WiiHD is your one-stop shop for hardcore gaming on the Wii.
Hardcore gamers frequently belittle the Wii for its low-power CPU, small storage space and gimicky casual games. Nintendo didn't keep their promise to focus on both hardcore AND casual games, but they did design a control system that is truly next-gen. Rumors of similar controls for PS3 and the 360 tell that tale. Sure, you can accurately control a 3D game with dual analog. You can also communicate in binary, but why would you want to? The Wii Remote rivals the PC keyboard and mouse as a control mechanism for 3D worlds, and it leaves dual-analog as a relic of the past. It can change the way games are played. Hardcore gaming isn't just about distracting ADD patients with shiny gfx, it's about delivering a whole new way of playing.
The Wii's FPS controls have finally been perfected with the release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. In November of 2007, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 brought the first taste of online FPS to the system, and the most customizable controls we've seen so far. Nintendo's focus may be elsewhere, but if you buy, the games will come. The most exciting game on the menu now is The Conduit, a new original IP from High Voltage that promises the whole package for the first time. The Wii has overtaken the xbox 360's 1 year lead and has the largest install base of any console. Talk of most of them being casual gamers is a misnomer—the new casual gamers mostly live in the same household as a hardcore gamers. If developers will finally stop phoning in Wii development and give us complete games, they'll see incredible returns.
This site will follow, document, review, compare and contrast the Wii's hardcore games with your help. There's good news on the horizon. Be a part of it at WiiHD. And leave your casual games at the door.
WiiHD is a huge fan of online gaming, but not just any online gaming. Core gaming in genres like racing, fighting, and shooters. So now we want to do our part to help the core Clan community on Wii make themselves known and increase their membership. We will begin listing notable clans that actively engage in clan wars in games like Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. We will however keep the gates, so not just any clan listing will be accepted. A clan needs to demonstrate viability to be listed
WiiHD is now unveiling a gallery of user created videos from Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (MoHH2), currently the best FPS on Wii, and the only one with online multiplayer. We'll be doing this for a number of similar games as they come out. If you want your video included, just hit the link above and use the submission form.
by David Marseilles
on 11 Dec 2008 05:28 Tags: currents homebrew wii
I noticed some extra traffic today, and traced it back to Joystiq's announcement of The Homebrew Channel's 1.0 release. In honor of this sort of momentous occasion (sort of since the numbering is more a result of beta fatigue by the hacking team than any dramatic new features), WiiHD will soon present you with a new Starter Kit 1.0, Wii Menu 3.4 Safe. If you're still using Wii Menu 3.3 or lower, you can use the old Starter Kit.
Watch this post in the next day or so. I'd upload it now, but I want to test the new programs first.
For now watch the old, very mockable video guide after the break if you don't know what this homebrew business is all about (pssst, it's about Quake). Also, see the full WiiHD Homebrew Guide if you need links to goodies or more help.
WiiHD's hands are all over Call of Duty: World at War for the Wii. There's a lot to like, but sadly there are some things to HATE passionately as well.
The Really, Really Bad
Friend Codes
Inability to choose a map or other settings in "Find a Match" games (likely the most common kind you'll play given how fraking long it takes to collect, enter, and get someone else to reciprocate with FCs)
Update: Invites from your Friends pop up a display that interferes with your gameplay even if you're in a game. It's almost as annoying as MoHH2's battery warning — the solution to both should have been the same — display a HUD icon to notify, but not interrupt your game. Once you're in a place to do so, you can pause and address the notice. As it is, you can pretty much count on Invites only coming JUST when you're in the middle of a serious and deadly dogfight.
Workaround: create a second profile for when you don't want to interrupted. Of course, your two profiles will have to unlock everything separately and rank up separately
The Bad
Voting to skip a map you don't like requires 50% + 1 (with a minimum of 3). Less would be better
No Comm
Some framerate drops
World War II. Again. If it were all European theatre, it'd be in the Really, really bad column.
Update: Only DM and TDM? Call of Duty should be better than that. Where's CTF and SaD?
Limited Control customization.
Presets for turning speed instead of a sensitivity slider
No bounding box (dead zone) resizing are with 4 presets
Honestly, this would have been acceptable in VERY early 2007. Now it's fraking criminal. Shame on you Treyarch, even beenox did better with QoS, to say nothing of what the PSP port MoHH2 did.
Update: Only a Host can invite to a Private match. If you're invited to one, you can't in turn invite someone else in to help fill it out. That makes Clan wars all that much harder, since the game host doesn't just need one enemy clan FC (and then just let that one player invite the rest), but ALL of them. And what happens with last minute substitutions? Massive game delay failures.
For clan wars, you can still have each clan form a party prior to the beginning of the game. One clan gets all their members into the party, then the game host invites that party host. Still, it's inconvenient.
