Wii Mini!

[shmuppyLove]

I'm totally not on Nintendo's payroll.

http://epdaily.tv/all/spotlight/nintend ... -wii-mini/

Following the release of the Wii U, Nintendo has announced another new console… sort of.

It’s known as the Wii Mini, and is a smaller and cheaper version of the original, U-less Wii. It comes in just one colour, matte black with a red border, and also includes a red Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk.

Nintendo says the Wii Mini is designed with gamers in mind, so naturally, it won’t offer Internet connectivity for multiplayer and won’t support classic GameCube titles. Gamers wouldn’t be interested in those anyway, right? Nintendo has also pointed out that the Wii Mini will work with most Wii accessories, but there’s no word yet on which ones it won’t support.

The Wii Mini will hit stores on December 7 with a price tag of $99. It’ll be available exclusively in Canada during the holiday season, and Nintendo hasn’t said if it will land in other countries after that.

That's right, exclusively in Canuckistan. Suck it, 'Murica.

[Zapf]

That's right, exclusively in Canuckistan. Suck it, 'Murica.

Luckily it doesn't look very good at all, aesthetically or feature wise!

[shmuppyLove]

That's right, exclusively in Canuckistan. Suck it, 'Murica.

Luckily it doesn't look very good at all, aesthetically or feature wise!

It's true. And it's not like the Wii was particularly large to begin with. Considering it still has the slot-loading disc drive, how much smaller could they really make it anyway?

No Internet access seems like a really dumb idea ... they could have enjoyed some continued sales through the Wii Shop Channel or whatever their downloadable store is. Oh well.

And for $50 more you can get the regular version with New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

WHAT IS THIS THING FOR THEN I DON'T KNOW.

Well, it's red and black ... that's cool I guess.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Remember when Nintendo wasn't a fucking retarded company and their consoles were actually good? The Gamecube had some unusual aspects but it had some genuinely good games for it, but the Wii is basically all gimmick, no substance. It's a wonder there's any good games for it (No More Heroes at least) considering how terrible a console it is. We get it, you have motion controls (and now a touchscreen), now make a decent fucking controller already for actual games.

And for $50 more you can get the regular version with New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Remember when Super Mario World let you spinjump by pressing a button instead of flailing the controller like you're having a seizure?

[undamned]

What is this, Brazil?
-ud

[akumajo]

the only thing to check is the component output quality (if it's still there ) vs original wii.

[gundamalpha]

I would jump (again) if it had NGC compatibility.. well too bad

[kamiboy]

Remember when Nintendo wasn't a fucking retarded company and their consoles were actually good?

Remember when Nintendo removed the digital port from the Gamecube to save a few shilling off of each unit? Remember when the Gamecube was the only console of its generation, save maybe the long dead Dreamcast, which had no digital audio out option? Remember when the only way to buy the component cables for the first gen Cube was to buy it though Nintendo's website?

Furthermore the Wii has a pretty fantastic library of classics. In fact, if it were not for Demon and Dark Souls I would put it ahead of any other current gen console. In terms of Nintendo's other system I'd be willing to say its library easily trumps the N64's and is the equal of the Cube's, that is even if the N64 had godly classics like Ocarina of Time and Mario 64, those two titles can only do so much.

The Wii has the sequel to N64's Sin & Punishment and which was the best game I played the year that is came out. Donkey Kong Country Returns was pretty amazing as well, and the two Wii Zelda's were a lot of fun, not to mention all the many Mario games. Of course that is not even mentioning the exclusive throwback titles like La Mulana, Cave Story and Konami's Rebirth series, which is basically the only good thing to have come out of that brain dead company for the better part of a decade. But Cave Story alone would have sufficed, that game is pure magic. We are talking Super Nintendo magic here, so you know that is special.

Much could be said against Nintendo, but at least their games are still polished to a sheen, do not crash or require a hundred patches to work and focus on GAMEPLAY above everything else, not mongoloid modern hot concepts like cinematic narrative.

It is strange when Nintendo who gets so much flak is one of only a handful of game maker left who actually still try to push gameplay in this wonderful videoGAME medium of today. Its basically them, Treasure, those fine folks as Platinum and the Souls team over at From Software.

At least they still try, and I salute them for it.

[nem]

Considering it still has the slot-loading disc drive

The new Mini is top loading.

I like it. It looks like a Famicom disk drive.

Shame about the lack of GameCube support.

[Raytrace]

yeh no GC support = NO WAY for me

i was kinda ridiculously hoping that it would have some type of digital outpu - obviously not

[O. Van Bruce]

Remember when Nintendo wasn't a fucking retarded company and their consoles were actually good?

Remember when Nintendo removed the digital port from the Gamecube to save a few shilling off of each unit? Remember when the Gamecube was the only console of its generation, save maybe the long dead Dreamcast, which had no digital audio out option? Remember when the only way to buy the component cables for the first gen Cube was to buy it though Nintendo's website?

