Almost three years ago in May of 2007, I purchased the Nintendo Wii.  I was oh-so-excited at the possibilities Nintendo’s new innovative system would bring.  By the end of that year I had procured and enjoyed Twilight Princess, Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, Mario Strikers Charged, Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy.  Including Wii Sports, I had six games for the Wii.  That same year I only bought three games for the Xbox 360.  The Wii started strong in 2008 with the release of Super Smash Bros Brawl, and then………………………………………………………………………… nothing.  Brawl is the last Wii game I’ve acquired in nearly two years.  Meanwhile, I’ve since gotten hold of ten Xbox 360 games.

I’m not the only one out there who hasn’t been impressed with the Wii’s current software offerings.  Longtime Nintendo fans have had little reason to show much love for the system.  Since Smash Bros, Nintendo has failed to deliver its usual lineup of great titles featuring its classic characters or quirky new IPs.  Despite this Nintendo has found great success by expanding its market to the new “casual crowd”.  This new demographic is less concerned with graphics, gameplay and storylines than they are fascinated by the gimmicky concepts of most Wii-developed games.  Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Wii Music come to mind.  These games lack any real depth, especially Wii Music, which makes Beginner on Guitar Hero look like an epic challenge suitable for only the most nimble-fingered player.

Third-party development is just as embarrassing.  Some developers have attempted titles catering to the “hardcore” crowd.  However, these titles do not often find much critical and/or commercial success as Nintendo’s top-tier titles.  Some developers have become wary of publishing hardcore titles on the Wii for fear their audience has moved on to the Xbox 360 or PS3, which is certainly true in my case.  A few years back, I would have bought a third-party title for the Gamecube over the original Xbox just to show my support for Nintendo.  Now most blockbuster third-party titles on the 360 or PS3 cannot be replicated for the Wii.  It has happened, but at what cost? Hence the trend of developing casual or party games.

And I’m not saying that every game has to have state-of-the-art visuals or a deep storyline, but it had better deliver on the gameplay.  One of my current favorites is Left 4 Dead 2, which has a pretty basic plot (survive the zombie apocalypse).  It’s visuals aren’t as realistic as Gears of War or Assassin’s Creed, but damn if it isn’t one of the most fun and addictive games of recent memory.  The problem with most software on the Wii is it just seems like developers are cutting corners, especially Nintendo.

Now my Wii remains packed away only to be opened when I host Smash Night or when I return home to bowl with my mother in Wii Sports.  There is some light to be seen on the horizon.  Since E3 2009, old-school Nintendo fans have had a classic trifecta of Nintendo greatness to look forward to: Mario, Metroid and Zelda!  Metroid: Other M is being co-developed by Nintendo and Team Ninja, the developer behind those gruelingly difficult Ninja Gaiden games.  It was recently announced for release on June 27!  Word is the action is bigger and the story more personal.  Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a sequel to what is generally considered the best Wii game out there, making it an obvious must-buy.  Mario will be hitting store shelves on May 23.  Zelda is another matter.  There have been claims stating it will be out this year and others that it will be released when it’s done.  Nintendo is notorious for delaying their high-profile titles, especially Zelda games.  With no actual game footage shown this year an autumn release seems highly unlikely.  However, this could be the title that dethrones Super Mario Galaxy if Nintendo plays it’s cards right.  I estimate we’ll know by the fall of 2011.