Wii Graphics

So I've noticed we've yet to discuss the Wii graphics. They say they don't focus on graphics this time, which is fair, but the console appears to be powerful enough to give impressive graphics, considering how much of 360 and PS3's power is needlessly put towards HD output. Judging from the E3 conference, where the games were finally revealed, I'd say we've reached the point where, just like the 360, the graphics depend entirely on the developers. Some of the games we saw were as beautiful as anything the 360 has shown us, whilst others could have easily been a PS2 game. Here's a few I'd like to mention.


Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Not all that far off from Metroid Prime 2 (though I feel that says more about the beauty of Metroid Prime 2 than it does about the limitations of 3), it seems Retro/Nintendo are happy with how metroid looks now. It's Metroid Prime 2 with the edges smoothed off - no low res textures and no blurring. There's the occasional Jaggie in the background but they are pretty much excusable here, seems to have that 'we are happy with how Metroid looks now, why improve it with needless specular and bump mapping, when we like this smooth plasticy look? Samus looks superb, though (shame it's first person!).

Fire Emblem
Frankly one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen. You could have all the bump maps and specular effects in the world but not come close to this. The graphics are rendered like a beautiful manga-esque painting, with a sort of half cel shaded half normal effect. I did wonder if this was an FMV at first, but when you look closely it does contain a few of the minor flaws which appear in realtime graphics. I doubt we'll ever see anything quite like this on the 360 or Playstation Thwii, since realism is their obsession.

Super Mario Galaxy
Again, beautiful. As good as I could have ever asked it to be. Looks like "Mario 360" if you will. All the specular and bumpmapping effects are there and the poly count is as high as they come. It's become pretty much impossible to tell FMV/artwork apart from realtime/screenshots. Absolutely perfect.

Excite Truck
Could easily be a PS2 game, visually. Graphics are nothing special at all, but it's clear that they were never intended to be. Gameplay first graphics later. It's pure and simple. This allows for faster development of the games and more focus on putting the console's potential towards it's gameplay rather than looks. I am happy with this approach. No longer will every single game ever made be competing in a beauty contest.

Red Steel
Nice enough. Great physics and special effects. Just what can be expected of Ubisoft. Not gorgeous or anything, but if this was a 360 game, I don't think anybody would be slating the graphics, if you get my point?

Rayman 4
After those early screenshots were released I was a little worried. Those were of the 'current gen consoles' version. I wasn't let down by the Wii version, it's as pretty as they come. I doubt the 360 and PS3 versions will look any better.

Sonic Wild Fire
Definitely advanced over the Gamecube games, though not quite as pretty as the 360/PS3 title. It's clear that they've tried to keep things cartoony for this one, especially considering the shorter, 'cuter' looking Sonic. Looks every bit as good as the old CG videos of Sonic they used to make back in the day.


I was not let down by the graphics of Wii at all. In fact I was pleasantly surprised. Judging from Mario Galaxy and a few other titles, Wii is clearly capable of most of the visuals we've seen on 360. It's clear that the "graphics aren't everything" philosophy ISN'T just them trying to cover up the fact that the console is graphically inferior. Perhaps we'll be this generation's PS2 for the multiplatform games, but that never bothered the PS2 owners, nor did it damage it's sales. Not all of the games focus on graphics, though, which I also find pleasing. Some games may not look any more special than a PS2 title, some may look like something from the 360, depending on the decisions of the developers. This means our Gamecube games won't look dated when we play them on it, and even the virtual console games might not feel so archaic.

Bottom line - we all know that graphics aren't everything, and I, if not all of us, would have still been happy if Wii's visuals were nothing more than a slightly more crisp Gamecube. But I think we've all been given everything we had hoped for and more.

This post has been edited by DistantJ on May 10 2006, 05:24 AM

I'm not disappointed with what I've seen so far, overall. I might be slightly let down if and when multiformat games look a lot better on all the other consoles.

I'd like to see a lot more non-photorealistic rendering. If graphics are stylised and pretty unique, then people are forced to judge them on their own merits.

Judging from Mario though, which bares all of the elements of most 360 games, Wii is more than capable of handling a decent looking version of the announced multiplatform games like Call of Duty and such. It handles the bump maps, specular, lighting etc etc which make all the titles as pretty as they are. It just might not be quite so highly defined, and perhaps one or two special effects might have to be lower resolution (as if it'd even be noticable since the thing isn't in HD) to keep the processing speed up.

Some Tony Hawk Game

Absolute suckness

Yeah.

I'm impressed, too. Mario Galaxy surprised me though.

of course though, the ps2 got okami and the xbox got jsrf despite both being "realism obsessed" in their time...

http://wii.nintendo.com/hardware.html
Graphics Processing Unit: Being developed with ATI.

As said before, "BEING" does not mean it's done. They are apparently still working. And ever looked at the N64? Notice the difference between Conker's BFD and Super Mario 64? Graphics evolve. :)

Here's what I say:

They're good enough.

:P

Gotta remember that the E3 conference wasn't great quality when it comes to the recordings. I think the graphics are fine myself, but you should also remember that a lot of these games are still likely to change.

exactly why it's annoying to hear idiots talk about how non-next-gen the graphics in (insert 360 game) are, good man

This post has been edited by Quicky on May 10 2006, 10:14 AM

Remeber what Iwata said about the graphics: "You will say... wow." :P

Graphics don't matter to me... unless they're blindingly godawful.

Sorry for living under a rock here, but what is Super Mario Galaxy?

The long-speculated Super Mario 128.
Or so they say.
About the graphics, I honestly don't give a **** as long as he gameplay is as juicy as it looks/they promise.
Godawesome sweetnes. =3

No he didn't. He ment that we'd say WOW at the revealing of the Revolution (now the Wii). I said WOW several times. The speaker of the controller for instance. From controller to TV sound-dept. Awesome. :D

He said "People looking at next generation graphics for the first time are going to say one thng: WOW. [Short but pretty Metroid clip] As you can see, graphically, Revolution can more than hold it's own".

Mario Galaxy's graphics are perfect, though. I don't think it'd even be possible to have a better looking Mario.

If I didn't know that Wii's graphic hardware is apparently inferior, I wouldn't have even noticed, to be honest. Especially after Mario.

This post has been edited by DistantJ on May 10 2006, 12:48 PM

I'm more impressed with Disaster's graphics.

I'll put it this way: by no means are the graphics bad. They just pale in comparison to what the 360, PS3, and PC are putting out, and it's harder to say "These are really good graphics" after seeing stuff like Crysis.

Endorsify.

They should make another Super Smash Bros Game with these graphics