Today, September 14, gamers around the globe watched with anticipation as Nintendo announced what is assumed to be the final secrets of their enigmatic, motion-controlled console, Wii, at special Nintendo-only events in Japan and New York.

Being a stalwart Nintendo fan myself, I have been glued to my computer in wait for every bit of news I could soak up. Unfortunately, not all of the news is good. Nonetheless, I feel there were several promising parts of the event which have made me anticipate Wii all the more.

I present to you, the reader, my list of pros and cons of the Nintendo conference. Let’s get the bad parts over with first.

Cons:

Fact: Wii will arrive stateside with a price of $249.99.

I Say: After announcing the price of Wii to be “less than $250,” (read by most many zealous fans as “$200 - $230) Nintendo has decided to go with the very maximum price possible within that limit. Although, keep in mind that the package includes the game Wii Sports, a compilation of five straightforward motion-controlled sports games. Despite this, I still think the price is a bit steep.

Fact: The Wii bundle will include only one remote and nunchuck. Additional remotes and nunchucks will be sold separately for $39.99 and $19.99, respectively.

I Say: Having to pay a total of $310 for the system and a practically essential pair of complete controllers isn’t looking all that economic anymore. Though, fanboy that I am, I’m sure I’ll still buy them.

An aside: I know Nintendo is apparently trying to encourage players to bring their controllers to their friends’ houses and play on their Wii (after all, the remote has been shown to be able to store and transport player information), but America isn’t like Japan. Wii is not likely to become the household name that it almost certainly will be in Japan. Therefore, I have my doubts about the ease of finding a friend with a Wii. Just have to wait and see, I guess.

Fact: Wii launches on Nov. 19, 2 days after the PS3 (Nov. 17).

I Say: I can’t understand why they would choose to launch after Sony. Merely a few days sooner could have given them a tremendous edge. I had been under the mistaken belief that the Wii nearly ready for launch. Some even speculated that Nintendo might pull an “Apple” -- where the company releases the product within a week or so of announcing its release date. I wonder, why so late? Which brings me to my next point…

Fact: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Wii will launch with the Wii on November November 19; the GameCube version will follow on December 11.

I Say: According to my sources (half-crazed members of message boards are a reliable source, right?), the GCN version of TP was completed some time ago and was merely delayed so as to coincide with the release of the Wii version and the Wii itself. Nonetheless, Nintendo has chosen to delay the GCN version until after the release of the Wii version. Honestly, I can’t see why they would do this. Some speculate that it is an attempt to force gamers to buy a Wii to play the much anticipated title. I, however, simply can’t accept that Nintendo would be that under-handed. Oddly enough, I almost hope it was a problem with the game that caused its delay (as opposed to a more devious reason).

Now that those are out of the way, on to the good stuff!

Pros:

Fact: Wii will include an impressive digital infrastructure divided into various “channels.” Some of the channels included are Forecast Channel, A free weather service; Internet Channel, where you surf the internet; Wii Message Board, whereDisc Channel, where you play your various game discs; and Virtual Console Channel, where you will be able to download retro classics like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more.

I Say: This feature seems pretty promising. A strong online program has always been lacking from Nintendo’s consoles, and this, coupled with the “always on” service of WiiConnect24, may just be the solution we’ve been waiting for.

Fact: Metroid Prime 3 has been drastically improved -- according to IGN editor Matt Casamassina, at least. The editor had been dissatisfied with the games controls back at E3, but after being instructed to adjust the sensitivity of the remote’s pointer, the renowned editor was, for the first time, truly smitten with the title.

I Say: Thank goodness someone finally got FPS controls nailed down! Let’s hope Red Steel can do the same.

Fact (sorta): Details are unclear, but I hear Nintendo President Satoru Iwata mentioned something to the effect of “If you play Twilight Princess for six hours everyday, you will still only be scratching the surface.

I Say: Holy cow…

Admittedly, that quote doesn’t make all that much sense (for how many days?), but I think the meaning is understood.

Anyway, sure there was some bad news, but I still think the Wii is going to blow us away.

Comments?