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The Controller
The crux of the Wii’s uniqueness is unquestionably the
controller. Unlike anything ever seen in gaming consoles, the Wii
controller looks like a very simplistic “remote control”, earning it
the nickname the Wiimote. The ‘mote itself simply has three action
buttons (“A”, “1”, and “2”), as well as a D-pad and a “home” button.
What gives the Wiimote its main control, however, is the much touted
motion sensitivity. Virtually every unveiled Wii game so far has
taken liberal use of the ability to move on-screen characters with a
simple shake of the wrist. In fact, there were some demos at E3
2006, like WarioWare, that did not require a single button press.
One thing that Nintendo is trying to stress is the ability to turn
the controller into a virtual point-and-shoot gun, fishing rod,
tennis racket, etc. There’s also a speaker built in to the remote,
which will help to provide that experience. For example, a sound
effect of a ball hitting a tennis racket could be emitted directly
from the controller. It will be possible to play some Wii games with
only one hand, when it’s used like a regular remote. However, there
are some games that require you to handle the controller in a more
unconventional way. For example, Sega’s Sonic Wild Fire title
requires you to hold the controller horizontally, with both hands,
and control it like a steering wheel.
Another use for your otherwise dormant hand comes from the Wiimote’s
ability to attach certain add-ons that can expand a game’s control.
The most famous of these so far is the nunchaku attachment, which
got its name from an Asian weapon that has a vaguely similar
appearance to what the Wiimote looks like when connected with the
attachment. On physical appearance, the nunchaku is nothing more than a joystick controller
with an extra button on the underside of the device. However, it too has motion detecting capabilities. So, 3D games
that require more sophisticated movement than up, down, left, right
can take advantage of this attachment, but if it’s a more simplistic
game you don’t have to bother with it. This direct-to-controller
kind of enhancement opens up the door to all kinds of
different
peripherals that allow developers to decide exactly how they want
their games to be played.
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Nintendo Wiimote and Nunchak |
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Backwards Compatibility
Never before has a Nintendo home console system had the ability to
play titles from its older systems, in spite of the fact that that’s
been a crucial part of the
Game Boy hardware line. With the
increasing obsession with backwards compatibility in gaming,
Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii will be able to play all
Gamecube titles, which will be playable with Gamecube controllers,
via GCN controller ports on the console. Also, Nintendo has decided
to give the fans exactly what they want – access to their entire
library of games, stretching back all the way to the NES, all
playable on the Wii. For more info on this, check out the Wi-Fi
section.
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Nintendo Wii Classic Controller |
Online Service
Nintendo got its fair share of criticism for its seemingly complete
lack of online support for the Gamecube. So they’re doing a complete
360 degree turn with the Wii in offering a full-fledged online
service. At this point, we know a lot more about the
Wii’s online
service offerings than that of the PS3, so let’s break it down a
little bit. We know that Wi-Fi will be built in to every Wii
console, and that Nintendo is going to try to make it as seamless as
possible, much like the user-friendly online DS functionality. Part
of that will be because they’ve partnered with Opera, the same name
behind the DS Browser, for all of Wii’s online features.
In addition to the requisite ability to play multiplayer games
online, the Wii will be rolling out a whole slew of online features. Firstly, we know that you'll be using the same kind of "friend code" system that the Nintendo DS uses for its Wi-Fi titles. Love it or hate it, it's Nintendo's way of making sure that all gamers are safe when gaming online.
Looking at a Nintendo patent, it seems that they want to replicate
the hugely successful Xbox Live service, with an entire global,
universal online community. Specifically, according to the patent,
you’ll be able to send e-mails to your friends, see what they’re
playing, and even chat in real-time, possibly even while you’re both
playing different games.
Another big feature is what Nintendo is calling Wii Connect 24,
which is a cool way of saying that your Wii will be able to remain
connected online 24 hours a day, even if your console is completely
idle, which means you’d be able to receive automatic updates, you
wouldn’t have to wait for minutes on end to connect online to every
game, and you’d never miss a message from one of your buddies.
