Tuesday Top Ten: YouTube videos that'll make you want a Nintendo Wii

Stuart Dredge Gaming, Top tens, Video Reviews
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The headline says it all, really. Nintendo’s Wii console launches here in the UK on December 8th, with a price of £179. And I for one cannot wait, having slapped my pre-order in as soon as the games retailers started taking orders. But if you’re still unsure, or don’t have a clue what all the fuss around Wii is about, here’s ten videos from YouTube that should have you reaching for your wallet.

1. The Official Trailer (Pt. 1)
A decent introduction to what Wii is all about, courtesy of Nintendo. See Japanese families sharing the fun of virtual conducting! Fall head over heels in love with the Wario game! Marvel at why the grungey guy isn’t out playing a gig rather than staying in playing first-person shooters! This is the video to watch if you’re completely new to Wii, or need to convince a non-gaming husband/wife/parent of its charms.

2. See why it’s called Wii
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto explains why exactly the console is called Wii, as thousands of British viewers collapse in mirth at the thought of the urine-related punning to be had once they’ve got one sitting in their living room.

3. Wii drumming
As someone unable to see a pair of chopsticks without recreating the solo from Led Zep’s ‘Moby Dick’, the Wii Drumming game has got me PROPERLY excited. It’s like SingStar on PS2, except for those of us who can’t hold a tune, and like hitting things! In time or not.

4. Underwear attack
Okay, so Wii is being pitched as a break from console industry norms. But one thing remains the same – there’s nothing like a woman in hotpants and a skimpy bra to get gamers hot under the collar about a new product. I don’t know if Nintendo had anything to do with this cheeky Wii v PS3 parody of Apple’s Mac v PC ads, but if they didn’t think it up, they should have.

5. The overview
This one’s another good video to show Wii virgins, as it provides an overview of the console feature by feature. By the end of it, you’ll be as HELL YEAH enthusiastic as they are…

6. At last! Realistic fishing in video games
Okay, apart from Sega Bass Fishing on the Dreamcast. But in The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess you can fish by casting your Wiimote. Don’t let your dad play on this, otherwise he’ll monopolise it for hours and never let you get any further in the game. And that’d mean you miss the horseback bits…

7. Men in black show you how to play Zelda
More Zelda, which looks like being one of the most dribble-worthy launch titles for Wii (i.e. the one you’ll choose if a retailer forces you to buy a ‘Wii + 1 game’ bundle). And who better to show you how this flagship game works than some blokes dressed in black looking sharp?

8. Bollywood Dancers love it
Check this video out. It appears to be a dubbed Bollywood-style video singing Wii’s praises in typically over-the-top style. Who knows if the subtitles have just been slapped onto an old movie where they’re singing about something completely different. Like PlayStation 3. EDIT – Thanks commenters for alerting me to the fact that this isn’t a Bollywood video at all, it’s actually a Tamil video. I’d still like to think they’re singing about Wii though.

9. Geeks love it
This video’s good too. It shows the stampede at this year’s E3 conference when the doors opened, and hundreds of sweating mad-eyed gamers ran for the Wii stand. Don’t be offended, by the way. In my household, being called a sweaty mad-eyed geek is the highest praise. And I did run for the stand one morning at E3…

10. Wii Tennis
Genius. Even when played by the people who created it on a big-screen, which is a bit embarrassing for all concerned.

Stuart Dredge
For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv

38 comments

  • “Here’s the deal.. Have you ever noticed Nintendo fans never bitch and complain about the stuff YOU like” not strictly true, me and friends do admit all the sony and ms stuff looks pretty rockin, but we do bitch about the prices ;)its funny seeing these arguments always coming up with every new console, when i was a kid i loved friends megadrive as much as my snes, nother friends gamegear as much as me gameboy hehe, when bit older and playin n64, still wanted dreamcast, even after that, got a cheap ps1 and had lotsa fun, gamecube, want ps2 aswell, but cant have everything really hehe, run ds now, still wanna play a psp :), its about the games people, not idiotic childish arguments about which is best, just sit back and enjoy the ride, life’s too short :), as for the wii, definately looks like it could be fun, not too fussed about it still technically being a gamecube, gave me a shock when i first read about that, but always felt the gc was too short lived anyway, maybe the new control system will bring alot more well needed games to the hardware, which really is still pretty nice :), compare the older psone games to the early ones, same for all consols, programmers get more and more used to the hardware, gfx get better given time and experience, not always just a case of throwing faster chips in, though undoubtedly it helps ;).. but no matter what console aslong as you find some games that are fun, your a winner.. neway, just my slightly hippyish 2cents 😉

