Our Wii got dusty this year – more retail titles than the 360, but less overall purchases. There’s no sign in the coming year that this will change.
Sadly, the same can be said of the DS. A handful of titles that warranted checking out, but nothing that made me say “Wow, 2008 was a great year to have a DS!”. Of course, with the system being four years old, it may be nearing the end of the lifecycle.
## High Points & Surprises
It can’t be argued that No More Heroes was the most enjoyable thing I played on the Wii this year, and the game that pushed the most boundaries this year. Suda51 is a mad man, but like all great mad men, his insanity is society’s gain.
On the DS, The World Ends With You showed that Square Enix *can* do a portable RPG that plays to the strengths of a portable without dumbing it down. Too bad Crisis Core didn’t get the same level of attention.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia finally gives us a tough Metroidvania game, almost to the point of pain. It’s more memorable than the other DS Castlevania titles, that’s for sure.
I played through Professor Layton & The Curious Village. As someone who loved puzzle books as a child, this was a fun nostalgia trip. I can’t figure out what the holdup is on the localization of the other Layton titles.
## Low Points & Disappointments
Super Smash Brothers Brawl failed to pull me in. After clocking endless hours on Melee during college, Brawl featured a slapdash plot, some obnoxious levels, and unplayable networking. It didn’t hook me, and I should probably trade it back.
Mario Kart Wii was more enjoyable than the Gamecube or N64 versions, but I still miss the psuedo-3D of the SNES and GBA titles. Still not quite the level of fun I’m looking for.
Wii Fit caused my most depressing moment of the year: the “fattening” animation after your first weigh-in. Whoever programmed that is a *dick*.
## Open Questions
Is Nintendo ever going to fix the storage issues on the Wii?
Is there any compelling reason to upgrade to the DSi? (I can’t find one.)