Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I got to spend the morning playing some of the games slated for release on the upcoming Wii, and it sure was fun. Before I get into specific games, let me give you a general overview of my impressions. Firstly, there's a definite learning curve on the Wiimote. It is damn hard to use the first time you pick it up. The first game I tried was Zelda, and I could barely move around, let alone aim the bow and arrow. Knowing that it's motion based makes you think you should be able to do a lot by just intuitively moving the controller around; not so. Generally, the motion sensing is used for just special maneuvers rather than the main control scheme of any game. That's not to say it isn't a big part of the games, however. It never felt tacked on and generally added to whatever mechanics were going on. Secondly, the graphics: they kind of suck. Yeah, we knew the Wii wasn't even trying to compete with the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, but some of these games look pretty lousy. Wii Sports looks like it could easily function on a Nintendo 64, but as it's a free game I guess we can cut it some slack. Otherwise the games all look like slightly (very slightly) better GameCube graphics. But as Nintendo says, all that counts is if the games are fun and I can say with some certainty that I had some fun today. On to the specific games after the jump.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

As I said, Zelda was the first game I tried and it was majorly discouraging. To be fair, I was the first person to try it on the big screen TV when they opened the gates to let us play, and the combo of it being my first experience with the Wiimote and people filming me play didn't help. I later went back after things had settled down and put some more time into it and can say that it is a seriously promising game. The graphics are great, comparatively, and moving around with the Wiimote is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The camera tended to get kind of wonky, forcing me to readjust it frequently, but otherwise moving around the level was pretty straightforward. The problems arose when I needed to aim something such as the bow and arrow or grappling hook. The aiming system is so sensitive that it often tells you to point the controller at the screen when you're already pointing it right at it. It's as if there's a four-inch square in the center of the screen you need to aim at. Hopefully there will be an option to adjust the sensitivity on the final version or they're just working out some kinks. Overall, however, this is one of the best games I tried today.

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy is another of the best games I tried this morning. At first, before actually playing it, I worried that it lacked the cohesion that level-based Mario games have, but once I started playing I forgot about that. The Wiimote is used to control a star that's on the screen that can collect items for you and activate things like stars that will shoot you between the small planets that make up the levels. You can also spin by shaking the remote back and forth, which acts as an attack as well as a way to shoot yourself from planet to planet. The crazy topsy-turvy planets and levels that you navigate add a really fun dynamic to the play style, and it really left me wanting more after the demo was over. I wish this would be available at launch, but I suppose Zelda will suffice.

Madden NFL 2007

Madden made the best use of the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii controller. You use the Wiimote to do pretty much everything in the game, from hiking to passing to blocking to kicking. It takes some time to get used to what motions do what, but once you get the hang of it you really get pulled in. It makes things that used to be less intuitive, such as defense, a much more fun experience. I can't wait to try this with cooperative multiplayer.

Excite Truck

Another launch title, Excite Truck is a pretty standard racing game that uses the Wiimote to steer. The controls felt a little loose with the motion sensing on this one, particularly when you're trying to aim yourself in the air. It has potential, but I've gotta say this seemed a lot less dynamic than many of the other games available for play today.

Sonic and the Secret Rings

This was definitely the most disappointing game I played today. This is less of a game than an interactive computer animation. The controls are insanely limited: you tilt the controller to go left and right and press the A button to stop/jump. That's it. Sonic runs on his own through the level, which is a pretty straight shot, and you sort of lean the controller back and forth if you feel like it. Once in a while you need to shake the controller around to do some task like raise a pot that Sonic is in, but otherwise it's just gentle leaning back and forth. Yawn.

There were other hot games there today, including the new Metroid, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, and Red Steel, but either due to long lines, lack of time, or my bleeding eyes I only got to watch those guys. Hopefully the above games with satisfy your cravings for first hand accounts of Wii-lovin'. — Adam Frucci