Google Reader on the Wii

It seems those crazy Googlers have done it again. Yesterday on the Google Reader blog, Mihai Parparita posted about his experience using Google Reader in the Wii’s Opera-based “internet channel”. In his words:

As I was recovering from Wii elbow, I began to explore the capabilities of the Opera-based Internet Channel. It occurred that Reader may be a lot of fun on the Wii, especially with many photo and video feeds.

So naturally Mihai and his crack dev team went into their coding cave and emerged with a version of the Google Reader web app modified for the Wii Internet Channel. It even integrates with Wiimote controls:

  • up/down: scroll up/down
  • right/left: next/previous item
  • 1 button: show subscriptions
  • 2 button: show links

When showing subscriptions:

  • up/down: previous/next subscription
  • right: select current subscription
  • left: close
  • -/+: collapse/expand folder

Check this out if you want to see a demo of what the Wii GReader interface looks like. Google Reader just keeps getting better. Oh and here’s his demo video:

via Official Google Reader Blog

Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade

So there have been a couple of new releases now on the VC and XBLA… those being Super Mario World, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Alien Hominid HD. Super Mario World is basically a given, one of the most enjoyable platformers ever. Ocarina of Time is awesome, mainly because I never got to finish that game (I never actually owned a Nintendo 64, so it was a pain in the ass to play it).

And Alien Hominid HD is a high-def revision of the popular web flash game developed by The Behemoth, Inc. I’m stoked to get that Alien Hominid download, looks really awesome. But even better is The Behemoth’s next title, Castle Crashers. Looks f’ing sick. Check the sample after the jump.
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Prince of Persia: Rival Swords Video

So Ubisoft’s next installment in the Prince of Persia series (which has been in decline since PoP: The Sands of Time), called Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, will be out on the Wii. And according to Ubisoft, it’ll have full motion-control features to control player movement and fighting. This game seems like a perfect candidate for the motion-sensing Wii-mote/Nunchuk combo and I can’t wait to try it out. Ubisoft rarely disappoints when it comes to innovation.

via 1PStart

My New Wii

I finally got a Nintendo Wii yesterday, and let me tell ya, it’s easily the best video game system ever. Also picked up WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Haven’t had a chance to play Zelda yet, but we spent hours last night playing WarioWare. The whole idea behind WarioWare is that it bombards you with little short minigames that you have 4 or 5 seconds to complete each. And the biggest challenge is trying to guess what it’s going to throw next. One game will be making a weightlifter do a couple of squats, the next could be shredding some paper in a handle-powered shredder, then you might be trying to shove a finger in a nose. Basically anything goes in this game. This iteration of WarioWare is somehow more incoherent and insane than the previous Gamecube and DS versions, if you can believe that. Each of the minigames uses a given control scheme, such as:

The Mortar and Pestle, the Remote Control, the Umbrella, the Handlebar, the Sketch Artist, the Chauffeur, the Waiter, and so on.

So all that you’re given at the start of each minigame is what control scheme you’re supposed to use, but that doesn’t necessarily help you very much. For instance, you could have one game using the “Remote Control” where you have to move a spaceship around and abduct a person, and the next could be another “Remote Control” game where there’s a girl falling from a building and you have to reach your hand out to save her. We all were laughing our asses off all night long.

Wii Sports is also a gem. AND it’s bundled with the console, which is about the best option for a system launch bundle that you can get. It includes Tennis, Boxing, Golf, Baseball, and Bowling. My personal favorite is probably multiplayer bowling and tennis. I actually found myself sweating running around the room playing tennis. Also, simply watching other people play Wii Sports is pretty exciting. Stand back to the side of the TV and just watch your friends flail around like idiots.