Post by: TrueNerd on November 07, 2006, 10:21:15 AM
Anywho, Karl's editorial over this last weekend concerned this issue and now that I too have played the game, I agree with some stuff and I don't with others. I agree that the controls, while they worked about as well as one could hope, don't really add to the game too much. They don't make it better. They don't make it worse either, but it's a side step, not a step forward.
What I disagree with is that the game is pretty fun regardless. Racers aren't Karl's thing, and they aren't mine either, but I like Burnout and this is rather similar to that game. If you like arcade racers, ExciteTruck is your new best friend.
I also enjoyed the speaker's implementation. Perhaps it was just a novelty and I didn't give it the time to wear off, but it was kinda cool to hear the controller chime when I picked up an item or crunch when I smacked into another truck. I don't know why, but I liked it. And I'm now rather positive that Zelda and Red Steel will use the speaker even better.
I spose that's it.
So have YOU played ExciteTruck?
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 07, 2006, 10:42:53 AM
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 07, 2006, 10:49:14 AM
I DEMAND TO KNOW!!!
Post by: Rhoq on November 07, 2006, 11:07:54 AM
Post by: TrueNerd on November 07, 2006, 11:10:39 AM
Post by: vudu on November 07, 2006, 11:42:14 AM
Post by: Nile Boogie on November 07, 2006, 02:01:15 PM
Post by: ReverendNoahWhateley on November 07, 2006, 02:12:42 PM
Post by: Djunknown on November 07, 2006, 03:18:26 PM
I'll make the rounds of at my local EB/GS's and report later.
Post by: Adrock on November 07, 2006, 03:22:36 PM
I went to my local EB Games to see if the Wii was there and it was except there were no controllers so I was looking at it in awe of how small it was. As I was checking it out from every angle someone asked me if I wanted to play it. This lady told me to ask the clerks for a controller and that I needed an ID. Here's the best part, she was like, "I work for Microsoft and I'm telling you this." Lo and behold he name tag had a Microsoft logo. I'm guessing she was the region representative. She said Wii was "a lot of fun."
So anyway, I got my hands on Excite Truck.
1. It's fast.
2. It's fun, even though I had trouble adjusting to the controls.
3. It's ugly. The textures were like a small step above Super Mario Sunshine.
I kept crashing and losing my rank, but I honestly didn't care. It was just so much fun that I'd often catch myself with a goofy smile on my face as if I'd never played a videogame before. Even though the graphics looked terrible, it really didn't matter, though I blame Resident Evil 4. Nothing has really wowed me graphically since that game, even on 360.
In the middle of my Mii creation, this fat kid maybe 13 or 14 remarked that he "[didn't] even know what that thing (Wii) was." Then, he went over to the 360 and said "This is what I want." He was playing around and waving at the Xbox Live Vision Camera. I was moving a controller in the air and having all kinds of fun and he's amazed at a camera. That killed me. Oh well, his loss.
Today:
I took my brother and girlfriend to play it. They enjoyed it. My brother started to get used to the game after the second race, but says he stills prefers standard controllers. My girlfriend really got into it. She also doesn't play videogames. She was moving around and yelling the f-word when she crashed into trees. She kept asking me if we could get it, but I kept telling her I was waiting until next year.
The controller is attracting new gamers. I can't speak for everyone, but here's a story of one convert. I'm confident my mom will love it when she tries it.
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 07, 2006, 05:01:04 PM
I think I'm gonna cry.
Post by: williamsjj on November 07, 2006, 05:42:42 PM
Post by: Crimm on November 07, 2006, 05:49:57 PM
RAWR!
Post by: TrueNerd on November 07, 2006, 06:03:43 PM
QuoteThe one I was at today was at Golf Mill Mall in Niles. The other one I've seen was on Oakton. Not so sure on the location on that one, it wasn't my usual stomping grounds.
Originally posted by: vudu
I'm in Chicago, too. Where'd you find them?
Post by: Edfishy on November 07, 2006, 07:28:52 PM
Quote
In the middle of my Mii creation, this fat kid maybe 13 or 14 remarked that he "[didn't] even know what that thing (Wii) was." Then, he went over to the 360 and said "This is what I want." He was playing around and waving at the Xbox Live Vision Camera. I was moving a controller in the air and having all kinds of fun and he's amazed at a camera. That killed me. Oh well, his loss.
Betcha 100 Wii Points Mr. Butterball will want a Wii by next Christmas.
Post by: Ian Sane on November 08, 2006, 06:58:03 AM
Maybe it's also because a racing game is really easy to demo compared to something like Zelda. All you do is make a track available. With Zelda you have to create some sort of demo and add restrictions to where you can go.
