[doHTML]<div></div><p align="left">Well, even though it has been around two weeks since the Wii has launched (I could be off by a bit, I lost track of the time starting with the day the Wii came out... Spending roughly 8 hours in front of the TV screen on the first day while sleeping for only 2 hours during that 24 hour period really didn't do me too much good...), I still want to tell you guys about my thoughts on the system, the games I played, the Virtual Console, and all of the other goodies.<span> </span>Let's begin with the all-important Wii remote, the stand out in the whole package...</p><p align="center"><b>The Wii Controller</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/photo_controller.jpg">
</b></p><p align="center"></p><p>When I first opened the Wii box, I had no idea what to expect in terms of size... I haven't seen a Wii controller up-close before since I never bothered with those in-store demos, and when I finally opened the Wii box, I was slightly taken aback; the controller was extremely small, as was the nunchuk.<span> </span>I personally expected them to be a lot bigger.<span> </span>I was slightly disappointed at first, but once I got the system going... Boy, was I in for a treat.<span> </span>Even though the Wiimote itself is smaller than my hand (yeah, I have big hands), it was extremely comfortable.</p><p>After setting up the console (mind you, it was all easy stuff except for that dang sensor bar; I spent a good 10 minutes trying to find the perfect spot for it in the entertainment center) and running through all of the setup menus, I decided to try messing with the interface.<span> </span>After a minute or two of getting used to the Wii controller, I popped in The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess and tried giving it a go... More on TP later.</p><p>After the first few days of insane playing time, I noticed that the batteries in the controller were starting to run low... I couldn't help feeling disappointed; I barely played for 20 hours, and yet they gave out.<span> </span>Turns out it was all due to the poor batteries that Nintendo packaged in; the next batch I used lasted for a good 40 hours.<span> </span>However, I recently acquired rechargables, so even though I was initially disappointed with the battery life, I won't have to worry about that for a very long time now.</p><p>In any case, the Wiimote was extremely responsive to all of my movements, and games controlled like a dream.<span> </span>Sometimes, though, if moved either too close or too far away from the TV screen, the pointer would vanish off of the screen, but if I would stand at an appropriate distance, I would have no such issues.<span> </span>I couldn't be more satisfied with the way this newfangled controller works, quite frankly.</p><p>Overall, my thoughts on the Wii's controller are extremely positive.<span> </span>While some of the games can feel gimmicky if they rely too much on the controller, I am confident that this is the next big step in gaming.<span> </span>It will make as big of an impact as the control stick did back in the day, and if developers truly embrace it and offer us enticing software, then motion sensing controllers will last for videogame generations to come.<span> </span>It really is a superb idea, and the Wii executes it amazingly.<span> </span>The only thing that needs to be done is for developers to fully embrace it.</p><p align="center"><b>The Interface</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/Icon_channel_large.gif">
</b></p><p align="center"></p><p>After first hearing about the Wii Channels, I was convinced that the idea was great, especially since it could, in theory, appeal to everyone in the family.<span> </span>It was a simple concept (basically like a TV set; you switch channels depending on what you want to play/do), and after trying out the different channels, including Virtual Console games, I realized that Nintendo had a winner on their hands with this seamless interface.<span> </span>It worked like a charm, and the loading times, if any, were extremely insignificant.</p><p>There was also another feature tucked in, and that was the Wii Message Board.<span> </span>Even though I followed every single bit of Wii-related news before the release date, I had to admit that I didn't really know much about the Wii Message Board's features.<span> </span>As it turns out, even though I had absolutely no expectations for it, the Wii Message Board still turned out to be a slight disappointment.</p><p>The message board, while a great idea in theory, turned out to be extremely limited, probably due to the Friend Codes and to the fact that I could only write roughly 4 lines per message.<span> </span>Another thing that bogged the whole message board down was the fact that typing with the on-screen keyboard took ages.