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Your Questions Answered

by Steven Rodriguez - October 29, 2006, 2:49 pm EST

We've got answers to some rapid-fire questions concerning Super Paper Mario, Wii progressive scan and a mysterious Wii startup disc.


Hey guys. Nice site. Question is, what is going on with Super Paper Mario? I have heard nothing about this game for months, and with all of your Wii coverage in the past months, the game seems conspicuously absent. Don't tell me they are "reworking" another GC game for the Wii! The control structure and previous installment of Paper Mario on the GC would seem to lay the foundation for the sequel returning to the GC. I don't really want to see a Paper Mario game with Wii sensitivity...the whole idea behind the game seems to be a retro thing, and so the game ought to played as such. Am I right?

Robert

I'm afraid Super Paper Mario has been moved to the Wii. You probably didn't hear about it because it was done so very quietly. The game was listed in Nintendo Japan's upcoming Wii titles list, and has conversely vanished from just about every official Nintendo GameCube release list. It sucks for GameCube owners that won't be able to get a Wii, but the move is in the best interest of Nintendo. They need to make sure Wii has a lot of good games in the first year, to ensure the system doesn't turn into another GameCube.

I expect Super Paper Mario on Wii to have some waggle controls, but they'll be secondary to the action. Nintendo should retool the game so the Wii remote's sideways controller mode is used to move Mario around and do other basic actions, with some controller movements for timed attacks during battle, or turning the landscape 90-degrees to go from 2D mode to 3D mode. If there's anymore than that, I will cry foul and impose a 15-yard penalty for excessive waggle. (Yes, that's an actual penalty.) The game is going to be great no matter how it controls, I think.


Hey guys,

A question came to mind whilst I was admiring the sexy blue light glowing from around the disc...uhhh, receptacle...on the Wii: am I going to have to keep a can of air next to my shiny new system? I am assuming that there is nothing covering the disc slot which makes me nervous, particularly because we have dogs at home. I am absolutely anal about keeping my consoles clean, and especially with the console angled up when in the stand, I am worried about dust, dog hair, etc. getting in through the disc slot. Legitimate worry, or no?

Thanks!

Jason M.

No. Slot-loading drives usually have a fuzzy felt lining around their inside edge, to trap most airborne dust from entering the hardware. Sort of how like your eyelashes work. With a disc in the slot most of the time, I don't think it will turn into a major issue.


Hi Guys,

Your site is awesome. I read it everyday.

I have a quick question ... has there been any information on whether or notthe Wii channels will be in progressive scan?

My HDTV will only accept progressive scan signals from the component ins ...so I am worried I will be having to change cables all the time to go from a 480p game back to the Wii channels.

Thanks

Jordan Leff

There hasn't been official confirmation, but I'm going to assume the console will have an option to set the menu screens and all games to run in the 480p video mode. The console might even automatically recognize what cables are connected and adjust video settings appropriately. However Nintendo does it, I hope that we don't need to press down a button to get games going in progressive scan every time. That was stupid.


Hey Bag,

Has it been announced whether any stores (specifically EB in my case) are doing midnight launches for Wii? If not, when do you think they will and/or do you think they will at all? Should I just call them in a couple weeks and ask?

I don't know about that. Call them in a couple of weeks and ask if they'll be doing it. They might not considering that most of the consoles they may be selling have been pre-ordered, but you never know. You could just as easily go in to a 24 hour Wal-Mart store and pick up one up at midnight if you're desperate to have one straight away.


Hey 'bag, few questions.

1. We've seen the cover art for the discs, but not the back side or the actual cases. Do you think they'll be in white DVD cases, since that seems to be Nintendo's big color choice? Also, what's the list of "Compatible Items" to be on the back... it'll be like a laundry list like XBox games: Nunchaku Required, Classic Controller Compatible, Gamecube Controller Compatible, WiiConnect24 Enabled, Nintendo WiFi Connect Enabled, 1-4 Players, xMB Required For Game Save, "Some Kind Of Display" Enhanced, Nintendo DS Compatible, Basic reading ability is required to fully enjoy this game

Finally, has Nintendo stopped using "Only For"on it's boxes? Nintendo DS games don't use it (despite the wealth of exclusives), Gameboy Advance games always used it (even if the same game was released in another form on another system), and none of the Wii boxes revealed so far announce it. Is this part of their "New Generation" concept?

2. What the heck could the "Startup Disc" be included with the Wii? How to set up the sensor bar, trailers, etc?

3. Im gonna have to be annonymous on this, but let me just say... if you're planning on buying three games for the Wii at launch, do it at Target. It'll be worth your money.

4. The question is now moot that Sony killed Lik-Sang, but they had Wii stuff for $0.00. Did they ever honor glitches like that like Amazon sometimes does?