I asked EB if they knew when they were getting a Wii demo unit in. He said he didn't know. Probably in a few weeks after, you know, the console already launched and will probably be sold out. Ever thought we may want to play it ahead of time, Nintendo?
Post by: Rhoq on November 08, 2006, 07:02:44 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Nile Boogie
They just put a Wii at the Gamestop at Broad and Hunting Park(Philly) if any posters above me wanted to know.
Thanks for the heads up.
Post by: Crimm on November 08, 2006, 07:37:49 AM
I was assured this morning that "No we're not ready to put it out." It would seem he had been asked that question repeatedly, based on his look of exasperation.
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 08, 2006, 11:42:23 AM
Post by: OverHeat on November 08, 2006, 01:47:15 PM
The remote handled extremely well. It is highly sensitive/responsive and takes a bit of work to get down, but I would be disappointed if it were any other way. The game is FUN. I wasn't even remotely interested in this game until now. In the space of an hour approximately six people came in and tried it. Only two of them had planned on getting a Wii. Three of the others flat out said "This sh*t is fun! I gotta get me one of these now.!" Then I was hit up with a plethora of questions (When is it coming? Can I reserve it? How hard will it be to find? etc, etc). The only person who didnt say he wanted said "Wow this thing is great. Nintendo really is on to something here." and he left after collecting his ID. This is pretty amazing given that this game will be one of the less sought after and simpler games available on the system. Then again, not EVERYONE wants games that require 2 hour sit throughs per session, so who knows. I realize I have a very skewed concept of games, given that I play them all the time. Just like all the rest of you. Try to keep that in mind when you play this thing, guys and gals. I tested the extent of the remote. I was able to control the car from the opposite end of the store without any trouble. Well, other than not being able to really see the screen, that is.
Our store actually has two remotes, so the manager and I gave the versus play a spin. Good times, good times. The Nintendo rep also said something really interesting. He said in Need for Speed there is an option to play steering with the nunchuk attachment's analog stick. You then hold the remote in a vertical position and move it like a gas pedal to control your speed. I hate controlling racing games with sticks, personally. I really liked using the remote on its side. But when I told my racer-fan friends about this option, they seemed to prefer that idea. *shrug*
Finally on the whole "why did they pick this game to show case the Wii" question, here is my 2 cents. I think we all remember when the kiosks were announced there was alot of hoopla about Target, Walmart etc not taking them for fear of children killing eachother. Well something tells me Nintendo originally planned on putting Wii Sports in there (really, that only makes sense). But when that whole thing erupted, they probably thought better of it and picked something that is less....flaily, if you take my meaning. It would also make sense from the standpoint of "Zelda is a no-brainer and everyone will already be getting Wii Sports, so why not champion our other game?" line of thought.
All in all, from a game that was less than an after thought in my mind for launch, a game that doesnt even come close to displaying what the Wii can really do, I was having alot more fun with Excitetruck than I should have been. Is it worth $50 out the gate? That depends. If you have ever bought an arcadey style racer and loved it to death even though everyone else said the game was shallow, or whatever, this is your game. If you are a typical game geek who needs experience points, giant dungeons or 50 special moves per character to think a game is worth it's salt (like most of us) there are plenty of other games to spend your hard earned money on at launch.
If these impressions seemed a bit more "glowing" than others, its because I have come to terms with the jaded gamer within myself, just so you all know. I have learned how to judge a game based on its merits rather than my own expectations. In conclusion, I doubt I will be buying this game at launch, but it's quite simply one of the best arcadey type racers I have played in a long, long time. Oh! And I love the homage they pay to Excitebike with the turbo power. This game has the turbo power just like old school Excitebike, and if you use it too much you OVERHEAT. Instead of looking for little arrows on the ground to cool your OVERHEAT meter, you drive through pools of water. Very nice touch.
P.S. That controller is teh sexAY. Held in the remote way, I was easily able to access every button on the remote, no problem. Thats not to say that the 2 button should be the primary fire button or anything, but for accessing menus, switching up weapons, reloading or other secondary features (ala Zelda), they will work just fine. Tiliting the remote when in the Wii menu tilts the pointing finger onscreen. I did a few "Steven Colbert's Wag-of-the-finger" things much to the delight of everyone there. The assistant manager and I even spent a few minutes waging pointless "finger wars" with eachother, giggling like school girls. I am tellin you guys, this system is set up for good times. Good times.
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 08, 2006, 01:57:46 PM
Post by: OverHeat on November 08, 2006, 02:04:34 PM
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 08, 2006, 02:18:01 PM
Yeah, I'm looking forward to Red Steel and Rayman the most (with Zelda to follow).