<span> </span>While I can type reasonably fast with a normal keyboard, it took me ages to type words with the message board.<span> </span>This can probably be fixed by a USB keyboard attachment that Nintendo or a third party could release sometime in the future, so this wasn't too much of a concern for me.</p><p>What did concern me were all the limitations in the message board.<span> </span>You can't send videos and pictures to an email or cell phone user, you can only send about four lines per message, and etc.<span> </span>I'm sure that all of this can be fixed with a simple firmware update, but as of right now, I remain slightly disappointed with the execution of the Wii Message Board.<span> </span>It can be fixed, but it's flawed as it stands.</p><p>Next, I moved onto the Mii Channel and started making a few Miis.<span> </span>It was simple, fun, and intuitive, and I got some family members into the mix and had them creating caricatures of themselves.<span> </span>Once the day was over, we had Miis of not only the immediate family, but of around 20 different relatives!<span> </span>My family and I had more than a few laughs when we were creating some of the Miis.<span> </span></p><p>Another thing I really liked about the Mii Channel was the Mingle feature and the ability to send people your creations.<span> </span>Even though you can, as of right now, send Miis to people only on your Friends List, it is still a superb idea, and the fact that the Miis really resembled the people I wanted them to resemble still strikes me as incredible.<span> </span>Nothing's perfect, though, and the Mii Channel has a flaw; you can only send 20 Miis per day to people.<span> </span>I can understand that this was a precaution for Nintendo to protect people against "Mii Spammers", but still... Slightly disappointing.</p><p>After that, I inserted an SD card with tons of personal photos (and two videos) and booted up the Photo Channel.<span> </span>To my surprise, the whole thing resembled Mario Paint immensely, and a feeling of nostalgia emanated... The whole thing worked rather well, and it was pretty funny when I added a mustache and beard to my aunt's picture; priceless!<span> </span>Video watching and editing worked pretty well, but my only gripe with the Photo Channel is the fact that it only accepts .JPEG and .MOV files for pictures and videos, respectively.<span> </span>I had a lot of .PNG files I wanted to transfer to the SD card, but needless to say, they didn't work.</p><p align="center"><b>The Software - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/TP_Wii.jpg">
</b></p><p>The first game I played on Wii was indeed Zelda, and I am so happy it was my first Wii experience; it introduced me to the motion sensitive controller perfectly, and to tell you the truth, after experiencing a Zelda game with the motion sensitive control scheme, I had EXTREME trouble moving back to the control method in old Zelda games, especially Windwaker.<span> </span>Even though TP started out slow for the first couple of hours, and I did have some trouble with the bobber fishing, it was still an enjoyable experience.<span> </span>However, after leaving Ordon Village, the game began to pick up, and I began to realize that I was playing what could possibly end up being the best game of all time.</p><p>Once I got to the first dungeon, I was fully engrossed; this is what made that 14 hour wait in front of my Target store worth it.<span> </span>Finally, I decided to put the title down in favor of Wii Sports (keep reading for my impressions of that game), even though I still wanted to keep playing.<span> </span>In any case, I have already beaten the game, and I am convinced that it is the best game ever made.<span> </span>It tops Ocarina of Time and Path of Radiance; it'll be extremely hard for Nintendo to outdo Twilight Princess... They might never even be able to.</p><p>Twilight Princess has the timeless Zelda gameplay, the best graphics in any Zelda game, wonderful music (although I miss the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time), ingenious puzzles, and the works.<span> </span>What really moved me were the cinematics.<span> </span>They not only fit the Zelda world perfectly, but some of them had things that were never in any Nintendo game before... Spoilers aside, I can only say that some of the ending cutscenes have slightly more mature elements than past Nintendo titles have even dared to show.</p><p>All in all, Twilight Princess alone was worth the wait for the Wii, and even though it is a Gamecube game at heart, I am 100% positive that it works better on the Wii.<span> </span>The controls are more precise, and I didn't experience any fatigue while playing the game.<span> </span>I will eventually be picking up the Gamecube version, but the Wii version will definitely remain the superior one in my book.<span> </span>No doubt about that whatsoever.</p><p align="center"><b>The Software - Wii Sports</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/Wii_Sports_Europe.jpg">
