Wii Kiosk Review

[bingbangboom]

The Gamestops in my area got their Wii Kiosk ready for play and I checked out two stores. Pretty cool but I think it could have been handled better with a demo disc from Nintendo instead of just Excite Truck.

First you have to hand over your driver's license to the employee but there is no sign whatsoever. Bad move, at least advertise the ability to play the thing. Also the lack of a demo disc just means that the Wii most of the time is just on the plain menu.

So on to Excite Truck... nice looking fun game but I don't think shows off the Wii that well. Thrown in for a demo would be fine but the game is hard to steer. I hit a number of trees and it was hard to just go straight. Again with more practice I am sure it will come easier because by my forth race it got better. But there just seems somethign weird. Going straight should be easy. At times I was just all over the track.

Graphics wise it was decent, again not a graphics whore but the game isn't too flashy at all. During the race it seems there is just plain environments unlike alot of other ralley games you at least see scattered objects around.

Playing it made me NOT want to buy it at launch. Maybe down the road, but there was just somethign about it that I didn't feel or understand.

Also I think more tutorial should have video instead of just pictures or do some sort of animation to show exactly how to steer or move in various games. They gave me arrows so I wasn't exactly sure. The sensativity could be too much or too less. Hard to gauge.

I purchased Call of Duty 3 and Rayman and asked the employee if we could pop it in. He said no that Nintendo did not supply any store with keys. WTF? I used to work at Toys R Us and we had a set of keys. Any other kiosk they will basically swap out something if they feel like it.

Nintendo should really create a demo disc that shows off a number of games. Excite Truck could be done on the PS3 with better graphics. SHowing off games like Rayman, Red Steel, Madden, Warioware and WiiSports in short demos could have been a great way and offer a ton of different gamers a way to experience games they may like to play. If someone doesn't like racing games then they might not try the Wii.

Demo Disc were done for the gamecube, why not the Wii?

[botticus]

They can get the thing apart. I shared this elsewhere, but the manager at my store took the time to dismantle the kiosk to put a new disc (Tony Hawk) in.

I mean, come on. They had to put it together and put the disc in in the first place.

And as makes some sense (maybe?) they had to limit it to games that only used the Wiimote. Wii Sports remains by far the better choice to put in there, but ah well.

[bingbangboom]

They could have thrown together demos of a few games, I mean its not that hard especially for alot of these games. I remember before we had a key to open and lock the system, so I am guessing thats what it is. It is possible that the Wii arrived inside the kiosk already. So it isn't something they had to put together.

[lordwow]

I can't understand (at all) why Nintendo chose Excitetruck... even the most fanboyish friends I have came away with mediocre opinions of it.

[furyk]

I can't understand (at all) why Nintendo chose Excitetruck... even the most fanboyish friends I have came away with mediocre opinions of it.

It and maybe Rayman are the only games without a built in audience. Red Steel, Tony Hawk, Super Monkey Ball, Twilight Princess, Trauma Center, and everything else have a built in audience due to the fact that they're sequels or that they've been hyped to holy hell so far.

[foltzie]

I can't understand (at all) why Nintendo chose Excitetruck... even the most fanboyish friends I have came away with mediocre opinions of it.

Excite Truck doesnt require the Wiimote to use the sensor bar, so its easier for folks to test out. Zelda and Wii Sports could have control problems if the store is too small and you are forced to play the Wii right next to the unit.

Additionally, they dont want to spoil Zelda, and its been rumored a few places that Wii Sports might have two extra games included that have been hidden under NDAs until launch.

[Chrono72090]

Excite Truck doesnt require the Wiimote to use the sensor bar

Uhh, yes it does. How else would people be able to navigate the menu's and make Mii's?

[ArthurDigbySellers]

Uhh, yes it does. How else would people be able to navigate the menu's and make Mii's?

I navigated the menus (within ExciteTruck) with the d-pad. I didn't even try the home button to get the Wii to the home menu - I didn't think that would work anyway.

[foltzie]

Uhh, yes it does. How else would people be able to navigate the menu's and make Mii's?

Ignoring that its already been pointed out that the Dpad works on the menus.

