Nintendo Wii

The line was pretty tame, and nowhere near as crazy as it was for the PS3 launch (which involved murder and other scary things). Best Buy handed out tickets that guaranteed the holder one Wii. Since I was at the largest Best Buy in Manhattan they had a lot of units, approximatly 100. I was number 48, but by 6:30 they were sending people home. Inside the box you will find the Nintendo Wii unit, Wii Sports, a Wiimote and the nunchuck. You definitely need to purchase at least another Wiimote and nunchuck, because the social aspect is what this console excels at. Although single player games are fun, you are just not getting the full Wii experience without playing multiplayer games. I also picked up two games, Excite Truck and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I couldn’t wait to get my hands playing this thing and trying to see if the Wiimote really worked as seamlessly as Nintendo promised. It was the first thing I did when I got home. But first I want to reflect on the large amount of time that went into the design of the Wii itself. Even the packaging of the system has improved since the days of the NES. It seems that Nintendo has taken a page out of the Apple handbook on presentation. Actually the whole system evokes Apple-ish detailing – the sharp lines of the system, the cream white finish and the blue glow of the slot CD-ROM’s drive. <img src="/photos/posts/nintendo_wii/wii-sports-tennis.jpg" class="left" title="Wii Sports" alt="Wii Sports" /> The first game we tried out was Wii Sports, which serves as a tutorial for the Wiimote and nunchuck controlling system. Once you get the hang of how the controls work, it seems effortless and you don’t really need to think what buttons you have to press. This became evident when my mom (a technology neophyte) came and started whipping my sister’s butt in Wii Tennis. That evening was one of the most fun times I can remember in a while, because within 15 minutes of me opening the box I had nearly the whole family playing and laughing. The system is like a party in a box. This was Nintendo’s plan from the begining. The Wiimote was designed to make it easy for people who never play video games to just pick it up and play. But how does it work for “real” games? Well at first it feels quite awkward. When I was playing Twilight Princess, I could only spend half an hour before I had to take a break. But by my third sitting I was comfortable with the controls, and although I don’t think they are perfect they do add another dimension to game playing. It really gets you into the game when you actually need to move your arm to swing your sword or aim your weapon instead of just pressing a buttom. I will cover the controller details in my Twilight Princess review. <img src="/photos/posts/nintendo_wii/wii-menu.jpg" class="right" title="Virtual Console" alt="Virtual Console" /> When you turn on the Wii you are greeted with Nintendo’s Wii menu, which allows you to select from a series of channels. The menu gives you access to Wii Weather, Wii News, the Wii Connection, and your Miis. A little bit of a disappointment for me was that not all these Wii services are available at launch. It seems that Wii Weather won’t be available until December 20 and Wii News January 17. The Mii channel allows you to create your own avatar. This avatar will be used in Mii enabled games (such as Wii Sports). So instead of seeing some generic preprogramed image, you will be able to play as the character that you created, which is quite neat. You can also transfer your Mii to the Wiimote and bring it with you to another person’s home. This allows you to play with your Mii wherever you go. The Mii channel also has something called the Mii Parade. I wasn’t able to get this to work. It could just be that I didn’t give it enough time to find other Miis. Nevertheless, it is supposed to allow you to meet other Wii users. By setting the “mingle” option in your Mii settings, you Mii will travel to other Wii consoles that are accepting other Miis. Once a Mii has traveled to your Wii, you will be able to communicate with the other person. All these features can also be turned off for privacy issues as well as for security of children using the system. <img src="/photos/posts/nintendo_wii/wii-mii.jpg" class="left" title="Mii Creator" alt="Mii Creator" /> The Wii Connection channel is where you can purchase old games via the Virtual Console. At launch, Nintendo provides various games from their own systems (NES, SNES, and Nintendo64) as well as Sega Genesis and TurboGrafix16! Games can be purchased through a point system, with 100 points costing $1. Points can be bought 2000 at a time and each game costs anywhere from 500 to 1000 points (determined by the age of the system). The purchasing process is fairly smooth. I added 2000 points to my system and was able to download such classics as The Legend of Zelda, Mario Brothers, and Sonic the Headgehodge. Each download took less than a minute, with Mario racing across the screen as the process indicator. Nintendo also has plans to have a web browser (created by Opera) for purchase to integrated into the Wii; however that won’t be available until January. Although the Wii is great fun to play, there are a few drawbacks. First off is that the visuals came second to the user experience. Although the graphics are by no means terrible, it is just not the leap expected (especially when compared to visually focused systems such as the PS3). I certainly prefer Nintendo’s new control system over the PS3 SixAxis, I just wish they put a little more effort into the Wii’s graphics capabilities. It feels more like a GameCube+ then a whole new system. Another problem that I had is with the Wiimote’s gyroscopic motion sensing. After about four days of use, one of the Wiimotes stopped functioning in games that required the Wiimotes special functions. Apparently I am not the only one; however I don’t think that this is a widespread problem. I have notified Nintendo and hopefully the repair unit will come quick. Overall I am quite satisfyed with the the new <a href="http://wii.nintendo.com">Nintendo Wii</a>. Nintendo was clearly going for a wider market than Sony or Microsoft with their latest console and I think it will definatly pay off. I never thought my mom would be playing video games, but the Wii changed that. And the fact that Nintendo has exclusive games like The Legend of Zelda make this console the one to look out for.

