Author Topic: All the unique game ideas for the Wii Balance Board (Read 13186 times)

Kairon · « **on:** July 11, 2007, 10:14:09 PM »

Let's start a thread to collect all the specific game ideas and concepts that would fit this new peripheral!

For example...

A Sumo Wrestling game. You stand on the board and have to stay balanced while pumping the wiimote and nunchuck forward, sideways, or pulling them back in an attempt to push your on-screen opponent off balance! If your own balance on the wiiboard is too off-kilter, your on-screen avatar will end up falling instead! Also, an online mode for head-to-head Sumo bouts between players.

Or...

A Psychic game where you can read the memories of "objects" by placing a hand on the board. You'd splay out your fingers, and play a minigame with pressing down each different section of your hand/palm as necessary by on-screen prompts. Do this correctly, and the game object you're supposedly touching will trigger a cut scene of memories you've unlocked!

Mashiro · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2007, 10:18:52 PM »

I love the Sumo idea.

When my brain is more awake I'll get back to you with my own ideas =)

King of Twitch · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2007, 10:45:24 PM »

Roller blading (jet grind radio?)
Sim Reggie- use the board to smash things
realistic jump control for the next real mario platformer
twister
masseuse training-learn to massage in minutes a day! (or acupuncture!)

edit i suppose the pressure thingy could double as a sobriety tester, and a line-walking test. think of what the college dorms could do with that one.

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2007, 11:48:08 PM »

The next iteration of 1080 Snowboarding should at least allow optional use of this, as well as the next Tony Hawk game. It shouldn't ever be a mandatory controller but as an optional controller it would definitely be a novelty for many games.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2007, 02:12:11 AM »

Any board sports game.

Used as extra buttons for third person and first person shooters...(Think peaking around corners and stuff.)

Track and field game.

Pedals for a car. Gas and Brake.

Controls for a Mech.

Wii Sports 2 applications.

Dance games.

UncleBob · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2007, 02:24:23 AM »

From the E3 Mega thread:

DK Bongo Blast - Bongos - GameCube + Wii - Waggle + Balance Board = new DK Racing game?

Also, somewhere, someone suggested a Balance Board + Zapper game that was a "Hover Board Shooter". Sounds like fun to me.

Mashiro · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2007, 02:31:10 AM »

A full fledged Star Wars 1 on 1 Lightsaber fighting game. With the Wiimote you control your saber movements and with the Wii Board you simply shift your body to make your character dodge and shift and stuff.

Also a fun game could be a "knock your opponent over" kinda game where your Mii's could be on various small platforms and you have to strike at your opponent with the Wiimote. Your character on screen with become off balanced and you'll have to use your body movements to regain balance. An on screen indicator will help show how you have to position yourself to regain sure-footing.

ShyGuy · « **Reply #7 on:** July 12, 2007, 06:44:54 AM »

If we don't get a luge game using this, I'm going on strike.

MJRx9000, the Masseuse game involves walking on peoples backs, right?

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #8 on:** July 12, 2007, 07:15:58 AM »

It would work great as the pedal for a Time Crisis game.

Well done, Namco...

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2007, 07:31:03 AM »

I hate to be negative but I don't see Nintendo (or any company for that matter) using the pad beyond Wii Fit.

The pad is cool, yes, but it looks like the sort of peripheral developers use for one specific game (Donkey Konga Bongos), then they try to use it on another game (Jungle Beat) and forget it ever existed.

Again, the pad will rock for Wii Fit, but I seriously doubt anyone will use it for other games. In fact I'll be very surprised if they did.

MarioAllStar · « **Reply #10 on:** July 12, 2007, 08:42:01 AM »

See below.

MarioAllStar · « **Reply #11 on:** July 12, 2007, 08:42:12 AM »

It will not be used as much as the nunchuck, classic controller, or Zapper by my prediction.

But I do believe it will be used more than the DK Bongos. The bongos were a specialized product from the start, with the barrel design and DK logo. On the other hand, the Wii Balance Board is just another accessory. As far as I know, it doesn't have any WiiFit-specific markings.

Also the bongos were more limiting in their abilities: two large buttons, one start button, and a clap sensor. The balance board alone has but two pressure-sensitive buttons, but can be used with the remote (although it could get a little difficult).

UncleBob · « **Reply #12 on:** July 12, 2007, 08:45:11 AM »

The Bongos actually had four different buttons on them, two on each pad. I don't think *any* game ever made use of this though, but they do register differently.

mantidor · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2007, 10:37:47 AM »

The only thing I can think of is car pedals, I hate standing up while gaming, TV are always put at a sitting level and looking down sucks, not to mention that this is indeed tiring, a lot more than the remote.

Kairon · « **Reply #14 on:** July 12, 2007, 10:51:02 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
It would work great as the pedal for a Time Crisis game.

