Here's a great example of why you shouldn't sleep in. Every week, Nintendo sends out a release about its new downloadable game offerings of the week. My dear, close friend Ross, still flush with joy from his trip to PAX, gets to the email first and ends up writing about the Virtual Console release, the totally awesome Super Mario RPG while I, still groggy from choosing a Sunday night to make myself the Mayor of Lower New Drunkington, get to write about the WiiWare side of the coin: My Aquarium (Hudson Entertainment, 1 player, 500 Wii Points).
So, here we go: My Aquarium is a virtual aquarium, similar to a real aquarium in every way except that it never forces you to teach your children complicated and often troubling lessons about death.
There wont ever be any good wiiware titles unless nintendo listens to it's true consumers. Not the kids and supposed old people that I never see playing a wii.
Everything started out like that. Like Steam, Arcade, PSN, Virtual Console. All gems in services like these are few and far between. But don't judge the entire service on the shovelware.
No really. A screensaver? What? Who’s running quality control, a 78 year old spinster? What does it say when your “premium” downloadable game service is being trounced by Virtual Console? I mean, if you combine last week’s Helix with this week’s My Aquarium, you can actually lower the room temperature from pure, unadulterated suckitude. You can actually make babies cry in the next house and certainly make Popcap giggle their asses off when you use the Wiimote to “tap” the aquarium glass.
Those of you who bought Bomberman: Act Zero for the Xbox 360 can finally breathe a sigh of relief - you no longer have purchased the worst thing Hudson Entertainment’s ever put out.
I dropped my 500 measly wii points on this game, and what can i say? I really enjoy it.
See, i've always enjoyed aquariums. My current living situation won't allow for me to drop the $500+ on an aquarium, for fish, water, supplies...
So in my opinion spending $5 for a virtual aquarium that i'm allowed to customize whenever i want? That's a great deal. Besides, it's only $5. It's not like it's gonna break the bank.
Besides, I buy a LOT of Virtual Console games. This is definitely not the worst thing on the system.
I love aquariums, and I think it's a really cool little program, but hardly practical. At $5 it hardly breaks the bank, but at the cost of leaving your Wii, and your TV on just to enjoy it seems a bit much.
Fish tanks of all sizes are therapeutic, so there's no need to drop $500 on a tank as someone said earlier. A simple $20 starter kit will work as well. I suspect that if your fish therapy requires a $500 setup then you have bigger issues than the fish alone with help with. Also that $20 setup won't shorten the life of your TV or Wii.
But again, I will say it's kinda cool, and looks very well done. Just not practical.
Try setting up a reef tank of any reasonable size. $50 a gallon is not an unreasonable cost estimate, and most people go with tanks 75 gallons and up...
So how does this work... of course you can feed your fish, but do you HAVE to feed your fish? Say you get better things to do with your life and don't feed your fish for a few days, when you switch it back on... and all your fish are dead??
They also mention breeding. Are we talking basic carbon-copy spawns or actual varience in look and behavior? If I have a tank of, say, 6 fish do they all act exactly the same or do they have individual personalities like real fish can??
I'm just looking for some kind of reason to find interest in this whole thing.
{ Sep 1st 2008 at 1:00PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Obie @ Sep 1st 2008 1:06PM
Oh Jeez....thank goodness for Super Mario RPG, cuz WiiWare ain't cuttin' it.
Erik Stroud @ Sep 1st 2008 3:16PM
There wont ever be any good wiiware titles unless nintendo listens to it's true consumers. Not the kids and supposed old people that I never see playing a wii.
Haggard @ Sep 1st 2008 4:08PM
If they released good games on WiiWare, they'd also have to do something about hard drives...
So the lazy buck pays them best for a constant drip feed of unimaginative drivel.
Jakka(Naked Peach Brigade) @ Sep 1st 2008 1:20PM
wgasa?
tkAshur @ Sep 1st 2008 1:24PM
Wiiwhat? Wasn't wiiware supposed to be that revolutionary thing? Where did that go? Huh, wierd.
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Sep 1st 2008 1:34PM
Everything started out like that. Like Steam, Arcade, PSN, Virtual Console. All gems in services like these are few and far between. But don't judge the entire service on the shovelware.
mr nimblewick @ Sep 1st 2008 1:33PM
Also, the Spore Creatures DS demo is now available on the Nintendo Channel.
