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[Teddman]

It seems Nintendo had only the GameCube version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ready to demo at E3, and pulled a sophisticated rigging together of the GameCube version and the Wii controller to fool show attendees. I repeat, no one at E3 played the Wii version of Zelda--it was all the GameCube version rigged up to the Wii controller.

On Thursday, two friends of mine were playing Twilight Princess in the Wii section of Nintendo's booth when the game demo crashed and froze, necessitating a reboot by the blonde booth representative. This is not uncommon with E3 demo code, which are works in progress and nowhere near as stable as a final game. What was uncommon was how she went about rebooting the Wii--she didn't! Instead, she went to get another representative, who arrived with a key and unlocked a drawer in the TV stand. When one of my friends asked, "Why don't you just reset the Wii?" she shook her head...

Inside the drawer a black GameCube was just visible, which she powered off and back on quickly. The game rebooted on the TV set accordingly. All the while, the Nintendo Wii to the right of the set remained powered on, its blue LED lights glowing the entire time. "Shh! It's a secret!" smiled the booth rep.

So it seems that the Wii on display alongside Zelda was mostly for show. It may have been completely a dummy unit, while the Wii controller was driven by the GameCube via a prototype adaptor of some kind or a hidden dev kit (there were two other drawers in that stand). This sure would give ammunition to folks who clain that Wii gameplay could basically be accomplished on a GameCube with Wii controller--because that's exactly what was happening at the show!

I don't believe any other game had this kind of setup, and Twilight Princess was probably the only title shown in this fashion. It makes sense when you consider that the game was in development for GameCube for so long and was only ported to the Wii relatively recently. I got further confirmation when I photographed the back on the TV stand--look closely and you can see the black GameCube, partially obscured by a clear plastic bag. The other Wii demo stations were considerably less cluttered with wires, because I believe they were actually running on Wii's.

 

[HomShaBom]

rofl

 

[AniHawk]

Oh good. They've been reading my suggestions.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

Yet the Wii version will be the only one in 16:9. Holy hell that's lame.

 

[Vard]

Good, it'd be nice to see some better graphics.

 

[Trurl]

All the while, the Nintendo Wii to the right of the set remained powered on, its blue LED lights glowing the entire time. "Shh! It's a secret!" smiled the booth rep.

You suck at keeping secrets.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Not too surprised. We'd heard that the games were really running on devkits, and one form of the devkits was essentially GCN + new controller.

 

[HomShaBom]

Looks like I'll be getting the cube version. Don't want a buggy-crappy Wii version.

 

[Teddman]

You suck at keeping secrets.

Well, she didn't say it to me.

 

[MadraptorMan]

None of the Wii consoles in Nintendo's booth were actually running from the systems visible, those were just for show. Instead, the Wii games were playing off of dev kits that were in the cases underneath.

 

[distantmantra]

Yet the Wii version will be the only one in 16:9. Holy hell that's lame.

Fuckers.

 

[AniHawk]

I think the only one probably not running off of GC hardware was Mario Galaxy. It just looked a step above the rest.

Hopefully Twiilight Princess will feature a graphical upgrade.

 

[colinp]

Sweet, that's pretty funny. Is it official that the GCN version won't support 16x9? By this it sounds like it will...

 

[Slurpy2k20]

Looks like I'll be getting the cube version. Don't want a buggy-crappy Wii version.

Umm.. this is only more reason to pick up the wii version- it can only look better than the one displayed. Thats awesome news..

And to those scared of a buggy Zelda, I respond with

:lol :lol :lol

 

[VOOK]

All games where running on dev-kits under the Wii's above, I was there on friday when they we're packing up and the dudes pulled 12CM disks from under the display Wii's so while the Zelda may have been running on a Cube below or whatever the other games were'nt running on the Wii's Above.

Further proof is that when they we're packing it up the Wii's where still on while the game was ejected and the TV said no signal.

We techinically we'rent playing on the Wii that you could see but we we're playing on some sort of one.

EDIT: Also DBZ crashed, as did Bomberman while I was waiting and playing they both were rebooted from under the wii.

 

[Snow]

Couldn't the black cube not be one of the earlier Wii devkits? Just wondering.

 

[Kobun Heat]

Wait. It's kind of funny that they were running on what appear to be production GameCubes, but... you seriously thought those Wii units were running the games?

Did the fact that there was a wire coming from the controller and going somewhere other than the Wii not clue you in to anything? Let alone the fact that we're six months out from launch and of course they're not going to have production units.

 

[distantmantra]

Is it official that the GCN version won't support 16x9? By this it sounds like it will...