</b></p><p>Wii Sports was my first "authentic" Wii experience, since Wii Sports has more Wii-centric capabilities than Twilight Princess.<span> </span>Now, I made sure to buy an extra controller set to test out the multiplayer in this title, and I'm pretty happy I did what I did; playing multiplayer in Wii Sports is a blast.<span> </span>The first game I tried was tennis, and to my surprise, my dad ended up beating me.<span> </span>Even though he's not what I'd call a non-gamer (seeing as he plays Mario Kart 64 and Mario Tennis 64 with my brother and myself periodically), he doesn't have the most hands-on gaming experience, so I was surprised at my loss; pleasantly so, however, since this was all the more proof that Nintendo's non-gamer strategy works.</p><p>After tennis, I went on to baseball.<span> </span>I was kind of disappointed that it had a Mercy Rule and was only 3 innings long, but all in all, I think it was my favorite Wii Sports game out of the bunch.<span> </span>It was the most fun, and since both my dad and I are baseball fans, we naturally got way into the game; I almost flung the controller one time while throwing a killer fastball!<span> </span>After that, I went for boxing; my brother wanted to get into the action, so it was a 1 on 1, bro vs. bro deal.<span> </span>I ended up losing for some reason...<span> </span>I didn't let that tamper with my good spirits, so I went on to bowling.<span> </span></p><p>Bowling felt extremely realistic, and I ended up winning my first match.<span> </span>However, I couldn't - and still can't - figure out how to properly apply spin on the ball.<span> </span>It almost always cuts a bit to the left, so I have to, practically every time, move to the right in anticipation of the spin.<span> </span>After playing a round of bowling, I moved on to the last sport in the package; golf.<span> </span>In my opinion, golf is the weakest sport of the bunch, since it not only lags when you swing, but it's extremely hard not to apply accidental spin on the ball.<span> </span>Golf is fun in short spurts, but nothing more.</p><p>All in all, even though Wii Sports can eventually get boring as a singleplayer affair, it shines in the multiplayer mode, and it is best enjoyed with a large group of friends.<span> </span>A shallow, though fun, experience that anybody can get into without any kind of problem.<span> </span>It showcases the capabilities of the Wii very well, and is a great introduction to gaming for a non-gamer.<span> </span>A note, however; if Nintendo had not packaged the title with the system, I couldn't see myself buying it unless it had a budget-price.</p><p align="center"><b>Virtual Console</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/Img_virtualconsole.jpg">
</b></p><p>The Virtual Console was one of my most anticipated features in the Wii console; downloading all of the old games that I missed out one was a great thought, and the Virtual Console delivers in theory.<span> </span>In execution, however, it is very slightly flawed, but it isn't even an issue to be quite honest.<span> </span>My only gripe with the Virtual Console is that there aren't very many games available as it stands, but it is understandable, seeing as Nintendo has a special strategy for releasing the games.<span> </span>Therefore, I can definitely say that this gripe will be non-existent in the next couple of months, seeing as more software will be available in the future.</p><p>During my first few days with the Wii, I downloaded four Virtual Console games; F-Zero for SNES, Bomberman '93 for Turbo-Grafx, Bonk's Adventure, also for the Turbo-Grafx, and The Legend Of Zelda for NES.<span> </span>Each Virtual Console game took up its own channel space, so the navigation was pretty easy.<span> </span>However, this got me worried; what if I wanted to download more than 48 games?<span> </span>The maximum channel space on the Wii is 48, so I am still somewhat worried that I will have to delete and redownload games to accommodate the space limitations.<span> </span>Of course, I won't have to pay for the games all over again, but it will be inconvenient deleting and re-downloading the games.</p><p>Space issues aside, the Virtual Console emulates games very well.<span> </span>Even though I don't own an actual NES or Turbo-Grafx and therefore can't compare the viewing quality of the actual games to their VC counterparts, I can say that the games looked great while played via the Virtual Console.<span> </span>The controls were also spot on, and it is very comfortable to hold the Wii controller as an NES joypad.<span> </span>F-Zero required me to use a Gamecube controller, and that worked great as well.