It is probably the most obvious verb that Wii's controller enables; it's probably also the most powerful. What could be simpler? Point at what you want. A child could — and often does — do it. Unlike many of the other verbs we're covering, pointing also has been attempted before in console gaming. Sometimes it's even been done well, but because of the limitations of analog control designed to tell Mario which way to walk or run, it has never approached the utter simplicity of simply making a gesture in the appropriate direction.
Until now, of course. Pick up your Wii controller and point. Here's a few things we're dreaming of pointing at.
Nintendo, in full knowledge of what the biggest genre of this generation is, says Wii is perfect for first-person shooters, and chose to talk them up when Wii was revealed last year at TGS. With the "nunchaku" analog stick attachment controlling your character's movement and other game-specific functions with its own buttons, combat becomes as simple as gesturing in the direction of your enemy and letting loose a volley with the B trigger on the controller's underside. Weapons are selected by rotating through them with the directional pad atop the controller.
Of course, it's pretty obvious to anyone who's given FPS on Wii some thought that you simply need to point at your target on the screen before firing your weapon; but the controller will do you one better by not only taking into account where you're firing but also the origin of your shot. Picture yourself standing behind one of 3-D gaming's ubiquitous crates which is providing cover between you and your target. If you're playing a traditional FPS, you need to jump out from behind your cover to fire, exposing yourself to his fire.
Not so with Wii. By holding the controller off to the side, you've changed the origin of your shot. Now you can fire around your cover at your target, letting you have a shot or three at him without blowing your cover — unless, of course, your target is a good enough shot to hit your player's arm.
Have the fingertips on your left hand been worn off, not by changing Mario's direction in mid-air, but rather by tabbing through RPG menus in search of an action to take, a spell to cast, a target to hit? Every character for every turn?
Why not point at what you want instead? When it's your character's turn, four targets appear: attack, defend, magic, item. Simply aim at the one you want and push A. If you're casting, you'll see a box with recent spells, and a row of tabs for spell categories at the bottom; just aim at one of the tabs to pull that tab up and select the appropriate spell from within with A. Finally, aim at the enemy (or friend) you're targeting and hit A one more time to let 'er rip.
Maybe your forte is strategy? Use your controller to select one or more units; hold A to drag a box over them, and a menu pops when you release, allowing you to select the action you want them to take. Aim your controller at the edges of the screen to scroll. Use the directional pad on the end of your controller to zoom in and out. Efficient perfection, and you get to do it all from your recliner.
It's a mystery that would excite the venerable Sherlock Holmes. Imagine a game such as Myst, where the world is a puzzle and clues must be examined and categorized to find the answer. As you enter a room, there is an array of objects dispersed from floor to wall. A desk sits in the corner. A bookshelf hugs the wall. You approach the bookshelf and with your controller, point to the book you desire. It's about carpentry. You grab it off the shelf and move over to the desk. You sit the book upon the desk and press A, grabbing a hold of the first page and then using the controller to methodically turn it. Something catches your eye and you point to it to take a closer look. This is just the tip of the iceberg regarding what Wii controller will offer in a mystery game. Your controller can become a magnifying glass or even a ballpoint pen — all the requisite tools necessary for solving the world's mysteries.