2006-11-24T12:51:11Z

2 It was 6:00 AM on a cold Sunday morning and instead of sleeping in my bed I was waiting in a queue in front of the 23rd Street <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com">Best Buy</a> in Manhattan. I was one of the “lucky” ones that got my <a href="http://wii.nintendo.com">Wii</a>. I was hoping to get my shiny new video game system in the mail via a pre-order. But that didn’t pan out. Luckily, I noticed on the Best Buy website that they were doing a ticket system for the Wiis with no bundle tie in. So I set my alarm the night before launch day for the crack of dawn and tried to get some sleep. nintendo-wii Nintendo Wii

2008-06-16T14:59:54Z

1 There are actually two models of the Rocky available: the “original” Rocky and the doser-less version. I first purchased the “original” version from <a href="http://www.wholelattelove.com">WholeLatteLove</a> but promptly returned it. WholeLatteLove let me return the unit and refunded me the entire price (less shipping), albeit they did take over a month to refund my credit card. The reason why I was so quick to return the original Rocky (I had it in my possession for less than 72 hours) was the doser. It just sucks. Honestly, it was completely my fault, as I chose to ignore the numerous reviews that highlight the faults of the doser. It is very cheaply made. The plastic fan the sweeps up the espresso grinds leaves a lot of waste in the doser chamber. Espresso grinds get stuck in the chute. All of this is quite unfortunate because the build quality of the grinder components are top notch. The burr grinder is the same used in Rancilio commercial grinder the MD40. So I then purchased the doserless version of the Rocky hoping all the faults that I had with the original version would be eliminated, and for the most part they were. The doserless version has a metal bar which perfectly fits a Rancilio portafilter handle. Since I have the Silivia, this was great as I could grind right into the portafilter. I have no idea; however, if other companies portafilters will first as snugly as Rancilio’s. Nevertheless, the metal bar is removable and you can grind your beans directly into a tin or some other receptacle. Interestingly, grinding into a can turns out to be the cleanest method. Although I no longer have the problem of the espresso grinds being stuck in the doser (since there is none), the grinds get everywhere when grinding into the portafilter. The reason for this when the coffee beans are ground, the conical burrs creates static charges between the tiny coffee grounds and they clump together and do not leave the chute as smoothly as one would desire. After about a month of usage I mostly grind into a metal tin as it make cleanup much easier and facilitates making multiple shots, since you don’t have to regrind every time. I still only ground a little at a time though so as to retain the benefit of using freshly ground espresso before I brew. There are a few other quirks with the Rocky that are present in both versions. The hopper, which houses the espresso beans, has a guard with recessed screws that wind up catching about 2 or 3 beans. While this really doesn’t pose any problems, it is a cosmetic annoyance that could have been solved by about 15 cents extra in parts. I have heard of some people using rubble balls to fill these holes. Additionally, each time you grind coffee a decent amount of grinds remains in the chute. I wind up disposing of the first 2 or 3 seconds of my grind since it is mostly the remains from my last grinding. Using an espresso grinder brush helps remove most of the grinds, but I have found it impossible to get completely clean. This last quirk applies solely to the doserless version. There are two switches on the unit: a power switch and an grind on/off switch. In order to grind coffee you must continuously depress the grind switch. While this my not seem so bad if you are just grinding enough for one espresso, it gets quite tiresome the more you grinding (since each 14g shot takes about 10 seconds). Despite all these anoyances, the Rocky grinder preforms wonderfully. You will notice a considerable difference in the quality of your espresso over the store bought preground version. In my experience, after about four days, the preground espresso begins to produce very weak crema and lacks the robust taste you get from a newly opened can. This is not a problem with using bean, since I am able to grind only when I am about to pull a shot Although a pound of coffee rarely lasts more than 5 days, I imagine that leaving the beans exposed to air for extened period of time will eventually leave you with the same problems as pregound coffee. The ability to adjust how coase or fine a ground should be has helped a lot with my consistency. I am able to figure out which setting will help maximize the bean roast (such as corses for darker oiler roasts versus finer for roasts such as “City”). After using the Rocky for about 3 months now, I am sold on the necessity of a good grinder. However, I think that if given the oppertunity to do it over again, I would have waited a month or two more so that I could have affored a grinder such as the <a href="" class="external">Mazzer Mini</a>. Having a actual doser would eliminate many of my problems and leave my counters a lot cleaner as the Rocky makes quite a mess!

