Absurd Singularity

As you can see, the outer packaging is pretty clean and basic.

It's relatively attractive with the white and blue colors. Although the Wii may be a tad boring color-wise with its total whiteness. I mean c'mon, at least throw some other color in there for trim or something. Sure the area around the slot-loading drive glows a nice blue occassionally but still, even the progenitor of all current fashion gadgets isn't completely white.

Obviously they kept the packaging relatively clutter free except for this one side panel that they just shoved everything onto.

Unpacking the Wii was relatively straightforward but a little bit different as Nintendo had gone with a stacked approach internally. Helpfully labeled "1" and "2" with icons depicting the contents of each stack.

Stack 1 contains 1 set of controllers (Wiimote & Nunchuk) and the infrared sensor bar that relays your Wiimote movements to the Wii along with a big bag of instruction manuals and other assorted paper materials.

Stack 2 contains the Wii itself, its AC adapter (nowhere near as big as the XBox 360's), and a composite cable (boooo, hissss) to hook the Wii up to your TV of choice. Since the Wii has crap graphics compared to the 360 and PS3 and no support for any level of HDTV I suppose it makes sense that a component cable wasn't included (360 connector has both composite and component). But, there is a component cable available for the Wii. That is if you can find it. Nintendo severely underestimated the demand for the blasted things and the third-party companies haven't stepped up to the plate yet either which leads to the insanity that is eBay auctions of said cables going for around $150. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY US DOLLARS. For a COMPONENT CABLE. How much is the Wii again? And it's not like the Wii is unplayable through composite. People just don't have any patience at all these days apparently. And are utter morons.

I also picked up an extra set of controllers since that's generally a good idea. Even though I usually play mostly one-player games, it's just polite to have an extra set in hand when the rare company does stop by. The Wiimote is aptly named since it definitely looks more like a remote control than a gaming pad. Though it'd be a really stripped down remote compared to the multi-function, multi-component behemoths available on the market today. For the most part you hold it like a normal remote and it comes with a (apparently extremely flimsy) wrist strap that Nintendo is constantly reminding you to use. Not sure why some people just can't seem to keep their Wiimotes in their hands but it hasn't been a problem for me yet.

The somewhat misnamed "Nunchuk" is a separate accessory that pairs with the Wiimote. I say it's misnamed because by itself, it's not really nunchuck-like. It's just an analog stick with two index buttons and a length of cable. I guess "Nunchuk" is just more catchy. Plus when combined with the Wiimote I suppose the entire unit then looks more like something Bruce Lee would bash your head in with.

In use though, it actually works really darn well. In Zelda, you use the analog stick to move around and with the way the "Nunchuk" is designed, it feels quite natural in your hand. More natural than how the left analog stick usually is on a more traditional controller.

And then there's the Classic Controller. I bought one just in case but I haven't even removed it from its packaging yet. Ostensibly it's for use with Gamecube games and other games you may download from the Wii Shop Channel. I don't think I'll ever do either so may wind up returning it. For Wii games, the Wiimote + Nunchuk is where it's at.

Now the one extra piece that the Wii has that has no equivalent for either the 360 or PS3 is this sensor bar. Without it, your Wiimote won't work as it contains the infrared detectors that the Wiimote needs when it's in pointer mode. It's pretty thin and has a really long cord. Plus it also comes with an optional little stand. Or you can just stick it onto any flat surface. It's unfortunate that the pointer functionality doesn't work over Bluetooth since with infrared, you need clear line of sight between your Wiimote and the sensor bar. Anything that comes between the two (like say, your foot) will cause the Wiimote to stop pointing.

As for the Wii itself, it's pretty unexciting. Looks like a slightly oversized external optical drive. So far the slot-loading optical drive has been functioning flawlessly, sucking in and spitting out discs firmly. The SD card slot as well as the 4 wired controller ports and 2 Gamecube memory card parts are neatly hidden away behind panels. It's definitely quiet during operation, unlike the 360 which starts sounding like a mini-vacuum after an extended period of play time. Really not much more to say about it, it's just that bland.

So all this hardware is nice and all but the million dollar question is, of course, how does it play? And my answer: it plays pretty darn great. I had the Wii set up in my parent's basement during Turkey Day and my cousin and I had a blast with the included Wii Sports game. A lot of fun and pretty simple to pick up and just play. Hell even my Dad played a few rounds of golf. Although I did notice a potential problem when real golfers play Wii golf. A lot of the motions detected by the Wiimote in the sports games are highly dependent on wrist motion. Pitch speeds in the baseball game for example is dependent on how quickly you can flick your wrist. In real golf, you're not supposed to flick your wrists at all. However, in Wii golf, you sorta have to, especially when putting. So a lot of times my Dad would be trying to soft putt and nothing would happen cause he wasn't moving his wrist at all. So, virtual golf trainer the Wii is not.

Also, while it's not necessary to play the sports games with exaggerated arm motions, it's a lot more fun (and natural) if you do. Not to mention it's also much more highly amusing to people who are watching you play. Of course, it's also a lot more tiring that way as well. Baseball and boxing being the more strenuous events; bowling, the least.

As for Zelda, you have to play it with the Wiimote + Nunchuk controls and truthfully it didn't take that long to get used to it. Really not all that many buttons to memorize. Analog stick controls movement, and most of the time you'll be using only 2 buttons on the Wiimote. Plus it helps that 2 attack moves are mapped to physically wiggling either the Wiimote or the Nunchuk a little. It's quite easy to pick up and is a pretty entertaining game.

So while the 360 and PS3 absolutely crushes the Wii in terms of graphics, the Wii is definitely more of a fun, party console. Something that non-gamers can pick up and run with in no time flat. I'm not entirely sure what other game I'll be picking up for it once I finish Zelda (I hear there's a Cooking Mama game coming down the pipes ;-) but obviously there's no point in picking up any multi-platform games since they'll always look better on either the 360 or PS3. But we'll see, so far the Wii is proving to be a pretty fun system. What remains to be seen is how soon I get bored of it, Wiimote + Nunchuk and all.