Wiitardation is a syndrome where a perfectly well designed game goes into the crapper because the inept developer in the zeal of making a Wii based game decided to tack motion controls to a game designed for regular controllers.
A perfect example of this is "DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2" for the Wii. This game was designed for both the PS2 and the Wii, but when they developed it for the Wii, they decided to add motion controls to the numchuck controls. While it sounds great to be able to actually pull out a Kameamea by doing in IRL, the concept is flawed. Especially if your opponent is using a Gamecube or Classic controller (which you can thankfully use). Basically the other guy is simply going to pwn you with little effort while you are swinging your arms all over the place like a crazy man and trying to keep the cursor on the screen the whole time. I couldn't even imagine what story mode would be like.
Sonic and the Seven rings is another example. That game would have been fine with the standard NES Layout. I mean what does sonic do? He runs and jumps. that it! Two buttons and a D pad is more than enough for that. Instead they used a motion scheme that was so bad it detracted from gameplay. it was hard to jump. you had to shake the controller like a crazy man to attack enemies and half the time you couldn't stop because the controller "tilt like a bike handlebar to move" function was a pain to get to work on command.
Nintendo has shown more than once that they are the developer to beat when it comes to intuitive motion controls, And they should be considering they invented the console, but when brawl came out, they even realized that motion controls were not going to work in this game for all users, so they offered the other control schemes as options.
There are a lot more examples of this, but lets get to the simple point. The reason the Classic controller, Gamecube controller support, and the wiimote NES style layout exists is because Nintendo knows that some games were just not going to work with motion controls. If you as a developer think for one second that your game will not work with motion or pointer controls, you should either switch to the Remote in NES style, switch to the classic or Gamecube controller, or at the very least offer those controls as an option.
Forcing a player to use motion controls and pointers on a game that doesn't play well with motion controls and pointers when there are three perfectly normal control schemes to choose from that you can offer as alternatives. That not just stupid, That's Wiitarded.
No, I got excited...but yeah, I know what he's getting at.
Added motion controls just because it's there = retarded.
Added motion controls that actually add to the action, as opposed to flailing wildly = priceless.
I should have added that it doesn't just affect the Wii. Lair for the PS3 is another good example of Wiitardation on a console outside of the Wii. Although it happens a lot less on the PS3 than it does on the Wii.
Xbox of course doesn't have this problem since they don't currently have a Motion sensitive controller, and probably never will considering that MS tried this on the PC with the Sidewinder Freestyle pro and it failed but who knows whats coming down the line.
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Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press living the dream since March 16, 2006
ATHF FTW!!!!!!
Blehman, did you even read the post?
Anyway, I have to agree to this. Motion controls aren't always all that good. Boxing? Sure. Sonic? No.
No, I got excited...but yeah, I know what he's getting at.
Added motion controls just because it's there = retarded.
Added motion controls that actually add to the action, as opposed to flailing wildly = priceless.
Not using motion controls was a decision made more on Sakurai's part, rather than Nintendo's.
In fact, Iwata asked Sakurai to add motion control and Mii support to Brawl, but Sakurai, God bless him, flat out refused.
Good post. It's kind of funny, how the best selling Wii game doesn't even use the motion sensing features.
@Wexx
Not only does it not use motion controls, but most people don't even like using any Wii controllers for it.
I should have added that it doesn't just affect the Wii. Lair for the PS3 is another good example of Wiitardation on a console outside of the Wii. Although it happens a lot less on the PS3 than it does on the Wii.
Xbox of course doesn't have this problem since they don't currently have a Motion sensitive controller, and probably never will considering that MS tried this on the PC with the Sidewinder Freestyle pro and it failed but who knows whats coming down the line.