Nintendo Wii Games: Dec 18, 2009

Super Mario Galaxy

By J. Brooks "Froot Loops" (Nampa, Idaho United States) - reviews

I had very high expectations from this game and so far it has exceeded them.

Graphically it's just beautiful, stunning and just plain amazing. Screenshots just don't do justice for the game.

In many ways it plays like Mario 64. And don't take that as a bad thing, what I mean is that the game feels very intuitive as to how the mechanics work which makes the learning curve nearly nonexistent.

Some of music and sound in the game are a kickback to all of the older Marios that we have all played. What is a Mario game without some Super Mario 3 music?

But the main thing for me is how fun and different it is. Even though it seems like you might have already done this or that in another game, it adds a completely different twist to it that makes it more exciting and fun then anything you have ever played.

Super Mario Galaxy has completely revolutionized the way you think of a platformer. And at this point the bar has been pushed so high it's galaxies (pun intended) beyond any other platformer I have played or probably will play for years to come.

Plain and simple, this is the game to own on the Wii!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Wii 9-in-1 Sports Pack <-Buy it Now!

By KAM (RI USA) - reviews

While the attachments are fun, some don't work as well as expected and the attachment needs to be removed so the wii will be able to read the wii remotes motions properly. When I purchased, I didn't realize the tennis racket attachment required bateries.

Perfect Shot for Wii <-Buy it Now !

By Ajina Family (California, USA) - reviews

This is the best Light Gun Shell I've ever used. Works great with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Ghost Squad, and even Link's Crossbow Training.

This shell is much more comfortable than the Zapper (I own both), you can use it with one hand easily, and you have a more free range of motion since there isn't a big thing on the back of the gun to hold a nunchuck, it just can plug into the bottom of the gun (The Zapper may be better for some games, in the future, but for now I'm sticking with this).

It was built to work with the Nyko rechargeable batteries, so I don't have to take off the grip/battery cover and risk having the remote shutting down or change to regular batteries and waste those, which is needed with the zapper.

The only thing I noticed that some people may consider a problem, is that there is no way to use a wrist strap unless you physically modify the gun yourself.

Carnival Games <-Buy it Now !

By C. Messerschmidt (USA) - See all my reviews

Talk about a surprise! This game offers exactly what you'd expect... mindless single player fun. Try it during a break from "Metroid Prime Corruption." With multiple players, though, this may be THE ultimate drunken Wii party game! It's certainly much better than Wii Play or Mario Party 8. It's a shame this has slipped under so many gaming site's rader and likely won't get the attention it deserves. This game fits the Wii perfectly... fun for everyone of all ages.

EA Sports Active <-Buy it Now !

By Kurt A. Boyer (Denver, CO USA) - reviews

I had my EA Active delivered today and I was itching to try it out because I quickly became bored with the Wii Fit games that focused mainly on balance and weight.

It was very easy to get set up. I configured my workout person to look a little bit like me although I hope I am a bit cuter. I kind of wish that they had child avatars for my kids who will play this soon, but that isn't my biggest need.

I chose to work out on a medium skill level for the 30 day challenge. I'm not ultra fit by any means, but I'd like to think that I could run a mile or two if someone was chasing me. At the beginning of my workout, I started to think that I wasn't being pushed enough, but by the end, I was sweating like a big dog -- which was great. I believe my perception was caused by learning each movement before I started which gave me rest time. At the middle of my workout, some of the prior activities came up again and I was able to go right from exercise to exercise and that's what I like. This is so much better than the Wii Fit.

I did the running, punching, inline skating (super fun and a killer), side lunges, squats and front shoulder raises for my first workout. Every exercise was entertaining. It did take me a little bit to get used to how you hold the remote, but now I'm a pro. I did do the "couch test" where I placed the remote on the couch to see if the avatar would do the exercise anyway -- which it didn't -- unlike some other fitness titles. It really does mimic your movements, which I like.

Time for a shower and I can't wait for day two of my challenge. I can assure you that you'll like this game if you put the work into it. The couch won't do it for you. :)

HD Link for Wii <-Buy it Now !

By D. Garber (Arlington, VA) - reviews

I decided to give these cables a shot since they were half the price of the official Nintendo component cables, and audio/video cables are a product well-known for some companies (you listening, Monster?) seriously trying to rip off consumers. I found these cables to work wonderfully; despite some other opinions, I think they make a significant improvement in picture quality, well worth fifteen bucks if you have an HDTV to hook your Wii up to. When compared to the composite cables that come with the system, object edges are really sharpened up. You don't need to pay $30-$50 for quality component cables. Highly recommended!

Wii Charge Station <-Buy it Now !

By M. Jarvis "Gadget Wrangler" (Kentucky, USA) - reviews

As many other reviewers, I quickly learned after getting my Wii that the Wiimotes are understandably battery hogs. I'm a little surprised Nintendo didn't build something like this into the system. Regardless, this charger really does the job, and you almost expect to see a Nintendo logo on it because of the great job Nyko has done with quality and style that matches the Wii itself.

