Using the Wii-mote
Personally, I started to become more critical of the experience and took an objective stance on the Wii games. It was far too easy to get embroiled in these short bursts of energy and fun and forget that we needed to assess these games, the Wii-mote and Nunchuck and to decide whether Wii is truly the innovating and exciting console that we'd been promised. Rayman Raving Rabbids was a game that surprised me, I wasn’t expecting much, but I can honestly say that I was laughing out loud and having a great time cow tossing, shooting plungers at bunny rabbits and playing through the superb variety of mini-games on offer. The fun factor of playing both Wii sports and Rayman was undoubtedly magnified by the fact that we were sharing the experience, but as soon as we moved onto the more serious games, such as Call Of Duty 3, it became clear to me that Wii’s strengths do lie in the social and fun aspect of gaming, rather than a console that will appeal to the hardcore gaming crowd. Zelda: Twilight Princess, Trauma Centre and Rayman Raving Rabbids are the games that I would happily spend hours playing at home as a solo experience; they offer something totally unique, for example using the controller to conduct operations in Trauma Centre is actually a nerve-racking but addictive challenge and we’ll go into these games in more detail shortly (these will be the three launch titles I’ll personally be purchasing), but when playing and watching some of the more serious games such as Call of Duty 3 and Red Steel they weren’t quite as immersive and entertaining as I’d expected.
Click for larger imageUsing the Wii-mote and Nunchuck was an extremely comfortable, responsive and smooth experience in the majority of games I played, but in the first person shooters it felt far too awkward to control and I was becoming slightly disorientated due to the slightest movement of the Wii-mote resulting in the camera moving across the screen. For those who are used to using a control pad it will take some getting used to; you’ll need a steady hand and rapid hand to eye co-ordination. Perhaps I didn’t spend enough time playing these games to become accustom to holding two controllers, using the Nunchuck to move the character and the Wii-mote to shoot and move the camera, but I’m sure there will be a steep learning curve for anyone who’s thinking of picking up one of the action titles on launch day.
Click for larger imageThe d-pad on the Wii-mote isn’t located in the best position for these shooters and attempting to throw grenades in Call of Duty 3 felt too cack-handed and although gamers who are new to consoles will approach the new control system with a clear non-gaming mind, hardcore gamers may not be able to relate to it in the first instance; there’s far more skill needed in these action games than the skill needed on first person shooters on the PS2 or Xbox 360.