It will not cost anything to connect your Wii to the Internet, but
just like the PS3, your money will be needed for something – digital
downloads. One of these will be Nintendo DS downloads that you’ll be
able to buy on the Wii to enhance your DS games. But unarguably the
most important aspect of this is the “virtual console” idea, which
is what Nintendo is calling their ability to purchase Wii-emulated
versions of classic Nintendo games. Nintendo has claimed that their
entire library of first-party titles will eventually be available to
buy and download online via the Wii.
Other publishers have full access to this service as well, which
means you’ll be seeing other franchises, like Sonic the Hedgehog,
redistributing their classic content on the Wii. So far we know that
the NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and Turbo Grafx will be emulated for
this purpose. In order to play these games, you’ll have to plug in
the special universal “classic” controller, which is a blend of NES,
SNES, N64, and Gamecube control designs. |
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Nintendo Wii Remote from all sides |
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Connectivity
When it comes to cross-platform connectivity, Nintendo is the king.
They promoted the idea near the brink of obsession when it came to
the Gamecube and GBA. Ultimately, the idea didn’t catch on, and few
people outside of Nintendo even touched that feature. Yet, Nintendo
is sticking to its connectivity guns for the Wii and the DS. The
possibilities for this are significantly greater than the last
generation, not the least of which is because of the online
abilities and the unique interfaces of both consoles.
Nintendo has confirmed that the same sort of applications will be
used in Wii/DS connections as there were for GCN/GBA, such as using
the DS as a main or periphery controller for a Wii game, in addition
to playing DS games through the Wii. Also, as mentioned in the Wi-Fi
section, you will be able to purchase bonus content on the Wii and
then transfer it to the DS.
Other Stuff
Sometimes intentionally and sometimes by the fate of bad timing,
Nintendo’s always been a little behind everyone else in terms of the
capacity format for their systems. N64’s cartridge-based games were
a step below the disc-based competitions, and Gamecube’s curious
mini-DVD format caused third parties to dismiss Nintendo in
multi-platform releases.
So now Nintendo has finally stepped into the 21st Century as, for
the first time, their console will run full-size DVD discs. Along
with that, Nintendo, who once essentially pledged that their
consoles would never play anything besides games, has confirmed that
you will be able to watch DVD movies on the Wii, with a special
attachment.
There’s no snazzy hard drive in the Wii, just a measly 512 MB of
flash memory, so gamers are sure to make use of the console’s two SD
memory card slots. There are also two Gamecube memory card slots.
Not to be outdone, the Wii also sports two USB ports.
Pricing
The
Nintendo Wii sells for $249.99 in the United States and comes
bundled with Wii Sports.
Nintendo sells
Wii games for $49.99
The first generation of
classic
Nintendo games will run between 500 and 1,000 yen each, which
roughly translates to $5 - $10.
What Fanboys Say
Nintendo is leading the cutting edge by realizing that games can no
longer just be advanced by upping the visual quality just one more
notch. The Wii is going to provide an experience that gamers have
never had before. It’s going to revolutionize the way that everyone
thinks about games. Nintendo’s been the founder of so many amazing
video game milestone creations – the D-pad with the NES, 3D
platforming with Super Mario 64, and worthwhile touch-screen gaming
with the DS. The Wii is the next big leap. Plus, Nintendo’s already
got an edge with its “virtual console”. There’s an immediate huge
audience who would love to get their hands on those classic games.
Then, let’s not forget the Wi-Fi. Sure, all the consoles will have
it, but for no other publisher has the debut of online franchises
been more anticipated than for Nintendo. Just imagine titles like
Super Smash Bros,
Pokemon, and Mario Party being taken online for
the first time. To make an online multiplayer game worth playing,
you first need to make sure it’s worth playing, and Nintendo’s
time-tested franchises certainly fit that bill.
