How Well Used Are the Wii Controls?

M

Mr. Wocket

Guest
I am currently scoping about for a new console and the Wii has sparked my interest for a few reasons but I did have one big concern about it. While the motion sensor has great potential and I'm sure some games use it quite well, what about the bulk of the games? Do game makers include the motion sensor in gimmicky or annoying fashion in a lot of games?

And, in a more general sort of way, all in all do the Wii owners here like the system?

Thank you in advanced.
 
I like mine even though my family hardly lets me play.

Bastards.
 
I only played a few times, and Ive only played Monkey Ball, Mario Party, Zelda and Red Steel. In all cases I found the controls to be awesome in their design and response, and all around more fun than typical controllers.
 
It does control well for the newer games, but the launch games, it can make you mad.. Wii Sports Boxing is TERRIBLE (every other sport is good, though), Wii Play is also TERRIBLE, Zelda is pretty good (sometimes it's a little bit iffy), Red Steel is absolutely horrible.

Buy it, is my advice, but the games that were made around launch have bad "reaction", the newer games work the "reaction" well.

There is nothing wrong with the controls, but the reaction is the problem, but as far as I can tell, it's just for launch games (Except Zelda).
 
I still think you should wait a little while before getting a Wii.
 
I don't own a wii but my friend does and I've played a few games on it. For the most part I wouldn't say game makers are including it in a gimmicky way, but there are definately a few cases where they do. My main beef with it is the hardware itself is a bit touchy. You have to train yourself to hold your body motionless for a few seconds before every swing in the golf games, for example.

I still think it has potential, and in my opinion there haven't really been many great games on it yet. However, personally if I was in the market to get a new console today I'd have to go with a 360. Simply due to the first rule of consoles, go for the one with the best selection of games.
 
This is pretty much my dilemma.

I'm convinced that the controller works very well for a lot of the games. The issues lies with the games themselves. The ones that I've had the most fun with are the simpler ones, but nothing that compares to the level of fun I have with games having more depth on the 360. The ones that get more complex (ie. Red Steel) are often failures.

RE4 in the Wii is apparently an improvement, but I'm waiting to see if the console can spawn a greater number of worthwhile titles that aren't just nifty toys.
 
JFry said:
I don't own a wii but my friend does and I've played a few games on it. For the most part I wouldn't say game makers are including it in a gimmicky way, but there are definately a few cases where they do. My main beef with it is the hardware itself is a bit touchy. You have to train yourself to hold your body motionless for a few seconds before every swing in the golf games, for example.

I still think it has potential, and in my opinion there haven't really been many great games on it yet. However, personally if I was in the market to get a new console today I'd have to go with a 360. Simply due to the first rule of consoles, go for the one with the best selection of games.
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I think I would have had to agree with you if I was myself a few years but these days I don't play games near as much as I used to. A large selection would be lost on me in many ways. The Wii seems like it has more than enough good, fun games (with multiplayer) for me.
Besides those games that I would look forward to on other systems (see Metal Gear Solid 4, Halo 3, etc...), well, that's what having friends with those systems is for.
 
Halo 3 is just going to be Halo 2 with a worse storyline.
Get the Wii.
Now.
 
I have a wii and a ps3 and to be completely honest, as few games as there are for my ps3 i've used it more than my wii (I have zelda, wario, mario party, paper mario, wii play, and wii sports) and wii just really isn't that fun IMO because the controls are so simple and quick there is absolutely no depth, if you think wii sports is the greatest game ever, then get a wii because thats all you will ever have otherwise, get a real console.

Yeah there, I said it. to hell with you fanboys, I'd take ps360 over wii anyday.
 
I own a Wii, and I'd say that its biggest problem is the severe lack of games. Most of the games out for it now are either crap or simplistic mini-game games. Games like Wii Sports, Rayman Raving Rabids and Wario Ware are all boring after about an hour's play, even with friends. I actually agree with what Korgoth said about the controls: they're quick and simple, but there isn't any depth in there. It feels like a gimmick. We need more games like Zelda. That is, games that make practical use of the console's controls but are engaging mainly for their story and gameplay.

That said, my advice for you is to wait for more games to come out, then buy the console (with any luck it will be cheaper). Don't get me wrong; I like the system, but I hate the lack of quality titles.
 
Haha... ps360.
You just pwnt yourself.
 
Korgoth said:
Wii just really isn't that fun IMO because the controls are so simple and quick there is absolutely no depth.
Click to expand...

Motion-controls don't add depth at all! Now let's all wrap our hands around a piece of plastic with 2 analogue sticks for real in-depth gaming!!!
 
