Josh H

I thought EGM's reviews of the Wii launch titles were very fair. Zelda got the rare perfect score it deserved, and the rest of the games got scores pretty much inline with most other places, aside from Madden which they bashed saying the defense in the game is terrible and hard to control.

But again, it's just a matter of taste. I bought the Wii to play Zelda a month sooner and with the new controls and for future potential. I had no interest in any of the other games that were just ports, licensed kid games, mini-game collections, or rushed FPS games so I wasn't expecting anything out of the rest of the lineup.

shaggy

I haven't read a single EGM review of a Wii game, so I shouldn't have included them in my post. However, if you remember their coverage of the DS vs PSP early on you will see why its hard to take EGM seriously when it comes to Nintendo and I have been an EGM reader/subscriber pretty much from day.

I'm the same as you when it comes to Wii expectations. I bought it for Zelda, and to try something innovative like Wii Sports. I had no expectations for other games, as it turned out Madden turned out to be brilliant and Red Steel is well worth playing. EGM is wrong about Madden's defense, it has a steeper learning curve then offense, but once mastered it far better than the other versions.

For me the Wii is still review proof right now, because most reviewers are lost.
They don't seem to understand they are experiencing a revolution in how games are played. A review should rate the overall experience of playing the game and how well it achieves its goals. To compare Wii graphics to the 360 or PS3 is absurd. It would be like a film critic reviewing the Wizard of Oz and panning it because of poor special effects. Inferior graphics are a given with the Wii, so should never lower the score.

Josh H

Everyone says that about them regarding Nintendo, but it's just not true. In the new issue the editor's unanimously recommended the Wii over the PS3, and their averaged launch game scores were 6.4 for the Wii and 6.0 for the PS3 as well.

Everyone thought the PSP would kill the DS early on, they were hardly alone in that. I thought it was a gimmicky idea, and even though I bought one at launch I thought it sucked for nearly a year. The early games were nothing but tech demos and mini game collections and a poor controlling port of Mario 64.

So it wasn't bias, the DS just seemed gimmicky and didn't offer any games early on to prove them or the rest of us wrong. It took developers about 6 months to a year to figure out how to not over use the touch screen and put it to better use in games that do use it a lot.

I get sick of defending them, as the magazine isn't all that great, but their reviews have no bias toward any company.

shaggy

Well not everyone. I personally predicted the DS would win over the PSP and I wasn't the only one.

Believe me I have been a EGM guy from the beginning and I have heard all the conspiracy theories about them and never bought in to them. However, the last several years they have been sorta down on Nintendo. I'm not saying they are anti-Nintendo or were paid to behave that way, Its their opinion and they are entitled to it. Take a closer look at the original DS vs PSP coverage, and you can see the double standard. According to EGM and you based on your post the Nintendo DS was gimmicky and nothing but tech demos for the first year. While I think that is a bit of an exaggeration I will concede the point. The PSP was nothing but inferior ports or remakes of console games and it got praise. At least Nintendo was trying something completely original.
Now look where we are a few years later, either EGM was a little biased and had a double standard, or they are completely incompetent. Please don't take this as an attack or an attempt to start argument over which systems or magazines are better. For the record, I bought a DS and a PSP on release day and have enjoyed both immensely.

This conversation has moved far away from where it started, my original point was to say I take all Wii reviews from all sources with a grain of salt because its so different. I'm a videogame nut not a Nintendo fanboy. I have the 360 and the wii, and will most likely buy a PS3 when it becomes worth it. And at this point I can't pull myself away from the Wii.

Josh H

Meh. The PSP is the superior hardware, that's why EGM and everyone was on it's jock before they were released and at/around launch. That's not bias it's just fact.

Plus the PSP had a bit better games at launch as Lumines and some of the ports like Hot Shots Golf etc. were pretty good games and much better than crap like Feel the Magic; Yoshi's Touch and Go, a near unplayable Mario 64 port etc. That also put more people in favor of the PSP at the outset, and for the first few months.

However, the high development costs have kept the PSP from getting much unique software that isn't just ports and shovelware, while the DS has gotten tons of great games and thus the battle has turned out differently that most (including EGM and myself) expected.

I'm happy it worked out that way, but I think it's silly to say the early coverage was bias. It was just accessing the systems based on their hardware specs, and the PSP was and is still the clear winner their. But it software that matters most, and the end it won out.

EGM has already picked the Wii ahead of the PS3, and it will stay their if they can keep up with the good games.

And I'll agree that they were down on Nintendo some recently, but in all fairness, the GC pretty much sucked the past 2 years. Most of the killer games came out in the first couple of years. Even as a huge Nintendo fan my GC largely gathered dust the past 2 years.

But with the DS, EGM has been high on it ever since the good games kept rolling out.

But no point in arguing it, I just find it laughable that people are always saying EGM (insert any site/mag here) are biased and if you read multiple posts they are biased for/against each of the three companies depending on which system the poster is a fan of.

They have no bias, they have opinions and those are going to change as the tide of the software changes. My favorite console is which ever has most great games on it at the current moment, and the magazines/websites are just the same. But everytime they start to lean toward one (because they are playing more games they review highly on it) they get bashed as biased by other systems fanboys.

