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*Update* Buying a Wii game for my Dad

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Opiate

Member
Hi Wii owners,

I'm looking to buy a Wii game for my Dad for Christmas. I need advice for two reasons: 1) I don't own a Wii and am less familiar with the system's library, and 2) he has specific tastes.

His preferences: he dislikes 3D space. For example, he likes the original Zeldas, but not Ocarina of Time. Games with 3D models are fine as long as it doesn't extend beyond the models, forcing him to traverse the game in 3 dimensions. He doesn't care about graphics in the slightest. His favorite genres seem to be adventure and strategy.

He has gotten a great deal of use out of the Virtual Console. His favorite Wii games thus far are Act Raiser, Shining Force II and Shining Force I. I'm perfectly willing to buy another Virtual Console game for him (or two), but I'd like to get a Disc Based one if something similar exists.

Given these constraints, are there any suggestions?
 
If he enjoys Shining Force I highly highly recommend Fire Emblem.

Still my favorite Wii game :D
 
That was my first thought -- I even considered asking, "is Fire Emblem a good choice?" in my original post -- but I'd hoped that someone would mention it. Which they did, so my suspicions were validated.

I have a couple questions, since I've never played the series: is the story very lengthy? As in a great deal of text? Because my dad seems to be far more interested in the battles, and he speeds through the text to get to the next one.

Secondly, is it very similar to shining force? Is it brutally hard? Can you replay the same battles over and over, which he likes to do, to build up your characters?
 
Opiate said:
That was my first thought -- I even considered asking, "is Fire Emblem a good choice?" in my original post -- but I'd hoped that someone would mention it. Which they did, so my suspicions were validated.

I have a couple questions, since I've never played the series: is the story very lengthy? As in a great deal of text? Because my dad seems to be far more interested in the battles, and he speeds through the text to get to the next one.

Secondly, is it very similar to shining force? Is it brutally hard? Can you replay the same battles over and over, which he likes to do, to build up your characters?
Click to expand...

Fire Emblem is brutally hard. If a character dies, he's gone forever. You can't replay battles over and over. The game is pretty long too, around 40 hours and the story is pure sex.
 
vertopci said:
Fire Emblem is brutally hard. If a character dies, he's gone forever. You can't replay battles over and over.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, there's also a difficulty toggle and FE Wii's lowest difficulty is pretty easy.
 
vertopci said:
Fire Emblem is brutally hard. If a character dies, he's gone forever. You can't replay battles over and over. The game is pretty long too, around 40 hours and the story is pure sex.
Click to expand...

Okay, this may not be for him, then, although someone could still convince me otherwise. He's not interested in game stories and he likes to take his time and relax.

Are there any other possibilities? Hope I'm not pressing people too hard here. I know he's got very specific tastes. Again, if all you can think of are Virtual Console titles, those are definitely fine, too.

As another example of something he enjoys, I know he had fun leveling characters in RPGs. As in, that period after you've essentially beatent he game, where you can level your characters to a max level that makes them ridiculously powerful. That's something he enjoys in SRPGs, too.
 
Would Wario Land: Shake It be too "kiddy" for him? It's actually a great game.

EDIT: I suggest this because it is in the vein of an old-school 2-d platformer. It has some interesting challenges for replayability, and it is an overall good value.
 
He needs to play Wario Land Shake, and Super Paper Mario. Those games are timelesss and age-less and would meet criteria.
 
Jon said:
Would Wario Land: Shake It be too "kiddy" for him? It's actually a great game.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is the one area where my dad's taste is very open. He doesn't care about graphics or atmosphere or story. It's completely irrelevant how the game looks or what the game is about in that regard. It can be kiddy or violent, have great graphics or antiquated ones, and the game can be about practically anything. None of that interests him.

It's the game mechanics that he seems to be pickier about.
 
HUELEN10 said:
He needs to play Wario Land Shake, and Super Paper Mario. Those games are timelesss and age-less and would meet criteria.
Click to expand...

Are these particularly taxing games? As I said, he's a very relaxed gamer. He tends to get a glass of wine at the end of the day and sit down for an hour or two to space out. He's definitely not looking to push his skill to the next level, or anything.
 