I don't use skins on my Wiimotes (just looks like a hindrance to me), so that hasn't been an issue, although I imagine it would be for any charger/cradle, not just this one. The rubberized battery doors required to use this kit really do improve the overall feel of the Wiimote.

I don't know if battery life matches regular alkalines, but that's because I just put the controllers back in the cradle when I'm not using them, and they always stay charged! I haven't had the indicator on the screen get below the full 4 bars while I've been playing so far.

Also, I prefer the wall plug setup used by this as opposed to some other models that plug into the USB port on the Wii. Those models can only charge one controller and take longer because of the power limits of USB. The wall plug also allows you to keep your charger somewhere else in the room if you like.

Wii Fit Plus<-Buy it Now !

Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them.

For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.

Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets.

The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They¿ll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.

Wii Fit <-Buy it Now !

By Sophocles Sophocleous (Nicosia, Cyprus) - reviews

I own the Wii Fit since last week. I'm 32, 1.76m, ~82-84kg (fluctuates) and with my wedding coming up in a few months I wanted to lose some weight. I work all day and have little time in the evenings so the preparation and driving to and from the gym was too much. I wanted to use that 30-40 min to exercise, not prepare for exercise. I own a Wii since Xmas and decided to try this out after reading various reviews on the internet. Is this as good as going to the gym? No it does not replicate a gym. Will it get the job done? Will it keep you fit and help you lose weight? YES YES YES! I love it and highly recommend it. I get a great work out in 45 min. I feel great about myself, and have already lost a kilo. (note I have not changed my diet). Notice I get my work out in as much time as it takes to commute and prepare for gym. I also have more fun than going to the gym on my own. Perhaps going to a gym with a friend would be more fun. Depends. Anyway I love the Wii Fit! Note it takes a few times to get used to it and figure out how best to use it. Why? Well there is no prepared program for you. You have to decide on your own what you want to do and in what sequence. I start off by doing the aerobics (jogging, holla hoop) and then vary. Basically, the Wii Fit breaks its exercises into Muscle, Balance, Aerobics, and Yoga. I mainly doing the Aerobics and mix in some muscle and yoga. The muscle and yoga can be really tough. You wouldn't believe how much. You can really feel the muscles working. I do the balance exercises when I'm tired and want to relax a bit in between exercises. They may help with balance but are more of a game than anything else. The more you exercise, new exercises open up. In other words, you start of with a limited about of stuff to do and slowly you get more and more. Don't listen to the few negative reviews you may read on the internet. They were probably biased against the product before even trying it. This product costs a little more than going to the gym for a month (at least in my country). By the time I unlock all the exercises, I will have exercised more than a 1-month gym subscription, burnt more calories, and will have a fun game left too! Compared to nothing after a month at a gym. I highly recommend this. As I explained, you are getting more than your money's worth, having fun, and getting fit.

Wii Sports Resort <-Click

By Gabujabu (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

I recently purchased Wii Sports Resort along with the included Wii Motion Plus, and it has been an excellent game so far. Included are 12 games, 10 of which are new and two of which are updates to the classic Wii Sports games- golf and bowling.

Starting with the updates, I feel that Wii Motion Plus adds a lot to the gameplay for the golf game. More sensitive controls make it far more challenging endeavor, adding somewhat to the realism of the game. Also, I find that it is a lot more enjoyable to swing the club in this game than it was in the original. In bowling, it is much easier to add a spin to the ball. Of the additions, I would say that archery and swordplay are standouts, and I wouldn't be surprised if they make it into other Nintendo releases (i.e. Zelda). The game captures the illusion of actually playing with swords or a bow-and-arrow really well. I also really enjoyed most of the water sports, especially power cruising, which reminded me of Wave Race. Some of the sports, on the other hand, are less satisfying, such as cycling, since pedaling with your arms does not feel natural.

The Wii has seen a lot of "waggle-fests" released, and the nice thing about including Wii Motion Plus is that it really improves the motion-sensing fidelity of the Wiimote. I hope more games use this accessory in the future. For some of the multiplayer events, you may need to purchase additional copies of Wii Motion Plus (or get it bundled with another game), while others simply allow you to pass one Wii remote around. The graphics of the game are simple and colorful, and the game features nice water effects.

However, here are a few aspects of the game that I wish were better. Although this game has more depth than the original Wii Sports, with more games, multiple game play modes, and achievements, I still wish that there was some additional depth to some of the games (i.e. more courses, objectives, etc.), especially considering how enjoyable some of the activities are. Some people found that the original Wii Sports did not have sufficient depth, and those individuals may be disappointed. Also, it would have been nice to have online play for this game, since the game really seems to shine in multiplayer, and it is not always easy to find others to play.