At any rate, I still trust their reviews for the Wii games, and will continue to use them for a reference point when on the fence about checking out a game. But if you feel the need to take their Wii reviews with a grain of salt, be my guest.

MAH4546

I agree with what some people are saying about Wii reviews. A lot have the gist of "what a fun game...but the graphics." And I don't get why. They compare the graphics to the PS3 and 360, and rate it on a comparable scale. The Wii isn't about the graphics. I don't care about graphics, and, the way people are snapping up Wii's like they are going out of style, it is obvious many others don't. Most of the play on my Wii has been Sonic (VC) and Excite Truck. I'm having more fun playing this system than I have ever had before playing video games. I've never been anything more than a casual gamer, and the Wii is definitley designed to appeal to the casual types while at the same time offering something for kids, adults, families, and hardcore gamers.

fumanstan

I don't have a problem with reviews pointing out how the graphics look on Wii games. It doesn't matter if the Wii plays different; if it looks poor compared to similar offerings on other systems like the 360 or PS3, it should be pointed out and rated as such. The importance lies on whether the reviewer acknowledges that the gameplay can outweigh the graphics.

Josh H

To get back on substance, here's some VC release dates that were posted on CAG. Apparently the come from the ESRB rating site or something. Some big games in here!

MAH4546

I disagree. That is like saying that you shouldn't rate a Hyundai Sonata highly because it doesn't compare to a BMW 530i. The Wii and PS3/360 are in two entirely different performance categories. While there is nothing wrong with stating "the graphics aren't as good as on the PS3" (which is a given), faulting it for that doesn't make sense. A Wii game's graphics should be faulted when it doesn't compare to what other Wii games have.

argh923

Holy shit...I see at least 10 games on there I've been waiting on.

Count me in for Dr. Mario, Punch-Out, PRO WRESTLING (Starman!), Pilotwings, Mario RPG, Mario World, Pilotwings, Mario Kart 64, Starfox 64, and Ocarina of Time.

shaggy

That VC list is pretty awesome if true. I will buy a whole bunch of those. I wish they would release more N64 games a bit quicker but the Wii can't be perfect I guess.

mrpayroll

TurboGrafx-16

Military Madness Hudson Soft January 15, 2007 E


Military Madness I just loved that game when it came out in 1988 or so. The graphics suck, hardly anything moves on the screen, but I really liked the strategy aspect of the game.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms for the PS2 is kind of like that game, when it comes to the battles.

So, by the time I can finally find a Wii, Military Madness should be out.

Chris

Liver&Onions

once herzog zwei is announced I'll buy my Wii. :-)

jeffdsmith

ToeJam & Earl Sega December 25, 2006 E - Merry Christmas indeed.

The Bus

My brother loves Donkey Kong. He's going to flip when he can download that game on the VC on Christmas Day. I guess I need to buy them some classic controllers now.

As for myself... I can't wait for R-Type. I've also been intrigued by the very good response here for Beetle Adventure Racing and I'll be checking that one out too.

Decadance

Ya know, I am waiting for Earthworm Jim to be released. On that day I will download my first VC game.

pinata242

I thought Military Madness was today's surprise game? I guess we'll know for sure in about 3 hours.

pinata242

I saw in yesterday's Game Crazy ad that Super Swing Golf was priced at $39.99. Just an FYI for anyone in the market. Has there been any sightings at other retailers of this game? I'd sure like to PM that and use a GCC at BB for $34.99. It'd make a nice Christmas gift to myself.

KurrptSenate

My brother bought Super Swing immediately after I told him it was out yesterday. He brought it by, but i didn't like the putting....at all.

PerryD

My Wii is safely tucked away to give to my kids for Christmas, but I did get to experience the system for the first time in a 6 unit demo station at our local mall. There were big crowds around the demo station, everyone was having a great time.

Most of the demo stations were setup to play the various Wii-Sports games, but I have to say I was very impressed with the graphics of the non-WiiSports titles they had running (Madden, Tony Hawk, and Excite Truck). After hearing over and over on these boards how crappy the graphics on the Wii were, I was thinking Gamecube quality, but I think it would be better to think of the Wii as more of a souped up Xbox, much better than the PS2.

I will be playing the Wii on a 65" HDTV, so I'll have to make my own judgement then, but considering I watched more movies on DVD than HD content on this set, I can't imagine being too disappointed with the Wii's graphics with my expectations being set correctly.

GIjon213

I just was able to get my component cables, and now that I am juicing every bit of quality out out the Wii that it offers, I have to admit it looks great. To all those who said that the graphics are crappy, I say to you that you're spoiled

KurrptSenate

My first set of component cables should arrive in the post today. I wish I would have spent the extra 2 bucks through nintendo for shipping, but I'll live

Liver&Onions

It is.

www.videogametalk.com has the news :-)

Michael Corvin

I spent the extra dough and haven't even played it since I got them. Damn you Viva Pinata!

KurrptSenate

haha

I was actually looking to get Viva Pinata for my fiancee. You think she'll like it?