Opiate said:
Yeah, this is the one area where my dad's taste is very open. He doesn't care about graphics or atmosphere or story. It's completely irrelevant how the game looks or what the game is about in that regard. It can be kiddy or violent, have great graphics or antiquated ones, and the game can be about practically anything. None of that interests him.

It's the game mechanics that he seems to be pickier about.
Click to expand...

Well then, I think this game meets the criteria, and is an overall fun experience. As mentioned above, Super Paper Mario would also be an excellent choice, but it can sometimes become confusing while "flipping" between 2d and 3d space. I think Wario Land is your best bet.
 
Opiate said:
As another example of something he enjoys, I know he had fun leveling characters in RPGs. As in, that period after you've essentially beatent he game, where you can level your characters to a max level that makes them ridiculously powerful. That's something he enjoys in SRPGs, too.
Click to expand...

Sounds like he'd enjoy Disgaea if PS2 games are also an option. It'd last him forever.
 
Opiate said:
Are these particularly taxing games? As I said, he's a very relaxed gamer. He tends to get a glass of wine at the end of the day and sit down for an hour or two to space out. He's definitely not looking to push his skill to the next level, or anything.
Click to expand...

I personally do not consider them taxing, especially because both games use the Wii remote on their side using the 1 and 2 buttons, with very limited motion controls.
 
Opiate said:
Okay, this may not be for him, then, although someone could still convince me otherwise. He's not interested in game stories and he likes to take his time and relax.

Are there any other possibilities? Hope I'm not pressing people too hard here. I know he's got very specific tastes. Again, if all you can think of are Virtual Console titles, those are definitely fine, too.

As another example of something he enjoys, I know he had fun leveling characters in RPGs. As in, that period after you've essentially beatent he game, where you can level your characters to a max level that makes them ridiculously powerful. That's something he enjoys in SRPGs, too.
Click to expand...


I have played FE on my GB and i always skip the story ... i never pay atention... i just play the battles...

does he likes chess??? i think of FE as a variant of chess


also may i recommen world of goo???
 
I can only really think of Fire Emblem at this point considering his tastes. Like said before, theres a difficulty toggle to make it easier or harder for him. (I usually hit a wall in most FE games, love them to death though)
 
Stumpokapow said:
On the other hand, there's also a difficulty toggle and FE Wii's lowest difficulty is pretty easy.
Click to expand...


I played FE on easy my first time through- first time playing a SRPG, period.

Did not find it very difficult. I think it would be a good fit for the OP's Dad.
 
bryehn said:
Sounds like he'd enjoy Disgaea if PS2 games are also an option. It'd last him forever.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid that's not an option. The Wii is the first gaming system he's owned besides the PC.

Okay, I'm listening to Fire Emblem again. Stump, you mentioned that the game wasn't too hard on Easy.

If a character dies, is there any way to get them back? As in, can you restart the level? Do you have to reset the system? This game sounds perfect in every way save for its difficulty.
 
Opiate said:
If a character dies, is there any way to get them back? As in, can you restart the level? Do you have to reset the system? This game sounds perfect in every way save for its difficulty.
Click to expand...


You can battle save at anytime during a battle, so if he's smart about saving, he can start over and come right back in mid battle.

Also obviously you always save when starting a new chapter, so worst case scenario he just does the level over again. (but tell him to have multiple save's so he can quick save and also have a save at the beginning of the level!)
 
Opiate said:
If a character dies, is there any way to get them back? As in, can you restart the level? Do you have to reset the system? This game sounds perfect in every way save for its difficulty.
Click to expand...
You can start the level over. Also, I believe the newer Fire Emblems (such as the Wii one) include an option to save mid-battle, such that you can continue from that point at any time if you choose. I could have that wrong, though.

EDIT: Beaten.
 
schuelma said:
You can battle save at anytime during a battle, so if he's smart about saving, he can start over and come right back in mid battle.

Also obviously you always save when starting a new chapter, so worst case scenario he just does the level over again. (but tell him to have multiple save's so he can quick save and also have a save at the beginning of the level!)
Click to expand...

Okay, good to know. Last question Schuelma: is there any form of grinding out levels? Are there optional battles you can do to level your characters up? Anything you can repeat to make your characters more powerful?

My dad actually seems to like that stuff, so without being able to repeat battles, it would be nice if some other form of this was accessible somewhere in the game.

