W is for Wii

Author: Adam Turney
Melissa isn't here right now so I figured I would finish up the two blog posts that she gave to me. The Wii is a fascinating gaming system. Growing up Nintendo was the king of the hill when it came to video games. Then Sony entered the ring and knocked out Nintendo...they wandered for two generations and came up with the Wii. Many were skeptical about the idea of how the Wii would control since it frequently relies upon the player making physical movements. I myself was worried that the motion technology of the Wii was merely a gimick. However, all the sceptics were put at ease the moment they began playing Wii Sports (which is included with the system. The Wii has turned out to be the most popular video game system and two years after it's release it is still difficult, if not impossible, to find stores that have the system in stock.

The Wii would be nothing if it didn't have good games for people to play. Super Smash Brothers Brawl is a sequal to the version for the Gamecube. I played many nights with my roommates and friends at BYU-Idaho. It was incredibly addicting but easy enough to put down after a few quick games. What made the game so appealing was the roster of characters that could be played from different video games that most video game nerds are familiar with from playing throughout their lonely lives. Smash Brothers Brawl was a huge step up from the Gamecube version and allowed people to play with people online, which is fun because I can play with my brothers and best friend while they are in California. The roster increased and the graphics received a noticeable upgrade. Overall the game is amazingly fun...but alas, with no one to really play it with I find it sitting in a stack with my other video games.

Another fun game that I bought when we first got our Wii was Resident Evil 4. This is a survival/horror game that requires the player to survive attacks from zombies and others monsters. I have fond memories of playing the original versions for the Playstation and had been dying to play this version. I was not disappointed and found myself having to play with the lights on so I didn't scare myself while playing. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it because I decided to return it to GameStop in exchange for a different game that Melissa would be willing to play with me. Alas, that game also sits in a stack with my other video games.

The final game I took a risk on and bought without playing is called Trauma Center: New Blood. In this game you assume the role of a doctor. Trauma Center is the best use of the Wiimote (Wii controller) because it requires you to pretend like the controller is an operating utensil. In the game you are presented with medical emergencies that require you to operate on. Since the game is on the Nintendo it does not present things as real, so you don't get queesy cutting into a patient or accidentally killing them from overdosing them on sedatives. It is great fun and even allows you to join with a buddy to work together on the operations...but this does not make it any easier. Again, since there is no one to really play with me I find this game also sitting in a pile of other video games.