2007-12-02T14:43:17Z

3 I have become quite the coffee connoisseur ever since I purchased the <a href="http://rancilio.com/rancilio/prod_model.jsp?id_model=17&id_language=1&id_category=5">Rancilio Siliva</a>, a semi-commercial espresso machine, as a christmas gift for my mother. I was designed the home barista, as I was the only one to master milk frothing (although I am still lost as to how latte art is made), and I made it my goal to produce excellent espresso. However, as I began trying different espresso varieties, I had a hard time controlling the consistency of the brew. That was when I decided I needed a grinder to remove the variability that was present in using pre-ground espresso. There were a multitude of choices availably ranging from the cheep hand crank to the uber-expensive conical burr grinders costing more than the espresso machine itself. Finally, I settled on the Rocky. the-rancilio-rocky The Rancilio Rocky

2008-06-16T14:59:55Z

1 Twilight Princess is my first Zelda game since <a href="http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/past/">The Legned of Zelda: A Link to the Past</a>, which was released for the SNES in 1992. In high school, I was more into computer games and did not purchase a N64 nor a GameCube. I played various titles here and there for the GameBoy and DS. With A Link to the Past being considered one of the greatest Zelda games of all times, you can imagine that my expectations for this adventure were very high! Twilight Princess starts off slower than most other Zelda games. We are introduced to Link as the ranch hand of a goat farm in the Ordon villiage of Hyrule. While this backstory is unique, it server two purposes. To make Link rise to the “hero of time” more epic and also to ease people into using the Wiimote! Since Twilight Princess was orginally a GameCube title, I believe that some of this intro section was added in so that people could get used to a completely different approach to controlling a character. <img src="/photos/posts/zelda_wii/lefty-link.jpg" class="left" alt="" /> There are a few caveats of this not being a “true” Wii title. First, the graphics are hardly “next-gen”. Nothing besides making it widescreen was changed from the GameCube to the Wii version. Second the Wii version does not take advanteage of the space increase provided by the Wii DVD disks. That means Twilight Princess, for the most past is a silent game (less that of a few voiced grunts here an there). Hopefully, the next in the series will include voice acting. Twilight Princess also uses midi for its score instead of Orchestrated peices, which is a shame since the scores written for the game are so beautiful (<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=D2kTUj6cbhE&mode=related&search">listen for yourself</a>). Lastly, and most importantly (to me anyway) is that the Wii version’s graphics are mirrored! This is to accomitabe the majority of the world who is right handed and might have found it awkard to control Link, who is a lefty, with their right hand. Since I am a lefty, I can attest that it did not seem awkard at all to control Link with my left hand. However, what did upset me is seeing Link use his RIGHT hand! Once you get past the introduction, the meat of the story begins. A dark evil is trying to take over the world again (gasp!) and has cast the land of Hyrule in darkness. This darkness has transformed Link into a wolf and he is taken captive and locked in the dungeon of Hyrule castle. It is there were Link is introduced to Minda, an inhabitant of the Twilight Relm, who is willing to help Link destroy the evil so that her land can be brought back to peace as well.

2007-01-08T06:19:45Z

4 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is perhaps the most anticipated launch title of a console ever. Twilight Princess was four years in the making and was not even originally scheduled to be a Wii title! The Zelda series is one of Nintendo’s most loved creations (perhaps even more so than Mario) and its fanatical fan base has come to expect great things from its creator Eiji Aonuma, who has taken over the role once heald by Shigeru Miyamoto, who was the creator the Zelda series. With Miyamoto saying this is the best Zelda game to date, does this sixty hour adventure live up to all the hype surrounding it? Warning: Spoilers maybe contained in the rest of this review! the-legenda-of-zelda-twilight-princess The Legenda of Zelda: Twilight Princess