Post by: Djunknown on November 08, 2006, 03:51:36 PM
Looks like the Wii's are slowly making their eastward, keyword slowly. The manager I talked to said they should be getting them within a few days, next week at the latest. Since it seems Chicagoans(sp?) have theirs, Detroiters won't be far behind...
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 08, 2006, 05:06:48 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Dammit, this is making me wish I didn't live in "Last-to-get-everything" New England.
Well remember, your local mall is the Fox Run, same as me. And the guys there said the kiosks shipped out yesterday, so I'd think they'd be up and running within a week.
Post by: IceCold on November 08, 2006, 07:56:04 PM
Post by: Mario on November 08, 2006, 08:17:02 PM
Post by: Ceric on November 08, 2006, 08:37:44 PM
1) To play the Wii.
2) To play Gear of War.
What I got:
1) I got to see the Zelda Standee.
I struck out on my day quest.
Post by: OverHeat on November 08, 2006, 08:50:12 PM
Well I hate to kill anyone, but I'm glad you enjoyed the impressions. Thought I'd throw a secondary deal up here. My wife got home from work and I told her she had to go check out the Wii. She could care less, not being a "gamer" (although she plays Dr. Mario on her GBA religously for an hour every night) so she took advantage of the fact, getting me to do all kinds of chores around the house if I want her to go check out the system. So what with me being a pretty responsible guy, most of the things she wanted done were already done, so we were on our way within 15 minutes. Now, keep in mind this is the type who, when I put on a game and plead with her try it will constantly give me sidelong glances while she plays like I'm forcing her to sit still while I pull her toenails out with pliers. Outside 5 minutes she starts to whine and, at MAX 20 minutes will just straight drop the controller and not talk to me for the rest of the night for making her play "some stupid game".
I start her off with something I know she'll enjoy. Making her own little Mii. As I thought she would, she really digs it, giggling as she blows the eyes way out of proportion, or rotating the eyebrows to the point where they almost look like nosehairs. After she finally has herself "Mii-ified", I start up Excitetruck and immediatly feel the "pulling toe-nails with pliers" look boring into the side of my head. I quickly explain the control setup to her and she is off.
So she starts racing and is just having a blast with it right off the bat. She is a fairly dramatic person as it is, so that just helped to add to the theatrics. Twice during her first race she made herself laugh so hard she stopped playing to continue her guffaws. Then she raced again. And again, and again. I got a little bored and started to play a round of Guitar Hero. See now, normally if I ask her to try a video game the INSTANT I stop paying attention to her she drops the controller like a bad habit. So I finish my song. She's still playing..."Huh" I think to myself. "Must be the same race". So I play another song. And another. Before I know it my buddy who is working says "Alright man, I need to lock the place up." I blink. "Wait, WHAT?!! She's still playing??" When she hears this she obliges and hands over the controller and we head out the door. As we are walking home I ask her, "So what did you think?" She says "I wish I could have tried tennis. That game is just too much stuff. It's too fast. I dont really like it." "Oh really?" I say. "You realize you just played that game for over a half an hour, right?" Slight moment of silence."......did I??" "Yes babe, you did." I respond.
We hop in the car to drive to the super market. About 5 minutes into the drive it starts to sink in. "That game was FUN." She says. "It was neat playing a game so different. Even though I wasn't doing good, I felt more in control than those other type of games. ...and it was FUN. I really want to play tennis..."
Well I though I would share this little piece of my night with you guys. Pretty enlightening I must say. She isn't really adverse to video games per say, but she most assuredly is NOT a gamer. I have been invited by our Nintendo rep to come over and check out the Wii and the games he has this weekend. If you all are interested, I would be happy to post up my impressions of what I got a chance to play. Understand however, I will be avoiding Zelda like the PLAGUE.....wait, no, not YOU Blackplague! You know, like a REAL Plague.
I really do not want to spoil a single thing about that game for myself. Well this damn wait just keeps getting longer and longer dont it? :p
Post by: Kairon on November 08, 2006, 09:16:00 PM
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: IceCold on November 08, 2006, 09:45:21 PM
Post by: OverHeat on November 09, 2006, 06:08:56 AM
IceCold: I totally hear you. My dad never gave a crap about video games. But one day he got ahold of a little game called Dragon Warrior. For the next 4 days I had to go to friends houses if I wanted to play video games. He called in sick to work for 4 straight days. Then at around 3 am on a school night he came tearing up the stairs and threw my and my brother's doors open shouting "Guys! Guys! Wake up! Get down stairs quick!!' I was thinking "WTF? Is it a fire? Suprise guest?? What is-" *Dad stands proudly infront of the TV* "LOOK! I BEAT it!" And that was the first, and last time he ever really played a video game.
