A History of Video Game Consoles, pt 2 of 2

a momentary break from actual gaming by Renzie Baluyut

Hey everyone. Welcome to my two-part special on the History of Gaming Consoles on my personal gaming blog: Get Your Game On | Renzie on Gaming.

I thought I'd do a public service discussing the history of video game consoles since me and a few friends were reminiscing about the good ol' days when we played our first ever video games- the Atari 2600, the Nintendo Family Computer, the Sega Saturn, and finally the first time the Sony Playstation blew our minds.

We're now moving on to the second part of our special on the History of Gaming Consoles. If you missed the first part, you may read it here. We covered the first four generations of gaming systems in our previous post on the subject, so we continue where we left off:

Fifth Generation (1993-2002)

Video games look so much better now as we enter the 32-bit era, and we see a new surge in not just consoles, but also handhelds and video games in general. The consoles that dominated this time period: the SEGA Saturn, the Sony Playstation, and the Nintendo 64. We all know how that turned out, right?

Many gaming systems have started shifting towards using CD-ROMs instead of game cartridges. Initially the loading times were slow, but as optical drives improved, this issue was addressed. Games in CD format were also cheaper to produce, and the lower costs were passed on to the consumers. Then again, it was also easy to pirate.

Of course, there were other fifth-gen consoles that weren't as commercially successful: The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the Amiga CD32 and the Atari Jaguar.

The Sony Playstation was comparatively cheaper than the other consoles at the time, and benefited from an effective marketing campaign: positioning itself as a lifestyle accessory for males in the late teens to late 20's age bracket. Plus, games were easy to program for the Playstation, which made for a lot of games- far more than its closest competitor, the Sega Saturn.

Nintendo was the first to go 64-bit, and did rather well with Super Mario 64. It also came out with updated versions of the Game Boy: the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Light, and the Game Boy Pocket.

Nintendo did well, but not well enough to pass the Playstation in unit sales. It did have a strong hold on its market, appealing strongly to children and families.

Successful game titles at this time: Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy VII, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Super Mario 64, Panzer Dragoon Saga and GoldenEye 007.

Sixth Generation (1998-2006)

Enter the sixth generation of video game consoles. The sixth-gen era is also referred to as the 128-bit era, and therefore saw the rise of some awesome gaming hardware: Sega's Dreamcast, Sony's Playstation 2, the Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft's XBox.

The clear winner in this generation was Sony's PlayStation 2- having sold over 140 million units as of mid-July 2008. Those figures also make the PS2 the best-selling console in history.

Microsoft's XBox comes in second with over 24 million units sold, Nintendo's GameCube in third with over 21 million units sold. Sega's Dreamcast came in fourth with just under 11 million units sold, and was discontinued prematurely in 2001, just before the XBox and the GameCube were released later that year.

Handhelds had also become more sophisticated. Nintendo saw continued success with its various new GameBoys, and then you had Nokia coming out with a gaming handheld/mobile phone hybrid in 2003- the Nokia N-Gage, and then the N-Gage QD a year later.

By this era, many game publishers started developing a cross-platform strategy, releasing versions of their games over multiple systems- PC, major consoles, and sometimes, even handhelds.

We also saw the rise of online gaming. While the Dreamcast was the first to incorporate a modem and browsing software into its system, it was the XBox that enabled players to play with other gamers online with XBox Live.

Notable gaming titles in this era: Grand Theft Auto III, GTA: Vice City, and finally GTA: San Andreas, Resident Evil 4, Shenmue and Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast, Halo and Halo 2 for the XBox, Metroid Prime for the GameCube, and the Disney/Square-Enix collaboration, Kingdom Hearts.

Seventh Generation (2004- today)

The Seventh Generation of gaming consoles is pretty much what we have right now-- the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft's XBox 360, and the Sony PlayStation 3.

The XBox 360 came out in November 2005, almost a full year ahead of the other two, and continued to enjoy strong sales in North America and Europe. Its advantage over its competitors has been the quantity and quality of titles, with even more titles coming out by the end of the year.

Sony's Playstation 3 hit the shelves on 11 November 2006, and had come equipped with Blu-ray capabilities, a feature critical to the success of the Blu-ray format, according to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment execs.

The Nintendo Wii dropped in stores on 19 November 2006, and had turned out to be the biggest selling gaming system of all three seventh-gen consoles. The Wii positioned itself to capture not just hard-core gamers, but also casual gamers, non-gamers and lapsed gamers.