Launch Titles
Although we have no idea when the Wii is going to be released,
Nintendo has already confirmed that six of their titles will launch
with the console. They are as follows:
Wii games by Nintendo:
Wii Sports (bundled with hardware)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Excite Truck
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Battalion Wars II
Big Brain Academy (temporary name)
Mario Strikers Charged
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxy (temporary name)
Third Party Wii Games ( to be
released until March 2007):
The Ant Bully Midway
Avatar: The Last Airbender THQ
The Barnyard THQ
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII Ubisoft
Bust a Move Revolution Majesco
Call of Duty 3 Activision
Disney's/Pixar's Cars THQ
Dance Factory Codemasters
Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action Buena Vista Games
Disney's Meet the Robinsons Buena Vista Games
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Atari
Elebits Konami
Far Cry: Vengeance Ubisoft
The Godfather Electronic Arts
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Midway
GT Pro Series Ubisoft
Happy Feet Midway
Ice Age 2 Vivendi
Madden NFL 07 Electronic Arts
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Activision
Metal Slug Anthology SNK
Monster 4x4: World Circuit Ubisoft
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Midway
Need for Speed: Carbon Electronic Arts
Open Season Ubisoft
Prince of Persia Ubisoft
Rampage: Total Destruction Midway
Rapala Tournament Fishing Activision
Rayman Raving Rabbids Ubisoft
Red Steel Ubisoft
Sidewinder Codemasters
Sonic and the Secret Rings Sega
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab THQ
SSX Electronic Arts
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Sega
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ubisoft
Tiger Woods PGA Tour Electronic Arts
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent Ubisoft
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Activision
Trauma Center: Second Opinion Atlus
World Series of Poker Activision
Complete Wii game list can be found on the Nintendo Wii
site.
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Nintendo Gameplay example: Legend
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Launch Details
The Nintendo Wii launches on November 19th in the United States.
Japan gets the Wii on December 2nd and the European Wii launch is on
December 8th.
Pre-Order Details
Toys'R'Us stores
started to take pre-orders.
Amazon.com has allowed pre-orders sporadically.
eBay
is already offering several auctions of pre-ordered Wii
consoles.
Worldwide right now, Australia and Canada seem to be the only countries that
are allowing for pre-orders, with Australian customers getting a very nice offer a free game, when they pre-order at Toys R Us. In the U.S., where Wii consoles are still not able to be reserved, even Wii games are not pre-orderable
in a large scale. Specialty stores like EBGames and
GameStop, along
with
Best Buy, are allowing for limited pre-orders, but some of the
games you can reserve are known to not be available until at least
2007. It’s probably best to wait on pre-ordering games right now,
unless it’s for one of the known launch titles.
What We Still Don’t Know
Nintendo loves spilling the beans about their latest projects
while still keeping just enough secrets to leave speculation up for
grabs.
Update: Pretty much all is known at this point.
Technical Specs
For the total tech geeks out there, here’s a point-blank list of
technical specs:
CPU IBM Broadway 729MHz
Internal Storage 512MB Flash Memory
GPU ATI Hollywood
Optical Disc Drive 8cm GameCube/12cm Wii
Supported Resolution up to 480p
12cm Disc Capacity 4.7GB (single) / 8.5GB (dual)
System Memory Unknown
Memory Expansion 2 SD Memory
Wii Controller Ports Wireless (4 minimum)
Internet Connectivity WiFi 802.11b/g
GameCube Controller Ports 4 Ports
Disc Compatibility GameCube
GameCube Memory Expansion 2 Ports
Downloadable Content NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx
USB 2.0 2 Ports
Links
I4U Wii News
Official Nintendo Wii Page
(U.S.)
Official Nintendo Wii Page (Japan)
Wii Press-Release
Wii Online Patent
Wii
Merchandise
We will continue updating this report
as new information becomes available.
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