It's time once again for Defunct Games' 33 Consoles of Christmas, your 33 part guide to the best and worst system designs of all time. Join Cyril Lachel and Chad Reinhardt as they judge 33 different game consoles based on what they think of the look. Forget about actual hardware and software, the only thing these guys care about is talking about their exterior design. Join us every day between November 23 and December 25 for a new console review!
Synopsis:
We started with Nintendo and we're going to end with Nintendo. This is the Nintendo Wii, the first console to really change the way we've played games since the original Nintendo Entertainment System. With its motion sensing control in tow, the Wii is here to give you a completely different video game experience; an experience that will have you standing, jumping and moving to interact with the action on screen. While the press has been all positive as Nintendo launched their fifth major console, some critics are starting to talk about the system's paltry hardware advances. As we enter Christmas 2006 we don't know if Nintendo will be able to turn the Wii's remote into more than a gimmick or if third parties will finally start to support a Nintendo console with good software. But for the time being Millions of Nintendo fans will be content to spend the next four dozen hours playing The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess.
Best Games:
The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, and that's about it ... for now.
The size of the Wii says a lot about what they are trying to do this time around. When you look at the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 you see gigantic consoles scream that they are the next generation. But that's not what you get with the Wii. It's small and cheap; it looks more like an external DVD writer for a computer than an actual game system. But that's what Nintendo is going for; the Wii itself is using old technology to create a new gaming experience, and for that they don't need a 50 pound console. Nintendo decided to keep the look of the Wii simple, which is exactly the direction I was hoping they would go. They got rid of the gimmicks; you won't find an easy grip handle on this console. The way the system emanates that blue glow is also very cool, it's the type of thing that your friends, family and girlfriend will no doubt notice. The system is just beautiful, it's easily one of Nintendo's best designs.
I wouldn't call the Wii a sexy system. With its diminutive demeanor it's really more cute or adorable than sexy, but I have to say the overall design is very appealing to me. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 are both about as large as one would expect, Nintendo went the absolute opposite direction in every way with their newest offering, which is great for those of us with a ridiculous amount of systems and a limited amount of space. The default white color is nice, but it does accrue its share of dirt if you drive it around outside like a car. I don't anyone who would do something so stupid, so just omit that last sentence; in fact, you can probably disregard most of my opinion piece and go read some wonderful articles instead. In short, Wii good, dirt bad, opinion stupid.
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