It's Been One Wii-k

That's right. I went there.

  The Wii U has been out for a week, and I've already started referring it to the Wii, having pretty much phased the original console out of my head. Fact of the matter is this: Nintendo has caught up to the whole "HD Console" after 6 years of leaning on the Wii for as long as it could. In a single week, library of games not withstanding, it has completely surpassed it's competition.

  Granted, with 6 years of planning, every failure would weigh them down infinitely more. Every "negative" is much heavier reason not to get it in this current environment. Where the longevity of the system lasts as updates to the XBOX and PS3 arrive is big cloud in the sky. However, one look at the market for iOS and Android games and the way they're being moved to the big PC with Windows 8, and I think you'll see that the trend here is moving away from power-hungry machines, and more or unique experiences. And with history as my only source, Microsoft and Sony are more interested in an arms race with the same old thing. Where the Wii was, in all fairness, a gimped experiment hamstrung by an effort to move away from high-cost consoles, the Wii U is a perfection on the Wii's attempts at bringing the new. Historically, consoles are always about either evolution or revolution, but the Wii U manages to strike both.

In case Nintendo's incredibly vague marketing has you confused, yes, it's a new console, not just a new controller.

  Evolution comes from the improvements made in the realm of things that are a staple of modern online connectivity. When the Wii came out, nobody hard heard of an iPhone store, and even Steam was only starting to pick up... well, you get the idea. Digital storefronts were pretty weird and clunky all around, so it was easy to settle with Nintendo's hat-in-the-ring. Also that Wii shop channel music could calm a charging rhino. With the Wii U we have a much smoother interface, but like the 3DS, there's still an issue of just wanting the ability to browse based on categories.  It's easier to get what you want and go, and at the end of the day you either check it obsessively like me or you wait until somebody tells you to get the bestest new game, and then you just go find it with the search. On the downside, WiiWare and Virtual Console titles are still tucked under the "Wii Channel," which straight up boots an emulation of the Wii, and forces you to go into the Wii Shop Channel to find what you want. It's clunky as hell. Considering how easy throwing GameCube games in the Wii was, I'm surprised they went so weird this time around. Also, when the DSiWare evolved into the 3DS eShop between generations, everything in the DSiWare rolled into the new shop. That is not true of the Wii U eShop. Here's to hoping that with a unified account system being found in Wii U's Nintendo ID, we can move towards something cross-platform, akin to Sony's excellent dealings between the Vita/PSP and the PS3 with the Sony Network. It wasn't right to have to buy Super Mario Bros. on the 3DS when I have it on the Wii, and as time goes, it's less and less excusable to continue that kind of practice.

  I also wanted to mention that the fact that you can buy almost every retail game that comes out on Wii U in both a digital format as well as the standard physical is amazing. It's finally time people started catching up to services like Steam, who even then usually has to wait for some releases to finish making a PC port after the console launch. I don't foresee myself buying anything more than I have to in physical formats. Now you might be one of those "I like everything on the shelf," type people, and that's cool, I get that. But that doesn't take away from the fact that Nintendo, who had a bare-bones online presence with the Wii and DS, has suddenly caught up and blown the other guys out of the water. Sony getting a Day 1 digital release was cause for headlines at IGN. Now it's an every day thing, thanks to Nintendo's push.

  The Wii U has tons of other neat features like a browser that you can access while your game is paused. As somebody who is dumb and likes to Google the answers to Subject 16's puzzles in Assassin's Creed, or the day-to-day guide for unlocking your social links in Persona 4, I bloody love this. The 3DS has it, and I know from experience that it's useful. You can also access TVii here at some point, which promises the ability to meld all your streaming services and TiVo together, but that feature's not up and running just yet. I think, once it is, the Wii U will be the only console you want to experience streaming media on. That is, of course, unless you're already using it for that.