We are talking for demo units, even if its clunky to use because you are close to the system you are going to be able to select the option that starts the game.

Once the game starts, its all tilt based and no sensor bar.

[foltzie]

its been rumored a few places that Wii Sports might have two extra games included that have been hidden under NDAs until launch.

I can correct myself with this trailer (http://www.gametrailers.com/downloadnew.php?id=15056), there are a couple of undiscussed options, but they dont look like new Wii Sports games.

[Ma12kez]

Does the Wii always have to be in the vertical position, or can you switch it horizontally as well? It's just that it wouldn't fit where I have room for it if I had to position it vertically.

[botticus]

Does the Wii always have to be in the vertical position, or can you switch it horizontally as well? It's just that it wouldn't fit where I have room for it if I had to position it vertically.Either. The stand is included so you can put it vertical.

[Ma12kez]

Either. The stand is included so you can put it vertical.Oh alright. I know it sounded like a stupid question, but I don't think I've ever seen a picture (or advertisement) where the Wii was positioned horizontally. Thanks for the quick response though botticus.

[Chrono72090]

I navigated the menus (within ExciteTruck) with the d-pad. I didn't even try the home button to get the Wii to the home menu - I didn't think that would work anyway.

:0

Didn't even think of that, haha.

My bad.

[bingbangboom]

Because they want to show off the stand and shape, if you put it flat it looses sort of it's flair of design. Looks just like a external dvd drive.

[foltzie]

Because they want to show off the stand and shape, if you put it flat it looses sort of it's flair of design. Looks just like a external dvd drive.

or gasp, a XBOX 360 HD DVD Drive...

[bingbangboom]

Yeah i think someone had pictures of the Wii and the HD Drive next to one another... the HD Drive is still bigger. Think that is just weird. I don't know why Microsoft didn't just make a third Xbox 360 with the HD Drive built in.

[daroga]

Uhh, yes it does. How else would people be able to navigate the menu's and make Mii's?Making Miis is part of the Wii system, not Excite Truck. Excite Truck as a game doesn't use the pointer at all, you cannot navigate the menus with the remote, only with the dpad.

[bingbangboom]

I made Mii and it seems pretty interesting although I thought it was weird witht he lack of colors and stuff. Hope they have more options down the road and stuff although im sure I did make myself pretty close.

[Snake2715]

Excite Truck doesnt require the Wiimote to use the sensor bar, so its easier for folks to test out. Zelda and Wii Sports could have control problems if the store is too small and you are forced to play the Wii right next to the unit.

Additionally, they dont want to spoil Zelda, and its been rumored a few places that Wii Sports might have two extra games included that have been hidden under NDAs until launch.


Some dumb questions here...

First what happened to Duck Hunt?
Secondly the Wii comes with rechargeable batteries or we install our own.

Secondly the system comes with a nunchuk correct?

[bingbangboom]

Some dumb questions here...

First what happened to Duck Hunt?
Secondly the Wii comes with rechargeable batteries or we install our own.

Secondly the system comes with a nunchuk correct?


1. Duck Hunt has been listed as a possible future release for the virtual console. There is a game similar to it on the WiiPlay disc although it doesn't focus on shooting ducks but other targets.

2. No first party rechargable batteries. Look for a third party to release this. You can also pick up your own set of recharagble batteries, I woudl recommend to do so.

3. The system includes the Wii, remote, cables, sensorbar, WiiSports and a nunchuck.

[Snake2715]

1. Duck Hunt has been listed as a possible future release for the virtual console. There is a game similar to it on the WiiPlay disc although it doesn't focus on shooting ducks but other targets.

2. No first party rechargable batteries. Look for a third party to release this. You can also pick up your own set of recharagble batteries, I woudl recommend to do so.

3. The system includes the Wii, remote, cables, sensorbar, WiiSports and a nunchuck.

Thanks a bunch this is stuff that I wasn't sure of and hadn't looked around for yet. I better start recharging my batteries now then!

[bingbangboom]

Anothign thing, Gamecube accesories are in short supply. Especially much desired wavebirds and memory cards.