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Wii Warm Up: Renting
by Chris Greenhough 
{ Jan 22nd 2009 at 8:00AM }
Renting at the start of a console's lifespan always made sense to us (and the N64 kid): at a platform launch, all games carry a premium price tag, so borrowing your games is plainly a good idea.
However, the Wii is now well past its second birthday, and cheap games are absolutely plentiful. Renting therefore seems redundant, but a quick Google search will reveal plenty of places willing to sling you a Wii game for a few bucks, so somebody is borrowing them.
Are you one of those people, and if so, why? Maybe there's a good reason to rent that we haven't thought of. Are current economic woes causing people to explore cheaper ways of playing games?
Wii Warm Up: Celebrities
by Chris Greenhough { Jan 21st 2009 at 8:00AM } 
Not so long ago, Nintendo was content to advertise its biggest franchises with kids rapping awkwardly on a sofa. Since then, things have changed somewhat. In a bid to capture more and more of the expanded audience, Ninty is throwing the celebrities at us, such as those in the UK advert above (Harry Redknapp's evident confusion during the Brawl segment is something we shall always enjoy seeing).
How do you view slebs being used to endorse some of your favorite gaming products? Is it a horribly cynical marketing ploy, or simply a very cunning tactic on Nintendo's part? Also, do you know of anybody who was nudged toward a Nintendo-branded system by one of these adverts?
Wii Warm Up: Bit.Trip: Which Beats?
by Chris Greenhough { Jan 15th 2009 at 8:00AM } 
The debut footage of Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip: Beat received a mainly positive response from our (obviously very cultured) readers, but one comment in particular got us thinking. Reader Go1denchi1d suggested the game needed an editor, to allow us to compile our own chiptune ditties, and we could not agree more strongly.No such feature has been announced (yet), but if it were, which song would you want to recreate (and deflect colored blocks to) first?
Wii Warm Up: How long?
by Chris Greenhough { Jan 8th 2009 at 8:00AM }
It's a simple question, but also a vital one when it comes to establishing those all-important fanboy credentials: in an average day, how long do you spend playing on your Wii?Does your time playing on Nintendo's system vary greatly from the time you dedicate to other gaming platforms? And in your memory, what's the longest period you've not played the console for?
Wii Warm Up: Building a tower
by Chris Greenhough { Jan 6th 2009 at 8:00AM }
Quite a specific Wii Warm Up this morning, in that it's just for World of Goo players. Having recently started the game (remember that it only came out in Europe recently), I'm still only on the third chapter, but find myself constantly drawn back to the "World of Goo Corporation" mode. Here, players can construct huge, wobbly towers of goo from the excess goo balls they rescue in the main game.I am transfixed by this mode (which I realize is basically Tower of Goo, the game that kicked off 2D Boy's WiiWare adventure), and will contentedly spend a couple of hours building, before inevitably watching my creations collapse. So far, I've managed a tower of around 23 meters, which I know you guys have bettered. What's the highest you've managed?
Wii Warm Up: Gaming tantrums
by Chris Greenhough { Jan 1st 2009 at 10:30AM }
To what extent do games make you lose your temper? While it may seem silly for an older youth/adult to lose their rag over a game, we recognize that our hobby can still be frustrating.
Do you loudly voice your annoyance, throw controllers about the place, or, like this blogger, mutter dark thoughts under your breath? I'd like to just let it all out in the same way as the kid above, but this sort of behavior is "frowned upon" once you hit 28.
Gallery: Wii and friends: A Great Match
Wii Warm Up: Your chat, show us it
by Chris Greenhough { Dec 25th 2008 at 10:30AM }
Well, we'd like to start today by saying:
Hey, you reading this! HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM WII FANBOY! The site wouldn't be the same without our unfailingly handsome and beautiful readers, so thanks for being one of them!
Just as we did last year, we're reserving this space for anything you want to talk about (so long as it's within, y'know, the bounds of decency). Tell us who you're spending today with. Talk about the TV you'll be watching, or the games you'll be waggling to. Brag about all of your cool new gifts. And remember: whatever you want to chat about, make sure you consume twice your own body weight in turkey and eggnog first. That's kind of the law today.
Wii Warm Up: The Club
by Chris Greenhough { Dec 18th 2008 at 8:00AM }
So it's happened -- Club Nintendo has finally made it to North America. Sure, the website has been a bit shaky on its newborn legs, but the important thing is: it's free stuff. Some of the prizes are unexpectedly awesome as well, hailing as they do from the Japanese program. Browse most forums and it's clear that Game & Watch Collection is a favorite, but we're also loving those classy DS Card and Stylus cases.
What's your favorite freebie on the service (full range here), and have you ordered anything yet? Have any of you found a reason to grumble about Nintendo giving away gifts?