Post by: Spak-Spang on November 09, 2006, 04:53:18 PM
The more I play this game the more impressed I am with the game. You can actually FEEL yourself get better as you play the game. And it does take time to adjust to the controls...each time I had to readjust...but it didn't bother me, because the game is actually FUN to play.
What really impresses me about the game is the later levels of game play, and how challenging it becomes. We are on the second set of levels (We being my Game Stop) and two single tracks still need to be beaten to unlock the next tracks. I have played each race several times over, and can't get enough stars to win. You really have to race not only a first place win, but a skilled trick run at the same time. If you think this game is going to be easy, you will be surprised.
The controls become second nature after you learn the drift system, and you can do some precise driving...and this works great in multi-player. The reason is simple, the best driver will win the race. Or at least, that is how it feels. There is a definite skill involved in racing, and if you race clean you will win. That is something many arcade racers with power ups and boosts just doesn't have...the feeling of truly skilled driving.
This game is moving up my list of games I want to buy. Right now it is fourth on my list....Zelda, Red Steel, Super Monkey Ball, Excite Truck...and if I had the money I definitely pick it up.
Post by: Kraven on November 09, 2006, 05:14:10 PM
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on November 09, 2006, 05:19:27 PM
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 09, 2006, 05:32:04 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Dirk Temporo Well remember, your local mall is the Fox Run, same as me. And the guys there said the kiosks shipped out yesterday, so I'd think they'd be up and running within a week.
Who did you talk to who told you that?
Everyone I've talked to has said "13th".
Post by: Chris1 on November 09, 2006, 05:38:27 PM
Post by: Rhoq on November 09, 2006, 06:01:22 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Kraven
I work at EBGames, and I get to demo it for people. Its awesome. I teach people how to actually play. Its awesome seeing everybody's face when they actually start playing, there has been nothing negative said about the controls. Only the supposedly subpar graphics.
Good news about how the average Joe feels about the controls. Only graphics whores will complain about the Wii's graphics capabilities. I personally feel that the system's visuals look pretty damn nice, then again I've only got whatever screenshots and videos that I have seen on-line as a gauge.
Post by: Kairon on November 09, 2006, 07:33:47 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Spak-Spang
I have put what I consider a lot of time in the demo unit at the store. I have probably played a total of 2-3 hours visiting the store almost every day, and playing for 30 minutes or more. I have also shared the love, and given personal demos, helping people that never played the game out.
The more I play this game the more impressed I am with the game. You can actually FEEL yourself get better as you play the game. And it does take time to adjust to the controls...each time I had to readjust...but it didn't bother me, because the game is actually FUN to play.
What really impresses me about the game is the later levels of game play, and how challenging it becomes. We are on the second set of levels (We being my Game Stop) and two single tracks still need to be beaten to unlock the next tracks. I have played each race several times over, and can't get enough stars to win. You really have to race not only a first place win, but a skilled trick run at the same time. If you think this game is going to be easy, you will be surprised.
The controls become second nature after you learn the drift system, and you can do some precise driving...and this works great in multi-player. The reason is simple, the best driver will win the race. Or at least, that is how it feels. There is a definite skill involved in racing, and if you race clean you will win. That is something many arcade racers with power ups and boosts just doesn't have...the feeling of truly skilled driving.
This game is moving up my list of games I want to buy. Right now it is fourth on my list....Zelda, Red Steel, Super Monkey Ball, Excite Truck...and if I had the money I definitely pick it up.
Wow... thanks to your impressions Excite Truck is now on my radar...
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Ceric on November 09, 2006, 08:09:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Professional 666
You must fill the sensor corridor with SPIKES and protect the sacred area.
Megaman style spikes! Energy Explosions For ALLLL!!!!
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 10, 2006, 02:44:36 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_BrotherQuote
Originally posted by: Dirk Temporo Well remember, your local mall is the Fox Run, same as me. And the guys there said the kiosks shipped out yesterday, so I'd think they'd be up and running within a week.
Who did you talk to who told you that?
Everyone I've talked to has said "13th".
I dunno his name. >.>
They might've meant that they would be up and running by the 13th.
Post by: Donutt007 on November 10, 2006, 02:55:44 PM
I'm heading out to a different city tonight (El Cerrito, if you really care) and I know they have a GS there, maybe I'll stop by and check it out. sigh
Post by: Bill Aurion on November 10, 2006, 03:19:26 PM
Post by: Bill Aurion on November 10, 2006, 04:42:18 PM
Post by: Shecky on November 10, 2006, 04:45:22 PM
Seeing as I didn't plan on picking up Excite Truck at launch and the novelty of handling the controller for the first time ever after purchase is not a huge draw in my book, I forked over my drivers license to play for a bit. Impressions:
1) The game controls taunt traditional players. You hold the pad horizontal and your left thumb naturally rests over a d-pad. Even though I *knew* what the controls were, on the first turn I rocketed straight into a 20ft pine tree as I tried to push left on the dpad to go left (and the dpad is boost).
