as a Wii owner. Like I said at the end of the article, the Wii really wins me on the nostalgia.

@Alex: That's really weird, as I think the Gamecube controller is one of the most ergonomic ones out there. Some of the buttons (X and Y) are a little weird as is the D-Pad... but a great fit in my hand.

@ Kenneth: I really think that given another generation of development, the Wii controls may even out some. Right now, they make playing games harder as opposed to easier for me. That said, I am still looking for games to buy and play on the Wii. As the very first comment mentioned, I'm waiting to get Deadspace: Extraction thanks to the excellent reviews from CO-OP and Ryan O'Donnell. I also want to play Klonoa. At this point, it's a matter of me sitting down and going back through the back catalog of titles to find the ones I want to play and that interest me. Something that got cut during the editing process was my mention that Nintendo stopped appealing to me as a gamer with many of their recent first party titles. I played Smash Brothers on Gamecube - didn't care for it. The same could be said for Metroid (Other M, however, has me very excited), and I was always rather mediocre with Zelda to being with. I did, however, like Mario Sunshine okay, and will probably try Galaxy again in the future.

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And finally, a huge thanks to Rob for the thankless job of editing and making sense of an article that I banged out at like 3 in the morning on a whim a couple weeks ago. And again, thanks to everyone for the feedback - the discourse is invaluable.

Chris Davidson

December 08, 2009

Hey great article man, I own a PS3 and a wii, and my Wii actually gets a surprising amount of love from me. I recommend Warioland Shake it as another awesome first party 2D side scroller. I've always been a warioland fan, so I might be biased.

Although they're remakes Klonoa and Donkey Kong Jungle beat are also awesome 2D side scrollers. I've always been a fan of this genre, I really want Muramasa, but I need more money.

Frank Anderson

December 08, 2009

Damn, Chris beat me to suggesting Klonoa and Warioland. Both have some problems, but are worth trying if you love 2D games.

Like someone else mentioned, De Blob is also worth trying.

I was excited about motion control when it was first announced, but it really seems like most games try to use smoke and mirrors to make you feel like you are using motion control- waving your arms back and forth does not count as real 'motion control' to me. Motion control should accurately be performing the motion of your character.

Motion control has often been horned in on games that did not need it. Mario Galaxy and Warioland would have both been played a lot more by me if you did not have to shake the remote so much.

What I have really decided about the Wii is that every game should be required to let you use the Classic Controller. There are times I am up for motion control and times that I don't want to get anywhere near a game with waggle. If I had both options my Wii would get played as much as my 360 and PS3 do.

Great post!

Alex Gagne

December 09, 2009

@John. I should mention that for me, a controller lives or dies by it's D-pad. I love 2-D or 2.5-D games, and without a proper D-pad I am rubbish with those sorts of games. I also love fighting games...so you can see why I owned a PS3 long before I decided to get a Wii or 360.

I also have to once again bring up my point about the futility and failure of motion controls. Today I completed a two or three hour rental of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. As you may have already guessed, it did not meet my humble hopes after hearing a few positive previews. Why was I interested? Silent Hill is a good franchise with a few great games and some fantastic moments. However it will always be plagued with the raw fact that survival horror games (not the action/horror games we have today) will always have poor combat. In a ballsy and brilliant move they have gutted the combat from the game, going back to the roots seen in Clock Tower 1 for the SNES/PS1.

Commendable, yes? Not so fast, true believers. The lack of combat is great for me, and when the ice grows and your heart starts to squeeze against your ribcage you realize that your fight or flight reaction has been neutered to only one option. That is to say, you run.

To accomplish this, they have taken a page from Mirror's edge and given you color coordinated directions in order to (this next word is important) scramble your way from the slimy naked denizens of Silent Hill. You pass through enough light blue doors and over some light blue fences and you have escaped intact.

Why is the word scramble important? I chose it because that is how I feel trying to control the protagonist. When you are just exploring the environment it is difficult enough trying to grope through the darkness with your wiimote acting as a flashlight. It's hard not to overshoot your mark and begin staring in the wrong direction, and even harder to move in any fashion besides a straight line. So, when the time comes to run away from the psychologically customized creatures (due to the apparent changes the game makes depending on some true or false questions you answer through the game; though it isn't going to be appreciated unless you play twice), it is on the same level as trying to drive drunk in GTA IV. You can barely aim toward the blue outline over the doors, while these mildly irritating demons latch on to your back -- which require some frantic waggling to remove.

Long story short, the controls in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories are a fucking mess. I quit playing after only two or three hours because I could not wait to play it on the PS2. It is trying some different things with the genre, and the only things causing me to be so disinterested are problems with the console rather than the game itself. Are there good motion controls out there? Yes. Do they still make me wish I could use my PS3 controller instead? Oh god yes.

That was a bit long for a comment. I blame no one for not reading it.

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