Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Wii Fanboy walks you through the Nintendo Channel

David Hinkle — 2008-05-07T10:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Video, Channels

After the surprise release of the Nintendo Channel today, we decided a video walkthrough was in order. So we've gone ahead and hooked up our fancy schmancy video equipment to get you this direct-feed footage of the Channel at work. Hopefully it'll help some of you determine whether or not this Channel is worth your download. Personally, we think it is.

Watch as we check out the many informative videos available, as well as the plethora of DS demos on tap.

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A video guide to the stars

Eric Caoili — 2007-11-15T14:15:00 00:00

Filed under: How-tos, Walkthroughs, Video

Having trouble getting all the stars you need to advance in Super Mario Galaxy? Hardcore Gamer Magazine has put together a near-complete collection of videos demonstrating the best ways to tackle each stage and earn your stars. This long list of clips takes you all the way from Dino Piranha to the final stage!

Sure, watching the tutorials ruins the fun of the game's exploration and figuring stuff out on your own, but we understand that some of you just want to get to the next galaxy to see what's waiting for you over there. If there's a particular group of planets holding you up, look to these videos for help!

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Lara has got some new tools

David Hinkle — 2007-10-23T12:45:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Video

With some new tools at her disposal, Lara looks like she is very much prepared for her jaunt in the Wii version of Tomb Raider Anniversary. Sure, it's just a port of the PS2 game, but when that game is great and has some valid additions to support its claim that it should be on the Wii, we have to get behind it.

Check past the break for part two.

[Via Tomb Raider Chronicles]

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A 20 minute glimpse into Zack and Wiki

David Hinkle — 2007-10-19T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Friday Video

For a lot of you, Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure is one of the best-looking games on its way to the Wii. Capcom looks like they have quite the hit on their hands here, and this 20 minute long video over at GameSpot only strengthens our desire for the game. Of course, we don't understand a bit of the speech, because it's all in Japanese, but it doesn't get in the way much. The focus is on the gameplay, and it looks amazing.

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Wii Party Station put to the party test

David Hinkle — 2007-07-17T12:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Peripherals

How could we have possibly missed Joystiq testing out one of the most bizarre, yet incredibly intriguing, accessories we've ever seen? Now, sure there are cans of soda resting there, but we all know what kind of chilled beverages this unit is begging for. Not only that, but there's a sweet little drawer on the bottom of the thing, which is something we didn't even know about. How is this thing going to be only 25 bucks?!

Be sure to check out images of the Wii Party Station in our gallery below.

Gallery: Nyko Wii Party Station

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Take a walk with Harry Potter and his developers

David Hinkle — 2007-05-16T11:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Video

In a brief glimpse into Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we're shown a few of the spells at Harry's disposal, as well as how interactive the sandbox world is. Tables are levitated, chairs are tossed about and we imagine any JK Rowling fan is trying to roll their tongue back into their mouth right about now. This could very well be the most accurate representation of the films around, which might not be the most accurate representation of the books. Apples and oranges aside, the game looks like a blast.

Head past the break for the embedded video.

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Rival Swords tutorial level played, filmed

David Hinkle — 2007-03-01T15:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Video

If you're one who hates to see spoilers, then this post isn't for you as the embedded video, which is available past the post break, takes us through the entire first level in the upcoming Prince of Persia: Rival Swords. A tutorial level, throughout you'll be introduced on how speed-killing works (you've already seen that though) and also shows us how to work the camera when jumping about the environment. Personally, this trailer has us pumped for the game.

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The amazing glowing GC controller port mod

David Hinkle — 2007-01-31T11:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Fan stuff, Walkthroughs, Mods, Peripherals, Tech stuff

Now that's what we call a mod! Lacking satisfaction in his Wii's location of GameCube controller ports, CAG member hollowfreak decided to rearrange them. Not only that, but he made them as snazzy as that disc slot light, with a similar blue glow. Hands down, this is the best mod we've seen for the Wii yet.

Do you have a modded Wii? Have you seen a cool mod to the Wii or the Wiimote? Let us know!

See also:

[Thanks Joey!]

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Make a Wii laptop: part 1

David Hinkle — 2007-01-24T12:00:00 00:00

Filed under: How-tos, Walkthroughs, Tech stuff

Remember that Wii laptop that Engadget made a few days ago? Well, they received such a demand for a post on how they did it that they decided to do it. The post on how to do it, that is ... We aren't making much sense today, are we?