<span> </span>One thing that striked me as odd was that all of the game currently available on the VC don't require the Classic Controller.<span> </span>This will change in the future, but as it stands, isn't the Classic Controller somewhat obsolete?<span> </span>In any case, this wasn't an issue for me, as I had - and still have - no need for a Classic Controller.<span> </span>My trusty old Wavebirds still work great, and I have yet to have an issue while using them to play VC games.</p><p>As for the pricing, I am relatively satisfied with the current price scheme.<span> </span>It could have been lower (it is debatable whether or not Baseball for NES is worth $5), but it is still fine as it is.<span> </span>While a, for instance, 99 cent price for an NES game would work better than the current price, I still fine the current scheme to be good.<span> </span>What baffles me, however, is that Nintendo wouldn't be losing money even if they were selling all of the games for a fraction of their current price, or even giving them away for free.<span> </span>Every company needs to make money, I suppose.</p><p align="center"><b>Closing Thoughts</b></p><p>Overall, I think that Nintendo really has a winner on their hands.<span> </span>While there are spots where the Wii could use some tweaks, the overall package is nothing short of amazing.<span> </span>With a mind-blowing control scheme, software like Twilight Princess, and features like the Virtual Console, the Wii could potentially become the best system ever.<span> </span>After all, doesn't the Wii have a lot of the past games for older consoles, while delivering new content as well?<span> </span>That could basically make it all that the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Genesis, and Turbo-Grafx were and then some.<span> </span>Playing all of the oldies and new classics, all on one system?<span> </span>Count me in!</p><p>Even though the Wii is somewhat of an experiment for Nintendo, seeing as this is their first home console to ever launch with a "Touch Generations" approach, I think the experiment will pay off.<span> </span>It is already starting to show that Nintendo has a hit on their hands; looking at the sales of the Wii is enough, since it has already passed the one million mark!<span> </span>All Nintendo needs to do now is deliver with their promises regarding the Virtual Console, software, and channels, while third parties need to give us great software.<span> </span>As it stands, it appears that Nintendo and third parties are all on their way to success.<span> </span>I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what is in store for Wii owners.<span> </span>Viva La Revolution!</p><div></div>[/doHTML]
</b></p><p align="center"></p><p>When I first opened the Wii box, I had no idea what to expect in terms of size... I haven't seen a Wii controller up-close before since I never bothered with those in-store demos, and when I finally opened the Wii box, I was slightly taken aback; the controller was extremely small, as was the nunchuk.<span> </span>I personally expected them to be a lot bigger.<span> </span>I was slightly disappointed at first, but once I got the system going... Boy, was I in for a treat.<span> </span>Even though the Wiimote itself is smaller than my hand (yeah, I have big hands), it was extremely comfortable.</p><p>After setting up the console (mind you, it was all easy stuff except for that dang sensor bar; I spent a good 10 minutes trying to find the perfect spot for it in the entertainment center) and running through all of the setup menus, I decided to try messing with the interface.<span> </span>After a minute or two of getting used to the Wii controller, I popped in The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess and tried giving it a go... More on TP later.</p><p>After the first few days of insane playing time, I noticed that the batteries in the controller were starting to run low... I couldn't help feeling disappointed; I barely played for 20 hours, and yet they gave out.<span> </span>Turns out it was all due to the poor batteries that Nintendo packaged in; the next batch I used lasted for a good 40 hours.<span> </span>However, I recently acquired rechargables, so even though I was initially disappointed with the battery life, I won't have to worry about that for a very long time now.</p><p>In any case, the Wiimote was extremely responsive to all of my movements, and games controlled like a dream.<span> </span>Sometimes, though, if moved either too close or too far away from the TV screen, the pointer would vanish off of the screen, but if I would stand at an appropriate distance, I would have no such issues.<span> </span>I couldn't be more satisfied with the way this newfangled controller works, quite frankly.