Nintendo Wii White Console
- Processor: IBM "Broadway"
- Platform: Nintendo Wii
- Console Type: Home Console
- Gaming Type: LAN Gaming Multiplayer Gaming
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Nintendo Wii - Wii would like to play
Pros
Fun and innovative way to play video games.
Cons
No high end graphics and controller sensitivity
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A fun and innovative way to play games for the whole family.
I admit that I didn't pay too much attention when they announced the new Nintendo system a while ago, the kids went on and on about it with each little tidbit of information they read about it, although then it was known as the Revolution. I was more interested in the PS3, but the price tag and scarce availability made it impossible to get it now. My husband stood in line to get the Nintendo Wii and although it was mainly bought for the kids, I'm having fun with it too.
Unlike the PS3 and Xbox 360, this system didn't push it in the graphics department, they went in a totally new direction with gameplay. An interesting concept, to say the least, but depending on the games you play, you won't just be sitting around playing the games. It will definitely make it harder for the health experts to complain about kids just "sitting around and playing video games" at least with the Wii.
What you get in the box
Console
Console stand
Wii remote
Nunchuk
Standard composite cables
Power adapter
Wii Sports
System Setup
The setup of the the system is pretty straight forward and you'll have to do this when you first turn on the system.
This is where you'll give your console a nickname, set the date and time, screen settings (standard or widescreen), TV resolution (standard or HD - maybe they are planning on adding HD support to it?), Screen burn-in reduction (fades the screen when there has been nothing happening for 5 minutes or more, but only works with Wii games, not GameCube games), Sound, Parental Controls, Sensor Bar (whether it is set above or below the TV), Internet and WiiConnect24.
It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to do the system setup unless you have trouble connecting your Wii to the internet. We had problems and have not set it up yet, we will have to do a reset of our router and then try again sometime. I don't find that too important as of yet and it hasn't hurt our gameplay because of the games we play.
Features
Channels - lots of channels in the Wii menu, some of which you will need to use your wireless connection to use, but these are the "newest" thing Nintendo added other than the innovative controller.
Mii Channel - This is where you set up your very own Mii, which essentially is your user profile. You can choose what your Mii looks like from a variety of options or choose a pre-made Mii. Each member of the family can set up their very own Mii and the games will have you choose which Mii you are using. You can also store your Mii on your Wii Remote and take it with you to a friends house and use your own profile when playing.
Photo Channel - I haven't used this feature yet, but it sounds interesting. You can store pictures on a SD card and display them on your screen. They also say you can manipulate the pictures in fun ways, create puzzles and slideshows.
Wii Shop Channel - This is where you can download various classic games made for older systems (NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx). You can pay for these games with a Wii Points card or your credit card. Because we don't have the Wii Connect set up yet, I haven't checked this out, but plan to once it is set up.
Virtual Console Channel - This is where the games you got from the Wii Shop will be placed, it will create it's own channel for each game, so if you downloaded a lot, you'll have a lot of Virtual Console Channels.
Others channels are - News Channel, Forecast Channel, Internet Channel and Wii Message Board Channel. Again, because of not having connectivity yet, I haven't tried these yet.
Controllers
The Wii Remote (which the kids call the WiiMote) is the regular controller for the system. It uses Bluetooth technology to "talk" to the system. Using the sensor bar, it gauges your movements to interact with the games, although not always perfectly. It's take two AA batteries that can last quite a while depending on your usage. We've had the system since right before Christmas and have only had to replace the batteries once so far. The second Wii Remote we bought, the batteries didn't last as long and we have had to replace them already. The buttons on the controller are easy to see and use, although my oldest son has had a problem with hitting the Home button by mistake sometimes. There is a power button, d-pad, A button, B button, plus and minus buttons and the home button. There is also a built-in speaker in the Wii Remote that you can't control the volume of, which is a little bit aggravating at times. It is also important to remember to put the wrist strap around your wrist and make it snug so you don't fling the remote anywhere while playing. We've never had a problem with that, but I'm sure you've heard many of the horror stories in the news about broken TV's and/or windows.
