Opinion: Wii U — Controller Interfaces Reworked
February 23, 2012
Next generation is almost upon us and I can’t help but wonder how something like the Wii U is going to work for players – both core and casual.
Like many, I’m still skeptical about how everything will turn out in the end with the controller – From how big it is, to how light it is, to whether or not games will use it well, etc. However, I’m interested right now to see how well this whole idea is going to take off (if it does) 10 years from now. We’ve already seen the DS become a huge hit since 2004 and that’s what got me thinking about the Wii U.
Initially when the DS came out a lot of gamers were confused about it – writing it off as a mere gimmick without adding much to the handheld space, saying that the two screen idea is pretty useless, that touch is not needed, etc. This got me thinking lately – the second screen stuff has become second nature to me, I don’t really want to play a handheld without one because I feel that missing a second screen for something even as small as a map or inventory would be annoying. I noticed this before when recently finishingDeus Ex: Human Revolution and saying ‘managing all my inventory in that game would’ve been much easier with a second screen instead of pressing start every time’.
Then it got me thinking about other stuff like a new Metroid game. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to be playing a new Metroid on the Wii U and having the ability to see the entire map on the Wii U controller, plotting where I want to go next and explore for missile upgrades, health tanks and more. I could also see this being useful for bigger games as well, like RPGs. You could have the whole map in front of you, plotting your next area of exploration, marking down where things are (a la the two Zelda games on theDS). Basically it got me thinking – The Wii U essentially will become what the DS and 3DS have become, and I really can’t see any downside to having a screen on the controller. It seems like something that’s practical and ideal for gaming in general, from core to casual experiences both. Of course, there could be draw backs – the controller could be too big for long periods of play, it could be too heavy – but I don’t know yet, since I haven’t ever used it.
So my whole point essentially is – it opens up a variety of options to make things easier for the player in terms of managing things in the game world – as I like to call it ‘utilizing the retail space available to you’. Now you have these two screens, so it gives you more room to spread out different things to make it easier for the user.
If you guys still don’t see the benefits, maybe think of it as a computer that you have which you have two monitors for. It’s extremely helpful and ideal – and that’s precisely what I think the Wii U will become once it’s out (save for the quick port jobs).
Review: Cave Story (3DS eShop)
February 19, 2012
Reviewed on Feb 19th, 2012
By Haziq Agha
Platform: 3DS (eShop)/DSi (DSiWare)
Price: $9.99
Cave Story is an incredible indie game made with love, effort and passion. It’s a homage to classic 2D titles like Metroid and Castlevania and is definitely a must play for old school 2D Action Platformer fans of any kind.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Demo Coming Jan 11th, 2012.
January 6, 2012
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Final Fantasy XIII-2, the sequel to 2010′s Final Fantasy XIII will be getting a downloadable demo in North America on January 11th, 2012. PS3 owners and Xbox360 owners can both download the demo via their respective download services, PSN and Xbox Live.
The full game is set to release January 31st, 2012 in North America.
Review: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
December 20, 2011
Reviewed on Dec. 20, 2011
By Haziq Agha
Platform: Wii
Every so often a game gets release that captures you attention and doesn’t let go. This is precisely what The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword does. With well-crafted controls via MotionPlus to the new structure the Zelda formula has received, Nintendo has created possibly the best entry in the franchise yet.
E3 2011: The Best Games Of The Show.
June 9, 2011
E3 2011.
Well E3 2011 has come and gone. With it came a ton of new software, a new portable from Sony and a new console from Nintendo, which includes a tablet like controller. However, looking at the software at E3 we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 shown off at the show. Also to note, this is based off of what was shown at the show rather than what was played – as I did not have the fortune of going down to E3 2011.
Read the rest of this entry »
E3 2011: Nintendo Press Conference Impressions
June 7, 2011
Nintendo's Conference Starts At 12 Noon EST.
E3 2011: Sony Press Conference Impressions
June 6, 2011
Sony's E3 Press Conference Starts at 8PM EST
E3 2011: Ubisoft Press Conference Impressions
June 6, 2011
Ubisofts Press Conference Starts at 5:30PM EST.
E3 2011: EA Press Conference Impressions
June 6, 2011
EA's conference starts at 3:30PM EST.
E3 2011: Microsoft Press Conference Impressions
June 6, 2011
Microsoft's E3 2011 Conference Starts 12:30EST
