Consoleation Addition: Wii-turning to Nintendo

I made the move today.

Gone is the PlayStation 3, which was supplanted by the Xbox 360 in almost every facet of gaming imaginable for the HD generation. Blu-Ray wasn’t enough to save it, and exclusives like inFamous and Uncharted 2 just don’t have enough to hold my interest. Truthfully, I hadn’t played a meaningful game on the PS3 since March. Perhaps I’ll replace the console at another time, but with a price cut possible sooner rather than later, the window of time was closing to get the best possible value on the PS3. I know that some of you will scoff at this decision and tell me that I’ll regret it come E3, but I’m not convinced. God of War 3 was the last remaining exclusive that I held out hope for, and that game is not coming for awhile.

In the place of the PS3 is a new Wii. Why? A few reasons. Some of the recent game releases like Punch-Out!! and Mad World became hard to ignore. More publishers and developers are starting to focus more resources on Wii game development. The Wii is still the best source of classic console gaming, as well… I’m always going to have a soft spot for games from the 8-bit and 16-bit generations, and the Wii has the goods in this department. Now that SD card support has been (finally) enabled, I can buy as many classic games as I want without having to constantly pick and choose which games to keep on hand. All of these reasons– along with some strong games in the Wii library like Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3– added up to enough of an impetus to make the switch.

Here’s what I picked up for the Wii today:

• Castlevania Judgment: This is the only game in the series that I’ve never played. Yes, it’s a fighting game instead of the classic action/adventure formula that we’re used to… but it’s still Castlevania, it has characters from most games in the series, and the Castlevania atmosphere seems intact.
• Ghost Squad: The first of two light gun-driven games that I got, Ghost Squad is fun for quick gaming sessions. There’s a fair amount of replay value to be had in trying to uncover all of the unlockables and see where you rank on the leaderboards. I’m going to enjoy this, I think.
• House of the Dead: Overkill: I’ve heard some really good things about this game, so I’m giving it a shot. Maybe it’ll be a bit over the top in terms of violence and profanity, but I think I can handle it. Will I be any good? Well… that remains to be seen.
• Mad World: This purchase was solely rooted in word of mouth advertising. I like the art style, and many colleagues have said that they really enjoy it. Between this game and Overkill, I think that I’m going to get my share of gratuitous violence. I hope I like this one like I enjoyed No More Heroes, for the most part.
• Pinball Hall of Fame: Williams Collection: Although I have the PS2 version of this, playing with the Wiimote and Nunchuk will simulate flippers… and I am a huge fan of pinball sims. Pinbot, Whirlwind, and Funhouse? Sold. If Crave releases a version of this for the Xbox 360, I’ll gladly triple-dip for Achievements.
• Punch-Out!!: I impulse-bought this game after some quick indecision. The tipping factor? Nostalgia. I was never great at any of the Punch-Out!! games, as Soda Popinski would gleefully point out. However, the game’s allure fell on its easy play control and quirky character designs. Next Level Games sure looks to have kept the nostalgia while adding a Wii touch. If I can’t get into the motion control, at least there’s a more traditional control pad option for me to experience the game with.
• Wii Play: A second Wiimote with a cheap tech demo? Sold.

I also got 3000 Wii Points today, so I’m deciding what Virtual Console games to buy to start with. I’m sure that those points will be gone fast. I can almost guarantee that I’ll be spending more of my Wii budget on Virtual Console and WiiWare games than I will on disc-based titles… much like I’ve been doing with the Xbox 360. (I did snag one 360 game today… Crackdown for $15 new.)

I’ll be posting my Wii Friend Code soon… but for now, I’m relaxing as I’ve been battling a bug lately. Thankfully, Retro Game Challenge on the DSi has been keeping me company during downtime. Look for some impressions over the long holiday weekend… which I hope that you and your families are able to enjoy.