The Wii Nunchuk plugs into the Wii Remote. It has an analog stick and a couple of buttons. This isn't used for all games, but some games do require it.
There is also a Classic Controller available for use with the Virtual Console games.
The Wii Remote, while it takes getting used to, is pretty easy to use, but you will have some aggravating times when it seems either too sensitive or not sensitive enough.
There are also four ports for GameCube Controllers for your GameCube games and two slots for memory cards, both are behind little doors that they recommend you detach when hooking them up.
Games
The system comes with Wii Sports, which allows you to play tennis, bowling, baseball, golf and boxing. Each of these games can be played against the computer, other players or just practice. I've gotten fairly good at bowling and I'm OK at tennis, as long as I'm at the net, I'm not that good in the back field. Baseball is OK, but I wish you could pitch underhanded like the computer can. And I haven't tried boxing yet, doubt I will, but my sons have and they think it's fun, but the response from the controls don't seem as accurate as in the other games in Wii Sports. I have to keep reminding my sons to back up more from the TV when playing boxing, they've hit it with the controllers when punching, luckily nothing broke. And if you want to see comical, you should see my husbands new innovative way to play tennis, he way overdoes it and gives himself quite a workout.
We also purchased Excite Truck, Madden NFL 2007 and Elebits.
Madden was bought for my oldest son, I enjoy watching him play, I was never good at football games, even my 8 year old son plays it and I was surprised with how easy he was able to get the hang of it.
Elebits was bought for my 8 year old son, although he doesn't play it a lot. I think it's a little bit harder than he realized it would be, but he really likes the elebits themselves. It takes time getting used to, but it does have a tutorial.
Excite Truck was bought for everyone, but I think I'm the one that likes it the most. It has it's own tutorial too, but it is definitely a fun game to play.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, supposedly the must have game. We haven't gotten it yet, the kids want it, so I'm sure we will eventually, I was just never really impressed with Zelda series, even on the older systems.
There are many other games available, but I don't want to list them all here.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a console that'll get the whole family involved, kids and adults alike, the Nintendo Wii is definitely a system to consider. It may not have all the next-gen graphics like the other new systems, but it's a fun way to get the whole family together and have fun.
Unlike the PS3 and Xbox 360, this system didn't push it in the graphics department, they went in a totally new direction with gameplay. An interesting concept, to say the least, but depending on the games you play, you won't just be sitting around playing the games. It will definitely make it harder for the health experts to complain about kids just "sitting around and playing video games" at least with the Wii.
What you get in the box
Console
Console stand
Wii remote
Nunchuk
Standard composite cables
Power adapter
Wii Sports
System Setup
The setup of the the system is pretty straight forward and you'll have to do this when you first turn on the system.
This is where you'll give your console a nickname, set the date and time, screen settings (standard or widescreen), TV resolution (standard or HD - maybe they are planning on adding HD support to it?), Screen burn-in reduction (fades the screen when there has been nothing happening for 5 minutes or more, but only works with Wii games, not GameCube games), Sound, Parental Controls, Sensor Bar (whether it is set above or below the TV), Internet and WiiConnect24.
It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to do the system setup unless you have trouble connecting your Wii to the internet. We had problems and have not set it up yet, we will have to do a reset of our router and then try again sometime. I don't find that too important as of yet and it hasn't hurt our gameplay because of the games we play.
Features
Channels - lots of channels in the Wii menu, some of which you will need to use your wireless connection to use, but these are the "newest" thing Nintendo added other than the innovative controller.
Mii Channel - This is where you set up your very own Mii, which essentially is your user profile. You can choose what your Mii looks like from a variety of options or choose a pre-made Mii. Each member of the family can set up their very own Mii and the games will have you choose which Mii you are using. You can also store your Mii on your Wii Remote and take it with you to a friends house and use your own profile when playing.