  • mmm, online RPG anyone?;.. and most features are already available on PC(through peripherals)(and dare i say it PS2 with eyetoy), i did notice during the drumming feature that one of the drummers was unable to hit the closed hi-hat he wanted and repeatedly hit a crash symbol instead, looks very poor to me. I assume it will be improved, but not impressed, and one further thing, i guess this is the big gun on the matter. the gfx’s are 4 years old 🙁 …for the price it beats the hell out of a PS3 or PC. For the content PC’s yet again win, it is odd to think that not nintendo/sony or microsoft(scum!)cannot hardwire a games machine to beat the PC.
    Oh well, new generation consoles = old news in PC’s.
    It used to be so different :)The console like the arcade games once ruled the planet. Personaly give me a good solid game with great gameplay and re-playability and you get my bucks, i see none of this in these …… Wii!!!/Wie feel like wie are doing something(but not sure what, maybe im standing in the wrong place?), PS3!!!/I dont want to be in the army(or join the mafia, or beat children), or XBox360!!!/sorry Bill i dont want to be a patsy for your nasty little spies anymore.
    God i sound like a console hater, i am far from it, what i do hate is gimicks/bad PC ports/good PC ports thrown on consoles(why cannot the dev teams write within the console limits now, given the so called ‘power’ of the new bred?).
    You know, i’m not so down on the Wii, at least its affordable, but(sorry to say) its crap, why?, because if you are reading this you have a PC, so make more use of the beast you have rather than buying a new beast, update if needed, on the long run you may pay allot more on a great graphics card than you will on a Wii, but you will get your future games for allot less, and heh PC’s can do allot more than a console(shock/horror). Don’t buy a Wii, don’t buy a PS3, don’t buy an xbox360, you have a PC use the beast!! Don’t invest in 3rd hand tech, don’t be a dummy.

  • Any idea if the controllers are ir based or if they are rf? I see little ir windows on the controllers and this would suck if you wanted it to be hidden in a cabinet or hooked up at a different distribution point.

  • I absolutely can’t wait, it’s going to be amazingly good fun.

    Anyone else notice how the players in the E3 videos sort of stopped being able to give their speil while they were playing? That’s the sign of good games. If the creators can’t stop playing even after slaving away on them, we’re set for pure awesome.

    Also, boogie; you ever actually seen a vagina, mate? Because I’d be worried if I saw one that looked like a Wii. (Or I’d try to play it. oooh… innuendo!)

  • Hey church, if the Wii is just a gamecube with a new controller, then what’s the PS3 or 360?

  • And also, if the wii is aimed at children, that’s what makes it fun!, instead of “YEH IM PLAYING A BLOOD THIRSTY 18 GAME, RAHAHA! COS IM COOL!” Now thats just sad.

  • Look, face it, PS3 hav delayed til easter 2007, am i correct? So, in turn, theyve dug a big fat hole in the ground, and when the PS3 comes out, no one will be interested in buying it, whereas the wii comes out before christmas, so everyone will run to the shops to buy one, and nintendo will have great sales, now whats better, playing metroid prime 3 like your in an arcade? or sitting on the sofa playing MGS4, let me think, metroid prime =)

  • Jeez, guys. What’s wrong with you? How dare you like a game system that Church doesn’t? Church’s opinions are obviously UNIVERSAL LAW. So if he says something isn’t fun, and you’re stupid for thinking that it is, he’s obviously right.

    I’m looking forward to the Wii. Did you see that sword fighting? Totally AWESOME.

  • Church if were so childish, why don’t you take the mature high ground and shut the hell up? what makes you such a man? that you walk around in games with a gun? you don’t want a Wii because you haven’t got the friends to play with. because your only having fun when something’s is dieing.

    compensate like this much church? its ok buddy size doesn’t matter 😛

  • Wiiyaaaaaah is obviously an ignorant fool and a fanboy. You dont seem to realise that Nintendo has the OLDEST fanbase out of the 3 companies. Your comments about Nintendo being kiddy are stupid, as PS and Xbox have more kiddy games. Kiddy games are things like Dora the Explorer and Barbie. Games with cartoonish graphics that are rated E however, are for EVERYONE, not just kids. Get that into your thick skull. Also, the Wii’s graphics are 2-3x better than the Gamecubes which is pretty damn good as the GC was capable of Xbox graphics. Why would anyone get the Wii? Maybe because we’re sick of the same old crap over and over again. Nintendo is the only company out of the 3 that are intelligent. You cant polish a turd.

  • You are all losers who have no lifes. Lets buy a cheap peice of shit so we can stand in our rooms and play with are little friends on a Wii! First off, the Wii is a gamecube with a new controller, so technically Nintendo is ripping YOU off. 2nd You whine that graphics aren’t important, without graphics it just looks like some shitty flash game that you can find on the web. 3rd Nintendo is for kids! How can you not see that, everything about nintendo is based on a Child fan base which makes you all little childish goofs!

