Defending the Wii

With the Wii U now visible on the horizon, I can already feel the skepticism bubbling under the surface of the gaming public. There’s a lingering shadow of failure over the Wii. Somehow, despite being the best selling console of this generation, people seem to think of Nintendo’s little white machine as an abysmal failure that didn’t satisfy. Somehow, despite providing a long list of some of the best games this generation, gamers angrily accuse Nintendo of giving them nothing to play.

If you bought a Wii and didn’t have anything to play, it’s your own fault. You were clearly one of the brainwashed masses that got caught up in popular sentiment and failed to see the terrific experiences lying on shelves right under your nose. Why do you think third party support was lacking? Because you brushed aside the great games that were given to you and didn’t buy them so developers eventually gave up. Did the system fail to live up to its potential? Oh hell yeah. Did it lack third party support (whatever the reason)? Yup. Was its release schedule spotty enough to keep it from being someone’s primary gaming system? Yes, this too.

But considering its relatively meager cost and the fact that no one I know or have ever heard of actually tried to use it as their primary gaming system, I think Nintendo deserves a lot of credit for what they actually did do right.

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The Undying Lure of the Pocket Monster

of new Pokemon games on shelves, I found myself facing a familiar conundrum. On the one hand, there was the unquestionable desire to play; to collect, level, and explore; to bask in the familiar glow of a growing Pokedex and a troupe of friendly creatures with which to kick the ass of cuddly things the world over. Simultaneously, a curmudgeonly part of the back of my brain was yelling to get that children’s game off of his damn lawn and go do something more productive. 

“Pokemon games haven’t changed in twelve years,” he said with an air of cranky authority. “You played it back then when you were only knee-high to a Charizard. Now you’re grown and out of college and you want to do it all over again? I understand you’ve got a lot of free time on your hands. A return to “simpler” days might sound refreshing, but Pokemon? That’s just desperate. Grow up and go play something for adults.”

I tried to remind him that I actually played Pokemon Diamond a couple of years ago and rather enjoyed it for a while, though I had to give it to a roommate to finish after losing interest. He mumbled a series of indecipherable grunts and the only words I managed to make out were “dang blasted nostalgia” before he trudged his way back into the recesses of my mind and let me stop talking to myself. 

This particular brand of desire is not unfamiliar to me. It is the allure of being drawn into an epic game combined with the excitement of collection and leveling up, growing ever stronger and exploring every corner of a vast world. It’s also laced with that nagging feeling of guilt that comes with believing that I’ve done it all before, with thinking that there must be better ways I could be spending my time.

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Best of the Decade: Conker's Bad Fur Day

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Platform: Nintendo 64

Release Date: March 5, 2001

Publisher: Rareware

Developer: Rareware

As I was browsing my memories for candidates to place on this esteemed list, I came across a game that holds a special place in my heart. I lamented that it had the misfortune of being released at the tail end of the 90s, thus depriving me of my opportunity to recognize its brilliance.

Then I looked up the release date.

Turns out, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, despite being on the seemingly ancient Nintendo 64, was actually released in 2001. Who knew? I certainly didn’t remember.

No matter! This realization marked a glorious day for my memories and me. Forget being one of my favorite N64 games or one of my favorites of this decade, the delightful humor of the drunk, furry squirrel and his ridiculous pals is one of my favorites of all time.

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Best of the Decade: New Super Mario Bros Wii

New Super Mario Bros Wii

Platform: Wii

Release Date: November 15, 2009

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD

It has warmed my heart of late to see 2D platformers becoming acceptable again. From the sadistic challenge of Super Meat Boy to the retro thrills of Donkey Kong Country Returns to the adorable charm of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, to name just a few, the side scroller seems to be making a comeback.

Some games, such as Super Meat Boy, exist because downloadable games have made riskier titles possible. Others, such as Kirby and Donkey Kong, are actually, in a sense, children of Wii Sports and Nintendo’s movement toward making things simpler again. There’s something about the design of a classic side scrolling platformer that’s easy to grasp for just about anyone.

Both of these categories of old school game are representative of a happy truth. As a gaming culture, we have finally reached the point where 3D, and the complexity that normally comes with it, is no longer necessary for success. I love me some complexity in the right situations and simple isn’t always better, but it wasn’t too many years ago when the classic side scroller was basically dead because there was no market. To sell, you had to be 3D.

This is no longer true. Graphics may be in 3D, and you won’t find me complaining about that because there are some gorgeous examples of left-to-right hop-and-bops that feature pleasing use of the third dimension for eye candy, but what is once again most important is great gameplay, even if it’s in two dimensions.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why a game like New Super Mario Bros Wii is thrilling for me. I love Super Mario Galaxy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t sincerely appreciate a return to glorious 2D form for Mario. 

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Best of the Decade - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Platforms: GameCube, Wii

Release Date: November 19, 2006 (Wii version)

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD

The announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess way back at E3 2004 was one of the most ridiculous game reveals of all time. Geeks everywhere basically lost their shit, screaming their lungs out and crying literal tears of joy.

While that level of emotional reaction may seem silly to some, there was good reason for it. There was something about that more realistic take on the beloved Zelda universe that fans absolutely fell in love with. The anger over Wind Waker’s art style largely subsided once people actually got their hands on it, but there was no denying that most were still aching for a return to the vision of Hyrule shown to us by the classic Ocarina of Time.

In that respect, Twilight Princess was a return to form and then some. It combined the realistic art style introduced by Ocarina with the darker tone of Majora’s Mask. By lifting Majora’s Mask’s shape shifting concept and altering it to suit its story, Twilight Princess also provided a hefty dose of something somewhat different from Zelda norm.

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