st1412_webb

SCANDINAVIAN TRAVELER | TESTS | CONSOLE GAMES
XBOX ONE
The media hub with Minecraft
Microsoft’s new game console was released last year,
but has only just arrived in Scandinavia. You can buy
the console with or without Kinect, Microsoft’s motion
controller.
What’s new: In its marketing, Microsoft has emphasized
all the things the Xbox One can do when it
comes to TV, film, and music, which has caused some
controversy and irritation among gamers who feel
that the company hasn’t focused enough on the core
function of the console, namely gaming. The dust has
settled, but compared to the PS4, Xbox One does
seem more like an entertainment hub.
Interface: The interface looks a lot like Windows 8,
and the dialogue boxes are large and easy to understand
as you click through four different menu pages.
It’s not minimalistic, but functional and distinct.
Game availability: Xbox One exclusives this fall
include the action game Halo: The Master Chief
Collection, racing game Forza Horizon 2, and the
humoristic shooter franchise Sunset
Overdrive.
One PS4 U
WII U
For Nintendo fans only
The Wii U had everything going for it. It was released
in 2012, a year before the PS4 and Xbox One. And
it had the enormous success of its predecessor, the
original Wii, to build on.
What’s new: After two years on the market and
lackluster sales, it’s clear that the Wii U is, and will
continue to be, a console first and foremost for
Nintendo’s own games. This could be its Achilles’
heel even if Nintendo’s cast of characters is fairly
impressive.
Interface: The menu on the GamePad controls is
a straightforward system of icons for each app and
game. What you see on the GamePad’s touch screen
can also be seen on your TV.
Game availability: All the best games for Wii U are
exclusive titles. The holiday’s big games will be Super
Smash Bros and Hyrule Warriors, but since Nintendo’s
games tend to have a long life span, Mario Kart 8,
released in May this year, will most likely continue to
sell well.
Food for thought: Thanks to Kinect,
you can use the Xbox One as a per sonal
trainer, but if you’re skeptical about games like
Zumba Fitness, or don’t want your kids to play
motion-sensitive games, you may as well save your
money.
Bear in mind that you need room to maneuver at
least two meters from your TV, both for your Zumba
moves and for the Kinect to be able to track your
movements.
Before you buy, remember this: Not surprisingly, the
Xbox One is the only console Minecraft is guaranteed
to run on in the future, which gives it quite an edge.
Food for thought: Technically, the Wii U is not as
high-end as its competitors; it’s more on a level with
the PS3 and the Xbox 360, which together with its
poor sales figures, has got major game publishers
treading cautiously.
Before you buy, remember this: Nintendo
has some of the gaming world’s best-known
franchises and characters – Mario, Zelda, and
Pokémon, for example – so the Wii U still has
strong games, it just won’t have as many
as the PS4 or the Xbox One.
Scandinavian
Traveler’s rating:
3
Scandinavian
Traveler’s rating:
4
SCANDINAVIAN TRAVELER | DECEMBER 2014
49