Though there have always been plenty of "hardcore" games on the Wii, Nintendo's marketing push for the console has generally remained focused on the budding "casual" market. Watch families play Wii Sports on the couch! Watch random travelers play Metroid Prime 3 at the airport! Nintendo seemed to be saying "Focus on the people, not the game! People are marketable! Games are not!" That's just one of the reasons that the Wii has gained a reputation for being an "amateur console".
Now Nintendo is playing catch-up. Along with the release of the black Wii (which apparently makes the Wii "less amateur" to some) Nintendo UK has put out this video showcasing some of the newer "traditional" games on the console, and set to a potentially-irritating "ROCK AND ROLL" soundtrack. Since it's rated Pegi 16, the video lacks some of my personal favorites, like Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and No More Heroes 2, but there is still plenty here to like. Any person or thing that spreads the word about Little King's Story is alright by me.
We've seen these kinds of "Wii lists" on message boards and internet chats for years now. In fact, the first time I wrote one myself was before the Wii was even released. Someone on Shoryuken.com said something about how "the Wii won't have any good games", and I immediately responded with a "WRONG! Metal Slug Anthology, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, LoZ: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are going to be AWESOMEZ!"
Do you think that this random internet stranger was swayed by my oh-so-convincing list? I doubt it, and I also doubt that this video will convince anyone who has already decided against the Wii to change their minds. There is a chance that those who don't follow videogame news and/or have otherwise ignored the Wii might get something out of it. How about you? Did this video do anything to change your perspective on the Wii?
Nintendo UK releases the most ridiculously hardcore Wii promo video I've ever seen- [GoNintendo]
Contest:
2:00 PM on 06.05.2010 | 
I like Squeenix and all, but really? That game couldn't have gotten worse.
I bet I know what you think a hardcore game is!
Call of Duty?
Halo?
Mass Effect?
If it wasn't one of those games, I bet I was close!
You see Hardcore doesn't refer to a game that has violence, gore or sex. It refers to, in my opinion, a 'real' game.
Having to sit -- directly -- in front of the sense bar, which in my case means moving the couch closer to the TV. Or use another chair and sit in front of the couch, which is very uncomfortable playing for long periods of time. Being that close to a TV that big hurts my eyes. All that waggling is irritating and kills my hands, bringing my play time down to about an hour.
All of this could be solved by simply using a NORMAL controller, so I can have back control of the freaking camera. (the classic controller is still tied to the stupid sensor bar. I mean a REAL controller. Like the Xbox360 or Sony) Either Nintendo wants Grandma to play this or they want GAMERS play this, but not both. Sorry. This is what you wanted Nintendo, so you complain about it now. No backsies.
Well those are hardcore games. Oh, I get it. You don't play video games a lot. Let me explain. Mario is this really famous character who has been in most of the highest selling and most highly rated games ever made. Metroid is this old school hardcore series, but I won't say more. Clearly, you've never heard of systems before Halo, so I won't waste your time by explaining. Finally, some hardcore gamers play these games from another country. It's called Japan, and it's actually been at the heart and soul of many of the most hardcore sets of gamers out there. But, again, you must not play games much, so I won't try to explain why they're interested.
Why are you at Destructoid again?
I was actually referring to games like Demon's Souls. I hate Call of Duty, Halo, and Mass Effect. It's the same stupid stuff over and over again.
Ugh, you misunderstood me. I said Metroid, Mario, and Monster Hunter were the only good games there. The rest was Japanese garbage. Get it right before trying to "school me".
You do realize what 90% of the country probably thinks of Demon's Souls besides us hardcore? They probably think "Japanese garbage."
Well, anyone who likes Demon's Souls at least gets some cred...
Also, Little King's Story is not garbage.
But Demon's Souls, Mario, Metroid, and Monster Hunter are not garbage, are they now? Was my comment really this hard to understand?
Little King's Story is actually about Pimps. Think about it.
your comment made you sound like a prick, thats what.
Throwing race or country into a discussion is a quick and easy way to become misunderstood and/pr sound stupid. Sadly, I know from experience. I used to bag on "western games" all the time, until I sudden came to my senses and realized that tons of games from the US and Europe are totally awesome.
And though I haven't played all the games in the video, I have played a lot of them, and I'll tell you that Little King's Story, FFCC: The Crystal Bearers, Muramasa, and Rune Factory Frontier are anything but "same-y". They all have their flaws, unsurprising art direction being one of them, but they are all unlike any other game I've played before.
Rune Factory Frontier is a farm/dating/dungeon crawling/spirit harvesting sim, FFCC: The Crystal Bearers is like Noby Noby Boy but with a story and psychic powers, Muramasa is 2D RPG/Beat 'em up, and Little King's Story is like Pikmin mixed with Populous mixed with Monster Hunter mixed with Chulip.
All very weird, interesting games, definitely not "typical" of anything.
And don't get me started on how special Tatsunoko Vs Capcom and Sin & Punishment 2 are to me.
Well, I guess they don't sound too uninspired. And...did you just say Crystal Bearers is like Noby Noby Boy...? The people stretch and eat people? Uhhh...
If that was in response to my comments, I don't have a rotten attitude towards any console, just when developers feel perfectly fine about releasing the same stuff. I HAD a Wii for cripes sakes.
@ GohanGVO- Nintendo UK > Nintendo USA. Nintendo UK releases more games (Tingle DS, Trace Memory 2, Disaster: Day or Crisis), releases games sooner (Mario Kart Wii, Sin and Punishment 2) and are just overall more games focused. Reggie would be ashamed, it Nintendo of America weren't rolling in all that money.
@ Mattrodroid- I used to say things like that too, then I gave up. Maybe I should give it another try someday?
Most people who consider themselves hardcore because they've logged 100+ hours into MW2 multiplayer on their 360, and shooters are all they play, just think they're hardcore. They're too brainwashed into believing what they think a hardcore gamer is to realize what they're missing. There are plenty of fun games on the Wii. Just ignore the obvious shovelware (like you would for any system) and you'll have a damn good time.
It also would have been cool to see more WiiWare games.
Really? Apparently you enjoy missing out on what is possibly the best story-driven game ever made. Too bad for you.
Oh, and I meant ME2. ME1 was more like a practice mode for BioWare. ME2 was damn near perfect.
The music was good though.
Maybe it gets better, but the first couple of hours were tough to get through.
I was referring to Stakmaster, who likes to make blanket statements that show he clearly hasn't even tried Mass Effect. At least you tried to play it.
BTW, the second half of the game is pretty awesome. Music is awesome throughout.
My loss.
Also, why so bitchy?
(not sorry for being bitchy, I don't think I am, but feel free to disagree).
To me, being a hardcore gamer is one who has 100% committment to a game, usually games that are of hard difficulty such as Demon's Souls, the original Mega Man series, Monster Hunter, and Battletoads are some that come to my mind.
There are hardcore Nintendo fans and those fans are the ones who have been owning Nintendo systems since the NES and being big fans of Mario and other 1st party series, even though to the untrained eyes, it looks to be the opposite of "hardcore".
Overall, there are plenty of 3-rd party and difficult games on the Wii, considering that's what most people bi*ch and whine about on the Wii. One just has to look for it.
We're just different.
I actually have played Mass Effect 1. Believe it or not, I've played a lot of games people seem to think I havn't. ME was really, really boring, and I'm not nearly the only person who thinks so. I said I hated CoD, Halo, and ME. I think CoD and Halo are the same thing repeatedly, ME is just boring.
No Excitebots because no UK Release!
I still haven't quite managed to get over that.