Top 5 Ideas For The Wii Remote MotionPlus

It’s been awhile since there has been a Top 5 list at WiiBlog. Maybe I forgot about it, or was too lazy to do it but today I remembered it and feel inspired. Yesterday I put up a YouTube video of alive.net’s cool tech demo utilizing the Wii Remote MotionPlus technology. It got me thinking about some ideas that could easily be utilized with Nintendo’s new Wii technology. These kind of lists have to be my favorite, because there’s nothing like making up games and ideas that’ll probably never exist.

So here you have it….

5. Luigi’s Mansion 2 (with ghost trapping feature) - Luigi’s Mansion was easily one of the most underrated titles in Nintendo’s history. When the Gamecube was released, gamers were begging and crying for a Mario game. Nintendo kind of obliged in a way, when Luigi’s Mansion was released. The game was praised by critics for introducing fresh and innovative ideas. Some gamers felt left out though, as it wasn’t a traditional Mario platformer they’d been dreaming about since Mario 64.

All of that is in the past now, and we all have moved onto the Nintendo Wii. We’ve all got our Mario fix with Super Mario Galaxy, so I think it’s time for the green outcast brother to get his shot again. I think if there’s any game in Nintendo’s past that’s well suited for an upgraded Wii remote it’s Luigi’s Mansion. The original game was all about precision, and making sure you blasted ghosts with your flashlight. The controls for Luigi’s Mansion could easily be modified to make use of the Wii remote MotionPlus. How about using MotionPlus to drag the ghost where you want with subtle movements of the wii remote. Or you could steal an idea from the Ghostbusters, and have a trap that you could slide out to catch the ghosts. How far the trap goes is determined by how hard you slide the wii remote (which could be highly refined with MotionPlus). The creative ideas are bountiful for a Luigi’s Mansion sequel.

4. Legend of Zelda Sword Dueling Bundle - It has been hinted that the Wii remote MotionPlus will automatically come bundled with Wii Sports Resort next spring. While it’s all dandy that Nintendo is going to bundle a game with the MotionPlus accessory, they’re doing it all wrong by bundling it with a fully priced game. One of the reasons that the Wii Zapper sold so well was because consumers thought they were getting a good deal. A wii remote-gun making accessory, with a Legend of Zelda shooter? Just let me know where to sign up. I think this is one instance where repetition could be a good thing.

Instead of trying to release a full game and accessory for lets say $49.99, or $59.99, release a Legend of Zelda Sword Dueling bundle. The content would be the same amount as Link’s Crossbow training was for the Wii Zapper. You could scale down the cost of the bundle to $29.99 or $39.99, and you could really show off what the Wii Remote MotionPlus could do. Let’s see what’s better? Throwing a frisbee to a dog on the beach, or having an epic sword duel with Ganondorf??? Perhaps an epic sword duel on the beach with a barking dog in the background?

3. Drum Hero - At E3 this year one of the most exciting parts of the show was seeing drums being played on Wii Music. I could have done without the faux punk rocker doing it, but hey it’s drums on the Wii so I was happy. Ever since Guitar Hero was released, I thought an innovative idea for the Wii would be a Drum Hero game instead of trying to duplicate Guitar Hero. Apparently no one was listening, but maybe it was because the right kind of technology hadn’t come along yet.

A perfect example of why the current wii remote might not make for a good Drum Hero game is looking at the game Wii Sports baseball. In the game, how hard things are hit or thrown aren’t replicated by the strength of your moves. So just making a quick short flick of the remote would make you throw faster than someone doing a full windup. This example is why Drum Hero might not have worked so well without MotionPlus. Picking up on the exact rhythm of the Wii remote and nunchuk would be pretty tough to do without full 1:1 motion support. Now Activision has no excuse so I wan’t Drum Hero to be worked on immediately.

2. Full 1:1 Jedi Lightsaber Game - I’ve spent so many posts talking about lightsabers and how they would be so much pwnage on the Wii, I’m not even going to explain it. Suffice to say, Lightsabers + MotionPlus = nerdgasms all over the interwebs.

1. Punch Out (you can do it Nintendo) - When I saw the trailer for Captain Rainbow, and Little Mac was playing one of the washed up Nintendo characters, I shed a tear. The agonizing truth is that Little Mac is washed up, not having seen any action since the SNES days. But I can hear Little Mac in the distance yelling, “Cut me Mick, Cut me”. Because I have a feeling that Little Mac wants to get back in the ring. Miyamoto hinted to a Punchout game during an IGN interview at E3. Miyamoto was talking about how the MotionPlus accessory would work great for games that required alot of movement…..like a Punch Out! game.

Come On Nintendo…How Can You Turn Down That Face?

I couldn’t agree anymore with Miyamoto. Wii Sports boxing, and Wii Fit’s rhythm boxing are pretty fun, but don’t really pick up on all the intricacies of throwing a punch. Wii Sports boxing had different punches to throw, but if you threw them too fast the Wii remote wouldn’t pick up on them. The Wii remote MotionPlus would be a perfect solution to the speed problems of throwing a punch. Plus, if there’s any game that deserves to come out of retirement and receive a Wii polished shine it’s Punch Out!

So there you have it, my Top 5 ideas for the Wii Remote MotionPlus. I know you all probably disagree with my list, and have ideas of your own. I’d love to hear them, as its healthy to hear outside opinions and differing ideas (or so my psychiatrist tells me).