Furthermore the Wii has a pretty fantastic library of classics. In fact, if it were not for Demon and Dark Souls I would put it ahead of any other current gen console. In terms of Nintendo's other system I'd be willing to say its library easily trumps the N64's and is the equal of the Cube's, that is even if the N64 had godly classics like Ocarina of Time and Mario 64, those two titles can only do so much.

The Wii has the sequel to N64's Sin & Punishment and which was the best game I played the year that is came out. Donkey Kong Country Returns was pretty amazing as well, and the two Wii Zelda's were a lot of fun, not to mention all the many Mario games. Of course that is not even mentioning the exclusive throwback titles like La Mulana, Cave Story and Konami's Rebirth series, which is basically the only good thing to have come out of that brain dead company for the better part of a decade. But Cave Story alone would have sufficed, that game is pure magic. We are talking Super Nintendo magic here, so you know that is special.

Much could be said against Nintendo, but at least their games are still polished to a sheen, do not crash or require a hundred patches to work and focus on GAMEPLAY above everything else, not mongoloid modern hot concepts like cinematic narrative.

It is strange when Nintendo who gets so much flak is one of only a handful of game maker left who actually still try to push gameplay in this wonderful videoGAME medium of today. Its basically them, Treasure, those fine folks as Platinum and the Souls team over at From Software.

At least they still try, and I salute them for it.

I would have agreed with you if you had mentioned Nintendo DS instead of Wii...

[trap15]

Much could be said against Nintendo, but at least their games are still polished to a sheen, do not crash or require a hundred patches to work and focus on GAMEPLAY above everything else, not mongoloid modern hot concepts like cinematic narrative.

It is strange when Nintendo who gets so much flak is one of only a handful of game maker left who actually still try to push gameplay in this wonderful videoGAME medium of today. Its basically them, Treasure, those fine folks as Platinum and the Souls team over at From Software.

At least they still try, and I salute them for it.

QUOTED FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH

[Udderdude]

Much could be said against Nintendo, but at least their games are still polished to a sheen, do not crash or require a hundred patches to work and focus on GAMEPLAY above everything else, not mongoloid modern hot concepts like cinematic narrative.

It is strange when Nintendo who gets so much flak is one of only a handful of game maker left who actually still try to push gameplay in this wonderful videoGAME medium of today. Its basically them, Treasure, those fine folks as Platinum and the Souls team over at From Software.

At least they still try, and I salute them for it.

QUOTED FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Yeah, it's too bad they make these games with zillions of mechanics, enemies and game elements, but then have easy mode, baby mush levels and practically non-existent difficulty curve. Not to mention they've been rehasing the same ideas for decades now.

(Note that I'm only talking about their first party games, their second party or third party games may have done things a bit different)

[kamiboy]

Yeah, it's too bad they make these games with zillions of mechanics, enemies and game elements, but then have easy mode, baby mush levels and practically non-existent difficulty curve. Not to mention they've been rehashing the same ideas for decades now.

(Note that I'm only talking about their first party games, their second party or third party games may have done things a bit different)

Nintendo's difficulty is rather underwhelming, I'll give you that. Alas such lackluster difficulty levels are a general symptom of the entire industry, an industry that has outgrown itself and needs to cater to consumers who do not enjoy the concept of playing a videogame, just in order to bring in enough sales to break even. I die a little inside every time I see another batch of sealed copies of Sin and Punishment: Star Successor on eBay. But that is the reality, that fantastic game sold abysmally because people do not play games for the right reasons anymore.

If you are not looking for a challenge then why are you even playing a game I say? I guess for sports the difference would be between participating in a match or being a spectator, but for videogames you are always participating so I frankly find the sentiments of just wanting to quasi-spectate by breezing effortlessly though a game to be baffling. But that is where today's "be inside a block-buster movie" definition of games comes into play. Gameplay today is just a formality, a nuisance at best.

As for rehashing the same ideas, have you heard the good news about first person shooters? Everyone in a creative medium rehashes the same ideas, basically all genres were established in the 80's and what we've had since is different takes on the same old formula. It is unfortunate, but if it must be so then execution is where it matters and Nintendo knows how to execute.

Why is it that Nintendo is so often solely targeted for taking their own Mario or Zelda formula for a new spin every few years when every single deuce of a week there are a handful of releases by dozens of creators who are all basically making the exact same carbon copy of soup du jour favourites?

At least Nintendo is only imitating themselves, and they do enough new to mix things up and keep it interesting. And, most importantly, no one else is making Mario or Zelda clones in this day and age, it is just Nintendo. Where is the outrage over everyone else throwing their limp wristed lot in with the exact same trope filled favourites?

Is anyone else really doing a better job than Nintendo? I don't count many.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I recall seeing such NGC component video cables available for sale when the Gamecube made it's official USA launch at my local Circuit City store back in the day. It wasn't a Nintendo website only exclusive during that point in time.

It was only when Nintendo discovered that less than 2% of all Gamecube console owners (stateside) bought the component video cable, that they decided to withdrawl it from the retail market & sell it through their website later on.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[kamiboy]

I would have agreed with you if you had mentioned Nintendo DS instead of Wii...

