For all of those who are unfamiliar with the term “renaissance,” it simply means a rebirth or revival of something. I know it has been a while since I gave you guys a “Game On” editorial, so I thought you might enjoy my renaissance speech that I have created in regards to the Nintendo Wii. Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section, as I look forward to hearing your responses. Enjoy.
First and foremost, the Nintendo Wii has been a major product as of late and it shows no signs of slowing down. Sales for the system thus far have been staggering and you still have a hard time purchasing one at your local store. With sales of the system reportedly nearing 10 million systems sold worldwide, Nintendo definitely has something going for them.
Back in the day of the original NES, many people within a household would all sit down and play video games together. Tetris and DR Mario were staples in my house and I remember many nights waking up and seeing my parents up into the “Wii” hours of the morning trying to out due each others scores in these highly addictive puzzle games. It was a sight to see gamers; one that I wouldn’t see for many, many years after that.
After the original NES, video games became more complex, which often times would scare some members of the family away. A controller with more than 4 buttons became cumbersome to many, so people decided to ditch this form of entertainment for something else…..That is until Nintendo Wii came onto the scene.
I know that you guys are probably sick of hearing that Nintendo is trying to tap into uncharted waters but they are not forgetting hardcore gamers either; they are simply expanding the market and bringing back some of their “old” time friends.
By bringing us titles like Brain Age, Wario Ware, Wii Fit and Wii Sports, I am beginning to see a renaissance of sorts, meaning that more people in the household are beginning to pick up a wiimote and have at it with their significant other and siblings, by playing video games again. Not only has the Nintendo Wii been a renaissance among old gamers, it is also starting to see a rebirth of every type of genre there is in video games. Below is a small list of what I gathered in my quest for this story.
The Renaissance of the Platformer!
Platformer games will always hold a special place in my heart because this type of title is why I got into gaming and I still play them till this very day. I love collecting items, opening secret doors and saving princesses. With the upcoming release of Nintendo’s own Super Mario Galaxy, the platformer genre will be put back on the map. Super Mario Galaxy will set the bench mark and raise the bar for all other platformer titles for years to come.
And the best news gamers- it doesn’t stop at the impressive Mario Galaxy. We already have Sonic ad the Secret Rings, Chicken Little (play this title at least once please!) and Super Paper Mario to currently play on our Wii’s but there is much more on the horizon. Dewy’s Adventure, Spyro, Crash Bandicot and Rayman are only a few titles on the growing list that will all help solidify that the Wii is the place to be for platformers.
The Renaissance of the RPG
RPG titles are known for the engaging story lines and amazing cinematic storybook telling, that a system needs in order to, not only survive in the console world, but also thrive among its competitors.
I truly do not know where to start for this genre of video games. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chocobo Tales, Tales of Symphonia, Fire Emblem and the rumored Baten Kaitos follow up, makes the Wii an attractive proposition for fans of RPG’S. With the systems unique controller, I can’t wait to play these games in a whole new way.
The Renaissance of Adventure
Whether it’s the highly talked about Zak and Wiki point and click adventure, or a hack and slash type adventure (Dragon Blade), the Wii will become a haven for all games with the label “adventure”.
I am fully aware that the adventure genre will be broad in scope, but with Nintendo’s wii-mote, can the experience be replicated on other systems if developers get things right? Adventure games will be coming to the Wii by the truckloads and if developers can make good use of the Wii-mote (and they will, don’t worry gamers) adventure fanatics will have no choice but to purchase a Wii for their households.
And finally the Renaissance of the Classics
Two words, Virtual Console. When non-gamers get a chance to play the Wii, they are always blown away by the addictive gameplay and the simple, intuitive controls. Once they hear they are able to download some of their all time favorite titles via the VC, they are completely sold on the system.
The VC has amazing potential and gamers are falling back in love with classics that they haven’t played in years! I love hearing the words “hey, I remember this game! I used to play this all the time…..How much is this system again?”
It’s a breathe of fresh air to see Nintendo back on top…..At least for the moment. Game On.