2008-06-16T14:59:55Z

1 <img src="/photos/posts/ppl/ppl-screen1.jpg" alt="" /> Although the name has changed, the basic premise behind Puzzle League has not. You are presented with a screen of different colored block with the goal of matching up three of more of the same color by switching blocks. The catch is that you can only switch the blocks horizontally. The use of the stylus to control moving the blocks is far superior (and more intuitive) than using the D pad. By simply selecting the desired block and gliding it across the screen, as opposed to the original mechanics that required comparatively cumbersome taps of the D pad to select and then move the blocks, can now move the blocks. This is the idea behind much of the success of Nintendo’s Touch Generations games. The object of the game is quite intuitive and the interface so natural that anyone can pickup the game and play. The game feature six different play modes: Puzzle, Endless, Time Attack, Garbage, Clear, and Vs. Computer. However, Daily Play is probably the best feature of the game. It allows you to track your progress in the different play modes by challenging you to a quick two-minute game that you can play once per day. The graphics of the game are pretty simple, consisting really of just colored blocks. However, the block sets are quite varied and there are numerous backgrounds that make the game visually interesting. <img src="/photos/posts/ppl/ppl-screen2.jpg" class="right" alt="" /> Of course like any good puzzle game, although the object is deceptively simple, the skill comes in being able to quickly find patterns to create chains and combos. Once you master these skills you can go online using the Nintendo WiFi connection and play against other from around the world. However, here comes the biggest oversight of the game. No Online ranking system! This was one of the best features of Tetris DS and is quite a disappointing omission from Planet Puzzle League. Another annoyance, which only effects those lefty gamers, is that the game always starts in right hand mode even after you select left handed as your game preference. Perhaps this should be a system wide setting instead of an in-game setting so that I don’t have to switch my system around three times to start the game! For the puzzle aficionado, the game can’t be missed. The online play gives the game significant value; however, the lack of the ranking system really hampers its potential. Aside from its small quirks, Planet Puzzle League is one of the most addictive puzzle games available on the portable platform.

2007-06-06T10:37:13Z

5 Planet Puzzle League is Nintendo’s latest addition to its <a href="http://www.touchgenerations.com/">Touch Generations</a> line of video games for the Nintendo DS, which include Tetris, Electroplankton, and the very populate Brain Age and Nintendogs. Planet Puzzle League is a highly addictive version of an old Game Boy game, Tetris Attack. The use of the stylus and the inclusion of play modes such as Daily Play making this rendition particularly enjoyable. planet-puzzle-league Planet Puzzle League

