The Nintendo Wii Vs. Playstation 3: Comparing Two Gaming Systems

Having not caught up with the hype surrounding the Xbox 360 quite yet, I can safely say that the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii have more than satisfied the closet video gamer within me. Both systems have their positive and negative aspects, and both are exceptional in the sheer fact that they have exceeded their predecessors hands-down and numerous times over.

The Nintendo Wii is revolutionary with regard to its new and complex controllers. The main controller is a slender remote that can easily be held in one hand and secures to your wrist with a strap (to prevent any unfortunate gaming accidents.) There is also the strangely shaped "numb chuck" controller as I've heard it referred to that is used for play that requires two hands. Using them together can be a challenge when the gamer first starts using the system, but it provides an entirely new experience. I had weeks of fun just goofing around with the Wii Sports game that comes with the game system package, a simple game that involves creating Wiis' (video-game personas that you can create within the Wii's own programs.) You can play one of five sports at a time: tennis, boxing, golf, bowling, or baseball. Though it might seem primitive and boring being a freebee, it actually acts as a tutorial in its structure as to how to use the controllers. When it comes to the Wii, it's a good idea to imagine that whatever you're attempting to use in the game is the Wii controller itself, because that's the way you're gonna use it. When playing tennis, you must swing the controller over your head carefully as though you were actually holding a racket, and when playing golf you have to hold the controller facing downward and swinging it upwards. I found using the controller this way to be fascinating, especially since up until the Wii was manufactured every action done in a video game required amazing button-pressing skills. Thanks to the Wii, you can use true aim, control and mastery of its revolutionary controllers to make your way to victory in the games instead of memorizing button functions. This adds a whole new element to gaming that I have greatly enjoyed since we purchased our Nintendo Wii.

I only have one or two qualms with the Nintendo Wii myself; sometimes, the dual controllers are hard to use together. For instance, one of the games that we have purchased for the game system is a game called "Red Steel," which follows the story of a man searching for his fiance through numerous crime-infested places (can't give the video game points for originality, but then again there really are no original games left to be made given the sheer volume of them.) The gameplay offers switching between using a sword and a gun in certain places of the video game, and though I've only gotten the chance to play it a few times myself, I wasn't entirely impressed with the way Nintendo had the controls set up in the game. Because the actions in the game depend upon separate controllers, it's incredibly easy (especially for players just starting to play the game) to get confused on how to aim and learn which controller controls what. When I was playing it, needless to say my own casualty count skyrocketed because I couldn't figure out how to combat anyone properly. My brother, who has played it much more than me, claims that the controls just take some getting used to, so hard-core gamers will probably get the hang of it swiftly enough. For those playing games just for some quick and spare fun at times, it might not be the best choice since the controls take some getting used to. Instead, playing Mario Party VIII on the Nintendo Wii might be a better idea. Its controls are explained thoroughly and the gameplay is fun and innocent, and the game is filled with entirely new mini-games to make your way through.

I've only played the Playstation 3 on a few occasions as well, but admittedly I was very impressed with the way the graphics have evolved throughout the progression of the Playstation line created by Sony. The games make you feel transported right into the midst of the battle or storyline that you're making your way through because of the realistic feel to all of the graphics. The game that I've played most on it is Resistance: Fall of Man which is a shooter game that takes place on a world that is being overrun by strange chimera-like creatures who are both intelligent and brutal. (Again, not the most original storyline, but what're you gonna do.) I was skeptical when my brother first asked me to play it; in the past, I've found most shooter games to be primitive in both story and design. (Think back to the N64 where you could dodge gunfire by running from behind one flat box-like surface to another one, and another one.) But this game was refreshingly realistic and a thrill to play. The multi-player mode runs very smoothly; the players are able to run around and through the complex backgrounds and scenes of the video game without any glitches or obvious pauses that can interrupt gameplay, and the graphics are so life-like that I jumped on numerous occasions when faced with an approaching enemy. Personally, I got more entertainment out of this game than I did from the first two Halo games (I have yet to play the third and most recent one however, so I cannot compare it to that one.) The gameplay feels more raw and less convoluted than previous shooter games I'd played, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Anyone who buys a Playstation 3 should add this game to their shopping list if they like thrills and excellent graphics.

The only disappointing thing I found about the Playstation 3 was the lack of evolution in the controls. As I mentioned earlier on in this essay, the Wii really won me over because of the effort they took to make the gameplay more interesting and more involved for the players. The Playstation 3 has the gorgeous graphics, but the same old blistering button pushing. I believe if they had taken the effort to come up with their own design for a more unique controller it would have made the games all the better for the system. But this is a minor disagreement and a personal opinion regardless of this; video game systems have their own lengthy evolution and Nintendo will more than likely always be ahead of Sony with regard to inventiveness considering their extended lifetime as a system-producing company.

Overall, both video game systems are impressive in their own right for various reasons: the Nintendo Wii is a joy because of its unique controllers, and the Playstation 3 has really made strides forward with their unparalleled graphics. Both systems are well worth the money paid for them (especially for those of you out there waiting for their price tags to drop a little bit more before you buy them.) For any dedicated video-gamer, they are a must have to experience the newest in video gaming technology and development. Now, if they could only invent those neat helmets we always see in futuristic movies that place the person right into the game, I think we could all die happy.