Nintendo Wii Fanboy

We like online gaming as much as the next set of obsessive gamers; in fact, we even brave the friend code system on the DS every week, like clockwork, just to throwdown via the WiFi network. But just because we like it -- and sometimes prefer it -- does that mean that every game with available multiplayer needs to have online multiplayer? For that matter, does every game even need a multiplayer mode? Obviously, we're thinking here about the recent confirmation that Metroid Prime 3 will have no online multiplayer, but it applies to a lot of things. Let's take Wii Sports, for example. Tons of fun! Could in fact be online! But does it need to be? The philosophy behind Wii Sports seems to be that playing with others -- in person -- is fun. Isn't the philosophy behind the Metroid series pretty centered on the themes of loneliness and isolation, as well as exploration? With games like Saint's Row and Halo on the Xbox, online multiplayer makes perfect sense. Whether we want it or not aside ... is it really right for Metroid?

We'll definitely come on board and say that we hope that the Wii boasts many online games by the time its cycle ends. We particularly hope for at least one or two great FPS games with online multiplayer, but perhaps that's a dream. Still, is it worth hoping for online multiplayer when it runs counter to the central idea behind a franchise or game ... and worse yet, should we be hoping for multiplayer from a team who has yet to show us that they can even manage decent local multiplayer, much less online?

Sure, online modes add replayability, and that's always nice. But if that's all we need in a game, should Nintendo start tacking online multiplayer onto Zelda games, for instance?

We all love the mainstream attention the Wii is getting. It's a bona fide cultural phenomenon. But does anyone else wish that the Wii wasn't conflated with Wii Sports one hundred percent of the time? At this point, if you see or hear anything remotely related to the Wii system, you already know what game they're going to refer to. We love Wii Sports, but enough is enough.

The folks from Geekanerd, who made a strong showing at yesterday's Wiimbledon (good on ya!), tipped us off that they had some sweet pictures from the event, which of course, made us even more sad that we could not attend. However, they also hinted that this will not be the only such tournament -- only the first. We like the sound of that ... but do you?

Notice the turf that was rolled out for the players. We wondered if the organizers would go this extra step. It's just not Wiimbledon without the players throwing down on grass.

Where were we weeks ago? We so would have made a pilgrimmage to Brooklyn to get our Wii tennis on. Maybe next year we can get in on this, since we hope tomorrow's Wiimbledon Wii Sports tennis tournament is the beginning of a yearly event. And where are the other Grand Slams, people? Get to work!

Unfortunately, Wiimbledon is closed to new entrants at this point -- the 128 player pool is full -- but hey, the tournament is being held in a bar, so if you're in the area, can you really lose if you head out to watch? We think not.

Wiimbledon gets going at 11 am at Barcade in Brooklyn, New York, and entrants are encouraged to "dress with moxy" like our man Richie Tenenbaum here. We encourage spectators to do the same. Just leave the bird at home.

[Thanks, Conor!]

With the Wii injury cropping up all over again, this short comedic video seemed like the perfect way to wrap up the week. And if a simple game of tennis can set off this extreme chain of events, just imagine all the Wii injuries that are possible when it comes to using the Wiimote and nunchuk for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. We shudder at the very thought.

Chris Kohler of Game|Life interviewed Nintendo of America VP George Harrison about the future of the Wii system, and his responses were, well, generally unsurprising. We wouldn't expect Nintendo to suddenly change their strategy in the midst of such success.

Harrison said that because of the high prices of the Wii's competitors, he expected the Wii to have a lifecycle longer than the traditional five years. (Would that mean more than 35 million installed units in the US?) And it'll continue to have a pack-in for some of that lifecycle, since Wii Sports is a "cultural phenomenon" that is helping to draw people in to the system.

Harrison also mentioned that more Wii software targeted at Nintendo's new "expanded" audience would be revealed at E3, and that a game download channel is in development.

There's more, including some weird comments about localizing Virtual Console games and a response to the continuing shortages. Go read the whole thing, if you are so inclined.