  I'll readily admit that I stopped using XBOX's ridiculously degenerating interface. Combined with requiring me to pay to use my XBOX to stream Netflx and Hulu, despite them being free to stream on literally every other device in existence, there was just nothing left that system could offer me. Achievements don't mean anything when it's that much weaker and plays the same games as my PC and PS3.  Admittedly, I never had a problem with the PS3's interface, but let me tell you, there's something about that GamePad that just works. You only need the pad, because it doubles as a universal remote, making the process of setting up your nightly Star Trek: TNG session that much easier. Technically, you don't even need to do that if you're interested in just watching Netflix on the GamePad. It seamlessly transfers from big screen to little screen, which is great for when you're sitting at your computer away from the TV. I suppose if you had kids it could be useful to keep them off the big TV. Or (and let's all be brutally fucking honest here, people) if you're on the toilet and you don't want to stop watching 30 Rock.

  Let's talk social, because the Wii U just may have done it the best damned way possible. The XBOX has taken great strides for online play with your friends, and admittedly they still do it best. What the Wii U does do, however, is create a sense of community around it's games. When you boot the Wii U on, your GamePad hosts the Wii-like tile menu, while your screen is overrun with Mii's surrounding game icons. Each one of those Mii's is another person out there in the Nintendosphere, all of whom leave comments on each game's Miiverse page. Miiverse is kind of like Twitter, Facebook, a little bit of DeviantArt, and Reddit all rolled into one surprisingly cohesive package. Except here, the people are (generally) better, there's no advertisements, and nobody can ruin your day with downvotes!

This is what happens when you say you liked Mass Effect 3's ending on Reddit.

  You can load up the Miiverse and search for a game you like, or a game you're interested in. On that board, you can view posts based on tags, or just run down the list to see what's up. There's conversations taking place, people can post screenshots directly from their games, and you can even leave drawings or hand-written messages. It's insane the amount of talent people have been showing off in the Miiverse. Tons of sketch art and scratch art for all your favorite games. You can follow anybody and see whenever they post something, so if you've picked up on a few awesome artists, you can catch every surprising masterpiece they post.

  The Miiverse doesn't just stop at being it's own thing, though. It can be implemented into every and any game. In Nintendo Land, it's there to talk about what you thought of a game or post your high score. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, it will pop up during certain benchmarks to ask you to express yourself, sometimes in colorful ways. It's going to be a non-issue for some people, but I find it really enjoyable. And whatever moderation Nintendo has is doing an alright job. I've only seen one poorly drawn scrotum all week! Once the Miiverse hits mobile phones and PC, I honestly seeing it be the answer to Facebook for people who just like games, and as a way to keep up with what your friends are doing. The only other competition would be Steam's new community that's only been around for a couple of months. With a few more improvements, and a couple of firmware updates, there's no reason Miiverse couldn't continue to grow into something, well...

  My only real beef with the Wii U itself is that they've seemed to take up Sony's plan of being slow as hell whenever you get a new game. Never mind the hour-long "Day 1" download, booting up a game that needs any updates installed is way more painful than it needs to be. We're talking upwards of 5 or 6 minutes. I'm hoping something down the line will help ease those installations because they are rough.

  Something that's going to make the Wii U a tough sell to a lot of people is "I've already got a PS3 and/or Xbox, why do I need this?" I don't know what it will take to convince you to get one. What it comes down to is this: Nintendo consoles have always been seen as only profitable for Nintendo. The Wii U changes that. There's no reason not to port anything on the Wii U. There's no weird tiny discs, there's no technological ravine between it and the other consoles, and the digital front is heavy. You're already making games for XBOX and PS3, just throw in another port. On top of that, the Wii U is superior in both hardware and software to the XBOX. At this point it's PS3 and Wii U to get your bases covered. If you're one of those people who has just condemned themselves to a life of thinking "I don't like Nintendo or anything they do," well then there's really nothing that can be said to convince you otherwise. I can tell you why it's great, but you'll find an excuse not to believe me. And that's true of any console, not just Nintendo.

This is how I imagine anybody who uses the phrase "fanboy" to try to win an argument.