2) After the first race I had the "hang of it". Leveling off jumps (tilting beyond steering) was something I still haven't explored.
3) I didn't seem to see many competing trucks during the race. I placed 2nd and 1st in the two races.
3) After the races, I tried to play around with the pointer by going to the main Wii menu. Unfortunately, I foobar'd something as the controller got mad and began flashing all 4 lights on any button inputs. Turns out that the controller had become deregistered (or something like that). A message came to the screen asking the user to press "home" on the first controller to fix the problem, but I didn't seem to do anything. The sales associate tried to just swap with the second player controller to let me keep playing, but the system didn't want to back down until we fixed player one's controller. We finally got clear of the situation by getting into some menu where you can assign controllers to input positions by pressing 1 and 2 simultaneously. That brought both controllers back to life.
Will I now get Excite Truck at Launch / Ever?: No / Doubtful
Post by: Smoke39 on November 10, 2006, 05:19:42 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Custom Soundtracks CONFIRMED!
Cool. I like what I've heard of the music in the game, but it'll be fun to blast Poison while flying through the air all over the place.
Post by: Donutt007 on November 10, 2006, 07:27:06 PM
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on November 10, 2006, 10:07:24 PM
Well I tried my first race in Excite Truck, now keep in mind I am not a big fan of racing games (Mario Kart series is about the only one I like in the way of arcade racers) so I was a bit pessimistic not only because of that but because I worried that it would feel overly awkward to steer with tilt motion. Anyway, I fired up the race and off I went, right into a tree, in fact I hit multiple trees and walls. The controls felt, like I worried, about awkward. But during that first race I started to adapt and it turned from awkard to FUN. Yeah I crashed a few times, but I was getting better and in fact ended up winning the race (I was amazed by how forgiving the computer was because I was embarassingly bad at the beginning).
After I completed that race I tried out the tutorial where I learned some other things, like um, how to TURBO blast. Yeah I know I had no idea you could do that, along with the face that you can control your truck in midair by rotating the Wiimote up or down. The only area that I did not find intuitve was spinning your 360 degrees in midair, I managed to do it a couple times but it usually did not work. You do it be holding button 1 along with the control pad in midair and tilting the controller left and right rapidly.
Once I was through with the tutorial (well at least up to the point where you had to turn in the air not once, but TWICE) I went back to racing. This is where I truly had a blast, I picked the hardest course and had an amazing time, the controls were feeling second nature and revealed to me just how unique the Wii can make even the simplest of games. It felt like a whole new way of playing and I felt more involved than any racer previously.
After getting first on that race I quit because I seen some people watching me, and felt it would be polite to give them a try. Now I don't know if I'll be getting Excite Truck because honestly I don't know if it will have the depth to sustain it but I think it is the perfect game to truly show people why Wii will make the old seem fresh once again.
Some minor issues I found was of course the above mentioned difficulty of spinning around, though that may be a none issue if you get more experience. In addition to that the visuals looked kind of, well, ugly but I think I can contribute that to the LCD screen, I dunno everything looked grainy and washed out (Even my GC games don't look look that bad on my 27 inch TV with SVIDEO!). Also I did notice a lack of a smooth framerate on that final track I tried, it was a heavily wooded area and the game seemed be alot less smooth (still very playable), at least in comparison to the other tracks I tried which were relatively smooth. Anyway I recommend for you guys to check this game out, it is a blast once you get the hang of it (BTW it is extremely satisfying to shift the land mass and throw an opponents truck into the air so they crash).
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 11, 2006, 02:02:05 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Custom Soundtracks CONFIRMED!
EXCUSE ME I HAVE TO GO CHANGE MY PANTS NOW.
Seriously, I was waiting for that news forever. I'm so excited!
Post by: Nick DiMola on November 11, 2006, 03:33:36 AM
Thursday I left Rochester to visit my brother in Maryland. We were out at the mall and I spotted the Wii kiosk at EBGames from about a mile away. Quickly we got over to the store and got the controller from the clerk. The Wiimote feels absolutely PERFECT. It had the right weight, the right ergonomics and was the perfect size, and honestly I have huge hands. My fiancee on the opposite end has really small hands and she said the same thing as me. The Wii interface was very smooth and slick, and above all easy to navigate. Load times for Excite Truck were negligible which was great and the amount of time to get into an actual race was also very short. Onto the gameplay.
