Showing posts with label Wii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wii. Show all posts

March 19, 2008

Rooting for the underdog.

I have an issue and most people are starting to get on my nerves with this. But why does everyone have to root for the underdog? is it they desire change because thier life is crap? Is it just some stupid human desire to see someone who has not trained as hard or as long to win? is it that we want to be able to say that everyone we don't like is evil and the underdog is fighting for us? Then also who really is the underdog anyway? Do you cheer for Lex Luthor to defeat Superman? No we do not! Maybe that is self preservation though.
But why do we cheer on the guy that only got to where he is not because he was able to back stab everyone else that was better than him in the first place?
Examples of these things are mostly seen in sports. Like most recently the Superbowl. I wanted to see history happen by the Patriots making history by finishing off a tuff but otherwise undefeated season. But many people only wanted to see the Giant win soley for the fact to see the Patriots lose. Not that they were Giant fans all year, or that ultimatly the Giants were a better team. They just wanted the Giant to win just to see the Patriots loose. The Patriots who had worked hard all Season long to win every game. To do everything right on the field, and proved they were one of the best teams ever in football history.
Other examples of this I have seen have been in most every sporting event. Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, and even in the Olympics. But Sports is not the only place it is seen. Buisness is also a place where we cheer on the underdog. Not because the ultimatly bring us a much better product. But because we feel the Big corperation has done well for too long and needs to be de-throned.
I see this mostly in Game forums myself. Most notably recently is many game geeks that Bash Sony, then Microsoft, But all praise Nintendo. Now I will admit that Nintendo is not an evil company. But they are not a saint company by any means. You might read my review on Nintendo. Mainly the Nintendo Wii. Although it is a ok system. I still see why it should be the underdog. It is a bad console compared to the the PS3 and the Xbox 360. They gave you a reboxed gamecube with another crapy controller. But people defend the Wii as if it was thier own child. saying things like Nintendo did not want to compete with Microsoft or Sony, Or Nintendo does not care about graphics. This is all a lie in my opinion for Nintendo because they tanked with the Gamecube and the N64 was not much better. Nintendo did not want to compete with Sony or Microsoft because the cannot compete with them. Nintendo only success has been in the handheld market for the past 10 years. Thier Consoles have been lacking. and so have thier games with those consoles. That is why you see a new Mario Kart and Mario game each time. Those are the only games they can do right each time. But We in the end see them as the underdog and so we cheer them on. Praise them for thier short commings and buy and promote thier underdone & underworked console.
So why do we Root for the underdog? They don't really do anything for us. They don't give us pride in our country, or the ability to see history in the making. They don't give us anyting consistant. I will root for someone to finish a race but not to win it. But they only give us a moment that in the end is not always the best.

March 5, 2008

Game Consoles comparison. Nintendo Wii

This is something that I have come to think allot about. What console is the best console. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses. We have the Nintendo Wii that is great for non gamers. Then the Xbox 360 that currently have the most next gen games and is much more powerful than the Wii. Then you have the Playstation 3 with the most powerful processor and the most recent domination on the Market with it's predecessor the Playstation 2. But I want to go into more detail on each console as I see them and who should buy them. I will Go over a new console everyday

First we will start out with the Nintendo Wii.
Hardware: This is the weakest of the current Generation of consoles. By weakest I mean the processor speed and graphics abilities. Some people have compared it to taking 2 Nintendo Gamecubes and strapping them together. Nintendo has admitted that they were not going for a more powerful console this time around. You have with it the Wii mote and the nun-chuck. You can sync 4 of them up to the system. You also have multiple accessories to connect with the Wii mote if you so desire. Nintendo has also moved up to a DVD player in this system although the console will not play DVD movies. The Wii also has a slot card reader for memory cards like in you Digital camera. All this gets you a small system that is innovative in it's controls but not what anyone would be able to call a powerful little system.

Games: Nintendo is know for it's quality control and family friendly games. Some Games of note are Zelda, Metroid, and Most any game with Mario in it. Nintendo has been called the family friendly console and also the kiddy console as many of it's more popular games are more simple and cartoonish. Not a bad thing but keeps out some of the crowd. Along with that is your Mii character that you create to play on some games. Nintendo has tried to spread it's wings a little bit with games like the Resident Evil series. But Nintendo this time around is very well know for it's mini games following the success of the Nintendo DS handheld system. The Wii does not have many games out at the moment though being that it is a New Console. But some fan favorites have come out or will be out soon for the console. Like Mario Galaxy, Zelda, And soon to come Smash Brothers and the Newest Mario Kart game. Great games for a first year console. The Wii is also Backwards Compatible with the Gamecube and has the connections for 4 gamecube controllers. So you can pull out Mario Kart DD or Super smash brothers and have a blast with the friends and family.

Internet: The Wii has a basic web browser. But it does now have a 1 time cost for you to have the ability to use it. You also have the Ability to download old Nintendo, Sega, and other older consoles games. This library of games is still currently growing. You can share your Mii with others and also participate in other online activities.

Other: Other basic things with the Wii is the Photo Manager. Allowing you to show pictures on your T.V. you can use a CD,DVD or memory card to view your photo's.

Conclusion:
Although I do think the Wii is a fun Console. I think it lacks in longevity. The Wii is the console version of Tickle Me Elmo. It is selling really big right now, But that is to a crowd that does not normally play Video games. Nintendo did a smart thing by Setting the Price they have because they are below the competition but they are still making money. But I think Nintendo has also done a great disservice to all those that have stayed with them and have enjoyed games in the Past. I think Nintendo should have gone for a more powerful CPU and GPU in the Wii. Not to keep up with Microsoft or Sony. But to make the Wii something that will be worth owning after two years on the market. The games are fun but I find that sometimes I want more. They are dumbed down versions of what we have already played in the past, but with a new face on it and graphics that are only a slight upgrade to what we were getting last Gen. I can Recommend the Wii, but not to everyone. If you are 15 or over you are better off with the other two consoles. if you like technology you are better off with the other two consoles. But if you like big Party games or have allot of kids, The Wii is for you.

Next Up is the Xbox360