Anyway, the post is just the first part in a proposed multi-part lesson. By the length of the first post, we could've easily thought otherwise. Still, if you're hesitant on doing this yourself, even given the incredible thoroughness the Engadget folk subject the reader to, then we suggest you still read it. The post is chock full of hardware pr0n.

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Wii and the back-up conundrum

David Hinkle — 2007-01-02T10:35:00 00:00

Filed under: How-tos, Walkthroughs, Tech stuff, Video

Contained in the embedded video, available past the jump, You Tube user Yadokingu takes us step-by-step through the Wii's security features and showing several backdoors one could use. Now, we don't condone doing anything that would void your warranty or get you tossed into jail, but this video is just too impressive to keep a lid on.

[Thanks Eoin!]

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Wii hacked to play back-up games

David Hinkle — 2006-12-21T09:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Cheats, Walkthroughs, Tech stuff

We're having a hard time believing this, for a number of reasons, but it appears that someone has found a way to play burned games on their Wii through a combination of utilizing a SD card and a back-up of Twilight Princess on a CD-R. Now, we're no pirating experts (we like to support Nintendo, they rock), but to us it looks like this person has found a viable way to consistently play burned games.

What do you, more technically savvy, readers out there in reader land have to say about this? Real deal or fake?

[Thanks ZeldaX!]

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Huge, ugly antenna increases Wii's wireless range

David Hinkle — 2006-11-29T13:45:00 00:00

Filed under: Fan stuff, How-tos, Walkthroughs, Tech stuff

Not satisfied with the wireless range of their Wii, the folks over at Informit.com decided that they'd go ahead and conduct some tests. The end, which they provide step-by-step means by which one may achieve that end, detail cracking open the Wii's casing and installing a huge external antenna to the console (see: above picture).

The final results showed that the external antenna helped, however not as much as one would assume given the incredible size of said antenna. Those fellows responsible for installing the above antenna theorize that stronger antenna cables could significantly improve performance, so if anyone wants to give it a go, by all means do not let us get in the way.

[Via Joystiq]

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First impressions of Far Cry Vengeance

David Hinkle — 2006-11-28T13:55:00 00:00

Filed under: Walkthroughs, Tech stuff, Controller

IGN has gotten their grubby little mitts on a final build of Far Cry Vengeance, which is due to release on December 5th, at Ubisoft's San Franciscan offices and they seem to have thoroughly enjoyed what they played. The game, more or less, is an expansion to the expansion that was Far Cry Instincts: Predator, including a new adventure, 3 new maps and weapons, plus characters.

What IGN was most suspicious about, and in the end most impressed with, is the control setup. They wondered if the game would play well, having taken part in some forgettable gameplay segments in the console's other FPS offerings of Call of Duty 3 and Red Steel. They also tell of how pressing the A button will steady the screen, allowing the player to aim within the confines of the immediate screen and not worry about turning the Jack's head, which they admit is a small change, however it impacts the gameplay in a big way.

[Thanks elbono!]

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Hacking the Wii: internet browsing very slowly

David Hinkle — 2006-11-27T11:15:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Fan stuff, Cheats, Walkthroughs, Nintendo Wi-Fi, Tech stuff

Turns out, all of you out there with shoulders shrugged as high as they go and mouths pouting like they've never pouted before, wondering exactly when you might be able to partake in online browsing through the Wii, can effectively stop what you're doing. As depicted in the video, which is embedded into the post past the break, browsing is possible!

It's just a little slow, is all ...

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DIY: Wii component cables

David Hinkle — 2006-11-22T12:25:00 00:00

Filed under: News, How-tos, Walkthroughs

Not to be outdone by diminished stock and having to traverse the outside world's various brick-and-mortar outlets, the folks over at NFG Games forum have come up with their own solution: make their own! Apparently it's a fairly easy procedure, given that forum poster acem77 (who is responsible for the above "mess" as he puts it) used paper clips to add pins.

Anyone planning on trying this out to hold them over until component cable stock is restored?