</p><p>Overall, my thoughts on the Wii's controller are extremely positive.<span> </span>While some of the games can feel gimmicky if they rely too much on the controller, I am confident that this is the next big step in gaming.<span> </span>It will make as big of an impact as the control stick did back in the day, and if developers truly embrace it and offer us enticing software, then motion sensing controllers will last for videogame generations to come.<span> </span>It really is a superb idea, and the Wii executes it amazingly.<span> </span>The only thing that needs to be done is for developers to fully embrace it.</p><p align="center"><b>The Interface</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/Icon_channel_large.gif">
</b></p><p align="center"></p><p>After first hearing about the Wii Channels, I was convinced that the idea was great, especially since it could, in theory, appeal to everyone in the family.<span> </span>It was a simple concept (basically like a TV set; you switch channels depending on what you want to play/do), and after trying out the different channels, including Virtual Console games, I realized that Nintendo had a winner on their hands with this seamless interface.<span> </span>It worked like a charm, and the loading times, if any, were extremely insignificant.</p><p>There was also another feature tucked in, and that was the Wii Message Board.<span> </span>Even though I followed every single bit of Wii-related news before the release date, I had to admit that I didn't really know much about the Wii Message Board's features.<span> </span>As it turns out, even though I had absolutely no expectations for it, the Wii Message Board still turned out to be a slight disappointment.</p><p>The message board, while a great idea in theory, turned out to be extremely limited, probably due to the Friend Codes and to the fact that I could only write roughly 4 lines per message.<span> </span>Another thing that bogged the whole message board down was the fact that typing with the on-screen keyboard took ages.<span> </span>While I can type reasonably fast with a normal keyboard, it took me ages to type words with the message board.<span> </span>This can probably be fixed by a USB keyboard attachment that Nintendo or a third party could release sometime in the future, so this wasn't too much of a concern for me.</p><p>What did concern me were all the limitations in the message board.<span> </span>You can't send videos and pictures to an email or cell phone user, you can only send about four lines per message, and etc.<span> </span>I'm sure that all of this can be fixed with a simple firmware update, but as of right now, I remain slightly disappointed with the execution of the Wii Message Board.<span> </span>It can be fixed, but it's flawed as it stands.</p><p>Next, I moved onto the Mii Channel and started making a few Miis.<span> </span>It was simple, fun, and intuitive, and I got some family members into the mix and had them creating caricatures of themselves.<span> </span>Once the day was over, we had Miis of not only the immediate family, but of around 20 different relatives!<span> </span>My family and I had more than a few laughs when we were creating some of the Miis.<span> </span></p><p>Another thing I really liked about the Mii Channel was the Mingle feature and the ability to send people your creations.<span> </span>Even though you can, as of right now, send Miis to people only on your Friends List, it is still a superb idea, and the fact that the Miis really resembled the people I wanted them to resemble still strikes me as incredible.<span> </span>Nothing's perfect, though, and the Mii Channel has a flaw; you can only send 20 Miis per day to people.<span> </span>I can understand that this was a precaution for Nintendo to protect people against "Mii Spammers", but still... Slightly disappointing.</p><p>After that, I inserted an SD card with tons of personal photos (and two videos) and booted up the Photo Channel.<span> </span>To my surprise, the whole thing resembled Mario Paint immensely, and a feeling of nostalgia emanated... The whole thing worked rather well, and it was pretty funny when I added a mustache and beard to my aunt's picture; priceless!<span> </span>Video watching and editing worked pretty well, but my only gripe with the Photo Channel is the fact that it only accepts .JPEG and .MOV files for pictures and videos, respectively.<span> </span>I had a lot of .PNG files I wanted to transfer to the SD card, but needless to say, they didn't work.</p><p align="center"><b>The Software - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/TP_Wii.jpg">
