Nintendo Wii Fanboy

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

We are all aware that the Wii prints money, but while it's filling Nintendo's coffers, it's also spitting out greenbacks for game publishers and peripheral manufacturers. The expansion aspects of the Wii extend beyond anything we've seen before in a Nintendo console, and some companies are making a killing by exploiting that.

Will the creativity of these peripheral companies be put to use in creating innovative products for enhancing our Wii gaming experiences, or will we be stacking up more R.O.B.s in the closet to collect dust?

Yesterday, the air was filled with wanton speculation about potential uses for the Wii Balance Board that will be packaged with Wii Fit. Now we're looking to get all those ideas down in one place -- specifically, here. We've heard some things already, like surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding sims, and maybe for boxing games, but what else can you think of? Feel free to be both outrageous and creative. Also, are you interested in trying out something like surfing with an interface like this?

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.

Unlike other "zapper" products like Joytech's Blaster, the Pega pistol doesn't have a cavity for you to dock the Wii's nunchuck. Instead, you connect the nunchuck's cord under the butt of the $15 gun while the remote slides and locks into its top half. We're not sure yet if this is a more cumbersome or convenient implementation, but given our experiences with cheap, third-party accessories from Chinese manufacturers, you can easily guess which side we're leaning towards.

If you're wondering why we're even bothering to bring up this lackluster peripheral, it's because we love to scrutinize the packaging of these products! What's up with Splinter Cell graphics? And why is it branded with that same inapplicable Wii Sports logo we saw on Fire Bird's rechargeable controller grip? Does Pega actually expect people to play tennis with this clunky plastic attached?

[Via DCEmu]

Nintendo Wii Fanboy is related, in an odd sort of second-cousin once-removed kind of way, to the hyper-popular Engadget, which like totally everyone reads all the time forever. As such, their annual Engadget awards are nothing to sneeze at, and so we look with great pride (we helped, after all) at their selections for 2k6. Let's take a glance at the honors:

• Reader's Choice: Most Innovative Peripheral
• Reader's Choice: Game Console of the Year
• Editor's Choice: Game Console of the Year
• Reader's Choice: Gadget of the Year (!!!)
• Editor's Choice: Gadget of the Year (!!!)

Yeah, that's right. That means the Wii pretty much wins at life. It's quite a series of awards, but which console will take home 2007? It may come down to one showdown: Halo 3 vs. Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Which will suck up more of the average gamer's free time? Bring it, Chiefy.

With the incredible success of the Wii, many companies are shifting their focus to capitalize on the system's popularity. Companies such as Ubisoft, EA and now Logitech, are shifting their focus to Nintendo's latest console, offering more unique products for that console than they would the competition. Ubisoft and EA are bringing the games, but what about some nice peripheral action?

That's where Logitech comes in, as they have revealed they've got some stuff in the works for the Wii. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we know what you guys want: USB keyboard, right? We'd love one too, so let's hope that Logitech, who is wide known for some of the best wireless keyboards and mice in the PC game, can at least hook it up with a USB keyboard.

We'd say wireless for the Wii, but that might be asking too much ...

The Retractable Wii Sports Cuff replaces the subtlety and elegance of the Wii remote's wrist strap with a bulky band that we wouldn't be caught dead wearing. We don't doubt that the adjustable neoprene cuff has an agreeable fit, but did anyone ever find the original straps uncomfortable, if even noticeable at all?

And what sort of human does the retractable thirteen inches of slack benefit? Are there people whose hands extend that far away from their wrist? Or are these cuffs marketed towards some sort of video-game-playing race of long-fingered mutants? Creepy!

You would think that the shop would take advantage of all the "faulty Wii Strap" controversy and emphasize the durability of the cuff's cord, but the product description makes no mention of any improved toughness. What's there to reassure us that we won't end up with a Wii remote sticking out of our television after a heated game of Wii Tennis? Even at a sale price of $5.99, you'll probably want to stay clear from this accessory.

[Via CAG]

The first Wii game likely to ship with a peripheral in the US (not counting foam doodads) is not a Nintendo first party game. It is a licensed game. From Disney. Based on a made-for-TV movie.

Disney Interactive is bringing an adaptation of their hit movie High School Musical to the Wii as a karaoke game. The story of the game will follow the first movie, while also affording players the chance to sing the songs from the second. We weren't really aware karaoke games needed or could support stories, but we'll accept it. High School Musical is set to ship this August with an included microphone.

High School Musical is facing competition only from Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party in the race to be the first US-released Wii game with a special controller as well as the first full music game for the system. That's pretty progressive for Disney!

While the probability of such a controller making its way onto retail shelves and eventually into your hands are so slim as to be immeasurable, we still think such a genius design deserves the prestige of being linked by Wii Fanboy (which means, basically, our mom will see it). With a built-in speaker and design that takes us back to the days of old, the Pongle (that's what they're calling it) definitely beats out some of the other options available to Wii owners.

[Via Engadget]

Ubisoft is all over Nintendo lately. Not only are they dominating the Wii launch lineup, but they're the first to bundle a peripheral not designed by Nintendo with their games. Yes, that's games plural. Their new steering wheel, which cradles the Wiimote like the precious jewel it is, will be bundled with both Monster 4x4: World Circuit and their new racer, GT Pro Series. IGN snagged a short intervew with associate producer Tats Myoio. They didn't cover much, but the screens of the colorful cel-shaded game and the first look at the superfly steering wheel are so exciting that an interview is just the cherry on this Ubisoft sundae.

The highlights:

• GT Pro Series will feature over 80 licensed cars, including Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota.
• There are 11 different options for customization.
• The game includes a wide variety of racing modes: Championship (Career) mode, a Quick Race mode, Versus mode (splitscreen only!), Time Attack and Drift Mode.
  
• Any race can be saved and replayed later, for your viewing pleasure.
• GT Pro Series supports 16:9 widescreen, but no progressive scan.
• The steerig wheel was developed by Thrustmaster specifically for GT Pro Series, but it will work with other Wii titles, like the aforementioned Monster 4x4, Excite Truck, Cars, and portions of Spongebob as well.

We're vehemently not going to be the ones who break down and make a Thrustmaster joke. Just in case you were wondering.

[Thanks, AssemblyLineHuman!]

So, uh, remember when people were talking about Nintendo and that whole hate they supposedly had on for anyone unfortunate enough to be not-them? Yeah ... someone forgot to ship that memo over to Ubisoft, because not only are they planning to develop a veritable slew of games for the innovative console, they've promised seven just for the launch window:

• Red Steel
• Rayman Raving Rabbids
• Far Cry
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
• GT Pro Series
• Open Season
• Monster 4x4 World Circuiit

And it's not just games they're working on. In an interview with IGN, Ubisoft's North American president, Laurent Detoc, dropped a bomb on their new racing game. "We're working," he said, "to include an accessory in GT Pro Series that will make this game a must have." Well, since you put it so nicely, we already want it.

After all this, Ubisoft is so glued to the Wii that we feel a particular spiritual brotherhood with them and extend the hand of fanboy love. Welcome to the club, folks. Over here, life is sweet. Viva la revolution Wii!

[Thanks to Cabbage and vidGuy!]