2008-06-16T14:59:55Z

1 The <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone">iPhone 3G</a> is the second generation of Apple’s convergence device that melds its successful line of music players and a cellphone with a touch screen interface. In typical Apple fashion, the device is aesthetically pleasing, with svelte curves that feel good to hold. <img src="/photos/posts/iphone/side-by-side.png" class="left" title="iPhone 3G versus original" alt="iPhone 3G versus original" /> The new iPhone 3G differs in appearence only slighly from the original. The iPhone 3G is technically 2.5mm slimmer than its predecessor, which enable Apple to tout as being thinner; however you would be hard pressed to tell without close examination. The iPhone 3G employs a plastic back (in white or black) versus the original aluminum. While I do not have an original iPhone to compare WiFi reception, it has been <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5024412/iphone-3g-review">reported</a> that the improvments affored by the plastic backing are quite noticeable. The plastic backing also helped Apple shave off an ounce or so of the iPhone’s weight, which when combined with the new curvier frame makes it fit in your hand better. Some people feel that it also makes the device seem slightly cheeper as well; however, I like the look of the plastic back. I also feel that the plastic back will hold up better against scratches. Apple also listened to the many complaints about its flush headphone port which prohibited you from using standard headphone without an adaptor and zapped it out of the design. This is great and all, but the device mutes its microphone when you have headphones attached, so unless you are using the supplied Apple headphones you will have to uplug them with making a call. And personally, I do not like the supplied Apple headphones. They feel cheeper than the ones they usually supply with their iPod in that the cord is quite thin. I happen to have a pair of the Bose TriPort headphone and love them – they fit much better in my ears. Hopefully Apple will patch the OS and make the muting of the internal mic and option, but until then you will have to unplug any non-Apple headphones if you receive a phone call with them plugged in. <img src="/photos/posts/iphone/app_store.jpg" class="right" title="iTunes App Store" alt="iTunes App Store" /> The most exciting changes for the iPhone 3G happen on the inside with the inclusion of Infineon’s PMB 2525 Hammerhead II, a GPS chip accurate to within 10 feet, and PMB 6820, which provides cell data access from EDGE up to 3G and HSDPA. While there is no turn-by-turn navigation software available, <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5024018/telenav-confirms-iphone-in+car-navigation-app">TeleNav</a> has confirms an in-car navigation app. This of course does not limit the usefulness of having a GPS built into the phone. Many of the newly released iPhone social networking app such as: <a href="http://www.loopt.com/phones/iphone">Loopt</a> and <a href="http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific">Twitterific</a> employ its use. And even though Google maps doesn’t support turn-by-turn, the combination of its map overlay and its ability to find your location make it a highly effective navigation tool. <a href="http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/"><img src="/photos/posts/iphone/att-coverage-map.png" class="left" title="AT&T Coverage Map" alt="AT&T Coverage Map" /></a> As for the 3G functions of the iPhone, they’re really dependant upon your coverage area. While I was in the city (New York City for those living someplace crazy), I was getting 3G reception everywhere. While I was on AT&T’s 3G network, downloads were “fast” with an average of 235 kbps. However, while home, in Westchester, where the iPhone routinly switched from 3G to EDGE, I was only getting around 120 kbps. Check ATT&T’s 3G <a href="http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer">coverage</a> before you buy an iPhone, because if you are in a predominatly EDGE network, you are stil going to be paying a $10 premium per month for 3G service! Perhaps the most important feature when talk about a phone is its battery life. Because, what use is a dead phone when you need to make a phone call. This being my first smart phone I was little shocked about how often I will need to charge this thing. With my last phone I could go about 3 days without charging before my phone would die on me, with the iPhone I need to charge every single night. Apple <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html">report</a> 5 hours of talk time using 3G and around the same of web usage. Gizmodo also has a <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5025309/round-up-nine-iphone-3g-battery-life-test-results">round-up</a> of nine independent battery life tests as reported on various sites around the net. Of course being a new phone, I am playing with a lot of its new features which is significantly shortening the battery life. However, I feel that once the novelty wears off I should be able to get about 1.5 days without a charge. This is acceptable, but not great. But since my phone is my iPod (and I never forget to charge that thing) I will be twice as likely to remember to charge the phone, so in the end it’s probably a mute point. <img src="/photos/posts/iphone/iphone-3g-accessories.jpg" class="right" title="iPhone USB charger and dock accessory" alt="iPhone USB charger and dock accessory" /> With each rendition of the iPod, apple includes less and less accessories. I remember my first iPod (2G) came with a dock, headphones, carrying case, and remote. This trend continues with the iPhone. Although it still includes the USB power adapter (which has been redesigned to be much slimmer but less curvy), the iPhone 3G drops the dock that its first-gen brother included. It is now a $30 <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB484G/A?mco=MTIxODk3Mw">accessory</a>, but I think it is worth the cost for the recharge reminder alone. I also like that it prevents me from reseting my iPhone down, reducing the chance of me scratching it. The headphones that come with the iPhone 3G are nearly identical to the previous versions, except for a 1" increase in length. The headphones sport a microphone/clicker that enable you to control the iPod feature of the phone and receive calls. This is a really great feature, but I just find the headphone to be too flimsy. The iPhone also comes with a tool to help eject your SIM card and a small microfiber cleaning cloth that you will lose in one day. If you are going to obsess about keeping you iPhone clean I recommend <a href="http://www.klearscreen.com">iKlear</a>. In reality though, it is best to not worry about it, as it is a touch screen and smudges are a fact of life with the device. Apart from the battery issues and a few minor issues with the iPhone 2.0 software, I really love this phone. And with the inclusion of the App Store, it will only get more and more powerful. It has by far the best cell phone web browser and with apps like Twitterific and Facebook, it makes staying it touch (or stalking) even easier. If you don’t have AT&T, and your still in contract I would wait until its over. I don’t think in its current state it’s worth having to pay the early termination fee. The software still has a few bugs and most of the apps offered are still only beta quality. However, in about 4 months time there will be a 32 GB version, a significant update to the software with support for PUSH services, and much more stable third-party applications.

2008-07-13T21:01:21Z

10 They hype. The sun. The hours waiting in line for a phone that if you were to wait a couple of weeks would be able to drop into any store and just pick it up. Was it worth it? If you are an <a href="http://www.uberreview.com/2008/01/25-signs-that-you-might-be-an-apple-fanboy.htm">Apple fanboi</a> or one of those obsessive compulsive types that NEEDS to have the latest technology — then yes. For the rest of you, read the rest of this review to decide for yourself. the-iphone-3g The iPhone 3G

2008-07-20T17:45:04Z