For regular matches with Friends, it seems pretty inconvenient that invited users can't use their friend lists to supplement the hosts friend list and make there's always a full game going.
The Good
Nice look
The super-confusing single player campaign really captures that jungle warfare "where the frak is the enemy…. OH FRAK, THERE THEY ARE" feel
players blend in easily in multiplayer as well—forcing you to keep you're eyes very very peeled
Fresh FPS. Sadly, its networking lacks a lot of MoHH2's flexibility, but the maps, the weapons, the campaign… WaWii is the whole package, not one of the PSP/PS2 ports we're used to
Weapon selection is good, and their respective strengths are clear from the selection screen
Custom Classes rock and seem well balanced.
Streak bonuses rock. Yeah, they get used against you as much as for you, but they add a nice element to the game. I recommend relying heavily on melee to get the dogs. You can shoot them at a distance, but once they're in your face, pull that knife baby. Surveillance plane: 3 kills, Artillery strike (which can kill friendlies too): 5 kills, Dogs: 7 kills.
You can jump. I spent a good 5 minutes looking for the jump button when I first bought MoHH2 before finally (*gasp*) opening the manual, only to discover that in EA's book, apparently man had not learned to jump yet in the World War 2 era. Activision and my grandpa disagree.
Update: Spawning in TDMs starts you with your team and tends to put you close to your team on respawn. A welcome system.
Update: I never have to use the accelerometer. I do toss poison gas grenades, but I suspect Treyarch used the IR light orientation for the twist feedback rather than the accelerometer, like MoHH2 did with scope zooming. Bad motion controls can really screw an experience, but Treyarch wisely limited them.
The Neutral
You can change button layouts between several preset layouts. This would be in the good column if there were one custom layout option.
No ammo pickups online. You can pick up the weapons of the dead, but even if it's the same weapon you already have, you don't get to combine ammo.
Expect a few updates tomorrow, and feel free to flame my list in the comments.
You know Free Radical WANTS to put TS4 on Wii. They want it bad. They've put up a second Wii-related poll now, and WiiHD recommends you go vote on it. They're asking if Wii owners want more crappy Wii games, or more standard high-quality games ("More regular games like on other consoles"). Did you miss Call of Duty 4? Do you Wish for Mirror's Edge? Do you fear Medal of Honor Operation Anaconda might skip Wii like so many before it? Do you wish there were more Metroids and less Wii Musics? Then tell Free Radical you want some regular games.
Call of Duty: World at War is rated M for mature due to 1) Blood and Gore, 2) Intense Violence and 3) Strong Language. As such you can't buy it at retail unless you are 17 or older.
Call of Duty: World at War (WaWii) is getting the full preview from users who've gotten their hands on the game. Wondering what the online offerings are and how they work? Keep reading.
Options for getting into a game are "Find a Match" or "Private Match"
There are 8 maps
Large Maps are Asylum and Cliffside, Medium maps are Castle, Hangar, Makin, and Upheaval, Small maps are Dome and Courtyard
You don't get to choose your maps in "Find a Match", they appear to be randomly chosen. To skip one you don't like, at least half the players gathered must choose to do so. =(
You can customize a lot options, including which map you want, in private match. More details when we have them.
Early reports are that Friend Codes are Not required for private matches =)
WiiHD remains skeptical and awaits more information however
It is still unclear how you get other players into a private match, so you should remain skeptical too
Update New reports indicate that the only conceivable way to get people into your private match, is through your Friend List — which is Friend Code controlled.
Update one user from callofduty.com claims (based on 2nd hand information) that after a random match, you can send friend requests from a list of recent opponents, a la Mario Kart Wii, in addition to adding via Friend Code
Update: so far there is no corroboration for the idea that you can add someone without a FC. WiiHD is investigating and encourages skepticism with all things related to FCs. Update: On further inspection, WiiHD can find no such option. Until someone with firsthand experience explains it, we're assuming it's bogus.
Leaderboards can be found under the "Barracks" moniker, and there is a locked mode called "Create a class" for custom class creation
For Create a Class, you choose a Primary weapon, a sidearm, a primary grenade and a special grenade and 3 perks
Match modes are "Bootcamp" (TDM for people under level 8 only), "TDM", "Free for All", "Hardcore TDM" (a locked mode, presumably just for vets), and "Veteran" (also locked at the beginning)
We'll update this when we know more about the Private Match setup.
Special thanks to zzzpwned and garththecat for sharing the info. Special thanks to MetroidCrime and the best Wii gaming forum for bringing it to WiiHD's attention. There is user gameplay footage after the break.
