Nerd Rating

Tag: Impressions

  • Quick Wii U Impressions (A Year Late)

    Photo courtesy wiiudaily.com
    Photo courtesy wiiudaily.com

     

    I finally did it. I knew it would happen eventually. I bought a Wii U. Despite dismal sales and severely lacking third party support I am a Nintendo fanboy at heart and I can only deny Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and the rest for only so long. I thought I would give you my quick impressions of Nintendo’s successor to the Wii now that I have put more than a few hours into the system (a lot of hours actually).

    1. The Wii U feels like Nintendo’s “Dreamcast”. Now I know when Sega released the Dreamcast it was far and above better than the PS1 and I felt was a better console than the PS2 for the short time it lasted. The Xbox One and PS4 have already surpassed the Wii U by leaps and bounds in the horsepower department. Where I am making the Dreamcast comparison is that it is something completely new for Nintendo to attempt and it feels very fresh because of it. Sega teamed with Microsoft to bring the Dreamcast into the online world and had the VMU memory card that went into the controller for a second screen experience never seen in consoles. Likewise Nintendo is accepting that online play is the future of games (a little late) and incorporated the MiiVerse which feels like a simplistic, yet fun online experience. Think of it as Xbox Live without all the dickheads.

    The Wii U gamepad has had its importance lessened over the past year with the various apps that Playstation and Xbox offer for a second screen. Smartglass is a fun add-on but has not made me need it in any way and remote play on the Vita is the closest thing to the Wii U gamepad. Nintendo should not downplay the use of the gamepad in the future. They should embrace it more because it is still unique even with Sony and Microsoft doing their best to emulate it.

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    2. When you actually own a Wii U Nintendo’s marketing of the system is even more horrible than you think. Some people still think the Wii U is a controller that goes with your Wii. Some people know it is a new system but don’t care because they think it is too similar to the Wii. Nintendo is doing nothing to help themselves in this department and it boggles the mind because while the Wii U will never match the numbers of the Xbox One or PS4 with the better marketing it could sell way better than the paltry numbers it is putting up. No commercials I have seen have played up the ability to watch Netflix on the gamepad from room to room or that you can control your TV and cable through the gamepad and Nintendo TVii. The name of the system doesn’t help matters. It is not as sexy or cute as Wii U but Nintendo might have been better served calling it the Wii 2 at least to give consumers (the ones who do not pay attention) a better idea that this is a new console.

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    3. There are actual games to play. Yes I know for people that bought a Wii U last year this was not the case and there were months with no releases at all but now that the system has been out for a year there are plenty of titles to pick up and get your money’s worth. A lot of people just spent $500 (me included) for an Xbox One for the hope that March’s Titanfall will be as amazing as we want it to be. You have Dead Rising, Ryse and Killer Instinct to hold you over until then but I will be honest and say I am counting down the days until March 11th. For $299 I now have something to play Super Mario 3D World, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Zombi U, Lego City Undercover, Super Mario and Luigi Wii U, The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3 with Donkey Kong coming in February and Mario Kart shortly after. Then comes Super Smash Bros. I know the other next-gen consoles will always offer more but for right now I feel justified with the purchase with what I just listed. Only two of those games are third party. I am fine with that. I have no problem playing the Wii U as a Nintendo game only machine especially when their releases are almost always worth the wait.

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    4. I can’t help but play the “what if?” game. Now that I am entrenched in Super Mario 3D World I am convinced that only a few changes would have made Nintendo’s console a success. If they could have just released 3D World when the system launched instead of Super Mario Bros. Wii U (which we have seen a lot of over the past few years on Wii and 3DS) there would have been a true system seller. This game is getting wonderful reviews (9.5’s and higher) and for good reason. It is the best 3D Mario since Super Mario 64 but more on that in my review when the game is done.

    If Super Mario 3D World could not be released in time for November of 2012 why not just hold off the console until it is ready? Nintendo had a whole year head start and it got them nowhere. Imagine a world where Nintendo holds off the Wii U until a September 2013 release, still two months before the Xbox One and Playstation 4, and launches with a 3D Mario game that people see is getting near perfect scores along with Pikmin 3, Lego City Undercover, The Wonderful 101 as well as third party games like Batman: Arkham Origins and Assassin’s Creed IV releasing on the system in October. Then hit them with the news that there won’t be a post-holiday drought with Donkey Kong coming in February and Mario Kart in March. I believe the Wii U could have sold the same four million units worldwide from September to January that it took them almost a year to sell.

    Oh if only for that.

  • Playstation 4: First Week Impressions

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    The Playstation 4 has officially been out a week so we thought it would be a good idea for me to give my first week impressions of Sony’s new console and Trey Sterling will be giving his Xbox One impressions next week.

    Sony has enjoyed a great 2013 of hype for the PS4 including their E3 presentation which left many floored at the time with their direct response to Microsoft’s Xbox One policies. Microsoft has since backtracked on a lot of the unpopular features so that basically leaves both consoles on equal footing at release time.

    How did my first week with the Playstation 4 go? Let’s take a look.

    What’s In The Box?