  There are more ways to play games, better ways to stream videos, and awesome ways to connect with your friends and communities. There is a lot of potential here. With the new consoles from the other guys inevitably on the future, I'm curious to see what all happens in the next year or two. Even just looking at the horse power behind my computer and my XBox and PS3, I'm positive we're not going to see -that- drastic of a tech shift; the Wii U will not be another Wii. Plus, with more "normal" ways of gaming, it'll be easier to convince people to make games for the system. The Pro Controller bridges the gap between the Wii-Remotes craziness, and the fact that only one GamePad can connect to your system. I think the longevity is there, but it's really dependent on how Nintendo continues to evolve the platform. Also looking ahead, don't be surprised to see Sony try to integrate the Vita better, or to see Microsoft's push it's "Glass" down your throat just as much as it does Bing.

  If I sound like I'm overenthusiastic about the Wii U, it's because I probably am. Maybe it's this new Bupropion I'm taking, but I really do like this system. I won't deny my love of Nintendo, but there are two things to understand about said love. 1: I give everything a fair shake and a fair chance. I really do. Ask me about the Vita, I'll tell you I absolutely love the thing. 2: There's a reason I love Nintendo the way that I do. They can be the most infuriatingly stubborn company, but when they want to do something, and really get it right, nobody can do it like they do. And while the technology might not be 100%, and a new console should probably happen sooner rather than later to stay 'caught up' with the competition, I think the Wii U really is a new way of playing, and for the better. It's versatile in a way that no other console is. It's 'new' without being something so drastic as just the Wii-motes. It is, at the risk of sounding hopelessly glassy-eyed, the future.

  But hey that's just me. Do you have any questions about the Wii U I can maybe answer? Do you have your own thoughts on your console? I'll be talking software down the road here, I wanted to focus more on the 'Out of Box" experiences you'll be having for now. I've spread myself a bit thin on games... 6 on the Wii U alone, not to mention Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Persona 4: The Golden, Professor Layton: The Miracle Mask, Virtue's Last Hope, Crashmo and holy fucking hell I need to stop buying games. I also need a month or five off of work to catch up. Hopefully this all means I"ll have more to talk about, as more game-specific discussions (let's not call them "reviews," per se) will start coming down the pipe. I look forward to conversation!

Oh and look, I have a Twitter account! Aren't I novel?

-Randy

E3: Day 2 - The Nintendoing

Solid performance makes up for the overall lack of newness.

  Word has it that Nintendo's show was a bust; a disappointment. I disagree; I'm actually quite excited for Nintendo's newest system, and I'm patient enough to know that in time I will be rewarded with bigger and better things. But for now? I'm okay with not one, nor two, but three new Mario games, one of which is a sequel to my favorite series: Paper Mario. I'm a sucker for a platformer, and even though I'm not expecting them to blow my mind away, I'm alright with a comfort zone for now.

Tiny, Tiny Yoshi's!

  Also: I really effin' love Pikmin.

  So yeah, maybe I'm more easily impressed, but virtually nothing that was mentioned wasn't something that I will be owning in my collection. That's a win in my book, as far as conferences go. Not everything's going to be "Teh Megaton"

  IGN has a write up on ZombiU (which is apparently named in such a bad way because it's a callback to Ubisoft's first game from 1986, called Zombi) that makes this game seem fantastic. I'm hoping we're not doomed to a new Red Steel, and that ZombiU really has the potential I'm looking for in a Survival Horror game. The idea of using the Wii U GamePad to rifle through corpses inventories, punching up a data pad while being attacked, and sniping.

  Nintendoland was something I'm rather interested in. Yes, it's 'just' a mini-game collection, but nobody does them better than The Big N. Throwing in some IP Flavors like Zelda and Animal Crossing help make it more interesting than just another Wii Play, but also give me a craving for a nonexistent Zelda's Epic Yarn:

So god damned cute!

  But there was more to be had! After the conference, Nintendo announced another game in one of my favorite franchises, Game and Wario. A new WarioWare is good news any day of the week.

  The third party efforts are huge with Nintendo, and while not everything was a new announcement, the fact that Nintendo fans are finally getting their hands on a Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed is a damn good thing. On top of those we have new announcements like Platinum's P-100 and 5th Cell's Scribblenauts Unlimited. I'm a huge Scribblenauts fan, so that got me excited, and Platinum makes some of the best games today.

