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Wii Want More

When the Nintendo Revolution was announced, I remember the hype of Nintendo fans everywhere. Some time later it was announced that “Revolution” was not its name, rather this new console was to be the Nintendo Wii. At first it was hated, but then we saw what the Wii was all about with its motion controls and the hate was silenced. The Wii became the truth to Nintendo fans everywhere and despite the doubters when it was released it was sold out everywhere for months, the Wii had become a success. Fast forward to today and Wiis still sell at a record pace, however, I’m no longer impressed.

I realized that the Wii had become doomed to the same fate as the Gamecube, minus a few third party hits. The only quality titles were sequels of first party Nintendo titles. Now I’m sure Nintendo fans are content with this, but as a fan I am not. I have a Wii and own a single game, which conveinently is a Nintendo title. I have no interest in any of the third party titles as they receive no advertising, so I know nothing about them. Quite frankly even if I did, they all just seem gimmicky and that my friends is what the Wii has become so far; a big gimmick.

It doesn’t have to be this way, however, if Nintendo could score some worthwhile third party support and some original first party titles there could be a huge turn around. The Wii needs games that live up to its original name, something to make us realize that the Wii is the revolution in gaming. I also think that Nintendo should have been supporting the shift into HD. I don’t need good graphics for a game to be good, but Nintendo stated that they wished to draw in more casual crowds and I believe good graphics can do that. Nintendo is letting us down by promising us a revolution that only they back, and as anyone who has studied history knows without strong supporters behind you a revolution does not succeed.

E3 showed just how stuck in their ways Nintendo is by not bringing anything new to the table. Now I’m as big of a Nintendo fan as the next guy, but seriously the most exciting thing they were able to bring was Animal Crossing, with a microphone? The DS has had a mic since it came out and there’s nothing new about that at all.  There’s a serious problem with that people, not a single new thing at one of the biggest gaming events of the year. Nintendo really needs to step it up because that won’t cut it, especially with Sony boasting 256 players online with MAG and Microsoft pulling out stunts like gaining Final Fantasy XIII onto the 360.

Bottom line, Nintendo is known for their innovations in gaming but they’re innovating to the point where it is just a gimmick. Unfortunately, they are gimmicks that only Nintendo knows how to develop for and that doesn’t make a console great.