We mucky commoners have known about the Wii MotionPlus add-on for just over a week now, but don't go thinking it's any different for third-party developers. At E3, Game Informer approached several third-parties about the peripheral, and were repeatedly told that the accessory was news to them -- as they understood it, Nintendo simply hadn't told anybody about the MotionPlus, prior to it being revealed last Monday.
In other words, we can safely not expect a flood of third-party releases supporting the peripheral. On top of that, the developers doubt they'll be able to implement Wii MotionPlus into upcoming projects, such was the secrecy that surrounded the project. Not clever, Nintendo.
Virtually Overlooked has taken over Wii Fanboy! All this week, members of the staff will be outlining their personal picks for future Virtual Console releases.
Growing up with gaming is an interesting thing these days. Many of you are part of the first generation that was quite literally born into a household with a gaming console, as I was. In my experience, if you start off in life gaming hard, you don't stop. Therefore, in the very near future, I will able to ask a random middle-aged man if he wants to go play Guitar Hero 4, and it won't be totally weird.
Who am I kidding? This isn't Japan, and that guy will probably think I am, in fact, totally weird. But man, screw those non-gamers. The hardcore, like you and I, have tons of gaming memories, and thus we frequently long for the games of yore to be released on the Virtual Console. But they have not yet appeased my feral hunger, and thus do I lay these games out in a commanding fashion for Nintendo's minions to take note.
Before you go running off to troll post on various message boards, we'd like to give you some specifics. A recent CNN technology feature details some of the various chips and components found within the forty-dollar Wiimote. Among the Bluetooth converters and accelerometers is a component listed as an "audio translator," which "converts analog data such as human speech into a digital data stream. This feature is unused now but will probably be employed in future games." The approximate cost is listed at $2.00.
So, what's the deal? First, there is no actual microphone (a device capable of converting vibrational energy into electrical signals) found within the Wiimote. Though basic electrical engineering principals allow a standard speaker to act in such a fashion, the signal quality and frequency response would be unacceptably low. This chip actually requires an expansion device for it to be used at all. So why add it? It's only two dollars, but this rather unnecessary addition has cost the company several dozen million dollars. We can only assume that Nintendo or significant third parties are planning a title utilizing an expansion microphone, which will be presumably cheap enough to bundle with a title and incur no markup in price.
God knows the masses need a mainstream karaoke game (we know about Karaoke Revolution for the PS2, but it never really took off), and the Wii is just the system to do it. Like a Virginnnnn ... hey!
... and another Matthew Lesko picture to summarize our feelings. Tipster HexiJosh was spot on about the last TRU Wii hoard, so we have no reason to disbelieve him now when he tells us that Sunday, March 18 is the day to queue up. Still, we're marking this as a rumor just to be safe.
He says that Toys R Us stores are getting even larger shipments this time than last time-- his store is getting a minimum of 12 systems-- and that TRU is planning to sell them bundled with Sonic and the Secret Rings. We hope these bundles don't cost full price-- bundling is only fun when there's a discount involved, and even then it's kind of annoying.
But complaining about bundles misses the point, which is HEY THERE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME WIIS FOR SALE. Plan your next weekend accordingly!
Well, that didn't take long. Two days after the US release date of Sonic and the Secret Rings, a Sonic fan has made it to the end of the rails and posted a video of the ending on YouTube. We're sure it totally makes sense in context, but we have yet to jump into Sega's latest mascot platformer.
Great news for people who only play Sonic games for the stories: we just saved you $50. It's about time Sonic fans had some good news, right? Of course, this is terrible for weaker-willed fans trying to avoid the rushing tide of SPOILARRRS.
Sonic and the Secret Rings has been released, and in what is certainly the highest profile release since the epic Twilight Princess at launch, our expectations are rather high. In what is being billed as the first truly decent 3-D Sonic game (or, at least the first one since the original Sonic Adventure), the hedgehog has the scores to prove it. IGN's was a little low, but it turns out they hate the color blue. So, you know.
Who wants a little blazing-quick spiny-mammal in their lives?
Gaming Age (85/100) has very little but praise for SatSR: "Sonic and the Secret Rings makes a solid attempt to fix the problems that have plagued the Sonic games over the past few years. Many of the gripes have been addressed in this newest title. The extraneous characters have been eliminated and Sonic is now the only playable character, just the way [it should be]. The horrible camera and hit detection problems of the prior games have been fixed. The speed has been ratcheted up and the action is fast and furious."
