Mario Strikers & Wii-fi
Finally!!! A Nintendo Wii Wi-fi multiplayer game! Now I can play with my friends online just like I have been doing on the 360.
Mario Strikers Charged is another quality multiplayer game from Nintendo. It's just as fun as the original with a few new features that make it even more enjoyable. But I already knew that from playing the original... My main reason for buying this game was to check out Nintendo's multiplayer online functionality.
I've been a big fan of Nintendo from the beginning and, like most people, during the 64 and GameCube years they let me down but with the Wii they were beginning to win back my trust. After playing the hell out of Wii Sports, Zelda, and a few other forgettable titles, there was not much left too play on the Wii. It soon became useless, taking up space on entertainment cart, and I forgot about it.
Working at Pandemic, with a lot of hardcore gamers pushed me to get a 360 and engage in the online fun that is Xbox Live. It was all so seamless and simple. It took seconds to add friends and even less time to invite them to games online. Elegantly simple. Because of this I couldn't wait for Nintendo to try their hand in the online market. I hadn't been a big fan of their virtual console (over priced if you ask me - I own all of those games and they still work on my original consoles). So I assumed Nintendo would improve upon their rival's online functionality and ease of use. After all, the Wii was one of the simplest consoles out there and it's all about group gaming!
So when I heard about Mario Strikers being their first multi-player online game I was happy to run out and buy it. Of course, the first thing I did was to try and play online with a friend. I thought it would be funny to just invite him in the middle of a game (assuming Xbox Live functionality)... I was sorely disappointed. The first thing I end up facing is the dreaded "friend code" input screen. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!?!?!?! Can't I just access my Wii friends and choose one of them to play? Perhaps see if they are online??? Ugh... After cursing Nintendo and it's makers, I shut down my Wii and started up my 360 to play some Carcassonne online.
Why Nintendo... why?