It was smaller than I expected, but the AA’s gave it some decent weight. I was worried about the wrist strap, but after five minutes of just waving my hand back and forth, watching the little hand pointer fly around and twist with my wrist movements on screen, I had forgotten all about it. So much so that I went to make a sandwich and it was hanging from my wrist like some huge, gangly Livestrong bracelet.
Feeling the pulse as I drifted over menu items was an excellent touch. Rumble is here, and it’s here to stay. It’s like breathing. I found myself going back and forth over the Apple OS X-esque tabs to see if I could trick the system into missing one. It was too smart for me. Doing that, coupled with the new age bubble music that fills the air when I was on the Main Menu screen almost put me to sleep. After four hours standing in a line, it would have normally been welcome. But not today. Today was all about Wii and its miniature Wiimote.
The buttons just worked. Even the ones I was worried about reaching, all the way at the bottom, were only a twist away. No cramps here. Even “pinching” A+B to start Wii Sports felt surreal, like I was grabbing something palatable in game. Is “squishy” too weired a word? Then there’s just looking at the A button. Clear, simple, easy to understand. Miyamoto and company were wise to borrow from the GameCube on this one.
And the speaker is certainly there too, isn’t it? Chiming in, chirping. Whoever complained about it must have been expecting a full scale symphony to pop out and perform, but not me. It’s meant to complement. It’s an unsheathed sword; a prompt to bowl. If you notice the speaker, then it’s not doing it’s job correctly.
Gotta go now though, that A button is calling again.
[Image courtesy of Nicholas.]
i was shocked by how light the nunchuk is.
After having it tried it at digitallife for the first time I was impressed. The controller seems smaller though but its a good thing. It just feels RIGHT. I have two setups and my sister and I just play. We both enjoy it very much and its so easy to get used to…I am not disappointed… I am a proud Wii owner.
i love that speaker im surprised no one has thought of it before…i am not dissapointed i love the wii to the fullest has to be THE best
I'm a fan of the rumble when you pass over buttons. It gives it just enough tangibility and makes the menus easier to deal with.Of course I still need to buy myself one of these things, damn car picks the worst times to decide that it needs to get worked on.
The size was surprising, just pictured it bigger. I like it though. It practically fits inside your fist. Keeps the feeling that the remote can be anything.
My impressions so far are it's Ok. I've played Wii Sports and Excite Truck. It was as good as I expected, and I expected it to be OK. And it was. While I initially was having a terrific time swinging a bat or tennis racket. After about an hour, I was ready to go back to Soul Calibur III. I think that the Wiimote is a good gimmick. But a gimmick nonetheless. But I hope a game comes out that proves me wrong. Also, I barely noticed the speakers, and when I did, I didn't like what I heard.
Auker: I heard Zelda Twilight Princess is a fairly good game… (MAJOR understatement here!)
InvisibleMan: Yeah, but I've heard mixed reviews about the use of the Wiimote. I don't have a Wii so I'll be playing Zelda on my Cube.
A couple questions regarding the remote: 1- Does the cursor jitter erratically when you twist the remote while on the menu screen? Mine does noticeably.2- Is it normal to have to point directly AT the sensor bar to be centered on the screen? I have the bar on top of the TV and have it configured that way in system as well.
Mine has the same jitter problem when I twist it too, but I just suspect that's because I have a shaky hand, or I'm in denial.Also, does anyone have a problem with their blue light? Mine only comes on for a split second when I power on the console, but then doesn't light up anymore.As for the Wiimote, I love it. It's a whole lot more than I expected and it's so comfortable! Thus far, I think the best showcase of the Wiimote is definately Twilight Princess. I really cannot imagine going back to the old way of controlling the game in the future. I love the Wiimote!Auker: Play the Wii version of Twilight Princess. Reviewers are jaded, dont listen to them.
Mixed reviews on the Twilight Princess controls? I have seen perhaps one slightly negative review of them in ten reviews…
kevin and andrew g.: Yeah, there are situations where the cursor jitters when I do minuscule moves with the remote, but I've figured that it is due to me being too close to the TV or too far to one side, where the sensor bar can't quite "see" it (it might not be the sensor bar, though, but the Wii Blu-Tooth reception). It happens very rarely, and very predictably, because I can make the "jitters" to dissapear when I re-position myself real fast.And no, you don't have to point directly to the sensor bar! The sensor bar is used by the Wii only to detect where your remote is in relation to the TV. One game I've found does a GREAT job of perceiving even the smallest movements of the remote is Monkey Ball Banana Blitz.
I have to say I've only seen jitters after I've played for 8 hours straight and my limbs start to fail. Other than that, I have no qualms about the Wiimote yet.
InvisibleMan: Thanks for the reply. What I meant about the sensor bar was that in order for my cursor to be CENTERED in the screen, I have to have it pointed at the censor bar. I thought it would at least compensate a little bit when I tell it the sensor bar is on top of the TV. Example: when my remote is pointed directly at the screen, the cursor is off the bottom. When I'm pointed at the sensor bar, the cursor is dead center in the screen. This is on a 32" TV at 7 feet away.
@ Andrew G.i'm pretty sure i have the same problem with the blue light.