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    The first thing you notice when you open the box to your PS4 is how small the system is. We aren’t talking Wii size or anything of that nature but the fact that they have fit so much power into a case close to the same size of the PS3 super slim is impressive. Adding to the wonders of the design is the fact that the power supply is contained within the system. No power brick to clutter up the back of your entertainment center. Simply plug in your HDMI cable, your power cable and you are ready to go.

    The system’s design is just different enough to get you to notice. Not simply content to being a black box it is, as some describe it, an Xbox One in a wind tunnel. The system can stand up on it own but looks at home sitting flat and adds a nice profile to your other electronics.

    The Horror, The Horror

    Now it is time to share my tale of terror when I first turned on my Playstation 4. All is well and good. I have taken everything out of the box and set the system on its already pre-cleaned spot and plug it up and hit the power button. The familiar beep of the PS3 rings in the air and the light bar on the top of my console glows blue and I know that I am about to begin the next generation of gaming. The light bar goes white and the system welcomes me. I connect my Dualshock 4 and begin to set up my internet and the screen goes black. Nothing.

    I can only manage one word; seriously?

    I sit and stare at my black screen and breathe calmly but on the inside I am trying to contain the rage within.

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    I had read the reports of the problems the PS4 was having before launch. Me in my OCD wonder even checked the HDMI port before plugging in my system to make sure there was no bent prong and yet, there I was, with a black screen and a PS4 with a white glowing bar telling me it was on. I had one final test I would try before completely losing my shit and get on the phone with Sony. I was running the PS4 through an HDMI splitter so I unplugged the cable, did the old Nintendo cartridge blow trick which I doubt works, but what the hell, and connected the HDMI cable directly into my TV.

    I prayed all the prayers a man can pray for his system to work which seems selfish with a world full of starving people but I had just eaten and I wanted to play a game. The system booted up and has not given me a problem since. I still get a twinge of worry when I hit the power button but let’s hope all is well on the PS4 front from now on.

    I Like The Way You Feel

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    The Dualshock 4 is, simply put, a godsend. I have never liked the Dualshock 3. It always felt paper thin and cheaply made. The analog sticks were rounded for no apparent reason other than to make your thumbs slip off in the middle of a game. Sony has fixed every problem I ever had with their controllers. The handles have been made larger to make it easier for fat hands, like myself, get a firm grip. It weighs more that the Dualshock 3 so that it feels like I can not rip it in half. The analog sticks have been given a concave ring around them for better grip on your fingers. Likewise, the R2 and L2 triggers have a swept wing design which fixes the huge problem I had with the Dualshock 3 of my fingers slipping off the triggers. The touch pad in the middle has a lot of potential and only a few game even utilize it right now but, if used smartly, could open up tons of possibilities.

    It is, quite simply, the best controller Sony has ever made. I always have said that the Xbox 360 controller is the best controller ever. I still stand by that but Sony has closed the gap with the Dualshock 4.

    It Works And Is Simple. Is This Playstation?

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    The new UI on the Playstation 4 takes the XMB from PS3 and simplifies it. No more rows of useless menus and printer settings. When your PS4 starts up you will see a row of your console content. The games you have to play, any apps you have loaded on your system and a What’s New section for PSN. Hitting up on the controller takes you to the more familiar XMB which is where you will access PSN and your options, profile and so forth. It is clean and works at a good speed.

    One of the biggest problems hurting Sony was that PSN was never as reliable as Xbox Live. Sony is trying to fix this and it is apparent with the way it works on PS4. The PSN Store loads quickly and while I still am not excited about the way it looks (it retains a lot of the look from PS3), I am glad to say that it actually works. If Sony was going to right the wrongs of the PS3 and give Xbox a run for its money the PSN had to be up to speed. Because even with PS Plus giving me free games, I still dreaded going to the PSN Store. That is not the case now.

    Hey, Look At Me

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    That is Killzone: Shadow Fall. That is an actual shot using the PS4 share button while playing a game. I am going to like this feature way more than I thought. While playing any game you can hit the share button and you will be given the options to livestream your game to Twitch or UStream, load a video or even take a shot of what you are doing and send it to Twitter orFacebook. In this socially connected society it was the next logical step for gaming. Now anyone can show off what they are doing and what they have accomplished without buying costly video transfer products.

    For instance, here is what happened in my Assassin’s Creed IV game the other night.

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    Don’t judge me! I was trying to loot him. I am a pirate dammit!

    I will be having too much fun with this. Who knew that a share button could be such a key component of what the future holds?

    A New Generation?

    My first week with the Playstation 4 did feel like we were in a next generation of gaming. The life cycle of the PS3 and Xbox 360 were unusually long for consoles, but with technology being as it is, many were wondering if we even needed new consoles when we are getting games like The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto V and Bioshock Infinite. I think it is time and spending a week with the Playstation 4 has made me feel even stronger about this. This generation will be the one of social integration. We are always out there online. Telling people what we are doing with Twitter, what restaurants we like with Yelp and making our clear photos look like dirty crap with Instagram. Now we will always be connected with our gaming consoles. It is the next logical step in gaming. Not to mention the ways new hardware will push developers to give us greater storytelling elements and immersive worlds that continue to move their way to photorealism.