</b></p><p>The first game I played on Wii was indeed Zelda, and I am so happy it was my first Wii experience; it introduced me to the motion sensitive controller perfectly, and to tell you the truth, after experiencing a Zelda game with the motion sensitive control scheme, I had EXTREME trouble moving back to the control method in old Zelda games, especially Windwaker.<span> </span>Even though TP started out slow for the first couple of hours, and I did have some trouble with the bobber fishing, it was still an enjoyable experience.<span> </span>However, after leaving Ordon Village, the game began to pick up, and I began to realize that I was playing what could possibly end up being the best game of all time.</p><p>Once I got to the first dungeon, I was fully engrossed; this is what made that 14 hour wait in front of my Target store worth it.<span> </span>Finally, I decided to put the title down in favor of Wii Sports (keep reading for my impressions of that game), even though I still wanted to keep playing.<span> </span>In any case, I have already beaten the game, and I am convinced that it is the best game ever made.<span> </span>It tops Ocarina of Time and Path of Radiance; it'll be extremely hard for Nintendo to outdo Twilight Princess... They might never even be able to.</p><p>Twilight Princess has the timeless Zelda gameplay, the best graphics in any Zelda game, wonderful music (although I miss the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time), ingenious puzzles, and the works.<span> </span>What really moved me were the cinematics.<span> </span>They not only fit the Zelda world perfectly, but some of them had things that were never in any Nintendo game before... Spoilers aside, I can only say that some of the ending cutscenes have slightly more mature elements than past Nintendo titles have even dared to show.</p><p>All in all, Twilight Princess alone was worth the wait for the Wii, and even though it is a Gamecube game at heart, I am 100% positive that it works better on the Wii.<span> </span>The controls are more precise, and I didn't experience any fatigue while playing the game.<span> </span>I will eventually be picking up the Gamecube version, but the Wii version will definitely remain the superior one in my book.<span> </span>No doubt about that whatsoever.</p><p align="center"><b>The Software - Wii Sports</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/Wii_Sports_Europe.jpg">
</b></p><p>Wii Sports was my first "authentic" Wii experience, since Wii Sports has more Wii-centric capabilities than Twilight Princess.<span> </span>Now, I made sure to buy an extra controller set to test out the multiplayer in this title, and I'm pretty happy I did what I did; playing multiplayer in Wii Sports is a blast.<span> </span>The first game I tried was tennis, and to my surprise, my dad ended up beating me.<span> </span>Even though he's not what I'd call a non-gamer (seeing as he plays Mario Kart 64 and Mario Tennis 64 with my brother and myself periodically), he doesn't have the most hands-on gaming experience, so I was surprised at my loss; pleasantly so, however, since this was all the more proof that Nintendo's non-gamer strategy works.</p><p>After tennis, I went on to baseball.<span> </span>I was kind of disappointed that it had a Mercy Rule and was only 3 innings long, but all in all, I think it was my favorite Wii Sports game out of the bunch.<span> </span>It was the most fun, and since both my dad and I are baseball fans, we naturally got way into the game; I almost flung the controller one time while throwing a killer fastball!<span> </span>After that, I went for boxing; my brother wanted to get into the action, so it was a 1 on 1, bro vs. bro deal.<span> </span>I ended up losing for some reason...<span> </span>I didn't let that tamper with my good spirits, so I went on to bowling.<span> </span></p><p>Bowling felt extremely realistic, and I ended up winning my first match.<span> </span>However, I couldn't - and still can't - figure out how to properly apply spin on the ball.<span> </span>It almost always cuts a bit to the left, so I have to, practically every time, move to the right in anticipation of the spin.<span> </span>After playing a round of bowling, I moved on to the last sport in the package; golf.<span> </span>In my opinion, golf is the weakest sport of the bunch, since it not only lags when you swing, but it's extremely hard not to apply accidental spin on the ball.<span> </span>Golf is fun in short spurts, but nothing more.</p><p>All in all, even though Wii Sports can eventually get boring as a singleplayer affair, it shines in the multiplayer mode, and it is best enjoyed with a large group of friends.<span> </span>A shallow, though fun, experience that anybody can get into without any kind of problem.<span> </span>It showcases the capabilities of the Wii very well, and is a great introduction to gaming for a non-gamer.<span> </span>A note, however; if Nintendo had not packaged the title with the system, I couldn't see myself buying it unless it had a budget-price.</p><p align="center"><b>Virtual Console</b></p><p align="center"><b><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Bulerias/Img_virtualconsole.jpg">