Platinum's P-100

  Lego City: Undercover is a comedic take on the Grand Theft Auto style of open-city game. Disguises, vehicles, and a brilliant charm are all apart of this original title by Travelers Tales.

  Some other third party wins were shown off in a sizzle real, including Darksiders 2, Trine 2: Director's Cut, Rayman Legends, and Tekken Tag Gournament 2, all with unique features for Wii U.

This game looks and sounds great in motion.

  The 3DS was barely scratched; apparently that's for tomorrow's bonus press conference. What was shown however was pretty much all great. There was (finally) some footage from the new Castelvania: Mirror of Fate, as well as Disney's Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion and a 3DS version of Scribblenauts. Also, just throwing this back out there, Heroes of Ruin looks amazing. The first party efforts were slim (because of the later conference) but strong. There was another New Super Mario Bros. title (adding a 2 at the end), and featuring gameplay focused entirely on collecting coins. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon looks great. I pretty much need Paper Mario: Sticker Star inside of my mind grapes right now.

  Again, maybe it's just me, but that's a lot of games I'm going to be picking up for the Wii U, and that's not really even all of them thus far. It's a fairly solid start, as far as I'm concerned, to what will undoubtedly be a great system.

-Make it a Nice Day

Smash Bros. The Next Generation - Day 7

Who says evil doesn't have rhythm?

  Big wheels keep on turning.

Veteran - Ganondorf

  It's time that Ganondorf stops being a Captain Falcon clone. It barely made sense from the beginning, and it should have stopped there. He has a taunt where he pulls out a sword that he uses in the most pivotal fight in Twilight Princess and then he PUTS IT AWAY! I don't? What? No. No more of that. That's why I propose not one but TWO alternatives. The first, is clearly visible above: we acquire Wind Waker Ganondorf.

  Personally, this was my favored design of the Demon King. It shows a sort of age and wisdom that Ganon has accrued over his seemingly eternal life span. He's no longer the brash, destructive youth. He's a more calm, calculating sort of menace. But when things get down to it, he can thrash with dual blades and a reserved agility.  That's the kind of fighting style I want to see him carry into the next Smash. We don't have a true dual-blade fighter, so he'd also be filling in a relatively fresh spot. He could have special moves that include a powerful magic sphere that he throws at enemies. If properly timed, perhaps they can bounce it back, and fighters can re-enact the classic Ganon-Link game of tennis. (Side thought: When will Link and Ganon get to show up in the Mario Tennis series? Isn't it time we turned that into Smash Tennis? Anyway...) For a Final Smash we could see him summon the Helmaroc to terrorize the screen, or a small cadre of his Puppets who just start tossing energy orbs all over the place. And for an alternate appearance, what's not to like about a Zant costume to fit those giant sleeves?

  Alternatively, why not ditch the whole Ganondorf idea and go straight to Ganon, the big blue beast. Give him a Bowser re-sizing, and make him a heavy character who fights with a trident and magic to mix in some range for his otherwise slow speed. Firey trails of bats, a forward-B teleport (complete with SNES sound effect), and a disorienting ground stomp are just a few of the ideas I have for the pig-monster's arsenal.

Potential Newcomer - Sylux

  It's obvious that we're overdo for some more Metroid characters, and I think Sylux is a great choice. He's a popular hunter, he can have his own fighting style with a ranged life-draining weapon, and he's clearly involved in a larger Metroid story somewhere. Another great villain, and somebody who, in Sakurai's hands, can be given a terribly unique fighting style

  His Final Smash could involve him summoning his ship to lay fire onto the field, or he could turn into his "morph ball" form and just go around blowing crap up. An alternate costume for him would be a tough call. Ultimately, I think one of the other hunters would be a great choice, or a  Space Pirate design. Or he could just have his own unique armor swap.

