Important background: my younger brother (now 20) has Down's Syndrome, and my parents are giving him a Wii for his birthday in a month or so, and asked for game recommendations... and while my Wii knowledge of games I want to play is mediocre, my knowledge of easy to play games is significantly lacking. So... suggestions ahoy!
They currently have an xbox (my old one), and the stuff he enjoys playing now is typically games of the type where you basically can't fail, and it's pretty easy to have fun - the big three hits have been Amped, Smashing Drive, and Tiger Woods Golf. I'm unsure how the wii sports games will go over, though I suspect bowling and boxing will be pretty easy - are the other bowling Wii games pretty easy to play? I was thinking Lego Star Wars/Indy might be ok since you can't die (especially if I can get my dad to play along), but otherwise I'm kind of flailing in the dark.
And I already told them to just go rent stuff from blockbuster, but if there's some obvious targets to go for that would help out a bunch
Thanks!
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Even if you ignore the challenges and the game mechanics, the tactile sensation of moving your hands and causing almost 1:1 reactions from the blocks on screen is incredibly rewarding, and fun. There is plenty of fireworks and bright explosions. A visual feast, simple to play and easy to understand. There are freeplay modes too.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z-usFlMLQE
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Plus the cutscenes are awe inspiring.
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Mario itself I think is definitely not going to work, it's one of those cases where the game is kid-oriented but definitely requires more learning/conceptual skills than he's going to have; mario cart might work though (though i doubt he could actually beat it on easy, my family could probably race)
The elebits video was interesting - is it easy to get to an untimed/free type of area?
Rayman I think he'd get a big kick out of, so even if a few of the games are not going to be great I think the comedy factor probably will win out
As for flashy racers, what about Excite Truck? Here are two lists of most of the racing games on the Wii from IGN, which might help you get an idea of what there is to choose from: "Racing" and "Action Racing".
Edit: Bummer. It looks like Elebits saves can't be copied or transferred to SD cards. So that's not an option for unlocking free play.
It's been a long time since I played Elebits, but I believe you have to unlock unlimited play by beating levels or the game. It can be frustrating to do, because you'll usually have to play the level once or twice at the very least just to figure out what you have to go for to cut time, or the level will have goals like "don't make any noise", or there will be a bug that pops up so you can't even complete a level {something like wonky physics somehow knocks over a very large object that you can't lift yet right in the middle of your path so you can't get by}. Also, the controls and precision are not as smooth or work as well as that video would have you think. It is a fun game, but I definitely would not recommend it for someone with Downs.
Like you said, Mario Galaxy would be a bad choice. Mario Kart might work, as it's pretty easy to pick up and play, although the items on the track might cause frustration. He will probably love Wii Sports, so Carnival Games might be a good idea too.
Edit: I don't think beating easy on Mario Kart will be a problem for him if he plays something like Amped, especially on some of the simpler tracks that don't have many turns or sharp corners.
"Everyone who is capable of logical thought should be able to see why you shouldn't sell lifetime subscriptions to an MMO. Cell phone companies and drug dealers don't offer lifetime subscriptions either, guess why?" - Mugaaz
I think that most of the time, people who suggest games for non-gamers/mentally handicapped people/people incapacited in any way/little children forget that you musn't judge only the game itself, but the presentation. Is it easy to navigate around the menus? Are the controls easy to use at ANY given time from the insertion of the disct to the actual gaming?
My suggestions would be:
Boom Blox
Mario Kart Wii
Wii Sports (obviously)
Wii Play (but you might want to unlock all the games for him first, the game with poses is really not intuitive in any way)
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Elebits? (again, you might want to unlock some free modes for him first, also I don't remember how intuitive the menus are)
Wii Sports - which will come with the wii
Wii Play - will net you another controller and some minigames
Boom Blox - Multiplayer is great, has simple controls and an easily understood concept. There are a variety of modes too, so while doing the Jenga stuff might not work, throwing balls to destroy stuff will.
Excite Truck - easy to play, really fun and bright
Do you think any of the lightgun games would work? Link's Crossbow Training is fun and comes with the gun shell, so is House of the Dead 2+3, I'd stay away from Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, it's a great game, but I think it would be too complex, there's more to it than Link or HotD.
I'm going to vote against Elebits, wasn't that smooth when I played with friends, and everything had a harsh time limit I felt.
Don't forget you'll get access to GameCube games as well, and the Virtual Console, and WiiWare.
There's also the more expensive Wii Fit. This might not be a good choice, however the balance game are fun and challenging, but easily understood. Problem is these all have to be unlocked. I would look to future games using the board as well, this might be a viable option in the future.
There is a homebrew app that lets you do just that. I am not certain I trust it 100% yet, but am asking around.
Dont forget about Mario Party. Its filled with stuff that has a universal appeal.
I have 549 Rock Band Drum and 305 Pro Drum FC's
REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS REFS
Links Crossbow training is pretty easy, and a lot of fun. Plus you can't die.... I think. My two and a half year old son loves it, and he does ok. I'm sure your little brother could kick it's ass.
Forget Lego Indy, it's not as easy as the Lego moniker might suggest. Plus it's a bit twitchy. Lego SW is a a great choice.
Mario Party can be pretty easy; it just depends on who you are playing against. (Never, and I mean ever, play Pikapuff at ANY Mario Party. He FUSES with the game, and then runs a devil's threesom on all the poor souls involved)
Mario Kart on 50cc is as close to easy as any racing game will ever be. Unless you're on starbridge, that shit is a shitstorm no matter how slow your shit can go.
One more plug for Endless Ocean: You can have dolphins and killer whales as dive partners, and you can train them to do Sea World tricks!!! Plus, swim with Great White Sharks; great whites man! And they won't try to attack you. If that isn't the definition of 8-) then what the hell is? $29.99, just throwing that out there too.
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He wasn't able to really play Mario Kart, he can't seem to figure out button controls and he doesn't understand how a steering wheel works, so that game is out. Although sometimes when we play multiplayer we give him an extra controller and he thinks he's playing. If your brother can figure it out though, he will probably have a lot of fun.
Yeah, they'll have Wii Sports, I'm sure boxing will be fun... but yeah, my brother's actually pretty high level for someone with Down's, though when I said that he "played Amped" I really meant that after like 4 years now he can just barely do flips... it's more that it's the kind of game where you're just going down the mountain however you want, and if you don't score enough points it's still fun for him
The Wii Ski I actually noticed and was thinking of since he really loves skiing, though i'm not sure if his coordination is good enough to do it with the balance board... Link's training also might be interesting, though I think he'd probably be a bit too scared for House of the Dead
The Lego games would probably be more something he and my dad could play co-op, since while they're easy(ish) there's still some areas where I'm sure he couldn't figure out what to do (hell, there were some areas I couldn't figure out what to do)
Thanks though everyone, you guys rock..
Did I mention you can ride a blue whale in Endless Ocean? (I need help, I know) Oh, and whale sharks! You can ride a lot of big marine life. (Seriously, I have a sickness, and I am seeking professional help. I.... I swear I am)
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I have no idea about the sequel though. I'm gonna back up the Lego games and Play though, they're simple but fun.
Again, it implies a lot of reading and menu navigation. It's easy, but is it simple?
*edit - by controller i meant the special bongo things, I wasn't sure how the wii was about GC peripherals
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Donkey Konga on easy mode is easy.
If you're getting bongos, might I recommend Donkey Kond Jungle Beat? Getting high scores require skills, but finishing a level at all isn't hard.