When I first started racing in Excite Truck I thought the controls were a little awkward. Within 1 or 2 minutes I was handling the game like a pro. I would say the only thing I had trouble with was strategy, and that is simply because I haven't had enough time with the game. I've heard many people say that the innovation of controlling through motions, wears off and doesn't really add anything to the game, I have to heartily disagree with this notion. I had much more fun playing in this manner than with an analog stick. It added magic to the game that might not have been there without the motion control. The other thing I noticed alot of people saying is general disapproval of the graphics. I kind of agree and kind of disagree. Being up close to those display tvs the game looked terrible. After I forfeited my turn and stepped back a few feet, I noticed that the game looked 100x better. I find this to be true with the 360 as well, just not to the same degree. I was excited about this game before I even played it, and now after I played it I can't stop thinking about it. I had a blast with this game and I will be without a doubt buying this at launch, especially with the whole custom soundtrack thing going on now.
In conclusion, I WANT A WII RIGHT NOW I CAN'T TAKE THE WAITING ANYMORE.
Post by: IceCold on November 11, 2006, 09:17:58 AM
Post by: Artimus on November 11, 2006, 09:32:40 AM
Post by: eljefe on November 11, 2006, 03:34:22 PM
in short:
Excite Truck is unintresting, the controls grow, the graphics [on ET in perticular] are terribler than I imagined, my bro was undefeated in 4 races
Mii was surprising, I literally laughed out SEVRAL times, my mii looked like me [which I doubted was possible], I fell out at seeing the MICHAEL JACKSON Mii in the Plaza
I just stared at the system when I walked in..then I checked to see if it was using component cables, then I was thrown off by "sensor bar aiming"
all in all
the SYSTEM works
I'm still buying it at launch [with decent games I'm actually intrested in]
also I'm digging Wii Rumble
and the B button
and the size
of EVERYTHING
I could go on..
Post by: Hostile Creation on November 11, 2006, 05:09:32 PM
Post by: Bill Aurion on November 11, 2006, 05:47:02 PM
Post by: Smoke39 on November 11, 2006, 06:30:42 PM
Post by: Hostile Creation on November 11, 2006, 07:09:04 PM
Post by: Spak-Spang on November 12, 2006, 07:38:18 AM
Each time I watch I notice more tricks that can be done, and more depth. You can Combo jumps, and do air spins, and you can totally screw people up with the terrain morphing...or totally set yourself up for a huge combo.
There are extra modes, one acts like a slalom run, another where you have to hit rings in the air, and one more I can't remember. Those are found in the challenge mode.
There is much more to do in the game than first appears. I saw somebody racing on an easier track get 200 Star Points...they were really good, but they spent too much time playing for stars and couldn't make the finish line.
Ever since SSX came out everybody seems to copy their trick/boost system to incorporate tricks into races. Nobody was able to come up with a competing system. Well, Excite Truck has. races become equal trick runs, and lining up jumps for combos, and smooth fast racing to get first place.
It is a great balance, that works.
Post by: Kairon on November 12, 2006, 10:56:48 AM
As it stands though... the whole 2 player multiplayer is really tripping me up.
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Rhoq on November 12, 2006, 02:47:23 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Rhoq
I've decided not to look for a kiosk. The launch is less than 2 weeks away. I can wait until I own a Wii to play, however if GameStop happens to have a kiosk when I stop in to buy my Wii launch titles next Wednesday afternoon - you can bet your ass that I'll be playing.
OK, so I couldn't hold out until my "Wii Wednesday"...I decided yesterday that I wanted to swing by my local Game Stop and see if they had a Wii kiosk set-up. I never made it there to find out. This morning, my best friend called me and said "Do you still want to go to Game Stop today and play the Wii?". Of course I said "Yes". So we ended up at EB Games and, yes, the Wii was there.
I'm absolutely loving the fact that Nintendo's policy requires a deposit (major credit card and photo ID) before you given the Wii-mote. This ensures that the hardware will not suffer any damage beyond the normal wear & tear that typical plague these demo kiosks...The Wii was mine.
Now before I continue, let me fill you in my best friend. He's 27, was raised on the NES/SNES and to this day considers those to be the greatest consoles ever made. When Nintendo first revealed details about the "Revolution" and I told him about the virtual console service, he was sold on the system right then and there. He's known that the controller is different and shaped like a TV remote, but beyond that he didn't really know anything about the Wii and how this new controller actually works. He left EB Games to run into another store. More about him in a few minutes...