In addition to its popular franchises, and in line to make the console more appealing to casual gamers, the Nintendo Wii came out with the Wii Series of games- which simulated real-world activities, or played around with sports, music, or doing exercises- all making use of its new gaming controllers equipped with motion-sensors.

The Wii and certain (earlier) models of the PS3 are fully backwards compatible with titles from their earlier counterparts.

As for handheld systems, we have the Nintendo DS (and later, the DS Lite) and Sony's PlayStation Portable (or PSP, and the succeeding PSP Slim and PSP Lite). The DS proved to be more popular with both core gamers and new consumers, while the PSP was mainly marketed towards a 25+ year-old (core gamer) market.

Notable titles for the Seventh Generation: Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect and BioShock for the XBox 360, God of War, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy Versus XIII for the PS3 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii Sports for the Wii.

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. A crash course on the History of Gaming Consoles. Hope you learned something new today.

Cheers, everyone!

The 10 Highest Rated Nintendo Wii Games of All Time, pt 2 of 2.

yet another break from actual gaming by Renzie Baluyut

Welcome to Part 2 of my special report on the Top 10 Highest Rated Games for the Nintendo Wii of all time, according to Gamespot.com.

After checking out the Nintendo Wii in action at a recent bloggers' party, I thought I might just get one for myself. After all, the Wii is great family fun.

In Part 1 of our special report, we've already mentioned five games: No More Heroes, Super Mario Bros. 3, Paper Mario, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Paper Mario.

So let's get on with our report and take on the five highest-rated Nintendo games of all time, according to Gamespot.com. Here we go:

5. Okami (released 15 Apr 2008)

This nature adventure game sees players assuming the role of a sun god who's attempting to restore life to a world devoid of color.

Ōkami is an action-adventure video game that was initially released for the Sony PlayStation 2. The port for Nintendo's Wii console was released in North America on April 15, 2008,

Set in an unspecified period of classical Japanese history, Ōkami combines several Japanese myths, legends and folklore to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the Shinto sun goddess, named Amaterasu, who has taken the form of a white wolf. It features a distinct sumi-e-inspired cel-shaded visual style and the Celestial Brush, a gesture-system to perform miracles.

Ōkami was one of the last few PlayStation 2 games selected for release prior to the release of the PlayStation 3. Although it suffered from poor sales, Ōkami earned high acclaim from reviewers and earned, among other awards, the title of IGN's 2006 Game of the Year. The Wii version has earned similar praise though the motion control scheme has received mixed reviews from both critics and gamers.

4. WarioWare: Smooth Moves (released 15 Jan 2007)

The first next-gen installment in Nintendo's series includes over 200 minigames that use the Wii's motion-sensing controller.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is the fifth game of the WarioWare series of games.

Like its predecessors, WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a collection of microgames based on simple actions which usually last fewer than five seconds each.

The microgames are played in rapid succession, presenting the player with the gameplay screen and a short instruction hinting at the action that must be accomplished. Once the microgame is complete, the next one begins. If a player makes four mistakes over the course of one set of microgames, they usually must start over from the beginning of the set.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves has received favorable reviews from the gaming community, receiving a score of 83 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on the average scores of 58 press reviews. GameSpot rated the game 9.1 out of 10, their highest rating for a party game, and stated that "it's a terrific use of the Wii's unique control features, it looks amazing...".

3. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (released 19 Jun 2007)

Resident Evil 4 heads to the Wii, incorporating the control functionality of the Wii Remote and the additional content included in the Playstation 2 version.

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, originally came out for the GameCube and then the PS2 later on, but was also released for the Wii on May 31, 2007 in Japan. While it features new controls involving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk extension, the game comes with the ability to use a Classic Controller instead.

The Wii Remote is able to aim and shoot anywhere on the screen with a reticle that replaces the laser sight found in the other versions. It can also be flicked in order to use the knife to instantly target an enemy.

The Wii Edition also includes the extra content from the PlayStation 2 and PC versions, and a trailer for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.

Resident Evil 4 has won numerous Game of the Year awards.

2. Super Mario Galaxy (released 12 Nov 2007)

Super Mario Galaxy finds Mario taking his adventures to new heights as he soars through space from planet to planet in search of stars.

Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platform game developed and published by Nintendo for Wii. It is the third 3D platformer in the Mario series after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.

The game follows Mario on his quest through space to save Princess Peach from his arch-nemesis Bowser. Levels take the form of galaxies filled with a variety of minor planets and worlds while gameplay is updated with a variety of gravity effects and new power-ups.