I'm sure the game will be able to support 16x9, but Nintendo will just disable the feature in the final retail version as incentive to purchase the Wii version.

 

[Wario64]

why would it be covered in a clear plastic bag?

 

[Teddman]

Wait. It's kind of funny that they were running on what appear to be production GameCubes, but... you seriously thought those Wii units were running the games?

You can't be honestly feigning disbelief that someone might expect the Wii games to be running on Wii's that they were playing with Wii controllers with the Wii sitting next to the TV and no GameCube or dev kit anywhere in sight?

And it's one thing for something shown as a Wii game to be running on a dev kit, and another for it to be running off a GameCube. Make the Wii port seem a little superficial.

 

[Chittagong]

None of the Wii consoles in Nintendo's booth were actually running from the systems visible, those were just for show. Instead, the Wii games were playing off of dev kits that were in the cases underneath.

A Nintendo rep actually lied to me - the guy by the Virtual Console demo:


Me: So is this actually running from the Wii here or from a dev kit?

* rep clears throat *

Rep: Ahem! Uh sorry, what was that?

Me: No just wondering if I'm playing with the real thing or with a development system hidden beneath

* noticable pause *

Rep: You're playing with the Wii up there

Me: So this is definately not coming from a dev kit kidden in the closet beneath the Wii up there

Rep: ummm.... No. It's real.

Me: Great!

 

[AniHawk]

You can't be honestly feigning disbelief that someone might expect the Wii games to be running on Wii's that they were playing with Wii controllers with the Wii sitting next to the TV and no GameCube or dev kit anywhere in sight?

Haha. You thought they were real.

 

[Ristamar]

So the graphics will be even better come November? Sounds good to me.

 

[Kobun Heat]

You can't be honestly feigning disbelief that someone might expect the Wii games to be running on Wii's that they were playing with Wii controllers with the Wii sitting next to the TV and no GameCube or dev kit anywhere in sight?

Haha. You thought they were real.

QFT

(spoiler:

Spoiler

those xbox 360s last year were fake too!

)

 

[VOOK]

QFT

(spoiler:

Spoiler

those xbox 360s last year were fake too!

)

All the "PS3"s at the Sony booth were dev kits too, Sony did'nt hide them very good either

 

[elostyle]

The only surprising thing is that it's a production cube, really. Most of the games likely ran off gamecube kits. The red steel guys said that they have a gamecube version and a target PC version running that will then be used on the final Wii... or something.

 

[brandonh83]

Who cares. I just want to go fishing.

 

[Teddman]

Kobun, couldn't this actually be good news, because it leaves the door open that the Wii version will look even better than what we saw at E3, complete with some graphical enhancements instead of nothing more than a slapped-on control scheme that may not be a perfect fit for gameplay designed for the GameCube controller.

That's what we all want to hear... Right?

 

[colinp]

Who cares. I just want to go fishing.

qft. And if it's going to look like that on the GC... with the sun going down and everything.. Damn. That is awesome. I'm so pumped for this game! Too bad we've got to wait a couple (hah) of months.

 

[VOOK]

The only surprising thing is that it's a production cube, really. Most of the games likely ran off gamecube kits. The red steel guys said that they have a gamecube version and a target PC version running that will then be used on the final Wii... or something.

But its not a Production Cube, I saw them take the games out and it was DVD Sized disks not Gamecube sized disks. So other then Zelda being just a WiiCube version the rest were not retail cubes.

 

[MadraptorMan]

A Nintendo rep actually lied to me

Tsk tsk, shame on you Nintendo! Anyway, I suppose the question now is, do the Wii dev kits just look like GameCubes, or is the original poster on to something? (I'm guessing it's the former).

 

[Teddman]

All the "PS3"s at the Sony booth were dev kits too, Sony did'nt hide them very good either

Well, they had prominently displayed transparent server racks holding them, so yeah, one could argue they weren't hiding them at all.

 

[jonezer4]

I bet less games would lock up if the damn cube wasn't wrapped in a plastic bag. :lol

That can't be good for ventilation.

 

[VOOK]

Well, they had prominently displayed transparent server racks holding them, so yeah, one could argue they weren't hiding them at all.

Yes I know, I was being sarcastic.

 

[Chittagong]

Well, they had prominently displayed transparent server racks holding them, so yeah, one could argue they weren't hiding them at all.

It was bizarre, as if they were proud of them. They had cabinets with spotlights highlighting the rack. After the clean and human Wii experience, seeing the server rack gave a pretty bad Matrix-vibe I must say.

 

[elostyle]

But its not a Production Cube, I saw them take the games out and it was DVD Sized disks not Gamecube sized disks. So other then Zelda being just a WiiCube version the rest were not retail cubes.

