For the first time in a looonng time, I am actually excited for the future of the Wii. Just this week we've been privy to some great stuff, such as Steven Spielberg's Bloom Blox and of course, WiiWare. The former proves that third party developers really can make great games for the system. Anyway, for those of you that have missed something, WiiWare is Nintendo's download service for original games, sort of like XBLA and PSN. And it's off to a great start!

You wouldn't expect Nintendo to cater to independent developers, to do anything that helps them. What the fuck does Nintendo care about some upstart company trying to push their zany and non-conformist ideas? Right? Well, apparently I was wrong. In fact, I'd say Nintendo seems to be the most open to independent companies and their strange ideas. Take a look at WiiWare. Some of the shit coming out of there in the future looks incredible, and not to mention fresh and original. (Of course, I could still be wrong. I don't know what the fuck Nintendo thinks or how it conducts business)



We already received one of these original games this week, in the form of LostWinds. In this wonderful and beautiful little game, players use the Wii Remote to manipulate the wind, which helps this little guy with a big head get around. It's a platformer, but it's all done in 3D and it features a wonderful art style. It's very easy on the eyes. And while it's not the most mind blowing mechanic ever seen in gaming, using the Wii Remote to manipulate the wind is a lot of fun. I would say games like this wouldn't have a chance of release if not for services like WiiWare or XBLA. What publisher would package a 2D side-scroller like this on a disc for 50 bucks, even if the game was expanded and was made longer? Now, some say it's a short game, but I wouldn't know. I haven't finished it yet. I've been too busy with another great little game: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles:My Life as a King.



Now, I know I was talking about independent developers and one of those, Square Enix is not. But that doesn't change the fact that you probably wouldn't find this game on either XBLA or PSN. It just doesn't seem like it would fit. Anyway, the game is made of win. Sure, it's very casual leaning and you won't be seeing any action or anything you'd expect from an FF game, but here I am straight up addicted to it. So much so that I haven't touched GTA since WiiWare launched. I am on Day 80 out of who knows how many, and I am in love. Unlike other "resource management" games, this one doesn't force you to get too deep and invest too much thought. It's simple and quick, and as a bonus for Final Fantasy fans, it features a lot of imagery and designs you'll recognize instantly. The most exciting part for me was meeting the Mooogle Stiltzkin, who I remember well as the traveling mog that gave me awesome deals on items in Final Fantasy 9, my favorite of the series.

Side note: I downloaded about 8 dollars worth of DLC for this game. I am officially Square Enix's bitch.

If the WiiWare service can continue pushing out games of this caliber on a steady basis, they can count me as a fan. This is a very exciting time for independent developers, and for gamers also, it would seem. I can't wait to see what they've got in store in the future.

And just as food for thought: Can anybody honestly say that either the PlayStation Store or XBLA will be able to truly compete with Nintendo's offerings in the future? Nintendo already has the Virtual Console, which has quite a few gems on it not to mention (hopefully) many more classics on the way. And now they've got WiiWare. The future actually looks bright for Nintendo Wii owners. Perhaps this console will finally come into it's own critically and not just financially. We can only hope so.