Krynn72 said:
I only played a few times, and Ive only played Monkey Ball, Mario Party, Zelda and Red Steel. In all cases I found the controls to be awesome in their design and response, and all around more fun than typical controllers.
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agreed. :D I love my Wii.
 
The Wii is a social console, the most social there's been (even more than the mighty DC). Think of it a little like a football - on your own you'll get bored rather quickly, with one friend it gets a whole lot better, but it really shines is when you have a whole gang of friends around. The most fun gaming sessions i've had in the last 5 years, bar none, have been with the Wii and 4-10 people all messing around.

The best thing is, it isn't hard getting loads of people into the Wii - everyone who has come round has enjoyed playing for at least an hour or so, and quite a few have bought their own Wii as a result (including my and my gfs mothers!). Girls who shrugged off any attempt to get them to play video games in the past have spent hours making their Miis and giggling. From then on it's easy. Show them Wii Tennis, sit back, and watch their bits jiggle. It's this accessibility that really makes the Wii a great console, and it's reminded me how much I love playing games with non gamers. Like Armand in Interview with a Vampire, I feed off their enthusiasm and can remember the passion that got me into gaming in the first place. If aything, the Wii (and the DS before it) has made me less of a jaded and burnt out gamer.

As for the Wiimote - how often do you get to play a game that feels entirely new and original? I've played every ball rollng game know to man over the last 20 years yet was blown away playing Kororinpa and Mercury Meltdown on the Wii. Wii Tennis would be utter shite with a pad, yet swinging your arm, feeling the Wiimote rumble and make a thwack noise as you hit the ball brings the game to life. Write it off as novelty if you like - as though novelty is a bad thing? - to me it's gaming genius.

However, i'll admit that the single player games are a little lacking at the moment (not nearly as much as on PC and PS3 though ;)). There are some decent ones - Zelda is lovely, as is Eleedes, Paper Mario, Kororinpa, RE4, Mercury Meltdown - but at the moment it's the party games that shine. I can also see why some are bored of something like Wii Bowling as the enjoyment that can be gained from it depends entirely on how many people you regularly play it with. Once you have 10+ people who regularly come round to play/compete/beat their best scores/gamble and form mini leagues etc it is truly awesome. Wii Bowling is my goty. If I only ever played it with my 2 gaming mates it would have become boring ages ago. Think of it like Brain Training on the DS. Crap if you play it alone, awesome if everyone in the office is having a go.


Single player wise things are going to improve - Mario Galaxy looked like the freshest and most plain fun game to play at this years E3 and Metroid isn't far away - and more and more games are begining to use the Wiimote well. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwsie btw, the Wiimote is awesome. It's easy to pick a crap game and use it as evidence that the Wiimote is a gimmick, just as it was easy to say the DS would be a passing fad. Only a tiny amount of its potential has been realised so far and the best is yet to come.

If you want a console to do the same job as your PS2 then don't get a Wii. If you want to experience games in a new way and am into the social side of things, the Wii is the obvious choice.
 
...but unless you have a Wii party every week, wait for the awesome games to come out first, confirm it, and then get your Wii. :D
 
Warbie said:
If aything, the Wii (and the DS before it) has made me less of a jaded and burnt out gamer.
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It's funny. The thing that really got me thinking about the Wii in the first place was playing SNES and NES games through an emulator. I was originally debating between the PS3 and 360 but having so much fun with the classic games got me wondering why I was so concerned with graphics when how much fun the game is is so much more satisfying. And since I'm in college I really won't have enough time to exhaust any systems game library.

Wii is sounding like a better and better idea.
:D

That said, I probably will still wait a bit before making a purchase to see what new games come out and to see if the price drops (though I don't think it will, will it?) as well as the ever mundane actually getting the cash together to purchase it.
 
I have loved my Wii from day 1. I have Zelda, Paper Mario, Rayman, Harry Potter, and RE4 and they are all awesome. The controls for each are perfect and are extremely easy to get used to. The price won't be dropping anytime soon, but even better games are coming out starting just next month with Metroid, then the rest of the year will be stellar as well, esp. with Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros. Zack & Wiki is actually at the top of my list right now though--can't wait to get my hands on it!!

Just get a Wii the first time you see one in the stores--you will not regret it because I have a feeling that, like the DS, developers are going to notice their marketshare and relative ease of development and start pouring really good titles onto it primarily because it is, like the DS, the equivalent of growing money on trees!!!
 
I'm not as impressed as I thought I'd be, having tried a friend's Wii. The controls were pretty unresponsive at times and none of the games have really grabbed me. Although the resonsiveness could be due to the way they have their lounge set up... but in many games the way the remote is used seems fairly arbitrary. Resident Evil 4: Wii had a steep learning curve and even once I thought I had the hang of it I still preferred the PS2 version. Zelda was cool but I could just imagine it being so much more straight forward on Gamecube with a regular control... swinging it around to attack gets old fast.