Overall, I think that most people who enjoyed Wii Sports will similarly enjoy Wii Sports Resort.

Wii Play with Wii Remote <-click

By Matthew L. Roffman (Smyrna, GA USA) - reviews

Please note that this package does not include all the controllers you need to add a second player for most Wii games. The Wii Nunchuck is necessary for roughly 75% of the games available for the Wii. Even one of the games in Wii Play, the Tank game, requires you to have a Wii Nunchuck for all players... which means if you only bought this package in order to add a 2nd player you would still not have all the controllers you need for two people to play it. They probably didn't add the NunChuck to this package because it would've raised the price to $70. Beyond that, I have no complaints about the Wii Play games themselves, they are simple and fun and they make for a nice bonus. However, please be advised that you will need to also buy a Wii NunChuck if you are buying this in order to let your child play most of the games on his Wii with a friend.

If you already knew this... please ask yourself if other Amazon users who may find this review helpful and vote accordingly.

New Super Mario Bros (buy)

By K. Gray "you know, that guy" (Oneonta, NY United States) - reviews

The only really bad thing about New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the excessively long title. Nintendo could have been justified in simply calling this game Mario Bros. 4 or Super Mario World 2, because it fits right in with the legendary series of 2D games from the NES/SNES era.

Mario is one of a very few characters who survived the jump from 2D to 3D. Mario 64 was revolutionary, and Super Mario Galaxy even more so. So it might seem odd that Nintendo would go back to a traditional side-scroller in the midst of 3D gaming. I for one am glad they did. Yes, there is something to be said for the nostalgia factor: the game goes out of its way to reference previous games in the Mario series, from the enemies to the music. But make no mistake, this is a NEW game with NEW, very CHALLENGING, levels. It may come as a surprise to those who were introduced to Mario via Galaxy or New SMB on the DS just how much harder this game is compared to those. NSMB Wii has a difficulty level on par with Mario 3 or Mario: The Lost Levels (aka Mario 2 in Japan). This game is relentless with agressive enemies, tricky platforming, and those classic secret areas that you can often see but can't fathom how Mario can reach them!

The gaming community has been very nervous about this game's new feature that allows you to "skip" a level after dying eight times. Will this create a culture of gamers who cheat and don't get to feel the sense of accomplishment that those who stick with the game for hours upon hours honing their skills? To that I say, relax. If you don't want to use the feature, you don't have to. Further, the feature doesn't show you how to reach all the secrets in the level. It's not an instant "I Win" feature. Anything that allows game designers to make creative levels without fear of holding back because they might make the game to hard is a good thing.

The multiplayer feature of this game is frantic and fun. It's an interesting mix of collaborative and cooperative play that works great. Added games like Coin Battle and Free for All make this a very complete package.

This game should herald a new beginning for 2D games. With a market saturated with FPSs, I for one am glad that there's still a company making "traditional" platformers and realizing that the gaming past can still influence the future of gaming.

Wii Nunchuk Controller - White

By Tina "retail queen" (Tampa, FL) - reviews

If you have a Wii, you probably noticed one of these controllers included with your system. Certain Wii games require you to attach a nunchuk to your Wii remote.

I'll admit that when I first saw the nunchuk, I thought it would be impossible to use two controllers at once so I purposefully bought games that didn't need a nunchuk to play. However, I really wanted the Resident Evil 4 game and it required a nunchuk to play. I bought the game anyway, whipped out my nunchuk, and sat down to play.

I was extremely surprised how easy it was to use both controllers at once. Of course I had a bit of a rough time for the first 15 minutes of play, but from there it was a breeze. The Resident Evil 4 game needs a nunchuk to use the joystick as well as the two buttons because all of the buttons on the Wii remote have uses and the makers obviously needed more buttons. The boxing game that is included in the Wii sports game uses a nunchuk as well. You can simulate the boxing "stance" using the remote and nunchuk. There are quite a few games that need the nunchuk. Don't shy away from games that need a nunchuk because of how complex it looks. I assure you it's simple to use!

If your nunchuk is broken or you need an extra one for multiplayer use, I completely recommend buying this.

Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel

By Glenn Ware (Colorado USA) - reviews

I have never owned a Mario Kart before so can't compare to the other versions but this one for the Wii is a fun game. I was worried before I bought that the Wii wheel would not work very well. I was way wrong, I think it works very well.

The tracks and game play are a lot of fun for someone of any age. The game is easy to learn for beginners and is fun for the more experienced gammer. The game reminds me of something you would play at an arcade with all kinds of things going on as you drive through the course. Playing against friends is a lot of fun a well.

I tried out the on line play and it was a blast. I just had fun compared to some of the xbox/ps3 on line racing games where it can be stressful trying to compete and listening to angry 13 year olds.

If you are looking for a game that is fun for the family, especailly the kids, I would pick this one up. Its easy to learn and a lot of fun to play.