I didn't bother to play around with any of the menus or the "Mii" channel. I just dove directly into Excite Truck. (A side note - I did notice that the Apple influence runs deeper than just the case design and packaging - the WiiOS features a look similar to MacOS-X's "Aqua" interface). Anyways - I ran through the first 2 tutorials and then did a race. I found the controls to work very well and are highly intuitive. The learning curve was less than 5 minutes. I'm satisfied with the graphics. Nothing impressive, but nothing to scoff at either. Graphics whores will hate it, but the average Joe won't have any problem. Case in point, while I was playing, 3 different people thought I was playing the XBox 360 - just based on what they saw of Excite Truck. When I told them about the Wii, they were highly impressed and said that it looks just as good as the 360 to them. Once I mentioned the $250 price tag, they couldn't believe it.
So after a good 15 or 20 minutes of playing, my friend comes back inside the store. He can tell by the smile on face that I was have a great time. When this race finished, I call him over and placed the Wii-mote in his hand and told him to try it out. At first he held like a TV remote and asked how he's supposed to "drive" holding it like that, I told him to turn the Wii-mote onto it's side, "NES style". Even before starting his race, he was thrilled. He loved the fact that just by holding the Wii-mote it brought back many great memories of playing the NES as a kid. Once the race started, he found himself trying to use the D-Pad to steer. I told him "just turn the controller in the direction you want to, to steer and press the D-Pad only when you need a nitro boost". The learning curve for him was also less then 3 minutes. He played through a few races and bragged about how he better at Excite Truck than I was.
Afterwards, he ran over to the Wii section and began looking at the games. He immediately picked-up Call Of Duty 3 and said that it looks like a must-have game. He also said "Don't laugh, but I would get Monkey Ball, too". I re-iterated the fact that I love the Super Monkey Ball series. I actually got him hooked on it when he was looking for a game that he could play with his kids, but offered him a challenge too. I informed him that it's now official - he has "Wii fever". He denied it, started to grin and then asked, "What time does Target open next Sunday?". When I told him 8 AM his reply was "be ready before 5 - we'll be there". When I mentioned that finding 1 Wii next Sunday might hard let alone 2 he then said, "I've got not problem camping-out all night, I need this." He's also still looking forward to the virtual console.
I'm amazed how he went from being kind of nonchalant about the Wii - interested in the virtual console, but probably would have waited a while before picking one up, if ever. Once he experienced it for himself, it sucked him right in.
Post by: Rhoq on November 12, 2006, 02:53:28 PM
1. The D-Pad on the Wii-Mote is awful. You really need to press hard to get any response. I know it was just a faulty D-Pad because there were 2 Wii-Motes. I was offered the 2nd one because the EBGame clerk though the batteries might have been dying in the first one.
2. While I'm mostly pleased with Excite Truck - the entire time, while playing, I couldn't help but feel like Nintendo really dropped the ball by not including on-line multiplayer. This is game that is just begging to go on-line. I actually feel like they should have delayed this titled into 2007 just so that featured could have been included.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on November 12, 2006, 04:27:00 PM
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Originally posted by: Rhoq
I forgot to mention the few dislikes about my first Wii experience...
1. The D-Pad on the Wii-Mote is awful. You really need to press hard to get any response. I know it was just a faulty D-Pad because there were 2 Wii-Motes. I was offered the 2nd one because the EBGame clerk though the batteries might have been dying in the first one.
2. While I'm mostly pleased with Excite Truck - the entire time, while playing, I couldn't help but feel like Nintendo really dropped the ball by not including on-line multiplayer. This is game that is just begging to go on-line. I actually feel like they should have delayed this titled into 2007 just so that featured could have been included.
Personally I had no trouble with the D-pad it seemed responsive and worked great. I do agree with you though about Excite Truck benefitting greatly from online, or at the very least 4 player split screen. Perhaps it could be added later on through a download?
Post by: Edfishy on November 12, 2006, 04:56:11 PM
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I do agree with you though about Excite Truck benefitting greatly from online, or at the very least 4 player split screen. Perhaps it could be added later on through a download
Hm. On a 512mb SD memory card, game patches are going to add up quick. Although I'd love for Nintendo to do something like that, it's more likely that they will make an "Excite Truck: Super Tournament!!" by next Christmas.
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 12, 2006, 08:45:36 PM
Post by: MarioAllStar on November 12, 2006, 08:56:22 PM
Post by: Mario on November 12, 2006, 09:07:26 PM
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2. While I'm mostly pleased with Excite Truck - the entire time, while playing, I couldn't help but feel like Nintendo really dropped the ball by not including on-line multiplayer. This is game that is just begging to go on-line. I actually feel like they should have delayed this titled into 2007 just so that featured could have been included.
They did that with Metroid Prime Hunters and it completely flopped.