Photo Channel - I haven't used this feature yet, but it sounds interesting. You can store pictures on a SD card and display them on your screen. They also say you can manipulate the pictures in fun ways, create puzzles and slideshows.
Wii Shop Channel - This is where you can download various classic games made for older systems (NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx). You can pay for these games with a Wii Points card or your credit card. Because we don't have the Wii Connect set up yet, I haven't checked this out, but plan to once it is set up.
Virtual Console Channel - This is where the games you got from the Wii Shop will be placed, it will create it's own channel for each game, so if you downloaded a lot, you'll have a lot of Virtual Console Channels.
Others channels are - News Channel, Forecast Channel, Internet Channel and Wii Message Board Channel. Again, because of not having connectivity yet, I haven't tried these yet.
Controllers
The Wii Remote (which the kids call the WiiMote) is the regular controller for the system. It uses Bluetooth technology to "talk" to the system. Using the sensor bar, it gauges your movements to interact with the games, although not always perfectly. It's take two AA batteries that can last quite a while depending on your usage. We've had the system since right before Christmas and have only had to replace the batteries once so far. The second Wii Remote we bought, the batteries didn't last as long and we have had to replace them already. The buttons on the controller are easy to see and use, although my oldest son has had a problem with hitting the Home button by mistake sometimes. There is a power button, d-pad, A button, B button, plus and minus buttons and the home button. There is also a built-in speaker in the Wii Remote that you can't control the volume of, which is a little bit aggravating at times. It is also important to remember to put the wrist strap around your wrist and make it snug so you don't fling the remote anywhere while playing. We've never had a problem with that, but I'm sure you've heard many of the horror stories in the news about broken TV's and/or windows.
The Wii Nunchuk plugs into the Wii Remote. It has an analog stick and a couple of buttons. This isn't used for all games, but some games do require it.
There is also a Classic Controller available for use with the Virtual Console games.
The Wii Remote, while it takes getting used to, is pretty easy to use, but you will have some aggravating times when it seems either too sensitive or not sensitive enough.
There are also four ports for GameCube Controllers for your GameCube games and two slots for memory cards, both are behind little doors that they recommend you detach when hooking them up.
Games
The system comes with Wii Sports, which allows you to play tennis, bowling, baseball, golf and boxing. Each of these games can be played against the computer, other players or just practice. I've gotten fairly good at bowling and I'm OK at tennis, as long as I'm at the net, I'm not that good in the back field. Baseball is OK, but I wish you could pitch underhanded like the computer can. And I haven't tried boxing yet, doubt I will, but my sons have and they think it's fun, but the response from the controls don't seem as accurate as in the other games in Wii Sports. I have to keep reminding my sons to back up more from the TV when playing boxing, they've hit it with the controllers when punching, luckily nothing broke. And if you want to see comical, you should see my husbands new innovative way to play tennis, he way overdoes it and gives himself quite a workout.
We also purchased Excite Truck, Madden NFL 2007 and Elebits.
Madden was bought for my oldest son, I enjoy watching him play, I was never good at football games, even my 8 year old son plays it and I was surprised with how easy he was able to get the hang of it.
Elebits was bought for my 8 year old son, although he doesn't play it a lot. I think it's a little bit harder than he realized it would be, but he really likes the elebits themselves. It takes time getting used to, but it does have a tutorial.
Excite Truck was bought for everyone, but I think I'm the one that likes it the most. It has it's own tutorial too, but it is definitely a fun game to play.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, supposedly the must have game. We haven't gotten it yet, the kids want it, so I'm sure we will eventually, I was just never really impressed with Zelda series, even on the older systems.
There are many other games available, but I don't want to list them all here.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a console that'll get the whole family involved, kids and adults alike, the Nintendo Wii is definitely a system to consider. It may not have all the next-gen graphics like the other new systems, but it's a fun way to get the whole family together and have fun.