The game is one of the most critically acclaimed titles of all time,and has won numerous "Game of the Year" awards. By March 31, 2008, it had sold 6.10 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling standalone Wii game and the third best-selling game published by Nintendo for the Wii behind Wii Sports and Wii Play, respectively.

1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (released 09 Mar 9, 2008)

Duke it out with your favorite Nintendo characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or just simply SSBB, is the third installment in the Nintendo series of crossover fighting games.

Following its predecessors, Brawl uses a battle system unlike that of typical fighting games. Players can choose from a large selection of characters, each attempting to knock their opponents off the screen as they fight on various stages.

Instead of using traditional health bars that start at 100% and lose value, Brawl characters start the game with 0% and the value rises as they take damage. As a character's percentage increases, the character flies farther back when hit.

When a character is knocked beyond a stage's boundary and disappears from the screen, the character loses either a life or a point depending on the mode of play.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl had received an aggregate review score of 94% on Metacritic, and 93.3% on Game Rankings. As of March 31, 2008, it has sold a total of 4.85 million units worldwide.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, Part 2 of the Top 10 Highest Rated Games for the Nintendo Wii of all time, according to our dear friends from Gamespot. You can check out Part 1 of my special report here.

Here are five runner-ups that didn't quite make it to Gamespot's list of the ten highest-rated Wii games of all time. They're all good games, nevertheless, and probably worth your while checking out: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mega Man 9, Mario Kart Wii, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

If you still want to know how your other favorite Nintendo Wii games fared against all the others, you can then check out the rest of Gamespot's top games for the Nintendo Wii here. Always a great reference if you're in the market for some really great games for the Wii, whether you're completing your collection, or just starting from scratch.

Game blurbs taken from Gamespot. Pictures and information courtesy of Wikipedia. Follow the links to read more about our featured 10 Highest Rated Nintendo Wii Games of All Time.

Cheers, everyone!

The 10 Highest Rated Nintendo Wii Games of All Time, pt 1 of 2.

yet another break from actual gaming by Renzie Baluyut

If you're a dude like me who's just out to get a Nintendo Wii, you'd definitely want to fork over some extra cash in building up a decent enough games library. I'm really a PC games guy by default, but after checking out the Wii in action at a party I've been to recently, I just might reconsider getting one for myself.

Should be great when my cousins come dropping by the next time.

In any case, one of the best sites to do games research for me, has always been Gamespot. In their very own section for the Wii we can check out the highest-rated games that ever came out for Nintendo's seventh-gen console.

So ladies and gentlemen, here we have the first half of my 2-part special report on the Top 10 Highest Rated Games for the Nintendo Wii of all time, according to our dear friends from Gamespot. Starting off at number ten...

10. Super Paper Mario (released 09 Apr 2007)

Get ready for the next installment in Nintendo's Paper Mario RPG series, entitled Super Paper Mario.

Super Paper Mario is another role-playing game in Nintendo's Mario universe- the third in the Paper Mario series, in fact- but the style of gameplay is a combination of the previous Paper Mario titles AND Super Mario Bros. titles.

Unlike the RPG-style gameplay of previous Paper Mario games, the game combines platforming gameplay, RPG, and puzzle elements.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (released 26 Feb 2007)

The N64 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time makes an appearance on the Wii Virtual Console.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure video game, originally developed for the Nintendo N64. Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in the Legend of Zelda series, but is actually a prequel to the other four that came before it.

The game received wide critical acclaim and commercial success. Despite a November 1998 release, it was the best-selling game of that year, and has sold over 7.6 million copies.

8. Paper Mario (released for the Wii on 16 Jul 2007)

Mario's paper-thin debut comes to the Virtual Console.

Paper Mario, known in Japan as Mario Story is a role-playing video game developed originally for the Nintendo 64. Paper Mario was re-released for Nintendo's Virtual Console in 2007.

Paper Mario is set in the Mushroom Kingdom as the protagonist Mario tries to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. To do so, he must locate seven "Star Spirits" to negate the effects of the captured Star Rod, which grants invincibility to Bowser.

The game received a positive reaction from the media, attaining an aggregate score of 88% from Game Rankings and 93% from Metacritic.

7. Super Mario Bros. 3 (released for the Wii on 05 Nov 2007)

Mario ventures beyond the Mushroom Kingdom to battle Koopas across seven neighboring worlds using new power-ups like the Tanooki Suit.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is often considered one of the best Super Mario games.

