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Not all Wii games are as transparently accessible as Wii Sports. Mary very briefly tried Elebits and didn't quite grasp what to do, as she was moving the Nunchuk forward and back, instead of the joystick. "I think it's a neat concept. I only played it once, and I didn't really understand what I was doing until I watched you play on your own. That gave me a better overall feel of the game. Next time I'll know better how to maneuver better and get those little guys." Already, she's anticipating a next time!Would she play Wii with her kids more than she does with GameCube? "Oh without a doubt. I almost never play GameCube. I play maybe once a week or every other week with the kids. They play and I watch them, but I don't normally play with them. If we had a Wii, absolutely I would play with them." Jokingly, she adds, "I imagine I would even have to put a time limit on myself!"
When I was playing Rayman Raving Rabbids with her son, she was genuinely intrigued by some of the minigames that we were playing, especially the cow-tossing one. For someone who never cared much for videogames, wanting a turn at tossing cows and slamming doors is a good sign.
Mary takes her fitness training seriously
If this is any indication, Nintendo may be bringing family gaming back. I know that when I was younger, I would often play games with my mom, but that time faded as games became 3D and grew more complex. "Even just having the Wii at Christmas time, everybody got a chance to play. Everybody was, not fighting over it, but wanting a turn. And I think that it's great for family gatherings, or even just a Friday night at home with your kids or your friends. It's a really great idea."
At Christmas time, there was a slideshow shown using pictures, music, and video in the Wii Picture Channel. This pretty much sold Mary on that particular feature, especially considering how effortless it was to throw together. She seemed to like the ability to view and create puzzles with photos, but would like compatibility with her camera's media type.
We didn't get a chance to check out the Wii's online features, but Mary, her kids, and I did have a chance to play Bomberman '93 from the Virtual Console. On the subject of classic games, two immediately came up. "[Super] Battleship. I don't know who is getting this interview, but that would be a good one to release! And I like Pac-Man, so getting it on the Wii? I would do that." Mary did mention that the Virtual Console sounds interesting, but it wouldn't be something to explore right away, "because I'd be too busy playing the sports games. It'd be great to update the graphics [on the Virtual Console], but I'd still play anyway."
