- Plays two disc formats in a single, self-loading media bay
- Features a processing chip from IBM and a graphics chip from ATI
- Backwards compatible with all Nintendo GameCube games and most peripherals
- Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming service
- Wii Sports game included
Top Gifts Grownups | Apple iPods | Blackberry Cell Phone | Blu-ray | Digital Camera | Portable GPS | Keurig Coffee Maker| Kindle |LCD HDTV | Logitech Speakers | Video Camcorders | Video MP3 Players | Wii Console + Games | Xbox 360 |
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Wii Console Hilites
A Little Box With Plenty of Power - As with every console, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The Wii boasts 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, and a slot for SD memory expansion. The system’s technological heart -- a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" -- deliver stunning performance. And instead of a tray, Wii uses a single, self-loading media bay that plays both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.Revolutionary Control
No bigger than a small traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote is a truly multi functional device. The
magic of the Wii Remote's design lies within; acellerometers inside the controller measure movement in all
directions and at all speeds. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket as you swing away. In driving games it
serves as a steering wheel, allowing you to swerve to avoid obstacles or pickup power-ups. In first-person
shooters, it acts as a firearm that you can point directly at an on-screen enemy. The controller also has a force
feedback "Rumble" feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an
analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. The system allows for up to four controllers to be linked at a time and
utilizes standard Bluetooth wireless technology. For those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller an
adapter is available that fits over the Wii's remote.
Wii Sports is Included
This is what video games should be: fun for everyone.
Wii Sports offers five distinct sports experiences, each using the Wii Remote controller to provide a
natural, intuitive and realistic feel. To play a Wii Sports game, all you need to do is pick up a
controller and get ready for the pitch, serve or that right hook. If you've played any of these sports before,
you're ready for fun!
The Depth of the Nintendo Game Catalog
Each Wii comes with a game compilation called "Wii Sports," including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling games,
that show off the console's intuitive new controller, but Wii also plays games developed specifically for it as
well as fan-favorite games from Nintendo's 20-year-old library. Its drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and
select Nintendo titles from the original NES of the 1980s all the way through the Nintendo 64 are available for
download through the "Virtual Console" for $5 and $10 respectively. To support this backwards compatibility the Wii
includes four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers and two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards. As
if that weren't enough, the Virtual Console will also make available a few titles from SNES console contemporaries,
Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16.
Also, Wii utilizes Nintendo's newly-announced wireless feature, WiiConnect24. This worldwide feature allows players to receive content such as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, e-mails, updated channel and game content, and notification of software updates even while the console is on standby, keeping the fun going even when you are not online.
Wii Console Features
Wii Console Specs
Size: 15 x 10 x 4.5 inches
Weight: 7.5 pounds
Wii Console Reviews
An Inexpensive Gaming Console for the Whole Family, November 19, 2006The Nintendo Wii is the most inexpensive of the current generation of gaming consoles. It provides motion sensing controllers and 480p graphics. We tested the Wii before its launch day (I'm a game reviewer), and we had our own unit in our home the morning of launch day. Here are our findings.
The Wii is designed around a menu of "channels". There is of course the game-playing channel, where the Wii will play any Wii or GameCube game. Simply load the disc in and go. There is a Mii channel where you set up a profile and avatar to connect to all your game playing. The Photos channel lets you look at photos on your TV. Other channels for news, weather, and online shopping require an interent connection; the news and weather were not actually working at launch time.
The system does NOT have a regular network cable port, which both the PS3 and XBox 360 have. Instead, it works with built in wireless or with a USB network adapter. I am a firm proponent of wireless - less clutter! So I am thrilled that they offer wireless automatically. With the PS3, you have to pay extra for the 60 gig unit to get this built in. The XBox 360 requires extra hardware as well.
It's hard to generalize gameplay on any console - it really depends on what games you buy. That being said, the comes-with-it software of Sports is really quite fun and is about as basic as you can get. You swing at baseballs, lob tennis balls, bowl, box and play golf. A "fitness" mode puts you through a variety of tasks and then calculates your fitness age, sort of like how Brain Age keeps track of your mental age. If you did both every day, you could aim to be as fit mentally and physically as possible!