5. WiiPlay. What's the deal with it coming to America? Is it, are we getting the same bundle, is it a launch title, etc.?

6. Trauma Center: Second Opinion. It's supposedly a launch title, but Gamestop's got it coming in a day or two later.

Thanks,

Anonymous

1. Pictures have been circulating that indeed show that the plastic DVD cases Wii games will come it are white. I like it. And that list of compatible items you mentioned will be gracefully included on the backs of the box arts. GameCube games don't have nearly as many features or combinations of things that work with their games, but that doesn't mean their display would be that much different.

You also asked about the "Only For" designation. Nintendo (and Microsoft) did this so people can see that whatever game they are looking at is exclusive to their system. I don't think that really mattered in the long run, because Sony never used any such designation for PSone or PS2 games. The only thing on the box was the PlayStation brand, and that was all most people needed to buy it. I think Nintendo wants to do the same thing with Wii. If they see Wii on the box, then hopefully, that's all people are going to need to help make their decision. I suppose the same train of thought can be applied to the DS.

2. For those unaware, the backs of Wii boxes have a list of contents that includes a mysterious "Startup Disc." This is not the included Wii Sports game, but rather, an unknown item. I believe it'll simply be a setup disc that explains to new users how to properly setup the system, an explanation of how the Wii controller works and its various modes, and perhaps even some demos and trailers.

3. Anonymous obliges!

4. I doubt any retailer does. Most of the time they'll issue a correction and let you cancel your order if you don't agree with the real price.

5. Nintendo has announced it for every region except North America. Curiously, the game was on display at the Nintendo Fusion Tour; read Aaron's impressions to see for yourself. It's clear that it's coming here, and it will be bundled with a controller. It's just a matter of when Nintendo makes it officially official.

6. Is it really going to kill you to wait another day or two? Anyways, retailer release dates aren't always accurate. This one might be, but you don't know until the game is actually out.


Hey Mr. Mailbag,

When it comes to getting online with the Wii, hom much configuration needs to be done with my computer, wireless router, and Wii. If I can log onto a wirelesss network with no difficulty, and no configurations with my laptop, can I expect the Wii to be the Same?

Mike C.

San Diego

Yeah, pretty much. As much flak as Nintendo gets for their online gaming network, the one thing that's good is that it's a breeze to setup. There is help around every corner, be it within game menus, instruction manuals or at Nintendo's website. But I don't think connecting Wii to a network will be any more difficult than scanning the area, finding your network ID and putting in your security key, if applicable.


G'day lad's,

I'm not sure whether you would know this yet, but do you have any definitive PAL release dates for both Baten Kaitos Origins & Tomb Raider: Legend on the Cube? I know that Baten is already out in Yankland, and that Tomb Raider should be released soon, but i'm wondering whether Ninty will bother to make some PAL conversions, especially since the old Cube is doing pretty sh*thouse here in the Land Down-Under, so I want your opinion as to whether I should wait for a local release, or just import the NTSC versions.

Cheers,

-Mick Dundee.

I can't say that I've heard anything regarding their releases. They'd better be released soon, or otherwise the Wii launch will give Nintendo less of a reason to release a game like Baten Kaitos Orgins over there. In both cases, I honestly don't think you'll get a fair PAL conversion of either game, Tomb Raider especially, leaving you with the same problems you'd have if you imported the NTSC versions. But if you do that, you'll get to play them sooner. I'd import.


quick questions,

I was wondering, the wii will be bundled with wii sports,but what ever happened to the wii-music or the footage of the kid playing drums with the two wii-motes? Will nintendo release other compilation discs through the years of wii?? I heard only europe and Japan will get wii-play, is this true? And finally, I have a television with 1080i will this change the way wii's 480p is displayed? Will getting component cables for wii (if I'm able) matter??

I already talked about Wii Play, but let me answer your other questions. Wii Music is apparently in development, and will be released eventually as its own game, much like Wii Sports or Wii Play. These three games are just the start of what Nintendo is going to offer to the mass-market consumer, so expect to see more of those types of games in the future. Also, your 1080i TV won't affect displaying Wii games, since virtually all 1080i TVs support the 480p format, which it will automatically switch to. You must have component cables to display either format, but you can still use the Wii on that TV if you don't have the cables. It just won't be in progressive mode.


A quick mailbag this week, but that's okay. As we roll toward November, send in your questions to the mailbag email address at the bottom of this page. Don't forget to sign your questions with your name! Keep them coming.

I also have a small announcement to make. Actually, it's a pre-cursor to a rather large announcement we'll be making later this week. Uh, wait...I guess that was the small announcement. What I'm trying to say is we'll have some big news regarding PGC and its future for you by the weekend. What is it? I can't say. I will say that you should keep your eyes peeled on us every day to see what it is!

I'll see you next week. Don't forget to tip your waiting person generously!

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