</b></p><p>The Virtual Console was one of my most anticipated features in the Wii console; downloading all of the old games that I missed out one was a great thought, and the Virtual Console delivers in theory.<span> </span>In execution, however, it is very slightly flawed, but it isn't even an issue to be quite honest.<span> </span>My only gripe with the Virtual Console is that there aren't very many games available as it stands, but it is understandable, seeing as Nintendo has a special strategy for releasing the games.<span> </span>Therefore, I can definitely say that this gripe will be non-existent in the next couple of months, seeing as more software will be available in the future.</p><p>During my first few days with the Wii, I downloaded four Virtual Console games; F-Zero for SNES, Bomberman '93 for Turbo-Grafx, Bonk's Adventure, also for the Turbo-Grafx, and The Legend Of Zelda for NES.<span> </span>Each Virtual Console game took up its own channel space, so the navigation was pretty easy.<span> </span>However, this got me worried; what if I wanted to download more than 48 games?<span> </span>The maximum channel space on the Wii is 48, so I am still somewhat worried that I will have to delete and redownload games to accommodate the space limitations.<span> </span>Of course, I won't have to pay for the games all over again, but it will be inconvenient deleting and re-downloading the games.</p><p>Space issues aside, the Virtual Console emulates games very well.<span> </span>Even though I don't own an actual NES or Turbo-Grafx and therefore can't compare the viewing quality of the actual games to their VC counterparts, I can say that the games looked great while played via the Virtual Console.<span> </span>The controls were also spot on, and it is very comfortable to hold the Wii controller as an NES joypad.<span> </span>F-Zero required me to use a Gamecube controller, and that worked great as well.<span> </span>One thing that striked me as odd was that all of the game currently available on the VC don't require the Classic Controller.<span> </span>This will change in the future, but as it stands, isn't the Classic Controller somewhat obsolete?<span> </span>In any case, this wasn't an issue for me, as I had - and still have - no need for a Classic Controller.<span> </span>My trusty old Wavebirds still work great, and I have yet to have an issue while using them to play VC games.</p><p>As for the pricing, I am relatively satisfied with the current price scheme.<span> </span>It could have been lower (it is debatable whether or not Baseball for NES is worth $5), but it is still fine as it is.<span> </span>While a, for instance, 99 cent price for an NES game would work better than the current price, I still fine the current scheme to be good.<span> </span>What baffles me, however, is that Nintendo wouldn't be losing money even if they were selling all of the games for a fraction of their current price, or even giving them away for free.<span> </span>Every company needs to make money, I suppose.</p><p align="center"><b>Closing Thoughts</b></p><p>Overall, I think that Nintendo really has a winner on their hands.<span> </span>While there are spots where the Wii could use some tweaks, the overall package is nothing short of amazing.<span> </span>With a mind-blowing control scheme, software like Twilight Princess, and features like the Virtual Console, the Wii could potentially become the best system ever.<span> </span>After all, doesn't the Wii have a lot of the past games for older consoles, while delivering new content as well?<span> </span>That could basically make it all that the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Genesis, and Turbo-Grafx were and then some.<span> </span>Playing all of the oldies and new classics, all on one system?<span> </span>Count me in!</p><p>Even though the Wii is somewhat of an experiment for Nintendo, seeing as this is their first home console to ever launch with a "Touch Generations" approach, I think the experiment will pay off.<span> </span>It is already starting to show that Nintendo has a hit on their hands; looking at the sales of the Wii is enough, since it has already passed the one million mark!<span> </span>All Nintendo needs to do now is deliver with their promises regarding the Virtual Console, software, and channels, while third parties need to give us great software.<span> </span>As it stands, it appears that Nintendo and third parties are all on their way to success.<span> </span>I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what is in store for Wii owners.<span> </span>Viva La Revolution!</p><div></div>[/doHTML]