[Via Joystiq]

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The Wii makes its way to the Today Show

David Hinkle — 2006-11-17T09:55:00 00:00

Filed under: Fan stuff, Walkthroughs, Controller

In this minute-and-a-half clip from the Today Show, Weatherman Al Roker takes a turn at trying out Wii Sports: Tennis. The man very much has no idea what is going on as he swings wildly without any sense of timing, making us wonder if the press is even worth it. If Al Roker makes the thing look broken, doesn't that deter from the console's (and game's) appeal?

As always, the video is embedded into the post past the break.

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Wii Sports: Training and Fitness modes documented

David Hinkle — 2006-11-12T13:25:00 00:00

Filed under: How-tos, Walkthroughs

We've been spending tons of time with Wii Sports and we never took the chance to check out the Fitness and Training modes. In correcting the situation, we found that each are fairly straight forward and just how you would imagine them; Fitness is a kind of Brain Age semi-clone, yet instead of a brain age you are given a fitness age, and with Training you are taken through several scenarios in each of the sports. Fitness mode is a good deal more in-depth, so initially you'd want to head into Training mode before checking that out so that you can train up before committing yourself to a fitness age the system is looking to label you with.

Continue reading for our first ever Wii Sports Fitness mode trial!

So we sat down and entered the Fitness mode of Wii Sports and, honestly, didn't know what to expect. Would we just be thrust into a game of a random sport or would there be a calculated set of tests? Turns out the console has a laundry list of tests for us in order to determine our fitness age. Our first task? Returning serves in Wii Sports: Tennis.

We managed to only miss 4 balls out of a total of 50. Your Mii will move from shallow to deep in what seems to be random intervals. Ball speed never reached high velocity, however the inability to control the Mii's movement caused us to miss some very returnable balls. Oh well, missing only 4 is not so bad, right?

Next up was Home Run Derby in Wii Sports: Baseball. With a total of 10 pitches, the goal for the player is to basically knock it out of the park. Swinging and missing, along with fouling the ball, both result in an out. We managed to knock 2 for yard: first was for 482 feet and the second was an epic 547 feet.

Finally, we had to pick up spares in Wii Sports: Bowling. Picking up spares was a progressive affair, intially having us pick up the first pin and, upon doing so, the game would add a second pin, then the player would need to pick up the first and second pin respectively. The player is given an allowance of 5 gutterballs total before the round ends. We ended up getting to stage 4 before our last gutterball sputtered down the lane.

After completing all 3 trials, the game gave us a fitness age of 64. We're assuming the best overall fitness age one may receive is a 20. Assuming that, we wonder what we'd need to do in order to get closer to that number. We only missed 4 balls in Tennis, knocked 2 homers in Baseball and picked up 3 spares in Bowling. Isn't that at least worthy of a number in the 40's?

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Does real world talent translate into Wii Sports talent?

David Hinkle — 2006-11-11T19:25:00 00:00

Filed under: Fan stuff, How-tos, Walkthroughs, Reviews, Peripherals, Tech stuff, Controller

... or, in the case of this blogger, lack thereof? With Nintendo boasting the intuitive, easy motion-sensing control scheme allowing all types of people to game with ease, we wondered if the control scheme was realistic enough to favor those who excel in these sports in the real world to do the same on the Wii. Sadly, we're all gamers and not a one of us can protest to be great at golf out in the real world. As such, we decided to document our trials in a couple of games to see if we could get the hang of the game, with the future goal being dominating anyone we come across.

Can we step up and own the links right away? Is the game more realistic and challenging than its presentation would have you believe? Read on and find out!

First game: 3 rounds set to beginner difficulty

Hole 1: Par 4

I get a Double Bogey. Driving leaves enough room for error so that I may stay on the fairway, but putting steels the hubcaps and wheels on my motorcar of destiny.

Hole 2: Par 3

I get to the green in two due to a nasty slice into the rough and Bogey the hole.

Hole 3: Par 5

I get to the green in five thanks to a vicious hook into the rough, which is covered in trees. Hacking out of there, I get to the green and putt it in on two.

Final score: 17 (+5)

Final skill level: 51

Second game: 3 rounds set to intermediate difficulty

Hole 1: Par 4

I get to the green in three and take another three to putt it in. I tried to trick the game here by flicking the Wiimote forward to chip without backswing. Lesson learned Wii Sports, lesson learned ...

Hole 2: Par 5

I am on the green in 8 thanks to a water hazard and horrible use of power. I end up leaving the green with +5.