Just like online gaming, the Dreamcast already did it. While experimenting with the Dreamcast fishing controller, The GagaMan from The Dreamcast Junkyard discovered that its motion sensors worked perfectly with the fantastic Virtua Tennis. In fact, he claims, the controls are more nuanced and sensitive than Wii Sports Tennis. On top of that, you can actually move your character around with the analog stick. We wonder if things would have gone differently for the Dreamcast if anyone had figured this out back then.

Probably not. But at least we can pick up a fishing controller and try this ourselves!

Brian McConnell left his son, Adam, alone with a game of Wii Sports: Tennis for only a few moments to fetch a drink, but that was all the time the little demon needed. Not even a Wii remote strap could've saved Brian's plasma TV once the three-year-old set his mind on avenging a lost match.

Brian came back to the living room to find his £1,000 television ruined, its 42-inch screen bashed by his Wiimote-wielding progeny. Queue up the darth_vader_nooo.jpg images.

The forgiving father let Adam off the hook with only a light lecture and a two-week Wii ban. That's a lot more lenient than the hanging, drawing, and quartering punishment one of our NintenDadz would've sought.

[Via Engadget]

It's been a while since we saw one of these crazy-silly Wii Sports videos, and it seemed like a good time to get back to what's great about the console. We may complain about the graphics on some of the games, or about whether or not there's a drought, but when it gets right down to it, Wii isn't about the graphics. It's not about putting 60+ hours into the story. Sure, those things have their place, but with the Wii, Nintendo is trying to get back to the roots of gaming -- and it's fun that made video gaming an international phenomenon. Fun is really all we need, and from the hyperventilating giggles in this video, the Wii definitely brings the fun.

Are you looking to get in shape for the summer? How about following JR Cook's example? The 27 year old lifelong gamer has already lost 20 pounds since he started his Wii weight loss plan, and aims to ditch another 60 by the end of the year.

JR realised the Wii's potential for weight loss after a 90 minute gaming session left him sweating and physically sore. Now he plays for around 35-40 minutes a day, seven days a week. JR has been sharing the results of his plan through his blog every day.

This story of gaming changing people's lives for the better is just the sort of thing that keeps our hearts warm and our minds confident that our cholesterol filled diets need not be the end of us.

How about you fanboy readers? Has anyone noticed the pounds dropping off since picking up Wii Sports? Any transformations from coach potatoes into hyper-fit superpeople? If that's the case, be sure to tell us about it!

The educational charity D&AD loves Nintendo. Last year, they bestowed a Yellow Pencil award upon Nintendogs, and this year, Wii Sports is nominated for one of the awards, alongside Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training for the DS. The other nominees (soon to be known as the also-rans) are LocoRoco, Shadow of the Colossus, Buzz!: The Big Quiz, and CDX, an online game from the BBC.

D&AD's Yellow Pencil awards recognize "creative excellence." No wonder they're looking to Nintendo.

We talked about some of the best and the worst games according to the reviews, but we want to know what your favorite game has been so far on the Wii. Did the latest Link steal your heart? Are you a Wii Sports devotee? Or are you passionate about something else entirely? Tell us what you've loved the most, and tell us why.

So, we've had both dry weeks and deluges -- overall, a fair number of offerings to distract us from Wii Sports over the past few months. And yet, it remains in the news as a media darling. But let's not worry about the rest of the world at the moment; let's talk serious, f'real gamers. Are we still playing Wii Sports? For fun, for profit exercise, or just out of sheer boredom -- if you're still whacking the racket or throwing punches, we want to know. And if you are still playing, we want to hear about those crazy, off-the-chart scores.

The idea of using the Wii as a workout is becoming pretty common, but do you really think it will work? Can something as simple as Wii Sports transform the lifestyles of a generation of gamers? Well, no, probably not. But can the Wii provide the seed of motivation? A long session with the Wii remote can definitely inject a little energy into a sedentary lifestyle, but should it be the lynchpin of weight loss program? Or is the inspiration unimportant so long as people are getting on their feet?