Idunno, I was expecting to be wowed more I guess, but it seems like too much novelty and not enough innovation so far. Developers really need to find some more creative ways to use the controls.
 
RE4 has a steep learning curve? Nothing difficult about it imo. I just completed it. (After 2 weeks)
 
Wocket, if you can find one, I say pick it up.

Not every game on the console is a blockbuster, but there is already a collection of absolute must-plays...LoZ:TP, Paper Mario, WarioWare, and RE4 to name a few released for the console. The multiplyer is currently where it's at...several games out that take advantage of that. The Virtual Console is another bonus all together. And the games coming soon all look to be INCREDIBLE....Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, RE:UC, Smash Bros...just to name a few.

As far as the controls go...I haven't come across one game that I found to be "unplayable" as a result of poor development. For the most part, I've found the controls to be intuitive and VERY immersive. As far as FPS go, Call of Duty is the only one, IMO, to get close to being perfect. Red Steel and Medal of Honor should both have gone back to development. Metroid Prime is stated to be spot on and will be setting the bar for eveyone else. I actually REALLY enjoyed MK...surprising even myself since I generally can't stand the games...the controls have turned it into a game that you can really just jump in and compete...which was a shock to me. And, as Warbie said, almost every game feels original in some manner or another.

Having owned almost every console at some point or another, I still can't rave enough about the Wii. IMHO the Wii's gaming experience meets or exceeds the Xbo360 and PS3s in almost every category and when you consider the investment that Nintendo requires ($250) vs $400, $500 or (potentially) $600 for the other 2 I found the choice to be rather simple. Some people will never be sold on it though, for whatever reason, and that's fine...BUT, YOU really just need to try it with a variety of games...not just one or two at your buddies place. It's important that you see the Wiis range.
 
I pretty much agree with Lt. Drebin.

However, if you don't have a cutting edge pc and can only afford one console, it's hard not to recommend the 360. GTA4, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Alan Wake, Devil May Cry 4, Assassins Creed, Dead Rising, Halo 3 and on and on ...

I'm not trying to put anyone off the Wii - I buy each Nintendo console without question - because it's great. But if you're a more traditional gamer and don't have a fancy dx10 uber rig, then the 360 is a absolute bargain and should probably be considered first. Get the Wii when it's a little cheaper and has more quality single player games.

If you find yourself playing games with company more often than being alone, crave something new or need to play first party Nintendo games, then get a Wii, it's awesome. As great as the games listed above will be, it's Metroid and Mario Galaxies that have me really, REALLY excited :)
 
Warbie said:
However, if you don't have a cutting edge pc and can only afford one console, it's hard not to recommend the 360. GTA4, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Alan Wake, Devil May Cry 4, Assassins Creed, Dead Rising, Halo 3 and on and on ...
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Couldn't agree more...if I had a second current gen console right now it would definitly be the 360. But, as you mentioned, 5 or 6 of those games you listed on there will be on the PC...and I assume that I should be able to play them.

So, definitly, I'd highly recommend owning both if you're able. But, if you're in the mood for something truely unique...Wii.
 
I have a wii, and I don't really play it too often. The selection of games is (right now) a bit bland, but when MP3, SSBB, and Mario Galaxy come out, I'm sure I'll be all over it. The controls are great, though. Really will revolutionize gaming.
 
The Wii's pretty cool, but at this point it just doesn't have enough titles to warrant a purchase imo.
 
I like the Wii. I like the way the controls feel as well. They are responsive and don't feel gimicky to me. I will agree with others though, that the lack of games means I won't be getting my own for awhile. If Metroid can nail the FPS controls then I'll probably get it then.
 
One thing I love about the Wii is how playing games feels different. Zelda is a good example. Having played every Zelda game since the first on the nes it was a joy to play with the Wiimote and nunchuk. Almost certainly for novelties sake, but still a joy. I'm actually really looking forward to playing Mario Kart on the Wii - not because it's online (the DS has taken us there) or because I love the series, but because we get the silly little wheel. It's going to feel new again, completely familiar, but new all the same. Mario Galaxies, Metroid, SSB, Umbrella Chronicles etc - some of these games will make great use of the Wiimote and others may be no better than using a pad, they're all going to feel fresh though - something the Splinter Cells and generic fps of this world haven't for years.
 
I'm in a similar boat, I've been sniffing around in the shops looking at Wii's recently but not felt that undying urge to buy one due to the games shelf next to the console. I've always had playstation's as my console and I've always ignored the Xbox market, so any fight would be between the Wii and PS3. The price of the PS3 deters me currently, but it could easily win me over with a change.

