Totally Wiik
I was hoping that I had a chance at getting a Wii, given that the PS3 just came out and all of the buzz seemed to center on that console. So I called several places and even drove to Framingham (the nearest place to Concord, Massachusetts with any sort of decent shopping, which happens to be 30 minutes away) in search of one. Well, it turns out it’s sold out all over the place. I guess I get to wait a while before I can play all those sweet old games on a new console. As long as I get it by the time Smash Bros. comes out I’ll be okay (and yes, I want a PS3 too but I don’t have that kind of money).
I don’t know what came over me, but in a rush of fanboy-ishness, I woke up at 4am and decided to throw some clothes on and check the line at Target in Vista. I ended up being #20 in line. There were 5 people there as of 10pm, so I decided to stick it out, which was a good decision as it filled out very quickly from there.
Good points… Zelda primarily, though Wii Sports *is* fun with other people, but has limited replay-ability due to it’s repetitive nature. Though there’s a few things that I expected that aren’t there RIGHT NOW, the potential of the system remains and Zelda is a fine realization of that.
Bad points.. the Virtual Console had very few games available and really nothing that excited me. The News and Weather channels aren’t functional yet. No Opera browser available yet. Didn’t have Nintendo DS demos built-in like I was hoping (looks like they’re saving the DS connectivity for specific games). Nothing too critical really.
Overall, I’d say it was worth it as I know the WiFi content will fill-out with time and I do have Zelda to keep me occupied until then. I’m still very satisfied. =)
Totally Wiik
Burlington Mall and the stores in that area should be closer to Concord than Framingham…
Have fun with the Wii! I plan on getting a PS3 just because I still play PS2 games and have zero GameCube games… so the legacy compatibility decides it for me. Give up Guitar Hero II? Never!
I must say I’m also in the boat of “Going to get a Wii, but can’t afford a PS3″
For me, it’s not even just the new content for the Wii, but also all those old classic NES & SNES games that I’ll be able to play again.
Maybe I’ll get a PS3 when the price comes down some, but IMHO Nintendo was very smart with their “inexpensive” (well, relatively) console. Sure it won’t be as pretty as the 360 or PS3, but who cares about pretty when you’re playing a 8 or 16 bit title, eh?
You know, just as an aside to the main topic.. Nintendo proved one very important thing with the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS… There’s still a HUGE market for 2D titles, at least in the handheld space.. I believe there’s a market on the consoles still as well that’s only starting to get catered to a but thanks to things like Xbox Live Arcade. I always look back to the big 3D rush with the original Playstation, then along came “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” which remains one of my favorite games of all time. 3D? Heck no! Fun? Absolutely! (not to mention that the soundtrack ROCKED!)
I also believe that Nintendo will continue to prove another very important thing.. Graphics without fun gameplay does not a great game make! While there’s a market for people seeking the best graphics out there, but without great gameplay their attention will only be held for so long.. Of course there will be some great games for these platforms, but your options are going to be limited simply due to development budgets. The little studio is more apt to develop for the cheaper/easier platform, so long as the possibility of return on investment is high.
Ok ok, tangent done! Just had to say it! =)