It is the fifth release in the Super Mario video game series, which was first released for the Famicom in Japan and later on the NES in North America and PAL regions.

It is often regarded as one of the Nintendo Entertainment System's greatest games, and is the second best selling game for the NES, after Super Mario Bros.

The NES version was later re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console.

6. No More Heroes (released 22 Jan 2008)

From SUDA-51, creator of the surreal shooter Killer7, No More Heroes chronicles Travis Touchdown's rise to the top of the assassin's league.

No More Heroes is an action video game directed by Goichi Suda- or more known in Japan by the nickname Suda51.

Throughout the game, the player controls the character Travis Touchdown. The game has a free roaming world, allowing Travis to move around on foot or on his motorcycle, the "Schpeltiger". Gameplay is open-ended, with the concession that the player must kill the top ten assassins in order to make the storyline progress. There are numerous part time job side quests to earn money which can be spent on weapons, training sessions, clothes and video tapes.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, Part 1 of the Top 10 Highest Rated Games for the Nintendo Wii of all time, according to our dear friends from Gamespot. You can check out Part 2 of my special report here.

Here are five runner-ups that didn't quite make it to Gamespot's list of the ten highest-rated Wii games of all time. They're all good games, nevertheless, and probably worth your while checking out: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mega Man 9, Mario Kart Wii, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

If you still want to know how your other favorite Nintendo Wii games fared against all the others, you can then check out the rest of Gamespot's top games for the Nintendo Wii here. Always a great reference if you're in the market for some really great games for the Wii, whether you're completing your collection, or just starting from scratch.

Game blurbs taken from Gamespot. Pictures and information courtesy of Wikipedia. Follow the links to read more about our featured 10 Highest Rated Nintendo Wii Games of All Time.

Cheers, everyone!

So You Wanna Get A Wii...

a quick break from actual gaming by Renzie Baluyut

I wouldn't blame you- the Nintendo Wii is a fine piece of gaming equipment. It should be great to have if you have the time to play it, and even more so if you're looking at getting the entire family involved.

Personally, I'm a PC gamer- have been one for as long as I can remember. Thanks to more free time these days, and spending more time with family, I'm seriously considering getting me a Wii.

Let's check out the Wii, shall we?

A Quick Look at the Nintendo Wii

As a seventh-generation console, the Nintendo Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

The Wii has consistently outsold both since its release. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

A distinguishing feature of the console is its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and detect movement in three dimensions. Another distinctive feature of the console is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.

The Wii is Nintendo's smallest home console to date; it measures 44 mm (1.73 in) wide, 157 mm (6.18 in) tall and 215.4 mm (8.48 in) deep in its vertical orientation, the near-equivalent of three DVD cases stacked together. The included stand measures 55.4 mm (2.18 in) wide, 44 mm (1.73 in) tall and 225.6 mm (8.88 in) deep. The system weighs 1.2 kg (2.7 lb),[65] which makes it the lightest of the three major seventh generation consoles. The console can be placed either horizontally or vertically.

Wii's Virtual Console

The Wii comes with the Virtual Console, a specialized section of the Wii Shop Channel, which is really an online service that allows players to purchase and download games and other software for Nintendo's Wii gaming console.

The Virtual Console lineup consists of titles originally released on now defunct past consoles. These titles are run in their original forms through software emulation, and can be purchased for between 500 and 1200 Wii Points depending on system and rarity and/or demand.

The library of past games currently consists of titles originating from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Nintendo 64, as well as Sega's Master System and Mega Drive/Genesis, NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and TurboGrafx-CD, SNK's Neo Geo AES, Commodore 64 (Europe only) and MSX (Japan only).

Over ten million Virtual Console titles have been downloaded as of December 2007.

Using Your Wii

Using the Wii is often seen as being more physically demanding than other game consoles. Some Wii players have occasionally experienced a form of tennis elbow referred to as "Wiiitis".

A study published in the British Medical Journal states that Wii players use more energy than playing sedentary computer games. It is however indicated that while this energy increase may be beneficial to weight management, it is not an adequate replacement for regular exercise.

A case study published in the American Physical Therapy Association’s journal Physical Therapy focused on use of the Wii for rehabilitation of a teen with cerebral palsy. It is believed to be the first published research showing the physical therapy benefits resulting from use of the gaming system. Researchers say the gaming system complements traditional techniques.

Information and pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.

Check out this blog's special on the Ten Top-rated Wii Games of All Time, as ranked by Gamespot.

Cheers, everyone!