Dunno if the gamecube dev units use full size disks, but it's probable, so I suppose that's what it was.

 

[Foil]

Good news, hopefully the final games on Wii look a lot better then.

 

[Juice]

Kobun, couldn't this actually be good news, because it leaves the door open that the Wii version will look even better than what we saw at E3, complete with some graphical enhancements instead of nothing more than a slapped-on control scheme that may not be a perfect fit for gameplay designed for the GameCube controller.

That's what we all want to hear... Right?

I don't see why this is such a shocker for you.

We all know that the Wii's graphical horsepower is only incremental over the GameCube's.

Facts:

1.) We have no way of knowing whether that was a production GameCube or a "GameCube Turbo" development kit that has a little more juice in it. All we've heard from developers is that until recently their development kits haven't been any more powerful than a GameCube.

2.) If your hangup is that the game wasn't designed with the Wiimote in mind, then get the GameCube version. Nintendo is strategically releasing it on the Wii to help give the separate console a boost. This is a business decision as well as a creative one. Seeing how there is a large group of people who actually liked "Wii style" Zelda's controls and/or saw them as a breath of fresh air over the normal style, there's a pretty big group of people who would disagree with you.

3.) Most importantly, if your underlying problem is that Nintendo didn't just release the Wiimote as a peripheral to the GameCube, then you have no business discussing the business behind the decision. They're building a platform around this controller, because if they didn't it would be a complete and utter failure. Not only will the new console benefit from wireless control and Internet connectivity, but it adds the cash cow of a Virtual download center. Next, the platform "tweak" is absolutely necessary to make the media give a rat's ass about it, which will be crucial to early adoption during the holiday season. Most importantly, building a console around a controller ensures that the vast majority of developers will build their games around that controller as well.

So yeah, this is good news, because those three points are things we already knew. All this means is that when Zelda does launch on Wii it will probably have a little more spit and shine on it. What's your problem?

 

[Kobun Heat]

All the "PS3"s at the Sony booth were dev kits too, Sony did'nt hide them very good either

Actually, not only did they not hide them, they put them right out on display in the middle of the games, in a lit-up glass case. That's some balls, right there. I give them props. "Yeah, these are the dev kits. Deal with it, bitches."

But yeah, Teddman, I don't know. Are you back on the OMG LET'S PROVE KOBUN = STUPID train? I just said it's funny that the games were running on production GameCubes. We're all quite aware that the Wii is a GameCube with twice the RAM. What's your point?

 

[jax (old)]

look again.

 

[border]

We're all quite aware that the Wii is a GameCube with twice the RAM.

It is? I thought a number of things about the system hardware were still unknown....

 

[Robobandit]

No surprises here.. naturally the Wii remote WAS going to be a Gamecube add-on, but it would have been doomed that way, so beefing the machine up a little bit, building it around the new input device and putting it into a sexy new shell as the Wii makes great sense from Nintendo's perspective.

Afterall, it isn't like sticking that ram upgrade pack into the 64, since they more than doubled the memory and the Wii has the ability to run proscan software whereas the cubes being made now do not.

 

[Robobandit]

It is? I thought a number of things about the system hardware were still unknown....

well, the clockspeed of the CPU and GPU increased, and any other changes to the cpu and gpu are really unknown.. it is basically an extension of the Gamecube system architecture (i.e. no need for software emulation to run gamecube titles, since it has at least the same system instructions available) with more than double the amount of ram and the ability to use full sized dvds.

 

[Doc Holliday]

LOL and there I was thiking Mario galaxy had next-gen graphics :lol Fooled me!

 

[AniHawk]

LOL and there I was thiking Mario galaxy had next-gen graphics :lol Fooled me!

Mario Galaxy was the only one that looked anywhere near souped up.

 

[Slurpy2k20]

Mario Galaxy was the only one that looked anywhere near souped up.

Yup. If I were to guess, Id say Mario was the only game using the new hardware. Just looked slicker than everything else.

 

[poppin fresh]

why would it be covered in a clear plastic bag?

For cooling... yes for cooling.

 

[Kuroyume]

If this is the case they should just put the controller on the gamecube and not release the Wii.

 

[yoopoo]

If this is the case they should just put the controller on the gamecube and not release the Wii.

Yeah people will run out to buy the Wiimote, the wi-fi adaptor, 512mb flash drive, the ram expension upgrade, usb adaptor and the DVD media adaptor addons for GC. You are very super smart.

 

[jax (old)]

If this is the case they should just put the controller on the gamecube and not release the Wii.

and use the bottom of the GC for some sort of ram + virtual console add on ala gbaplayer.