Setting the (Dance) Stage - Rhythm Heaven

  I think "Built to Scale" is a necessary for at least part of a Rhythm Heaven stage. It's important that the next Smash pay tribute to one of Nintendo's more intriguing IP's, and since a fighter is out of likelihood, a stage is at least worth considering. My idea for the stage is similar to the WarioWare stage from Brawl, where the stage keeps changing to various songs and videos from the Rhythm Heaven franchise. Built to scale is an early stage, and a memorable one, so I think it makes a great starter point. Dodging the assembling pieces, or at least the peg that puts them together, makes for a great little stage hazard. I also envision tons of cameos, like airplane pilots playing ping pong and monkeys shooting golf balls at the stage. On a 3DS version of Smash Bros. TNG, this could make for especially engaging 3D effects to have traps on the foreground shoot into the stage.

The (abundant) music of Rhythm Heaven

Rhythm Heaven Fever - Ringside

  "Whubadubadub; is that true?" Try not to say that over and over after listening to this track.

Rhythm Heaven Fever - Monkey Watch

  Really, it's the monkeys that tie this piece together. "Oo-ee-oh Clap clap!*

Rhythm Heaven DS - Built to Scale 2

  Something about the cool beat and the melodic piano just makes this song irresistible to my brain. And, considering my stage idea is "Built to Scale," I suppose it's entirely necessary we put this here, too.

Rhythm Heaven Fever - Remix 3 - Tonight

  Something I learned with Smash Bros. Brawl is that a lot of the localized songs for Nintendo Games are actually sung by members of the localization team. Leslie Swan and Nate Bihildorf are some of the names that show up in the US vocal credits for the Wario Ware songs, and I wouldn't be surprised if those are the folks who did the Rhythm Heaven vocals. My hat's off to you folks, because I rather like the way these songs sound.

Rhythm Tengoku - Remix 6

  I love the snazzy swings in this song. Remixes are an integral part of the Rhythm Heaven experience, so it's nice to include a few of them.

Rhythm Heaven - Shoot 'em Up!

  One of the best tracks in the whole damn series. That's really all there is to say about that.

  I could use the whole soundtracks to these games, these were just some of my favorite tunes and choices. Does anybody out there have any favorite Rhythm Heaven songs they'd like to see in a stage, or just on their own? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.


-Make it a good one.

 

Smash Bros. TNG - Day 6

The Cold, The Prince and the Realm of Animals!

  Fortunately, I was somehow able to pull myself away from the greatest thing ever long enough to write today's entry, so let's get down to business, shall we? 

What's cooler than being ice cold? Ice Climbers

  Perhaps it's their non-assuming appearances, or perhaps they're strategically worthless, but I've always received the notion from the Smash Bros. community at large that the Ice Climbers (of Ice Climber) are not terribly cared for. But I've never been swayed by common opinion; I love me the Smash-tastic Duo. They have a super-unique mechanic, they represent an older time of gaming, and they're bloody precious.

  So the question comes down to, what can we do to reinvigorate the Ice Climbers a bit? Aside from some sharper partner AI, and possibly a "revenge" mode for the Climber left behind will help balance them out structurally, but what about new tricks? How about needing to knock them both out to get a full KO? Is that too broken? It feels unfair to sometimes be punished by your partner not being present for the Up-B recovery, and dying for nothing. What if you had a mechanic to swap between the climbers at will, allowing you to perform switch-ups if you think you can't recover because your partner was left on the platform? You would still have to A: pull the switch off and B: not get killed while your partner stands mindlessly on the platform. These are some thoughts to try and spice up their mechanics while making them more viable, although as I said, my perception could be off and they could be some miraculous top tier team in which case none of what I just said should really happen.

  For an alternate costume, I think it would be cute to dress them up like Hammer Bros.

The Fuzziest Newcomer - Prince Fluff

  Prince Fluff is interesting. When thinking about Kirby, I had to come to a decision on whether or not Kirby should be converted to his Epic Yarn self, and as much as I'm in love with that concept, this felt like the stronger idea: just use Prince Fluff. He can specifically represent the Epic Yarn thread, letting Kirby stay the power house that he is, while still bringing all that mind-meltingly adorable powers that come from Epic Yarn.

  Fluff has it all; yarn whips, turning into a weight (made of yarn!) and dropping down, turning into a car for his dash; there's nothing this Sultan of String can't do. Smash Attacks? Got those too: he turns into a giant yarn tank and starts shooting missiles at people. Of course, as I learned from Fox, that might not be great, so perhaps turning into a UFO and flying around collecting gems to charge himself up for big AOE nuke attacks works, too.