Edit: Once more, let me thank everyone for jumping through all these hoops for me. I know my father's taste in game mechanics is very specific, so it's great of you guys to help me out like this.
 
Get Fire Emblem, but get the Gamecube one called Path of Radiance. It's significantly easier on normal mode and it introduces the story (Radiant Dawn on Wii is a sequel).
He'll love it, I'm sure.

He'll be fine playing Radiant Dawn after. The story is fantastic all in all, it's better enjoyed in this order. So get both if you can, with a gamecube pad :)
 
Opiate said:
Okay, good to know. Last question Schuelma: is there any form of grinding out levels? Are there optional battles you can do to level your characters up? Anything you can repeat to make your characters more powerful?
.
Click to expand...


Hmm..I haven't played it in a while but I don't remember too much grinding.

That said, the battles are difficult enough and long enough that you don't really need to grind.

Let me put it this way- I love Shining Force, and I can see why he enjoys grinding through those- I did as well. But in Fire Emblem, the battles mean so much more because they are actually challenging and if your character dies, he is dead- so the battles are a lot more rewarding.
 
Okay guys, I'll go with Fire Emblem. I'll buy both the GC and Wii one if I can.

Thanks a lot for your advice, everyone, very much appreciated.
 
Fire Emblem

Avoid SPM, it's not for him.

Also, while Disgaea offers insane replayability, I don't think it's a good fit for an older gamer unless they're into anime. Not an issue anyways, since he only has a Wii.
 
Probably too late, and probably not his sense of humor, but Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law is a 2D point and click adventure (much like Phoenix Wright in most regards.) Plus its like 13 bucks new.
 
Opiate said:
Okay guys, I'll go with Fire Emblem. I'll buy both the GC and Wii one if I can.

Thanks a lot for your advice, everyone, very much appreciated.
Click to expand...


if you find the GC version, he'll need a GC memory card as well, assuming he doesn't already have one.
 
Opiate said:
Okay guys, I'll go with Fire Emblem. I'll buy both the GC and Wii one if I can.

Thanks a lot for your advice, everyone, very much appreciated.
Click to expand...

This thread was interesting to read, and I'd be interested to hear what your dad thinks of the game after playing it. Be sure and update us!

The Wii's success is bringing out a lot of new gamers. I've gotten asked at work by a lot of older workers what kinds of games to buy. I must say, though, that no one has asked about what game to get in order to grind levels in an rpg! That would be awesome. Your dad and I have similar tastes when it comes to that. My favorite rpg's are the ones in which you grind and grind away.
 
Diseased Yak said:
This thread was interesting to read, and I'd be interested to hear what your dad thinks of the game after playing it. Be sure and update us!

The Wii's success is bringing out a lot of new gamers. I've gotten asked at work by a lot of older workers what kinds of games to buy. I must say, though, that no one has asked about what game to get in order to grind levels in an rpg! That would be awesome. Your dad and I have similar tastes when it comes to that. My favorite rpg's are the ones in which you grind and grind away.
Click to expand...

I kept this thread in mind to respond to this post. I talked to my Dad last night and specifically asked him how he enjoyed the game.

Short answer: "a lot." He now says it is his favorite Wii game, although as I predicted he didn't care about the story and wished the dialogue could have been shortened. He has already beaten the game once (60 or so hours on his first attempt) and is on his second playthrough.

Thanks very much to all involved for helping me pick this out for him. If anyone has any other recommendations in this vein, please let me know.
 
Wario Land: Shake It!, World of Goo and Mega Man 9 are probably his best options.

EDIT: I just noticed how old this thread is. :lol

Glad your father is enjoying the system.
 
what about the chocobo roguelike (chocobo's dungeon)? (i haven't played it) - turn-based, level grinding, apparently fairly easy...
 
As I dad who loves the Fire Emblem games glad to see another convert. As for the dialogue, it can be skipped easily enough. Not sure what controller he's using but I use a Wavebird controller and the start button skips the dialogue/cut scenes. If you don't have a Wavebird already that would be another good gift to get him. It's much better than the wiiremote for playing Fire Emblem.

As for other game recommendations you may want to check out Chocobo's dungeon, if he can get past the cutsey part it's a pretty good roguelike. Or even better time to get him a PS2 and then you have lots of SRPG options.
 