Hole 3: Par 4

My first par! I get on the green in two and two-putt my way to par.

Final score: 20 (+8)

Final skill level: 102

Third game: 9 holes
It's right about now where my confidence is fairly high and I feel like I'm getting how the game works. Fluid, swift motions for driving and slow, methodic movements for putting.

Hole 1: Par 4

I get on the green in two and have an incredibly difficult time putting. I end the hole with a Trips Boge.

Hole 2: Par 3

Another par! I'm feeling like I wrestled a puma to the ground with my bare hands and established my dominance.

Hole 3: Par 5

I get a Double Bogey and curse the heavens for my inability to get the short putt in.

Hole 4: Par 3

Another hole, another par!

Hole 5: Par 5

Watch out Tiger, you're not the only par king!

Hole 6: Par 4

Ouch, my self-esteem. I walk away from the hole, covered in a wet t-shirt made from my tears, as I get another Double Bogey.

Hole 7: Par 4

Bam, par!

Hole 8: Par 3

Another par!

Hole 9: Par 5

Last hole and I end the game on a horrible note with a Triple Bogey.

Final score: 48 (+10)

Final skill level: 293

So what did I learn? Wii Sports: Golf is the toughest sport in the compilation and spending an hour or so playing won't make it great at it.

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Improving one's self in Wii Sports: Bowling

David Hinkle — 2006-11-11T15:55:00 00:00

Filed under: Fan stuff, How-tos, Walkthroughs, Reviews, Peripherals, Tech stuff, Controller

Joystiq's own Kyle Orland sat down with the Wii and looked to test out the learning curve. In choosing Wii Sports: Bowling, he looked to see if Nintendo's motion-control scheme was as intuitive and easy to use as the company had marketed. So how does one accomplish this? By playing a lot of Wii. Going through natural motions and even trying to "trick" the game, Kyle's results were as follows:

Game 1: Having trouble letting go of the "B" button in mid-swing. The result is a late throw that ends up dribbling down the lane for a few pins. Score: 110

Game 2: Better with the timing, but the ball has a natural curve at the end that makes most shots miss the mark just barely. Score: 116

Game 3: Consciously focusing on keeping the ball straight. Throwing it at less than full power seems to help. Score: 146

Game 4: Confident in the straight game, I focus on adding some spin to the end of the shot. Most shots end up too turning too much or too little. Score: 145

Game 5: Working off a surprise strike from game 5, I decide to try a standard first shot for all ten frames -- full power, straight on from the right edge with maximum leftward spin. I get two strikes but miss a few easy spares. Score: 147

Game 6: I try shooting with an approach from the extreme left side, angled towards the center with a slight spin. No strikes, but I pick up the spare on all but one frame. Score: 166

Game 7: No set strategy -- I pick shots based on flights of fancy. Pick up eight spares and two splits. Score: 159

Game 8: Arm is getting a little tired from 140+ straight throws without a break, so I try to fool the system by sitting down and just flicking my wrist. The results are disastrous. Score: 111

So what did Kyle find? He found that over these 8 games, in slightly adjusting his movements, he actually got better at the game. Also, trying to trick the game by flicking the Wiimote fast did little to improve his score. So what does this mean? Well, if you're good at bowling in real life, you'll probably be good in Wii Sports: Bowling.

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First look: Excite Truck

David Hinkle — 2006-11-11T13:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Fan stuff, Walkthroughs

Ever since we received our Wii, everyone has been dying to play that Zelda game. It's left us little time to take trucks, of the most exciting variety, out for a spin. After running through the first set of races and unlocking the silver series, we have, overall, good impressions of the game. Visually, it looks good. No pop-up present that we can determine and the sense of speed is really spot-on.

We currently have 3 vehicles at our disposal. A dune buggy-like vehicle is our personal favorite, mainly for its incredibly light weight, which helps us bust some amazing drifts and big air. Upon completing courses, we're rewarded for our efforts with a grade. The learning curve is rather small for this also, as upon completing our first race we received a grade of F and, only 2 short races following, we were receiving A's and S's with relative ease.

Keep an eye out here for more impressions on the game as we progress and check after the break for some more pictures.

Our 3 vehicles. We're movin' on up!

The countdown ends and we're off!

We kicked so much ass in that race that we were rewarded with a new truck.

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