Multi-player on Wii

So, as it happens, I have only one Wii Remote. The other day I had three friends over and we were bored so I suggested some multi-player fun on the Wii. I have only two multi-player games which are:
So, we began with a game of Golf, but we were all doing so badly that we quit halfway through. Onto Bowling, which started out as a friendly, turned into a heated battle for first place, with me coming in second, behind by about thirteen points. Note that there were no smashed T.V screens or Wii remote through window incidents even though we weren’t wearing the wrist strap.

After a brief break for some food and drink, we moved onto WarioWare. After many intense Pass the Bomb games, we tried to beat each other’s scores in the Kel-o-meter mode. My friend set quite a high score, and I, in my competitive fashion, took over control of the Wii Remote and spent at least 30 minutes replaying it over and over. By the time I beat his score, I was dripping with sweat and panting as if I had just ran a marathon.

So although the Wii isn’t all that special in the multi-player compartment at the moment, you can still have a great time, even if with just one controller. And with game like Super Smash Bros. : Brawl and Mario Party 8 coming out, it can only improve.

Wii: The most violent console?

When most people think of Nintendo, they automatically think “kiddy”. People who only owned a Gamecube missed out on a lot of the more violent games such as the GTA series, Manhunt and The Godfather. With the Wii, that’s all about to change. The Godfather is already on it, and games such as Scarface and Manhunt 2 are set for realease sometime in the near future.

Now why, seeing as these games are readily available for other consoles, would the Wii versions be more violent?

Well, I’ll use The Godfather: Blackhand edition as an example. On the other consoles, to swing a punch, you simply press a button, whereas an the Wii you actually swing a punch. Which feels more realistic? Obviously the latter. When I was playing the game, I actually felt a tinge of guilt when I “convinced” the shopkeeper to pay up. In a different situation, I strangled a man to death by actually making a strangling motion with my hands. Imagine a game where you have a chainsaw. Imagine cutting someone’s head off while hearing the sound of ripping flesh next to your ear through the controllers speaker. The possibilities are endless.

So perhaps, with the arrival of the Wii, we are witnessing the departure of the kiddy stigma that has been attached to the Nintendo brand for years.

A Blast from the Past- Last gen controller comparison

So, now that we’re into that all the next gen consoles have been released, their controllers couldn’t be more different from each other. You have the Wii Remote which went in bold new directions relying on motion control. Then you have the Xbox 360 controller, which played it safe and stuck with the traditional design. And lastly the PS3 controller which mixes both ideas together. But in this post we’re going to take a look at which controller provided the best experience last-gen experience.

We’ll start with the PS2 controller
The controller fits well with your hands, with your thumbs over the D-pad and the four face buttons. Beneath the D-pad and face buttons are two analog sticks ( which are clickable) and above them four shoulder buttons. Now, the D-pad isn’t that great, but it is certainly better quality than the Gamecube’s one. The face buttons have a nice feel and are easily accessable. The shoulder buttons are easy to reach but they click immediately. Lastly, the analog sticks are of good quality, but I have an issue with their placement. Having to stretch your thumbs out makes it a little harder to play FPS game with this controller.

The Gameube controller is perhaps the most bizarre of the three with differently shaped face buttons and analog sticks. The controller fits PERFECTLY into your hands, and I personaly think it’s the most comfortable to hold. However, it has a horrible D-pad and the analog sticks aren’t that great either. The shoulder buttons, which you have to push for a while before they click are great and the Z button is well placed. Plus the fact that there is the Wavebird available makes this a very good controller however it isn’t very good for FPS’s either.

Finally the Xbox controller. I’m aware that there was the original Xbox controller but for this I’ll be using the controller S. Probably the best overall controller, but not my personal favourite. It’s analog sticks and shoulder buttons make it perfect for FPS games. It’s face buttons feel good and are easy use. It’s analog sticks are probably the best out of the three and it’s D-pad is too. The shoulder buttons are pressure sensitive and great for driving games.

So which was the best last gen? You decide