Opiate said:
I kept this thread in mind to respond to this post. I talked to my Dad last night and specifically asked him how he enjoyed the game.

Short answer: "a lot." He now says it is his favorite Wii game, although as I predicted he didn't care about the story and wished the dialogue could have been shortened. He has already beaten the game once (60 or so hours on his first attempt) and is on his second playthrough.

Thanks very much to all involved for helping me pick this out for him. If anyone has any other recommendations in this vein, please let me know.
Click to expand...

You should let him know about the upcoming DS game.
 
larvi said:
As I dad who loves the Fire Emblem games glad to see another convert. As for the dialogue, it can be skipped easily enough. Not sure what controller he's using but I use a Wavebird controller and the start button skips the dialogue/cut scenes. If you don't have a Wavebird already that would be another good gift to get him. It's much better than the wiiremote for playing Fire Emblem.

As for other game recommendations you may want to check out Chocobo's dungeon, if he can get past the cutsey part it's a pretty good roguelike. Or even better time to get him a PS2 and then you have lots of SRPG options.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are tons of SRPG on PS2. It is SRPG heavens.

If buying PS2 console is not an option, your dad should try out Chocobo's Dungeon. It is not as hard as Izuna, but hard enough.

I would really recommend your dad buying DSL. It is another heaven platform for SRPG game, and also contain lots of roguelike game. It also have the latest Fire Emblem game (English version of FE1 Japan), and you can use the GBA port to play GBA Fire Emblem game (there are 3 of them). It has the advantage of portability, so your father can play it anywhere (in the loo, if necessary).
 
Wanted to give one more update just so the original helpers could bask in their success:

My father has now finished this game three times, and is halfway through his fourth play through, this time on hard mode. He's beaten it on easy, medium, medium again (apparently there are bonuses for beating it twice on the same save file) and is halfway through the game on hard.

I'd estimate this is at least 150 hours of playtime.

Fantastic suggestion everyone, and thanks again.
 
Opiate said:
Wanted to give one more update just so the original helpers could bask in their success:

My father has now finished this game three times, and is halfway through his fourth play through, this time on hard mode. He's beaten it on easy, medium, medium again (apparently there are bonuses for beating it twice on the same save file) and is halfway through the game on hard.

I'd estimate this is at least 150 hours of playtime.

Fantastic suggestion everyone, and thanks again.
Click to expand...

Maybe for his birthday you can get a DS Lite so he could play the DS FE and/or the two GBA ones.

Those two are hard to find, though.
 
AniHawk said:
Maybe for his birthday you can get a DS Lite so he could play the DS FE and/or the two GBA ones.

Those two are hard to find, though.
Click to expand...

I second Anihawk's suggestion. If you couldn't find FE: The Sacred Stones, I can sell my copies to you :)

Your dad might also want to check out the Advance Wars game, which he might like (he can try to achieve 300 point S-Rank for all war-room maps).
 
Alright, I'm back again with the same problem.

So, he loved Fire Emblem, as already stated. He put approximately 150 hours in to it. I then bought him the Gamecube one, which he also put 150 hours in to (beat it on easy, then medium, then hard).

And now I'm looking for more games, if anything remotely similar exists. I'd probably prefer the game to be WiiWare or VC, if possible, since I'm also getting him something else this year. Any suggestions?
 
Don't be cheap... :p
Get him a 2000 Wii Points Card so he can buy/play more Virtual Console games...along with New Super Marios Bros. Wii and Muramasa or Phantom Brave.
 
While these don't fit any of the examples you gave in the OP, your dad might appreciate them since he comes from an older generation:

- Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection (disc)
- Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection (disc)
- Alien Crush Returns (WiiWare)
- Alien Crush (VC)
- Devil's Crush (VC)
- Pinball (VC)

Out of that lot, I recommend Williams the most.
 
kayzai said:
From a former HardCore Gamer:

BUY:
  • WORLD OF GOO
  • MARIO KART WII
  • BOOM BLOX
  • WII FIT <- This is the best game/exercise tool you can get him
Click to expand...
This doesnt fit what he is looking for at all outside of world of goo maybe. Where did you get mario kart and wiifit from?
 
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