Gamespot (76/100) is impressed with the visual splendor: "The graphics are great in Sonic and the Secret Rings. Each level is large and has a great sense of scale, with huge dinosaurs, pirate ships, corkscrews, loops, and other structures to run on. The visuals are sharp and colorful, and you'll have a great time just watching Sonic run because the game provides the same thrilling sense of speed that made the Sonic games appealing in the first place."
IGN (69/100) dislikes things that are blue: "Players will fail to complete levels again and again in Secret Rings not because they lack the skill to progress, but because the control mechanics are too loose and unresponsive, the camera is too stupid to shoot the action accordingly or, worst of all, the level design is simply poor."
Even after the day, the spirit of President's Day (sure, why not) continues in Videoland. Zelda Dimension posted this picture of a painting found on a wall in Zelda: Twilight Princess, and it looks an awful lot like Thomas Jefferson ... or maybe George Washington? Or maybe dust? Apparently, one of the NPCs is a student of American history.
We love finding secrets in Zelda, but we don't like being confronted with a blurry texture in a Wii game. Maybe the Zelda Dimension blogger was using composite cables, and that's why the picture is blurry? Yeah, that's the ticket!
We look forward to seeing the Zelda timeline theorists chew on this one.
Our excitement for Sonic and the Secret Rings grows daily, and these hands-on impression by some folks in London aren't making the wait any easier. The game is looking scary good, as the players (who strongly disliked Sonic the Hedgehog for the PS3 and 360) rave about the graphics, voice acting, control, level design, and difficulty. For the love of God, Sonic moonwalks when you tilt backward on the Wiimote. Moonwalks. That's sweet.
Some tidbits: there isn't a standard "lives" system; if you die, you simply restart at the last checkpoint. Each level contains around twelve missions, and somewhere around six need to be cleared before advancing. Earning bronze, silver, and gold medals will earn you access to a huge catalog of unlockables, including BGM and artwork from the game as well as previous entries in the series.
The impressions are certainly worth a read; check it out!
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was in development for approximately, oh, say, forever. That intensely long cycle, besides making a game epic and wonderful and amazing, usually gives rise to an extreme attention to detail. Some savvy forum-goers have compiled a list of little easter eggs for your enjoyment, which can be found after the jump.
How many of these did you find, or even notice? Do you feel as though these little details even make a difference in the overall gaming experience? We ourselves find that we're occasionally drawn back to the world of Hyrule for a few minutes, just to feel that epic sense of adventure ... or maybe it was just those bomb arrow fireworks.
With the Tokyo Game Show in full swing, we're sure there will be plenty of posts like these to follow. While it may seem suffocating, these videos are for your own good. You need to see them. You want to see them. And this latest trailer for Sonic and the Secret Rings is no exception.
Nintendo is trying a different approach to some early Wii marketing. In major urban areas throughout the country, Nintendo is holding private parties for "ambassadors", whom they have personally selected, and a whole crapload of their friends. We're not sure whether the ambassadors were randomly chosen, but we doubt it. (Where the heck were our invites, Nintendo?) In any case, the ambassadors recently received a mysterious package in their mailboxes. What was inside? A ridiculously hot, super-amazing black DS Lite, as well as a cardboard Wiimote mock-up personally signed by Reggie Fils-Aime himself.
The ambassador in Miami took some pics, which can be seen here. There's also one in Chicago who's giving away two free tickets to some hardcore Chicagamers (yeah, we just made that up) willing to meet him in some shady location. Also of note is the date of the event (September 29th) and an excerpt from the back of the cardboard Wiimote: "The event will occur several weeks before Wii launches..." This is probably the strongest evidence we've seen for a late October launch.
Seriously, rendezvous points? Whole vans, spiriting away gamers to some secret Fortress de Nintendo? Next time, Reggie, sign us up as well.
A video posted over at You Tube shows the Virtual Console gamepad being flipped around and the back showing several odd slots. The top of the controller also shows a kind of release button, clearly showing that something is destined to plug into the back. Many are speculating that it could be some sort of SD card slot. I'd comment myself, but I honestly didn't get to play any Virtual Console titles at E3.
