Wii Games Now

In my case, I’m afraid it is going to be Wii Fat. Evidently, the Wii platform takes enough information to be able to do some type of body mass index calculation and tells you that you are obese (if you are).

They are expecting to get some negative feedback, but it really is kind of hard to blame it on the game, isn’t it?  I had already discovered that I have been too inactive for too long.  I’m hoping that it will actually help me get back into a regular fitness routine. 

I was very excited to get the Simpsons game for the Wii. I’ve been playing Simpsons games going back to one of the original NES platforms. They have really done a great and deep virtual reality.

The opening credits were great, and got me even more wound up. Unfortunately, so far the actual game play is pretty frustrating. I had a really hard time orienting myself in the world, and a hard time doing anything about the camera angles. Lots of the dialog and characters made me laugh out loud though. So far, I’ve gotten to some kind of Homer blows up like a balloon eating game where I really find the controller interaction not fun at all. I’m trying to figure out how to skip that level right now.

I’m not sure that I’m actually through the orientation phase, so it may be that things pick up as I get more familiar with the game. I’m a Simpsons fan, so I’m willing to make the effort hoping to be entertained. That having been said, I haven’t touched it for a couple of days since I bought it, which is quite a bit different than my usual routine.

I was browsing the news online, and I saw a note that Sega would be publishing a Wii version of their nights game that would use the Wii Weather channel to adjust and configure the game environment based on actual weather data. The game is scheduled to be released on 12/18/2007.

I haven’t played the previous versions, but it looks to be a flying game that is pretty anime/fantasy looking. I was intrigued by the idea of linking the real world to the fantasy world though. it seems like exactly the kind of creative thinking that the Wii platform seems to be stimulating, but also a bit of a paradox.

I can’t imagine my friends in Manchester getting that excited about the fact that it is raining on their video game, again. I expect that they will figure that part out in Seattle as well. It will be interesting to see what kind of controls that you can exercise over which weather drives your gaming experience, for example, could you set your home to Moscow or Jamaica?

The idea is pretty cool, and I look forward to seeing it, although I think that it will make more sense in a Mii like gaming environment, or football. I like the idea of Madden or FIFA games being based on real weather based on the game location.

SCi is set to release the No.1 selling Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary for Nintendo Wii, a new version of the game by Christmas 2007.

The Wii version fully utilizes the Wii-mote to allow for total control of Lara and her gadgets (including guns and grapple-hook) and adds new content unique to the Wii; such as Lara’s Dig Tools, a torch and exclusive puzzles. The result is a completely different Tomb Raider experience which brings Lara to life like never before.

Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced that its holiday 2007 lineup will feature an exceptional selection of titles. Covering all segments of video games – the rich offering also includes some of this year’s most anticipated new brands along with exciting new entries.

• Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 will be released in December.

• CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION™ Hard Evidence – For the first time, CSI fans will be able to play CSI on the Wii™ this holiday.

• Rayman Raving Rabbids® 2 - The bunnies are back and crazier than ever in this new game specially developed for Wii.

• Cranium® Kabookii - designed specifically for Wii, Cranium Kabookii is an all-new game where families jam, draw, act and puzzle as they collect points and take center stage in the Kabookii Arena to win. Special Kabookii Decoder Glasses reveal secret answers for added fun!

• My Coach - Play and learn with this suite of entertaining training coaches that will teach you languages (My French Coach, My Spanish Coach) or help you to improve your expression (My Word Coach).

• Petz® - This holiday will see the release of Horsez®, Catz®, Dogz® and Hamsterz for the first time on Wii!

Scheduled for release on 11/1/2007, the Simpsons™ Game features a hilarious, sprawling, and mind-busting storyline crafted by the TV show’s Emmy Award-winning writers. The action-comedy will also feature the full cast of voice actors from the TV show who will reprise their roles for the game. In The Simpsons Game, Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa use exciting, all-new powers to save the world from rising chaos. To help the Simpsons, gamers at home must journey through all of Springfield (as well as vast worlds beyond!), vanquish an amazing array of villains, and fight their way through parodies of popular games.

We’ve been using the Opera browser on the Wii since it came out last year. Mainly, we use it to show YouTube videos in group settings, as the Wii is hooked up to our TV set. Regular browsing has been a bit clunky though, as it isn’t very easy to type anything in using the virtual keyboard with the Wii controller. That’s all changed with the latest Wii firmware.

The firmware was updated on October 10th, but you’ll need to manually install it yourself. The Wii slot glows blue to tell you that new information is available, but you have to manage it yourself. From the main Wii menu, go to Wii options, which is the little blue circle in the lower left hand corner, then select Wii Settings. The Wii firmware update was on the third setting screen, which you get to by scrolling to the right. Click on it, accept the terms, then it should download right away.

The most notable new functions of the firmware update are related to the Opera browser. The USB keyboard has been available since August, but only worked with certain modules. This update now allows you to use it with the internet browser, as well as, being able to send links to people now. Clicking on a link will now automatically open the browser. The performance of Opera has improved. The firmware also update the everybody votes channel so that you can now use the keyboard as an input device to enter your own questions.

If you’re wondering, the USB ports are on the back of the Wii console. Logitech has been first out of the box with “Wii compatible” press releases, but I would expect that any USB keyboard should work. As part of the attraction of the Wii is that it has gotten rid of the “cable jungle” in front our our TV set that the old controllers used to create, I would rather go after a wireless USB keyboard. They must be out there.

Please post any comments about keyboard compatability, and I will try to compile a Wii keyboard review next month.