Post by: Rhoq on November 13, 2006, 04:37:00 AM
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Originally posted by: MarioQuote
2. While I'm mostly pleased with Excite Truck - the entire time, while playing, I couldn't help but feel like Nintendo really dropped the ball by not including on-line multiplayer. This is game that is just begging to go on-line. I actually feel like they should have delayed this titled into 2007 just so that featured could have been included.
They did that with Metroid Prime Hunters and it completely flopped.
True, but it's not exactly fair to compare a handheld game to a home console.
Post by: Nile Boogie on November 13, 2006, 08:17:24 AM
Post by: Nick DiMola on November 13, 2006, 08:59:57 AM
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Originally posted by: Nile Boogie
Why is ETruck on an HDTV using RCA inputs? Why didn't they include componet out in the kiosk?
I actually just got on the forums right now to tell you guys that a saw a Wii being setup and it is using composite not component. I was also confused about that. The demo stations have HDTVs and all they do is stretch the image on it rather than actually setting up 480p. So when you see the Wii, realize you aren't seeing it at full potential. When it is connected with component cables at 480p it should look significantly better.
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 13, 2006, 09:31:48 AM
This is why living in the NE sucks: we get everything last.
Post by: KnowsNothing on November 13, 2006, 09:36:26 AM
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 13, 2006, 09:42:14 AM
Nintendo doesn't know we exist.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on November 13, 2006, 12:10:34 PM
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Originally posted by: Mr. JackQuote
Originally posted by: Nile Boogie
Why is ETruck on an HDTV using RCA inputs? Why didn't they include componet out in the kiosk?
I actually just got on the forums right now to tell you guys that a saw a Wii being setup and it is using composite not component. I was also confused about that. The demo stations have HDTVs and all they do is stretch the image on it rather than actually setting up 480p. So when you see the Wii, realize you aren't seeing it at full potential. When it is connected with component cables at 480p it should look significantly better.
Well that is promising to know, because Excite Truck looked really grainy and washed out (Nothing like the gameplay footage I seen) at my local gamestop when I played it.
Post by: Nick DiMola on November 13, 2006, 03:39:25 PM
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Originally posted by: VGrevolution
Well that is promising to know, because Excite Truck looked really grainy and washed out (Nothing like the gameplay footage I seen) at my local gamestop when I played it.
I'm certain that is a direct result of displaying the image in 480i on an HDTV. I noticed this same thing when I hooked up the PS2, now with component cables it looks fantastic. At least the system will be playable without the component cables, so even if I don't manage to get them before launch I can still play it on my TV day 1.
Post by: Bartman3010 on November 13, 2006, 05:58:09 PM
Maybe I'll pick it up through the Target deal with the $20 gift card, just maybe.
Post by: Shecky on November 13, 2006, 06:33:08 PM
Post by: wandering on November 13, 2006, 06:59:25 PM
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True, but it's not exactly fair to compare a handheld game to a home console.
Ian's been saying this for months, but no one listens.
Post by: Edfishy on November 14, 2006, 04:32:43 AM
Post by: attackslug on November 16, 2006, 08:38:46 AM
As far as Excitetruck goes, it reminds me of an off-road fzero. It's fast, there are lots of obstacles, and some pretty extensive airtime from jumps. The visuals were OK. They certainly weren't sub GC quality, but they didn't look any better than a nice Xbox game. the textures were sharp, the water reflections were better than on the GC, the cars had relatime reflections on them, and there was plenty of foliage and small details like coconuts falling off trees when hit. The only ugly thing about the game is its level of detail scaling. trees and foliage have some nasty popup, and there were times where the terrain looked absolutely horrible. For instance, when taking a large jump on the Fiji stage, the shoreline was comprised of a couple of right angles as opposed to a smooth curve, or even rough, curve. You can see this happening on the "direct feed montage" video at IGN. Hell, you can even see it in the thumbnail for the video!
http://media.wii.ign.com/media/826/826983/vids_1.html
Post by: trip1eX on November 18, 2006, 11:40:13 AM
Post by: Smoke39 on November 18, 2006, 12:54:26 PM
Post by: Bill Aurion on November 19, 2006, 03:27:26 AM
Post by: Jensen on December 01, 2006, 12:49:11 PM
"Sorry, the batteries are out of power"
So I played some Off-road Truck game on the PS3 instead. I turned the Motion Sensing on, and pretended I was playing Excite Truck. The game even had overheating, speed boosts, crashes, and all of that stuff.
Half the playable consoles I see at stores are unplayable. The Wii demo units may do even worse...
Post by: SixthAngel on December 01, 2006, 01:36:19 PM
Post by: Ceric on December 01, 2006, 03:00:04 PM