Wii Warm Up: Ready 2 Rumble with Hasselhoff?
by Chris Greenhough { Dec 4th 2008 at 8:00AM }
Ready 2 Rumble is making a Balboa-esque comeback on Wii, but here's the catch: Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution will follow an example set by Celebrity Sports Showdown, by having only caricatured celebrities as fighters. That means no Afro Thunder, Boris "The Bear" Knokimov, or any of the other original cast.While fighting as a moobed Simon Cowell wouldn't be our first choice, if the game is as fun as the Dreamcast titles were, we'll suck it up and get throwing haymakers. What do you personally make of AKI wheeling in the slebs? Would the fact the original line-up is totally missing color your decision to buy Ready 2 Rumble? And who did you use back then? We were Angel Rivera experts.
Wii Warm Up: Turkey Day
by Chris Greenhough { Nov 27th 2008 at 10:30AM }
To those of you who celebrate it, happy Thanksgiving! And happy Thursday to everybody else! We'll be running a reduced shedule today, but we'll still be there, in the form of a few posts and also in your hearts (perhaps). Anyway, let's talk Turkey Day, and more specifically what role gaming will take in your Thanksgiving celebrations. As this is a time for families and togetherness, the Wii is probably the ideal Thanksgiving console. What will you be playing between mouthfuls of turkey and cranberry sauce?
Wii Warm Up: Joy be thine
by Chris Greenhough { Nov 20th 2008 at 8:00AM }
Christmas: for those who celebrate it, a time of joy, happiness, togetherness, and rampant, ugly consumerism. Love it or hate it, you can't exactly ignore it, so let's talk some more about your plans for this season of "love and laughter and joy" (thanks, Cliff). Which Wii games do you plan to put on your list to Santa, and -- more importantly -- what will you be buying others?
Wii Warm Up: What's your set-up?
by Chris Greenhough { Nov 13th 2008 at 8:00AM }
The Wii has its fair share of titles that look and sound stunning, but how do you show them off? Today we're talking gaming set-ups, and want to know about every aspect of yours: TVs, sound systems, projectors, speakers, amplifiers, the lot. We're especially keen to see pictures, so if you want to attract our extreme envy, now is your chance. If anybody comes close to competing with the ($6 million) set-up above, feel free to add your address.
Also, because it's amazing, let's look at some more Super Mario Galaxy:
Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy
Wii Warm Up: Peripheral issues
by Chris Greenhough { Nov 6th 2008 at 8:00AM }
Wii peripherals have proven a profitable business for Nintendo, and a new member, the WiiSpeak microphone, will join this rapidly growing family later this month. In our experience, these accessories mostly enhance the games they support, and that's great and all, but it has been a while since we actually perched on our Balance Boards, or waved our Wii Wheel about to Mario Kart Wii, or Zappered zombies. When was the last time you played a Wii title with something other than a naked Wiimote and Nunchuk, and what was the game?
Wii Warm Up: Virtual Console plus
by Chris Greenhough { Oct 30th 2008 at 8:00AM }
Okay, hypothetical question time. I recently acquired an Xbox 360 to keep my Wii and DS company, and have spent most of my time playing games on Xbox Live Arcade. My chief obsession in this short period has been Treasure shooter Ikaruga, which I previously enjoyed on the GameCube. The Xbox Live Arcade version is different, however, having been fleshed out with some neat additions, including the ability to upload/download replays and online leaderboards.Now, I like these features. In fact, I like the leaderboard aspect so much that I began to wonder why Virtual Console games didn't offer such extras. Given the choice, would you like to see stuff like leaderboards and other additions (for example, some new galleries of old art, a developer commentary or interview, etc.) included with Virtual Console releases, or would you rather not spoil the pristine authenticity of the service? I used to be in the latter camp, enjoying the unspoiled genuineness of VC games, but now find myself wanting more!
The big gallery feature is approaching at full throttle. According to the data, it is identified as "Awesome Treasure Gallery."Wii Warm Up: The scare factor
by Chris Greenhough { Oct 23rd 2008 at 8:00AM }
A batch of videos leaked last week to inadvertently reveal a new horror game from Hudson, The Calling. Although Hudson has since requested we take them down, the footage reminded us just how effective games can be at creeping us out. And, since it's, uh, the month of Hallowe'en (look, we're trying to be topical here), we thought we'd open the floor to discussion about games that scare you.
I'll get started, then. Because I am an absolutely ridiculous, quivering coward, I couldn't even finish Shadow Man when playing it alone. Yes, I know it's not a typically scary game and I'm pathetic, but I recall being especially unnerved by the faded face of my character's dead kid brother flashing on screen and whispering at me. Honestly, I daren't even pick up a Silent Hill box now, and I won't be offering to review Fatal Frame IV.
What games have you ended up playing from behind the sofa, or even switched off?