In an interview with Iran White (IW) at Wiirincontrol.com, Eric Nofsinger again confronted the topic of Friend Codes, empathizing with gamers' frustrations. It is possible to read part of the passage below as saying that Friend Codes are not inevitable, but given the bolded underlined portion (emphasis WiiHD's) a more fair reading simply has Nofsinger explaining, as he has before, that they're doing everything they can to improve the Friend Code system, not trying to bypass it altogether. Some months ago, The Conduit makers alluded to Mario Kart in a pretty positive way, as if it had solved the Friend Code dilemma and they were no longer a problem
IW:Many Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers have a sort of “one eye on it” interest in The Conduit. Graphics aside, for them the clincher will be how well the game plays online. While Friend Codes aren’t a deal breaker, it is a major concern. Has Nintendo given you an explanation for why they are so adamant about the use of Friend Codes for even such a game as The Conduit, even though they’ve built a significant Parental Controls system into the Wii?
EN:Yeah, this is definitely something that we go back and forth with them on. They do have their security issues that we need to be cognizant of. We’re very aware of those concerns and understand where they are coming from with that. But really all we can commit to is creating the best possible experience.
Personally, I’m not a fan of Friend Codes, I don’t think that anyone on the team is a fan of Friend Codes. What we’re promising people is that we’re working with Nintendo, we’ve had them out to the office. We’ve been over to their place. We’re in regular communication with them. It will be as good of an experience on Multiplayer as possible. We know it’s important. We don’t want to let folks down.
IW:Yeah, I understand. It’s Nintendo’s thing, you have to play by their rules.
EN:Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I know that there’s been one notable exception of a game that hasn’t had friend codes. As far as I know, at least from what’s been relayed to us, that exception was a one time thing. It’s something where we need to continue to work with them closely, and figure out something that does hit what they need, but also hits what we need as gamers, you know?
What was that one time exception? Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. An otherwise unremarkable game that may well still be the gold standard in Wii FPS multiplayer even after QoS, Call of Duty and The Conduit come out if Nintendo doesn't get their act together.
By now, it's old news. The Conduit will be published by Sega. What does that mean? Nothing particularly good, but nothing particularly bad either. Sega doesn't have the resources to bypass Nintendo's archaic and idiotic Friend Code networking, nor are they likely to have enough influence to convince Nintendo to make exceptions for them. So we've gone from "probably" using friend codes, to yes, we are in fact stuck with them. Yipee.
WiiHD has no particular opinion on Sega's game quality. They're no Capcom, but they aren't churning out mega-crapware either. If they're committed to putting serious dollars behind the promotion of The Conduit, something Nintendo refused to do with MP3C, that could help make sure there is a sequel. We'll see.
WiiHD did have higher hopes for The Conduit's feature set. But oh well. If you can't cope with unnecessary disappointment, Wii is not the best console for you.
Controls (about 2:30 in) have 3 presets and "Custom". It's unclear just how custom custom is, but we continue to hope for MoHH2 or Conduit-level customizations like changing the bounding box and button mappings. Also, WiiHD really hopes that "shaking" the nunchuck is not the only way to reload.
Anyway, we've seen lots of footage and promotion for this game on the PS360, so we're glad to finally bring you a bundle of Wii footage.
Just the other day, WiiHD was opining for Capcom to give us all high-quality access to that TGS Trailer Nintendo showed off and someone from the audience had lifted. Well, Capcom listened. In addition to that trailer being a lot more pleasant, they released on-floor gameplay footage, and a bag of new screenshots.
The trailer is gorgeous, and if you don't want Monster Hunter 3 after watching it, even a little bit, WiiHD recommends Vitameatavegamin to help cure whatever ails you.
Also, WiiHD has been tweaking our gallery system over the past few weeks, as you may or may not have noticed. Today, we've upped the resolution of the full-size images quite a bit, and we hope that makes for a more pleasant viewing. If you don't see a difference, clearing your browser's cache might help.
Dead Rising: Chop Till you Drop is shaping up to be one of the best ports Wii has ever received. A genius title, Zombies, the RE4 over-the-shoulder style gameplay, a sandbox world with a sweet theme, and excellent attention to detail. Capcom's upcoming Wii lineup is really looking sweet (see also: Monster Hunter Tri and Spyborgs).
Today, Capcom dumped a bunch of new screens, and some TGS footage on us, including a trailer and some on-floor gameplay footage. What we don't see is them achieving their previously stated goal of putting 100 zombies on screen at once, but it's still looking like a great game.
In the original 360 game, some of the complaints were that mission times had cramped the sandbox play style, and Capcom payed attention, and loosened things up to really give you the kind of freedom that a sandbox was designed to provide.
Where are you suppose to install the hombrew channel? what website I know the steps but I didnt...
(by Amauri Rodriguez (guest)13 May 2010 22:58,
posts: 2)
I've been a PC gamer for more than a decade. Last console I owned before Wii was an NES. It's a...
(by David Marseilles (guest)05 Apr 2010 21:34,
posts: 8)