Well done, Namco...

Wow, I didn't thinki fo that one!

UltimatePartyBear · « **Reply #15 on:** July 12, 2007, 12:01:38 PM »

I keep seeing Time Crisis mentioned here and elsewhere, but the balance board is extreme overkill for the foot pedal the arcade machines use. It would be all around better to just point off screen to hide and reload. The Wii can handle that out of the box.

The balance board is a pretty complicated device, and most of the ideas people are coming up with could be done with a Power Pad. I don't mean any offense. I just really don't expect to see much else done with it. It's likely going to be an expensive peripheral, and even cheap peripherals are barely supported.

that Baby guy · « **Reply #16 on:** July 12, 2007, 12:06:12 PM »

Technically, it could be used as a large handheld touch screen when calibrated correctly.

Just saying. Mario Paint, anyone?

Mashiro · « **Reply #17 on:** July 12, 2007, 12:06:17 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: PartyBear
The balance board is a pretty complicated device, and most of the ideas people are coming up with could be done with a Power Pad.

...did you ever even own a power pad?

How would a power pad work in a skate boarding style game for example? It wouldn't, it registers your foot steps like a DDR dance pad, it doesn't recognize you shifting your weight and such.

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2007, 12:57:03 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I hate to be negative but I don't see Nintendo (or any company for that matter) using the pad beyond Wii Fit.

The pad is cool, yes, but it looks like the sort of peripheral developers use for one specific game (Donkey Konga Bongos), then they try to use it on another game (Jungle Beat) and forget it ever existed.

Again, the pad will rock for Wii Fit, but I seriously doubt anyone will use it for other games. In fact I'll be very surprised if they did.

That would be too bad. The idea is actually phenomenal, and quite a bit could be done with it as demonstrated in this thread. Hell if no one does anything with it, I'd be pretty compelled to design a WiiWare game that would take use of it.

Mashiro · « **Reply #19 on:** July 12, 2007, 12:59:25 PM »

I agree with Mr. Jack 100%.

It would be such a waste for companies not to make games for this device. The way I see WiiFit is the same way I see Wii Sports for the Wiimote. It's a game that shows a range of applications for the hardware and what it is capable of.

Just think if all these ideas are rushing through our heads just think of what developers may be thinking up.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #20 on:** July 12, 2007, 01:03:20 PM »

"Just think if all these ideas are rushing through our heads just think of what developers may be thinking up."

The sad thing it doesn't always work that way. When GBA connectivity was revealed for the Cube tons of cool ideas were passed around that were better than anything that was actually done. Same with the DS touchscreen. I've read some cool ideas on this board and the real games that come about have not been nearly as cool.

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #21 on:** July 12, 2007, 01:10:50 PM »

Unfortunately Ian speaks truth, but we'll just have to wait and see. Most of the time developers aren't calling all the shots, so even their great ideas get passed up in favor of making a new Hannah Montana game.

nickmitch · « **Reply #22 on:** July 12, 2007, 01:24:11 PM »

Well, Ubisoft didn't know about the board before E3, so I doubt anyone else did. If we were to see a 3rd party game for it, it wouldn't be for at least a good while after WiiFit is out. The main problem I see is Nintendo coming out with a peripheral by the time good games could be made for it. This is probably unlikely, though.

Chozo Ghost · « **Reply #23 on:** July 12, 2007, 03:29:54 PM »

How about a surfboarding game? Or a skateboarding game?

Lots of WarioWare type microgames could make use of it as well. I can see it being used to pump up a tire, or to move one of those railroad car things you move yourself...

Chozo Ghost · « **Reply #24 on:** July 12, 2007, 03:43:50 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"Just think if all these ideas are rushing through our heads just think of what developers may be thinking up."

The sad thing it doesn't always work that way. When GBA connectivity was revealed for the Cube tons of cool ideas were passed around that were better than anything that was actually done. Same with the DS touchscreen. I've read some cool ideas on this board and the real games that come about have not been nearly as cool.

That's true, and I was disappointed that GC-GBA connectivity didn't work out better than it did.... one of the reasons was because the GC never really caught on. I think Wii-DS connectivity will work much better because these products are both insanely popular so it is far more likely consumers will have both at the same time, plus they have built in capability to communicate with one another and don't require a seperate cord...

As for this Wii Balance Board, that really depends on how well it catches on. I think if Nintendo created a Wii bundle that included this board, the nunchuck, and the Zapper along with the wiimote and Wii system for a bit extra it would sell really well and cement these accessories in as standard peripherals that developers would have to take seriously. Nintendo needs to ensure all Wii owners have these so developers will adopt them.

They also need to lead the way and push first party games for them.

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Author Topic: All the unique game ideas for the Wii Balance Board (Read 13186 times)