The First Documented Japanese Wii-mote Crash Documented

My wife had a wii-mote go flying when playing Wii Bowling...and when that thing went flying, it went flying FAST. Luckily it didn't break anything.

The strap design is really poor. Many people are skeptical that it can snap, citing that it's very hard to do so in the case of digital cameras. Well, I've comparted the Wiimote strap to my camera's strap. Guess what? The Wiimote cord (the thin white part attaching to the wiimote) is about half the thickness as the camera's cord.

And for those of you in the minimal wrist movement camp, have you even played Wii Sports? The on-screen directions instruct you to use FULL movements! Can't really blame people for accidental slippages when they're using the product as intended.

BTW, it's rather easy see why Bowling and Tennis account for the most airborne wiimotes. For Tennis, it's from doing so many full-ranged backhand/forehand swings consecutively. This is especially true for long rallies where the excitement level is higher and there's no time to deal with sweaty palms.

In Bowling, you hold the trigger when swinging and release it at the end of the throw. Releasing trigger leads to relaxing of the grip. Loosened grip + fast swing = flying wiimote.

Flying Wiimotes are real. Nintendo should at the very least acknowledge the issue.

by kftgr

Games that Get the Funk Out

Here were my picks:

Katamari Damacy - Classic gameplay, easy to pick up and stop whenever you want to, and a soundtrack so familiar it might as well be the theme to my life. It's the combo of great gameplay and cozy j-pop that make this a comfort game for me.

Harvest Moon - It's hard to not find comfort in a game like Harvest Moon, where repetitive tasks become routine as you slowly build your farm empire. No action here, just all relaxing.

Animal Crossing - I used to fall asleep playing the Gamecube version and just leave the title screen on all night, with the music still going. Now with the DS version, I still fall asleep to it, but I don't have to lug a huge tv into bed with me.

World of Warcraft - WoW is just so easy to turn on and find something, anything to do to take your mind off of things. Check the auction house, do some crafting, or sit back and get into a 4 hour raid group. Tons of stuff to keep you occupied, and you can still be social while you are sick! Neat!

Final Fantasy 9 - Something about FFIX struck me the first time I played it. It was like FFVI all over again, great midieval storyline with well-defined characters, memorable soundtrack, lush landscapes and the tried and true Final Fantasy RPG random battle system. It's like coming home, everything is strangely familiar and cozy, like a hug. I think I will be the first person ever to describe FFIX as "a hug".

by frodo

Reggie On Elite Beat Sales ("Disappointed"), Wii-mote Battery Issue ("Go Third Party")

Wait, batteries? My Wiimote runs off of candy and childhood memories. Just like Nintendo said it would. If you're using batteries than you're stupid.

by Toneman

Wii Launch Australia: National Reader Roundup

If you want a Wii, then come to my home town (Newcastle, Australia). I bought one this afternoon at 7PM, and was amazed at how many units are lying around.

I had originally planned to wait for the Wii until early next year, to let the game line-up settle down, and to see how the import scene pans out. But I sat at work all trying to justify buying one, and decided I couldn't imagine another few months of anticipation. So I decided to hunt a unit down. I expected to struggle to find one, since I imagined they all would have sold out during the morning.

The first place I went was Big W. I went to the Home Entertainment section and asked them if they had any Wiis in stock. The girl looked puzzled. I decided to be a bit more specific. "Nintendo's new console," I said. She then worked out what I was talking about, and said that they had heaps out the back in the store room, but they hadn't brought them out to the shop floor yet, since nobody seemed interested in them.

I was a bit shocked by this, but since there obviously wouldn't be any problem getting a unit from Big W, I decided to shop around. I went to JB Hifi, since they had big launch specials. They had a big Wii display up, and a stand full of accessories, so I walked up to a lanky looking shop assistant.

"Hey, have you got any Nintendo Wiis in stock here?". I asked.
"You're after the Wii?" he said excitedly.
"If you have got any units left", I replied.
"We have loads. Look at them all up there on that top shelf!". He was now virtually jumping up and down on the spot as he pointed to a big, neat pile of boxes that didn't appear to have been disturbed since it was stacked. "I'll give you the bag and armbands that were meant for preorder customers if you buy it today," he continued. "We have heaps of pre-order bonus packs left over, so you can have one for free".

I told him that I liked freebies, and started browsing for games and accessories. I picked up Wii Play and an extra Nunchuck. Then I went looking for Wii games, but there was a pretty slim selection. I asked the shop assistant about this.

"I haven't finished unpacking the boxes," he said. "Tell me which games you want, and I'll get them for you from out the back". I told him that I wanted Zelda and Rayman, and he went and fetched them.

I carried my big pile of stuff to the counter, and waited in the long queue of people buying CDs and DVDs. As I waited, the excitable shop assistant came up and told me to walk around to the other side of the service desk, and he would start up a new POS terminal, so I could skip the queue.

I did so. As he was scanning my stuff (while talking enthusiastically about the Wii) one of the management staff was standing behind him pulling faces, and disturbingly squeaking "Wii! Wiiiiii! Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" repeatedly. Once I had paid for my Wii-pile, I thanked the shop assistant and headed home.

The sheer lack of demand for the Wii here astounded me. It may just be a local anomaly, but if it is more widespread, Nintendo of Australia should be a little bit worried.

by Marlor

Microsoft Blogger On the Wii, Wii-mote, Zelda and Mii

Many people argue that graphics does not soley determine how fun a game is and I wholeheartedly agree. However, I find that alot of commenters are quick to dismiss the beastly processing power of the 360 and PS3. Greater processing power not only allows higher res textures and surround sound, but it also allows better cpu AI, greater draw distance, cram more enemies or characters on screen at once, and many little things that help make games more playable.

Imagine what would happen if Nintendo released a console that who's power is on par (slightly inferior to PS3 and 360) with the other 2 consoles along with the new innovative control scheme. I believe it could give Nintendo the edge to regain the console race lead in the long run.

by chuncchang

Japan Gets Its RPG, Blue Dragon Launches

How many of you folks who are condemning Ashcraft's actions have actually lived here for long periods of time. As a fellow ex-pat (been here for 8 years and counting, married to a local etc etc) I can sympathize. Don't get me wrong, I love living here, however there are times when certain folks here need to have their head examined. I understand the employee not wanting pictures being taken in the store, pretty standard really, however the no writing thing was just assinine! The employee was upset that someone talked back and he said the wrong thing and wouldn't back down. Before you folks start going off on Ashcraft for making Americans look like big jerks spend a few years in our shoes. We have nothing but the utmost respect for our host nation but sometimes enough is enough. This has nothing to do with cultural mores. The employee was being and idiot and got called out for it. My wife (A Kanto girl and a quiet one) would have done exactly the same thing Ashcraft did. Rude is rude and it deserves to be called out. I never pull out the aggressive gaijin card when in an argument over here but I will call out people for being idiots. Well done Ashcraft!

by Yardarm51

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