Gameboy Advance, or as I like to call it, SNES portable all the way baby!

Besides no one gives the DS a hard time, it is an acknowledged classic system.

[KBZ]

I actually might pick this up. I prefer top loading systems, already own a GC, and have little use for the Wii's internet capabilities.

[ED-057]

So, Nintendo has launched a cheap version of the original Wii (in Canada) with no network connection. Seems like people are saying "useless without internet." How badly does this cripple the Wii's game library? Are there enough good single player games to make the Wii Mini worthwhile?

[Obiwanshinobi]

Wii devoid of the GameCube library is a mistake anyways. Then you need a GameCube controller to play Super Monkey Ball and F-Zero GX with (and see for yourself how BAD games Sega has been making since the competition stabbed DC in the back), as well as a memory card (I would recommend some third party stuff that does NOT compress data).

Are there enough good single player games to make the Wii Mini worthwhile?

Yes and no. By the way, a fair share of multiplayer games are playable locally (Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, Mario Kart Wii, Excite Truck), but you need to purchase extra controllers for the sake of it (MK Wii supports 'Cube controllers too, so there's that).

[louisg]

I personally wouldn't buy one without internet and GC support. I really like some of the downloadable games. For example, their emulation of Genesis and Neo Geo (or at least Metal Slug) is spot-on, which is super rare-- worth shelling out for IMO (esp. if you have a CRT). FAST Racing League is quite good, and there are others that I just haven't gotten around to trying which seem worthwhile. And yeah, as mentioned above, the GameCube had some great stuff in its library that you wouldn't be able to play either.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Even if you already have a 'Cube, there's one cool thing that can be easily done with a softmodded Wii - hooking up an external HDD via USB and using it as the main drive. Now, I'm not sure if it will be possible with the new model.

[null1024]

Very little point in getting this model. No internet means no Virtual Console, no GC ports means no GC games, so unless you can use it for homebrew, fuck it.

Just get a used normal Wii.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I thought I had only two reasons to go online with mine: Cave Story and Trackmania (both can be played legally for free on the PC; I just like the idea of having them on Wii too), but if, I say IF Dungeon Explorer is perfectly playable online for 5 people co-operatively, that's... good to know.
There are also two PCE Bomberman games on VC for up to five players each.

[shmuppyLove]

Mods can merge these I guess, no need for two threads

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=43631

[opt2not]

No Virtual Console and no GC support and you've got a pretty useless Wii console. I was just trying to put together a list of 5 retail games I would want to play on the Wii...took me a while, and I didn't even get to 5.
- Donkey Kong Country Returns
- Mario Galaxy 2
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
- ???

Not worth it.

[Ghegs]

Merged the two threads.

[Obiwanshinobi]

List already?
Here I come:

- Excite Truck
- S&P2
- Metroid Prime Trilogy (still not sure how much I like it, but just had to take the plunge).

Then games worth the price, not worth buying a console for:

- Dead Space: Extraction
- Geometry Wars: Galaxies
- Xenoblade Chronicles (would play it emulated if the PC allowed me to)
- Metroid: Other M
- Mario Kart Wii (came bundled with the thing).

The aforementioned I played. I have more, but either things not too bad, yet not essential in any way, or still unsealed games (SM Galaxy in that number). Of my unsealed Wii games, I WANT to play FF Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers most. Then there are some games I'd buy if I could justify it just yet: Monster Hunter Tri, Tatsunoko vs Capcom and some other Capcom games.

None of those lists is a dream-list of any kind. GameCube library was at least half the reason I had to get a Wii.

[gct]

If it can be softmodded, I could get one just for dicking around. Lack of Internet meaning lack of VC is a drag, I really enjoy Contra Rebirth and for this KingBuzzo I would suggest you get a 2nd-hand Wii until we find out more about the hackability of the Mini. Again, Cube compatibilty would be great too since I loves me some Monkey Ball & F-Zero.

[dave4shmups]

Much could be said against Nintendo, but at least their games are still polished to a sheen, do not crash or require a hundred patches to work and focus on GAMEPLAY above everything else, not mongoloid modern hot concepts like cinematic narrative.

It is strange when Nintendo who gets so much flak is one of only a handful of game maker left who actually still try to push gameplay in this wonderful videoGAME medium of today. Its basically them, Treasure, those fine folks as Platinum and the Souls team over at From Software.

At least they still try, and I salute them for it.

QUOTED FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Amen! And Nintendo still recognizes the value of single-player gameplay, and they still develop games that have high replay value that you don't have to play online to enjoy. The 360 is a nice DVD player, but not much else for me.

I love the look of this unit, but no Virtual Console=no purchase. But why would Nintendo put this unit out in the first place, instead of dropping the price of the Wii down to $99.99? Are they really making that much money off of Wii console sales anymore?

[EmperorIng]

Apparently, since the Wii and DS outsold the 3DS and Wii U.

If this had VC, I'd probably pick it up with a Classic Controller Pro, so I wouldn't have to worry about the Wii overheating and all that.
Alas.