Nincodedo @ Sep 1st 2008 1:33PM
Another screensaver game... Awesome... >.>
BigD145 @ Sep 1st 2008 1:40PM
I could see this as a cheap alternative to a real aquarium in a doctor's office. I'm kicking myself for thinking that, but it's still true.
The Doctor @ Sep 1st 2008 1:46PM
Justin, the sacrifices you make for us are why we love you.
Cesaria (www.cesariatic.wordpress.com) @ Sep 1st 2008 1:49PM
Why would anyone buy this? Seriously. Bring on World of Goo, please.
Marzz @ Sep 1st 2008 1:57PM
Ya know, it's bad, but i've totally been waiting for this. I thought it was gonna be 1000 points tho. 500 points is really cheap.
I like fishies. What can i say?
EKAJ13 @ Sep 1st 2008 2:32PM
Watching this reminded me of looking at the fish I caught at the museum in Animal Crossing.
Mr Khan @ Sep 1st 2008 4:37PM
Not something i would pay for, but I would accept it as a gift
Thing is, it is just a screensaver at the end of the day, but its a pretty one. It reminds me of the therapeutic methods of Forever Blue
Jonah Falcon @ Sep 1st 2008 5:02PM
As I posted elsewhere:
No really. A screensaver? What? Who’s running quality control, a 78 year old spinster? What does it say when your “premium” downloadable game service is being trounced by Virtual Console? I mean, if you combine last week’s Helix with this week’s My Aquarium, you can actually lower the room temperature from pure, unadulterated suckitude. You can actually make babies cry in the next house and certainly make Popcap giggle their asses off when you use the Wiimote to “tap” the aquarium glass.
Those of you who bought Bomberman: Act Zero for the Xbox 360 can finally breathe a sigh of relief - you no longer have purchased the worst thing Hudson Entertainment’s ever put out.
marzz @ Sep 1st 2008 5:51PM
So i bought it.
I dropped my 500 measly wii points on this game, and what can i say? I really enjoy it.
See, i've always enjoyed aquariums. My current living situation won't allow for me to drop the $500+ on an aquarium, for fish, water, supplies...
So in my opinion spending $5 for a virtual aquarium that i'm allowed to customize whenever i want? That's a great deal. Besides, it's only $5. It's not like it's gonna break the bank.
Besides, I buy a LOT of Virtual Console games. This is definitely not the worst thing on the system.
http://marzz4967.blogspot.com/
TheKingInYellow @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:49AM
I have about 240+ gallons of aquariums in my house, they are incredibly soothing.
I'll be buying this for my 3 year old, so she can have an aquarium of her own that doesn't need to be cleaned, etc...
Maverick Saturn @ Sep 1st 2008 7:14PM
While it may be pretty, the idea of switching on my Wii and deciding to play this over smash bros is kinda hilarious.
~Trail @ Sep 2nd 2008 8:00AM
I love aquariums, and I think it's a really cool little program, but hardly practical. At $5 it hardly breaks the bank, but at the cost of leaving your Wii, and your TV on just to enjoy it seems a bit much.
Fish tanks of all sizes are therapeutic, so there's no need to drop $500 on a tank as someone said earlier. A simple $20 starter kit will work as well. I suspect that if your fish therapy requires a $500 setup then you have bigger issues than the fish alone with help with. Also that $20 setup won't shorten the life of your TV or Wii.
But again, I will say it's kinda cool, and looks very well done. Just not practical.
TheKingInYellow @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:50AM
Try setting up a reef tank of any reasonable size. $50 a gallon is not an unreasonable cost estimate, and most people go with tanks 75 gallons and up...
OnyxSparrow @ Sep 3rd 2008 9:33AM
So how does this work... of course you can feed your fish, but do you HAVE to feed your fish? Say you get better things to do with your life and don't feed your fish for a few days, when you switch it back on... and all your fish are dead??
They also mention breeding. Are we talking basic carbon-copy spawns or actual varience in look and behavior? If I have a tank of, say, 6 fish do they all act exactly the same or do they have individual personalities like real fish can??
I'm just looking for some kind of reason to find interest in this whole thing.