Work While Drunk

I am playing:

I’ve always been fond of the Bomberman games, right back to my first encounter with Dynablaster on my Amiga. When Atomic Bomberman was released on the PC, a bunch of us got together for mini-LANparty just to play it in its 10 player glory (with 5 players per PC). I recently purchased Bomberman DS for the Nintendo DS which I’m finding merely ‘ok’ in single player mode, and it doesn’t make very strong use of the touch screen on the DS. I’m assured that the multi-player battle mode is where it shines, but I have yet to try it.

This morning I came across Bomberman Evolved. It’s a project by the students of the University of Aalborg in Copenhagen, whereby an imaging system is used to generate 2D positions of the human players in the room, which is then used to control the players. It looks clever and fun.

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Its also got me thinking about the potential for Bomberman games on the Nintendo Wii. Currently I can find info on Bomberman Land, but appear to be to Bomberman what Pacland was to Pacman – a platform game simply based on the same characters. I have high hopes that Hudsonsoft will make a Bomberman game that makes good use of the Wiimote’s. I look forward to being able to punch bombs, almost literally.

I've been mental busy at work this week so missed most of the fanfare of the launch of Nintendo's new console - the Nintendo Wii. I've just spent the morning catching up on events, so why its all fresh in my mind I thought I'd post my comments.

The Nintendo Wii Console

I've never owned a console, I've always been more of a PC gamer. They type of games I play are better suited to a PC - long, complex and highly immersive. However there is a place in my heart for fun arcade style games - hell that’s why I BYOAC. The only type of games the PC market ever misses out on that I'd like to play has traditionally been fighting games. The rest I can take or leave.

Then, a few months back, I got wind of the Nintendo Wii and my first impression was that it looked really good because its just seemed to be such a fun concept. I mean it was a new and different tack on the control method altogether - the old idea of steering your joypad like a loon with the vain notion its going to make some difference to the game, now actually does just that. It makes gamers get out of their chairs and interact with other gamers and the game itself. Exercise. Fun. Genius.

Just wait for the pro-fitness body-weights for your Wii, and the Japanese will end up becoming a muscle bound nation.

The Nintendo Wii's typical controller actions that will be employed in games

I must admit I had some pre-conceptions about its capabilities - I was expecting that Nintendo would forgo the Microsoft/Sony method of trying to refresh/extend/justify their product by adding in some PC or TV entertainment functionality like HD-DVD playback - with are inevitably not as good as the real thing, are expensive additions and just seem to push the price up. Fortunately they haven't done this, and I'm very glad - That’s what I have a DVD player for. Of course there is a web browser, Opera 9 no less (my personal desktop choice as its the fastest, most advanced and provides the best browsing experience IMHO), but from what I've seen the marriage of the Wii's interface and Opera 9 looks to be a truly innovative browsing experience. I'm definitely looking forward to trying Opera Wii.

The games, while not jawdroppingly beautiful graphically, do look incredibly fun and that's the most important factor. As long as people (kids mainly I suppose) get past the fact that side by side a PC, X360 and Wii version of the same game will look the least impressive on the Wii because of its lower spec, and realise that the games developed solely for the Wii will be (hopefully) truly innovative in gameplay, then the Wii will be a success. However, that's a hard challenge for the Wii, as consumers are easily fooled. Personally, I look at X360 and PS3 versions of some PC titles and think:

"What's all the fuss about? It looks just like the PC version but lacking a lot of the visual (and probably audio) detail and effects, and its undoubtedly simplified for the controllers and most probably easier and shorter. Plus that's got to be hard work playing with a joypad? Nah, I'll stick with my PC cheers."

But console owners are easily fooled into thinking they are getting the same game as the PC version but for their console which cost them less than a good spec PC. Sure Consoles cost less as an initial purchase, but the games normally cost more. Its £15-30 for a PC game at Play.com (£30 is usually for games from the likes of id). X360 games are weighing in at £30-40. PS3 games are quoted at £50. I buy about 2 games a month on average that's about £500 a year, vs. about £850 for the equivalent on the X360 and a whopping £1200 on the forthcoming PS3. So if I spent £1200 on a gaming PC rig then £500 on games, that's the same as the PS3, which can't do all the other tasks most people have a PC for. Anyway, I digress...

The Nintendo Wii Rayman Raving Rabbids game screenshots

Rayman Raving Rabbids is definately a game I'm looking forward to, which suprises me since its generally not my usual type of thing at all - but it looks so bloody funny. Check out some of the media coverage, and make sure you watch the scientific facts on the official site - hilarious!:

• Official Site
• IGN
• High Quality Game Trailer

The Wii pricing is a tad more than I expected. I was hoping for about £149.99. Its debuting at £179.99. That sting could be removed if most retailers offer a free game with the console at Christmas, seeing as gamers are retailing at £34.99 to £39.99, or perhaps a second "Wiimote" controller which retails at £29.99 (plus £14.99 for the Nunchuck). So for me that will be part of the decider - the Christmas extra value packs. However as the console launches on December 8th, very close to Christmas, and given demand may well be high, the retails may well not bother to do this at all, making me rethink it as a purchase. This is of course forgetting the pricing in other regions, which often enrages me. Word is that us Brits are getting stiffed on the price as usual (its usually baed on the exchange rat or some such rot) - with the US version priced at ~£133 and the Japanese version prioced at ~£115. The £150 price tag would have looked unfairly but predicatably higher than those, but £180 seems unjustifiably higher. Maybe I'll just import one?

The Nintendo Wii's reported, but unconfirmed, colour options

One big factor for me (which really isn't a big thing, but its important to some of us) is the colour. The initial release is white. WHITE! I detest white as a colour for technological gadgetry UNLESS its in the kitchen. A fancy kettle, toaster, microwave, dishwasher, fridge-freezer - that’s white! White makes me think of Kenwood food mixers. Not fun gaming consoles. I find it to sterile a colour - which is useful in the kitchen, but not in the living room. I'm assured it will come in different colours, eventually, so I might just wait for the Black or Silver version that would look at home next to my black and silver HDTV (which I haven't bought yet but will before Christmas), my silver DVD player and my silver (well brushed aluminium) HTPC. Its not that they have to match, but its an important aesthetic that they compliment each other - white doesn't compliment silver and black, it contrasts them.

Fortunately I have good gadget restraint. Every technology purchase I make has to be triple justified in my head (and allowed by my wallet) before I dive in. When it comes to gadgetry I don't often do impulse. So Wii, you're on my list of gadgets to watch, but I'm not sure you're right for me just yet.

I've never owned a console, not even a hand-held one. I borowed a Mega Drive off a mate for a week once. But since the Nintendo Wii was announced I've been eager to play with it, and here's why:

I like cheap and fun! :D

(Updated with direct link to video courtesy of B2Evo 1.8 and the fantastic new YouTube plug-in)