  And he's got all the threads. What if, for an alternate costume, Prince Fluff was instead made out of a 2D drawing Paper Mario style? I can hear your panties melting from here.

Animal Crossing - The City

  

  The most iconic piece of the most recent Animal Crossing game makes a fairly effective stage. Pulled back enough, it could allow for tons of cameos and random happenings on in the lower part of the screen, while the architecture of the building tops makes for a solid fighting structure. Honestly, I admit I'm reaching a bit here, because it's hard to top the absolutely perfect idea of "Smashville," but it's either this or you're some miniaturized characters playing in an Animal Crossing person's house on top of the Blue Furniture Set.

  Part of me thinks it would be more interesting to have Animal Crossing represented as a sort of Hub World in Smash Bros., rather than a stage itself. But I've also had this idea for Nintendo Consoles. Basically, instead of a standard menu, you have a small town and an Animal Crossing villager to run around it. The game of Animal Crossing is still  very much built right into it, although maybe in a slightly reduced fashion, but you access things like your game, different apps or menu options by going to different parts in the town, or your house. In the case of a Smash Bros. game, it could have Animal Crossing companions introducing sections of the menu like what's in the vault or the online play. Tom Nook could sell you items like trophies and custom map parts in the store, and K.K. Slider shows up on Saturday Nights to play you a ballad. It's, admittedly, a terrible idea for an interface, but it always had a strange charm to me.

Crossing Over - The Music of Animal Crossing - The City

Animal Crossing - Rainy Day Theme

  For some reason, Smash Bros Brawl included absolutely -no- music from the original Animal Crossing (unless you count the K.K. Slider songs, which were in both). Well I say this time, we fix that, because the original game had the better soundtrack. Featured in said soundtrack was the Rainy Day theme, which should play whenever Smash Bros.: TNG detects rainy weather on your Weather Channel app, provided the WiiU can still do that.

Animal Crossing - K.K. D and B

  If any one K.K. Slider track gets the brilliant "Go K.K. Rider!" treatment from Brawl, it's ""K.K. Drum and Bass." It's always the first song I get in Animal Crossing, next to "Surfin' K.K."

Animal Crossing: City Folk - The City

  I suppose if I have The City is a setting, it should also be a song, eh? There are multiple versions of the song that cover the various general times of day (morning, night, etc.) and it would be superbly appropriate if the version that played depended on your system clock.

Animal Crossing: City Folk - Shampoodle

  Guilty pleasure time. I fucking love this song.

Animal Crossing 3DS: Trailer Theme

  Somebody made a nice midi compilation of the theme from the trailers, and I thought it was unique enough to include it here, as a bit of forward thinking! It's a pleasant little track, and just hearing it makes me want the new Animal Crossing.

  Alright, all of this Animal Crossing talk has me super nostalgic. After losing literally all of my towns, however, I don't have a home to go back to. So here's to holding out for Animal Crossing 3DS. In the mean time, what do you think of my Smash ideas thus far?

  And if you're from Reddit: welcome! I hear my boyfriend sent you. Isn't he the best?

-Make it a good one.

Toki Tori 2 aiming for Wii U

Developer Two Tribes plans to place the puzzle platformer where it started: with Nintendo.

   Ever since E3 2011, news about Wii U announcements have been the slimmest of slim. Today, Two Tribes has stated that they plan on bringing their creative platformer to Nintendo's newest system.


   "People who’ve followed us in recent years know we’re pretty big fans of Nintendo," reads the press release. "The first Toki Tori was a launch game for the original WiiWare download service in 2008 and today we’ve decided that we are going to do everything in our power to make sure Toki Tori 2 graces Nintendo’s upcoming HD console as well!"


   There's more information on it over at their blog, so check it out.


   What do you think? Any crazy ideas popping into your head about Wii-U specific gameplay? Have you enjoyed anything in this series before? If you haven't, maybe now's a great time to check it out on your Android, as the original Toki Tori has been added to the Android Humble Indy Bundle. Here's a link to help you help others.