Sure the Wii is great fun to play, but in comparison how do the games look compared to the 360 and PS3, that is another huge concern. Is the difference noticeable? It must be, but how much so? Maybe someone can tell me definitively.
 
Hectic Glenn, for the graphics of the Xbox360 and PS3 in full glory, you need a HD TV, which costs a lot.

I'm just saying this to show that it isn't easy to make a simple comparison of which is the best.
 
The Wii's graphics are fine imo. If I want impressive graphics, I use my PC.
 
Well, I went back to my friend's Wii, and we re-tuned their lounge setup to see if we could fix the responsiveness (ie - moved the couch closer to the teevee ;)), and all is well now. So, ignore my last post I guess. We also hired SSX Blur, which has a really neat and unique control scheme, and that pretty much changed my mind about the creative end of things :p. Oh, and the learning curve I was referring to with Resi 4 was purely associated with the control. I'm already near the end on my PS2 version, so it's probably just because I'm too used to that already. The precision aiming and a couple other additions are really nice though, I can see it being just as good if not superior once you get used to it.

Anyway, I still think the line-up is a bit thin, but that can be said of 360 and PS3 at the moment aswell (not to mention PC of late), so it's really down to preference. All 3 consoles have their own pros and cons, and their own set of sexy exclusives coming later in the year and beyond.

The one thing I can see Wii having up over the others is backwards compatibility. The ability the shove in any Gamecube game, and even use your old controllers and memory cards if you have them, is a huge boon. Especially if, like me, you missed out on GC and still want to check out the many great games that didn't make it to other consoles. Comparitively, 360 and PS3 support is pretty shaky as far as I've seen.
 
I'd be picking up a Wii ASAP if I couldn't just use the aforementioned friend's one :p. Not to mention their massive collection of GC games. Although it's still a little tempting, just so I can have my own...

Eh, but I really need to invest in an HD set so I can play my 360 with pride.

Anyway, derail.
 
Hectic Glenn said:
Sure the Wii is great fun to play, but in comparison how do the games look compared to the 360 and PS3, that is another huge concern. Is the difference noticeable? It must be, but how much so? Maybe someone can tell me definitively.
Click to expand...

Yes, the PS3 and 360 both look and sound better. $150-$350 better?? Well, I guess that's relative and you'd have to make that call. I say no...ESPECIALLY since I own a PC that has been playing beautiful games since the 360 was still in dev.

Again, however, graphics are not the Wii's selling point. If they were, I doubt the Wii would have sold the 9-10M consoles it has already.
 
i have had a wii for just over a week now and i am already bored of it. When you first start to use it the motion sensor is very jumpy and the cursor jumps around the screen uncontrolably! The games are to easy and the Mii are very boring to (created characters of yourself) you can't do anything with them they just walk around the screen doing nothing. I am looking forward to more wifi games like Mario Striker Charged Football. I think that yo u should get a 360 they are a hell of alot better. BUT MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT GET A PS3. they are the biggest load of shit ever. For 1 thing they cost nealy 500 pounds if you want some games with it. They cant play ps1 and ps2 games. In fact the only gd thing about them is the HD games and grafics are very good. The wii grafics are very cartoony and are not very realistic like the 360 and ps3. I am cosidering selling my wii and getting a 360 as they are the best gaming console by far!
 
Grandmaontoast said:
i have had a wii for just over a week now and i am already bored of it. When you first start to use it the motion sensor is very jumpy and the cursor jumps around the screen uncontrolably!
Click to expand...
Sounds like either you have a crap arm or the Wii isn't set up correctly.
 
Grandmaontoast said:
i have had a wii for just over a week now and i am already bored of it. When you first start to use it the motion sensor is very jumpy and the cursor jumps around the screen uncontrolably! The games are to easy and the Mii are very boring to (created characters of yourself) you can't do anything with them they just walk around the screen doing nothing. I am looking forward to more wifi games like Mario Striker Charged Football. I think that yo u should get a 360 they are a hell of alot better. BUT MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT GET A PS3. they are the biggest load of shit ever. For 1 thing they cost nealy 500 pounds if you want some games with it. They cant play ps1 and ps2 games. In fact the only gd thing about them is the HD games and grafics are very good. The wii grafics are very cartoony and are not very realistic like the 360 and ps3. I am cosidering selling my wii and getting a 360 as they are the best gaming console by far!
Click to expand...

I like Nintendo's aesthetic. Although XBox 360 does sound like it has a lot of cool games...

I'm waiting for more Wii games. And Brawl, of course. God that's going to be awesome.
 
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