Tech Blog

[#1]

So, I've previously mentioned a personal peccadillo for downloadable games. I've also previously noted that there doesn't seem to be much on the horizon for the Nintendo Wii to make it essential. And it was recently that I realized I've been completely missing out on WiiWare, Nintendo's download service for new Wii titles.

It's rather easy to miss out on WiiWare, I think, because the system really isn't set up to drive you online. Unlike the 360 or PS3, it doesn't immediately boot you online and let you know who your friends are and so on, it feels a very grounded, offline experience, what with friend codes such a hassle and that sort of thing. So even though the Wii Shop Channel has been sitting on my front page the entire time I've had my Wii, I had really stopped paying attention to it by the time WiiWare had come along - in fact, the last thing I'd bought was Sin and Punishment for Virtual Console (which, if you don't own, is a must own, especially before its sequel hits next year.) The problem is acerbated by the fact you can't download any demos, and as downloadable games are a one time, forever purchase (you sure can't trade them away) it's rather hard to get up the urge to buy any.

However, I'd recently heard so much excitement about LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias - the sequel to one of the original WiiWare titles, LostWinds - that I knew I had to at least pick up LostWinds. And I'm very glad I did. Although it's very slight  for its price of 1000 points- I had literally completed the entire thing in less than three hours - it's the kind of thing that a service like WiiWare is made for - a cute, charming and tight game that it seems unlikely would exist in a world of only big budget, on-disc titles. It's a platform game with a hint of the "Metroidvania" about it, and it uses the Wii Remote to control the wind, with some neat puzzles to solve on that basis.

Buying LostWinds set me buying lots of other WiiWare titles, so if that's not to your taste, another great thing about WiiWare is the puzzle games that are available. The Nintendo published, skip Ltd. produced Art Style: Cubello is a unique puzzler that (again) uses the Wii Remote's strengths, as you "fire" cubes at a structure that's spinning in an attempt to match and erase four at a time,  eventually destroying the structure. It's not perfect - it can be very frustrating when you've only got a few cubes left but keep getting the wrong colours to fire - but it's got bags of style.

And speaking of style, you can't miss Gaijin Games' bargain priced Bit. Trip series.  600 point titles, I've spent the most time with Bit. Trip Beat, a fiercely difficult solo pong title with a glorious aesthetic.  It's largely a waste to describe it, you should just watch it in motion:

 Seemingly bargainous, but not quite so much, is Space Invaders Get Even. A great idea - you play a flying saucer, accompanied by a group of original Space Invaders, attacking and destroying citites - the game costs a mere 500 points and is very challenging and playable, but comes with a mere three levels! The rest of the levels have to be downloaded as six-level packs at 500 points each, making the cost of the "whole" game 2000 points. Unfortunately, spending 500 points on just three levels rather soured me on the whole thing, even though if I'd bought a 1000 point nine-level pack I probably wouldn't have complained. 

Despite that slight disappointment, I'm very impressed with WiiWare so far, and I think it's a reason I'll be turning on my Wii more than ever.