wii

Maybe what the Wii needs is a little fishing

We were saddened to hear that fellow Craver Will Greenwald has fallen into a Wii funk of late. But perhaps he just needs a break from his buddy Mario, and we think we've found the relaxing pastime he needs--a little fishing.

Dragon's new fishing rod controller would seem to be the perfect accompaniment to the "Bass Fishing Wii" that came out in Japan over the summer. Best of all, it even includes a faux fish at the end of its faux line--because the last thing we'd want is to sour him even more on the … Read more

The sad state of console cycles

Earlier this week, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's CEO, pointed out the perils of maintaining the status quo in console cycles. According to Iwata, the current state of the industry where hardware is replaced by its successor in just four years is a blunder that Nintendo will not commit.

Instead, Iwata argued that new consoles should be replaced when a major shift in entertainment arrives or all avenues for innovation have been exhausted.

While I can see where Iwata is coming from, I think he misses an important point. Sure, new technologies should govern the arrival of new consoles, but what about the business implications of a 10-year console cycle? It may work for Nintendo, which has two successful hardware options on the market and does well with its first-party software, but what about Sony and Microsoft?

Sad as it is, Iwata is dreaming. From the perspective of hardware manufacturers, new console releases mean a jump in revenue and unique opportunities for growth.… Read more

Re-aWiikening

It's time for a caveat-laden confession. Around the office I'm known (unfairly) as a Nintendo fanboy. I got my Wii around 10 months ago, and to date I'm still satisfied with my purchase. That said, for the last two months, the Wii has lied fallow while my Xbox 360 got the bulk of my attention. Nintendo's little white box indeed collected a thin layer of dust while I played Bioshock, Oblivion, and Portal.

The Wii has been going through a pretty stiff dry spell. Besides occasional hits like Metroid Prime 3 and Super Paper Mario, Wii … Read more

When did gaming become complicated?

Years ago, back when Nintendo dominated gaming and Sega still owned a slice of the hardware market, the video game industry was a much different place. Instead of discussions on Cell processors and HDMI, we were talking about the latest 16-bit consoles or how to get through the third level on Super Mario Bros. And when we went to the store to buy a console, we didn't waste time because we knew exactly what we wanted. And we knew exactly what we wanted because our choices were clearcut -- do you want the Nintendo console or Sega hardware?

And yet, today we're neck-deep in an environment where it's becoming too confusing to buy a video game console. There are: four Xbox 360 options (five if you count the Halo 3 console), four Playstation 3 consoles, and (luckily) just one Wii.

Now, for those of us who are tech-savvy and know how the world of gaming works, we obviously know what we want before we head to the stores to buy a console. But what about those people that don't read CNET and don't spend their time rummaging through tech news and columns? To them, it's confusing. And if you ask me, it only hurts business.… Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week--best game ever edition

The virtual console overlords have listened, and with the anticipation of Super Mario Galaxy, we are graced with Super Mario Bros. 3 now available for the virtual console.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990, NES, 500 Wii points)--Widely regarded as one of the best video games of its generation and quite possibly of all time, this third installment of the Mario series simply blew gamers away. Seventeen years later, the game's style and gameplay still hold up. Alien Soldier (1995, Sega Genesis, 900 Wii points)--Once you were a member of the criminal organization known as Scarlet, but now … Read more

Gallery: Techie Halloween getups

Halloween is the one day of the year when it's OK to go all-out on a geeky costume. CNET News.com reporter Caroline McCarthy gave us 10 suggestions for techie Halloween costumes this year.

While we editors didn't see any dancing Mark Cubans or software pirates (believe us, we kept our eyes peeled), we did see a pair of LOLCats, a Nintendo Wii avatar, and...Facebook. Brace yourself for our techie Halloween slide show, and start your planning for next year.

Off-topic: No Wii? Get Craigslist

Not sure about elsewhere in the country, but here in Salt Lake City it's virtually impossible to find the Wii. I sold our XBox 360 a week or so ago (in under 24 hours) on Craigslist, given its paucity of kid-friendly games. Yesterday I went in search of the Wii to appease my eight-year old son's thirst for Mario.

But we couldn't find one...anywhere. I called and visited every store in the Salt Lake Valley that carries electronics, to no avail. My son suspected that I was just pretending as my wife and I aren't big on having our kids fritter away time on games.… Read more

Work that Wii: Top 10 Virtual Console downloads

You've probably already played through Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Paper Mario. Super Mario Galaxy isn't coming out until next month, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been pushed back to early 2008. Still, there's no sense in letting your Wii collect dust while dozens of classic titles sit waiting for you on the Virtual Console. Here are the ten top downloads you can get for the Wii, and at $5 to $10 a pop they're a steal. Even if you grabbed all ten of these games (at 9500 Nintendo Points), they'd still cost … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week--Halloween edition

This week brings us a collection of creepy games all added in time for Halloween.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1988, NES, 500 Wii points)--In this sequel to the classic original, you once again take the role of Simon Belmont in an adventure that eventually has you battling Count Dracula. Samurai Ghost (1992, TurboGrafx16, 600 Wii points)--Samurai Ghost is an action platformer that has you in control of a warrior from the underworld. With your sword you will battle some historically accurate foes all while fighting off demons from the Dark Side. Magician Lord (1990, NEOGEO, 900 Wii … Read more

The Wiimote jacket cometh

Nintendo announced a few weeks ago that it would include silicone controller jackets with every new Wii and Wiimote. Even better, if you already bought a Wii, you can order the jackets for free from Nintendo. Since my Wii was purchased pre-jacket, I ordered a pair for myself. Nintendo estimates 4 to 6 weeks for the jackets to arrive, but I got mine today after just over three weeks. Naturally, here's a hands-on look at the new accessories.

Well, it's a pretty nice sleeve for the Wiimote. The slight dog-bone shape feels comfortable in the hand and provides … Read more