  • look the way i see it is, Nintendo and the Wii is a new Idea, its going to be fun we can all see that in video 4! for all you playstation fans who cry graphics your are missing the point in consoles(the Fun?), put 1000 dollars (AUD) into a desktop computer and you will have all the graphics you need. being able to use a control system that rivals(and will destroy) the keyboard and mouse combo is a god send. the graphics are good, the titles are awesome and no clunky control system (like the one featured on the graphics power house Ps3) what more could you ask for?

    nothing is the correct answer. it is a brilliant Idea, and the sales will prove it. and its been said, to late for Sony to copy now 😛

  • Adding to the first comment, its not really taking what nintendo has and putting a dvd player. Its waiting for Nintendo to innovate and then doubling it, then adding a multimedia functionality.
    Control Stick? Dual Analog Controller.
    Rumble? Dual Shock.
    The one time Sony tries to forge its own path, they find them selves in a hole and its too late to fully rip off nitendo.

  • “And did you guys notice that Playstation always steals Nintendo’s ideas and then puts in a dvd-player to make people buy it?”

    hahaha so hilarious. I think you make a great point here. Sony is always trying to market something with an overpriced add-on. Where Nintendo gives you what you need, what the polls show, and more importantly, what is fun.

    Well put A Zelda Fan

  • Geez, shut up about it. It has good graphics, a whole new control and it is fun. What do you want, more blood and gore?

    Nintendo now makes games that most children now like, games as GTA ( which is a really stupid game where you have too randomly shoot people on the street ) and those games with rivers of blood. I liked the Gamecube games because they had good storylines. Can someone explain to me what the storyline of the GTA games is. “You are a bad guy with weapons and you have to kill everyone.”

    I like swords more as pistols and like puzzles in a game. There aren’t much puzzles on Xbox and Playstation.

    Redsteel looked like a good game to me, though it is more a Playstation game. But the only reason i would buy it is because it has realistic swordfighting ( i dunno how to say that, i am Dutch ).

    And did you guys notice that Playstation always steals Nintendo’s ideas and then puts in a dvd-player to make people buy it?

  • FimShady – did you watch video 4 or did you not? What more convincing do you need?

    Nintendo should be putting out tshirts with that girl and the quote “I’m fun and I’m cheap”.. LOL.

    How can you best show gameplay? By showing oo-la-la graphics and nice scenery? Or by showing people having fun? Some people just dont get it.

  • 8. Bollywood Loves it

    That’s a tamil song (South indian language).

    And it doesn’t sing about PS, Wii, etc.

    It is a love song.

  • and I’m tired of being told what I want

    “no, you don’t want rumble, it’s too expensive. Instead, you want blueray”

    Thanks Kaz, you’re the man. Maybe I’ll get a PS3 in five years, when it’s become cheap and doesn’t crash every half hour.

  • One thing I’ve always noticed with the console wars.. Xbox and PS3 fans are always complaining about “too kiddy” or “looks like vagina” or… “nice grammar”

    Here’s the deal.. Have you ever noticed Nintendo fans never bitch and complain about the stuff YOU like.. they just note that “it’s cool.. its just not my thing”

    You have your thing. We have ours. If you don’t like it.. you should be doing something constructive like working to save up money for your new next-gen system. Me? I’ll be getting drunk with my buddies playing party games on November 19th 🙂

  • Let’s not also forget that there’s a huge proportion of gamers out there who are getting older and just want to see the innocence of gaming, which Nintendo deliver in droves… like the 4 player tennis video at the end. It’s all very well having shiny reflections and shadows, but all we sometimes want is a fun game that plays well and it looks like we’re gonna get it from the Wii. Plus, I’m loving the idea of the Wii-mote for golf!

  • ” Nintendo is going to aim this at moms who want to play games with their kids, at girls, at older people,”

    Ummm I’m a hardcore gamer and I want a Wii. Why?? Because games are supposed to be fun and this looks like fun to me. I hate crazy control configs so swingin this thing around looks like a breath of fresh air IMO.

  • >.> fimshady, you an annoyance, you hate nintendo, your an MS dog, and you couldnt even thinkof an original name, oh wow changed slim to fim, go back to your suck cox 360 and racing cars at midnight games

  • fim the console is more about the new remote than about the capabilities of the console compared to the other two. It’s price point also makes it affordable to many families who aren’t going to pay twice the amount for an MS or Sony console that have much more hard core images. Nintendo is going to aim this at moms who want to play games with their kids, at girls, at older people, and if they only realize a small proportion of this consoles potential theyre going to crush the other two.

  • FimShady – the intarwebs know what you think about the wii. Go back to trolling Joystiq and Geek.com.

  • Why did hardly any of these videos contain actual gameplay? Seeing as it’s “all about the games” shouldn’t they be showing the actual games instead of a bunch of actors grinning, laughing, and carrying on while they whip the wiimote about?

    Nintendo’s decision to dedicate 50% of their commericials to showing off people using the remote speaks volumes of their own confindence in the games they’re releasing. The titles look substandard and Nintendo knows it.

    Sorry, even after these 10 videos, I’m not among the converted.

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