Let’s face it, the Nintendo Wii has always been “hit or miss” since a few months after its launch, but 2010 just may be the year of surprises and new beginnings that the Wii needs…

Nintendo has always been the leader in innovation: the NES gave birth to the D-pad and the coolest peripheral ever created; the SNES brought some of the first 3D games into our homes; gaming went portable with the first Game Boy; not only is the Nintendo DS backwards-compatible, but it has two screens, including a touch-sensitive one, and it’s own wi-fi network.

While it isn’t something to be proud of, Nintendo also created the Virtual Boy….. thus creating the excuse that video games ruin eyesight.

Nintendo was also the first to experiment with motion-sensor technology in gaming. Yeah, the PS2’s Eye-Toy is a “motion sensor” (though it’s no better than a webcam), but the first actual game (not a peripheral) to feature motion sensors was Kirby: Tilt n’ Tumble (2001), for Game Boy Color. Rather than use the D-pad, the player would control Kirby by tilting the handheld in any corresponding direction.

At launch, the Nintendo Wii showed much promise with it’s use of motion-sensor technology, but the sad truth is this: not many games utilized it to the full extent. Link’s Crossbow Training, the Wii Sports franchise and other Nintendo-licensed games showed what the Wii’s technology was truly capable of doing, but that’s where the train stopped. So, with PS3’s upcoming “motion controller” and Project Natal around the corner, the Wii needs to step it up a few notches in order to bring itself back into the fray.

Over the last few years, the Wii’s library of games hasn’t been up to par with the PS3 or the 360’s. Then again, the PS3 and 360 have had plenty of titles that are nearly impossible to match…. and counting. Need I remind you, Bayonetta and Mass Effect 2 are in stores now, Dante’s Inferno and Bioshock 2 release in a few days, and God of War III and Heavy Rain are a few short weeks away. That’s one heck of a lineup to compete with, AND IT’S ONLY Q1 2010.

Of course, Nintendo has always been known to keep an ace up its sleeve- or three. As we’ve seen in the past, it’s only a matter of time until Nintendo places theses aces on the table for all the world to stare in awe, and 2010 seems to be that time:

In case you’re wondering where the third of Nintendo’s aces is, you won’t be seeing Link for quite sometime… or at least until the next Zelda game is “perfect”.

That’s understandable; a new console adaptation of The Legend of Zelda would have to extend beyond anyone’s expectations. Keep in mind what its predecessor is…

Untitled Zelda Wii Concept Art

There are plenty of other things launching this year in hopes to keep the Wii afloat; Tatsunoku VS Capcom, the most recent entry in Capcom’s famed Versus series released as a Wii exclusive. Altus’s Trauma series is returning with Trauma Team, a new take on the series, allowing players to work as six different character types, including endoscopy and orthopedics to name a few.

Could 2010 be considered “The Year of the Wii”? That’s doubtful, due to the immense bag of anticipated games that won’t be featured on the console, but it’s fair to say this:

The Wii isn’t done yet, it’s just warming up.

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