Nintendo Wii Fanboy

This week I wanted to take on scripting for an indie game, and one that came in high regard was Synaesthete. I didn't know much about it when I first tried it out, except that it was a cross-breed of rhythm games and action shooters, and I was hopeful that it would lend itself to the Wii experience as well as the last rhythm hybrid I tried out. One level was all it took to start the script-writing cogs turning in my head, and after much experimentation, I wound up with a script that dynamically changes what makes this brilliant game so fun to play.

At first, nothing about Synaesthete makes it scream out that it was born for Wii, but ultimately, the addition of Wii controls has made this game my new addiction. I truly believe that a Wii port of this title would be hailed as the "next big thing."

Unlike most people, when I brought Wii Fit home for the first time, I didn't head straight to my Wii and slide the disc in to play. Instead, I tore apart the packaging to get at the Balance Board, which I then attempted to "hook up" to my computer. It took a while and a change in my method of operating, but I eventually got the thing connected and working in GlovePIE. It was at that point I started realizing what the Balance Board was really capable of, and this week I'll be sharing with you a few things I've learned about this new peripheral, so that you can start scripting for it and letting your imagination run wild.

The final package design for Nintendo's Wii Fit bundle (game and the Balance Board) does, in fact, feature diversity through not only the ethnic backgrounds of each individual on the cover, but also through their age, and even down to the different play styles one can enjoy Wii Fit with. It's a celebration of individuality and, also, a smart way to market a product.

It just shows people, predominantly displayed as they participate in the activities the bundle offers. Nothing to read, nothing to think about, just a visual representation of what you're in for should you sign up. It's a good way to sell it to the mass-market crowd that the Wii has been such a success with.


[Via NeoGAF]

We don't much discuss the Zapper, balance board, and steering wheel accessories coming down the pipe by themselves -- usually, we discuss them in relation to various games. However, considering them on their own, how do you feel about these accessories? Is there one you find yourself more interested in than the others? Personally, we like the balance board, despite the hefty price tag (in comparison), and think it seems to have interesting potential. But we're only one voice. How do you feel?

Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

When I first tested my balance board, I was in a bit of a hurry to find a suitable game with which to demonstrate it. I found a demo for a snowboarding game called Stoked Rider, but in my haste, I failed to realize that this was the long-outdated original version, and there had since been a sequel entitled Stoked Rider: Alaska Alien. Sporting far better graphics, and a more advanced gameplay engine which encorporates detailed physics, it seemed like it could give me reason enough to dust off the balance board and see what more could be done with it.

Lacking access to our customized equipment, CVG had to settle for testing Wii Fit and Nintendo's version of the Balance Board.

They actually had some problems with the soccer-heading game seen in the E3 demo: pushing off with the opposing foot, of course, caused the on-screen avatar to lean in the direction opposite of that intended. In the end, they were advised to lean only slightly in either direction, which "completely ruins the illusion that you're heading the ball," causing them to liken the experience to "standing on a giant D-pad."

They enjoyed other minigames much more, like a ski-jumping game and a Monkey Ball-like game in which shifting on the Balance Board tilts an onscreen board, with the goal of rolling balls into holes.

Overall, CVG had a very positive experience with Wii Fit, going so far as to say "we're certain this is going to be the next Wii Sports - a fantastic party game and one that will have everyone jumping in for a go." Check out their full post and their video, and decide for yourself if you think standing will be the new waggling.

Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

Inspired by Nintendo's own design, the work of another DIYer, and Alisha's challenge, I ventured to design and build my own "balance board." For a little more than $20 in materials, I've conceived an oversized Wiimote shell to translate exaggerated body movements into game commands through GlovePIE. I'm going to show you how I made it, and how it plays.

If it weren't so funny, we'd be more interested in this one. Rocket Company, a Japanese publisher/developer, is looking to beat Nintendo at their own game -- literally -- with their planned release of Wii Exercise. It's not exactly like Wii Fit; there's no balance board, and it seems there's a lack of minigames. Instead, Wii Exercise focuses on a nutrition program and a set of boxing moves to help gamers get fit. So, balance board or nutrition program? It's hard to argue with Nintendo on their own turf, but both titles may be worth looking at for those really interested in using their consoles to get into shape.

[Thanks, hvnlysoldr!]

The Game Critics Association has released their list of nominations for the best of E3, and Nintendo is all over the place -- particularly with Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit. The DS may have been spurned for anything other than the handheld category, but the Wii sure seems to be holding its own against the 360 and PS3. Unfortunately, however, none of the Wii titles made it into the nominations for Best of Show.

We'll skip over multiplatform titles like Guitar Hero III, but Wii games showed up in several categories:

• Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game (Wii Fit, Zack & Wiki)
• Best Fighting Game (WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2008)
• Best Action/Adventure Game (Super Mario Galaxy)
• Best Action Game (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption)
• Best Hardware (Balance Board, Zapper)
• Best Console Game (Super Mario Galaxy)
• Best Original Game (Wii Fit, de Blob)

An interesting mix of games -- some expected, some surprises. The winners will be announced next Tuesday. Think a few Wii games will pull out wins?

Okay, we (and by we, I'm pretty sure here I only mean me) may be fans of Wii Fit, but we still have to offer up some props to this guy for sliding in a humorous reference to the balance board and the forthcoming fitness title in naming his altered-Pong video and homemade controller.

But we still laugh when he falls off. No idea what we're talking about? Then hit the break and check out this week's hilarious featured video! Now we just have to work on convincing our wonderful columnist Mike Sylvester to try out something similar (and film it for our pleasure).

Not even one whole day of Power Pad ownership had passed before we were on the floor, drumming on the pad with our fists, flagrantly breaking the implicit rules of World Class Track Meet. Our other favorite move? Extending our long jump by simply stepping off of the pad. Yes, we are overweight now.

There's a new Power Pad in town, although it has fewer buttons and a more solid-looking construction. And it's meant more as an exercise tool than a game controller, really. But we're gamers, and we can't help the way we are. Some of us are going to cheat.

Do you think you have what it takes to play it straight, or will you take the hands-on approach to Balance Boarding?

Or maybe not. We're not insinuating anything here, because we love you no matter what. You know what else we love? That's right: Wii Fit.

While it's funny to quip that this is a perfect game for moms across America, we recommend that everyone take a closer look at the versatility of Wii Fit. How many of you own a treadmill or other exercise machine? Those things take up space. Maybe you'd like to own something like that, but you live in an apartment, like many Americans, particularly those under thirty who maybe haven't bought a house yet. Then space becomes a real issue, as this blogger well knows from years of apartment-living. But with Wii Fit and the balance board peripheral, suddenly working out with gear can take a lot less space -- and you get the added benefit of monitored results, which we always thought was an excellent feature.

Working out with the Wii has already become a popular hobby for many gamers -- the addition of this software just makes it that much easier. Maybe some gamers would have liked to have seen less focus on the title during Nintendo's keynote, but this kind of thing is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of Nintendo's winning strategy, and we all better get used to it. The Wii is to Americans what the DS is to the Japanese, it seems; it's an all-in-one device that can fit anyone's needs, and Wii Fit is a strong part of that.