In a world where video games = couch potato, it really is quite amazing to have a game where it natively expects you to move and be active. You don't lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games. Boxing can be quite strenuous, jabbing, blocking and weaving in real life. Tennis involves quick reflexes and strong arm movements. Bowling might be the most relaxed of the sports, but even there you are standing, moving, swinging. You get your heart going at least a little, and get some exercise. My boyfriend had a sore arm after playing for a number of hours, in a good way, as he would from exercising.
The 480p resolution is certainly not high def 1080p like the other two systems. It's something you accept when you're paying such a low price for the console. But really, it's not that big a deal. I still play the old Zeldas and love them for their gameplay, even though you can't see the pores in Link's face. If they are going for the cartooney characters and environments, 480p is DVD quality and is quite good. If you really, really crave high definition super realism in your games, then the Wii might not be the best choice for you. However, if you're fine with playing games with a more impressionist / cartooney look to them, the 480p can show that quite nicely. For example, there aren't fans in the stands for baseball - there are colored blocks.
Nintendo has always been known as a "Kid's Console" - but I really do think with the Wii that they have become a "Family Console". It's not just kids who will enjoy this. Seniors can have fun bowling without knowing anything "Tricky" about how to use a video game unit. It's very intuitive. Moms can easily play with their kids, each with their own Wii profile. Adults having parties can have fun passing the controllers around. Family groups can share slideshows on the big screen while hanging out and drinking wine. Every person who has come over - from 8 to adult - has instantly understood and enjoyed the Wii, without much explanation at all.
With the price tag being so low, a gaming household that "needs" a higher end system can easily save up their money to get that XBox 360 or PS3 - and still be able to justify to get a Wii for the fun, casual gaming stuff to share with their non-gaming friends.
Well recommended! Since I own all three systems, and am playing all three wirelessly, feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
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Update: One year later, and the Wii is still going strong! It's really funny how many people said the Wii would bomb because it wasn't as good as the PS3 or 360 - and here we are a year later and the Wii is still the system that people are really wanting to get. Hospitals are getting Wiis for their patients to play with. Senior centers are getting Wiis for their residents to play games together with. I was just on a cruise ship and they had Wii tournaments going on every day! This is a fantastically fun system that we really enjoy playing with and that literally the whole family can have fun with. There are great games for kids, great games for teenagers, great games for adults. I am really very pleased with how the Wii has held up and the game set available for it.
Update 2: 2 years later! Our Wii is still adored in our household, used just as much as the PS3 and XBox 360. I was just at a bar and they had two Wiis set up for people to play with, and everybody loved them. This really is an "every person's gaming system".
I'm running out of space here, but my nintendo.bellaonline.com site has full articles on exactly what you get in this box, and what else you should buy so you have a full system to play with.
The Wii Remote (Not a Kid), November 23, 2006
A Kid's Review
Since the console has been covered in other reviews, this one will be a little more in-depth about the controller, and only the controller. I hope it can convince you, because it certainly enhanced my gaming experience.
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Wow. That's all I had to say after plugging the Wii in at my home on November 19th. After months of waiting, it is finally here, and for once, this game system actually met and possibly exceeded my expectations. Know before continuing that I'm not a Nintendo fanboy, I hated the Gamecube, own a PS2 and will be buying an Xbox 360. Well, after buying this, I don't know if i will be needing that 360.
The biggest thing about the Wii is it's new controller. Instead of the traditional two-handed gamepad with 2-4 buttons and some analog sticks, the Wii's input system is shaped like a TV remote control. It has a couple of buttons on it, but not nearly as many as the average controller. How can you play complex games with such a simple controller? The answer is motion control.
The Wii's controller has accelerometers inside of it, allowing it to sense when you wave, swing, punch, stab, or shake. It can also interact with a sensor bar placed on top of the television to make a pointer for the TV. For example, to select a menu option, you just point at the option with the remote and click the A button. This creates a whole new gaming experience. It's like one of those arcade games at the local mall, but it works better, and no more 25 cents per turn!
The remote is also very comfortable. For games that would need two analog sticks, such as shooters, there is a connectable perephial with an analog stick and two shoulder buttons, which is called the Nunchuk. In a shooting game, this would handle movement and the remote would handle the aiming. It takes a very short amount of time to get used to, but once you do, it is much more comfortable than the normal controller. You can spread your hands out instead of hunched up, holding your hands together.
The Wii Remote is functional, efficient, comfortable, and smart. It is so much better than controllers of the past, and I hope this is a sign of things to come from Nintendo.
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