Wii Consoles

Review by Lisa Shea:
The 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.

================

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.

Review by :
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.

-----------------------------------------------------

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.

Review by Ray:
I am not a fan of video games, but I must admit that this is the best one out there, especially bundled with all the sports software. My family, from the preschooler (age 5) to the great-grandma (age 80), and everybody at every age in between, really enjoys playing the sports games, either solo or even better competitively. Now this includes a lot of couch potatoes, including me, so I am very happy to see everybody physically active, no matter how limited. The variety of games also allows for various levels of physical and mental abilities, depending on age and disability, and it permits individual and "team" choice and preference based on natural interest in one sport over another. This might just be the best thing to ever happen to "family togetherness" since the invention of television, which tends to isolate people from each other. Just from the standpoint of physical and mental exercise and challenge, the Wii is truly a bargain. And this bundle is an incredible bargain, combining so much hardware and software in one package. (I do wish there were a second Remote substituted for the Nunchuk, so as not to have to keep passing the Remote from player to player during the games. But I suspect Nintendo figured that this is a good way to increase profits, practically forcing people to purchase a second Remote for convenience sake, and I have to admit that at the Amazon price they may even be justified in taking that tack.) Of course, various family members also are puchasing their favorite arcade-type games as well, but again I have to admit, as a non-gamer, that those games also appear to be lots of fun and worthwhile, if you're into that type of entertainment. Finally, the design of the entire system looks and feels sleek and modern (especially in black), as well as sturdy. This is a real winner and a great deal at Amazon.

Review by V. Johnston:
Finally the black Wii is here in the US! We decided weeks ago that we were finally going to get a Wii, and then we found out some "leaked" info that they were going to release the black Wii in America on May 9th, so we decided to wait until the black one came out. It is sleek, shiny, slim and matches all our other electronics. The black looks excellent and very high shine, it will definitely show fingerprints and dust but that's easy to clean off and it looks much better than the white Wii, it's very classy. This bundle was excellent as it includes Wii Sports Resort with Motion Plus (that game is so much fun!) and with the Motion Plus it has improved the accuracy on screen to 1:1 control! It also comes with the classic Wii Sports. So all in all you get the black Console, Black controller with Motion Plus, black Nunchuck, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. EXCELLENT BUNDLE and love the new black!

Review by MariaSmiles "me":
INTRO:

After years of wanting a Wii, we finally got one! And, of course, like any overly-excited newbie, I couldn't wait to get the new WiiFit (WiiFit Plus). I picked it up at midnight, with the Balance Board. (TIP: if ur buying from brick-and-mortar stores, call ahead, it took me an hour to convince them that it was ok to sell it to me, and it was already 12:30a!) I got home, set it up (took just a few minutes, mostly unwrapping) and played until 5am! I was nearly falling asleep between games, but it was so much fun, I couldn't stop! Now, THAT's a motivator to work out! It even asked if I was a 'NIGHT OWL' and I had the option to keep my "day" 'open' until 3am, for those late-night workout sessions!

THE GAMES, & WHY I LOVE THEM:

Without leaving my 12'x12' living room, I can do: Circus Juggling, Skateboarding, Island Cycling, HulaHooping, Rhythm Parade, Segwaying, & Perfect 10 - these are the ones I like the most right now. My current favorite is the Bulls-Eye game (you flap your arms to 'fly' over water and reach platforms!) It's just awesome! And, it's cool that most of the activities are all on the same island - so you can bike it, run it, walk it, fly it, segway it, float it, bounce it, etc.! I also like that, in most games (not the Bubble one, tho), you don't 'die' if you do it 'wrong'. Nothing's worse than almost getting to the end of a cycling game, and then running into a tree and having to start over - ugh! But, with WiiFit, it's so pleasant, you just maneuver your way back on track! No stress! Yet, I like that u still do collect points - I already have a competition to 'beat' my BF's scores - I even left him a 'note' on the wii to try to beat mine in a couple of games, when he woke up! We haven't tried the 'multiplayer' mode yet.

STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, & KEEPING TRACK:

I LOVE the 'make your own' routine - you pick as many activities as you want, from dozens of Yoga Postures, and Strength Training choices (they even tell you how long the total 'workout' will take, as you make your selections) and then you hit 'start'; and it cycles thru them, one-after-the-other, checking off each one, as you go; and, saving the 'routine' for the future. If you don't need to have that much customization, or if you need more guidance, you can choose from 5 options for a pre-made routine (Lifestyle, Health, Youth, Form, & Combine), or you can click the cute balance board graphic and it creates one for you! The tracking capability is nice, complete with graphs, and a visual calendar which I 'stamp' every day I use the WiiFit. You can even add your daily step count AND activities you do outside of the WiiFit! This appeals to my analytical and visual side! Another option it gives you is that you can choose a food (from a selection of 20 or so), and then make a daily goal to burn as many calories as that food has - I didn't realize sticky rice had so many calories!

SHOW ME THE NUMBERS:

It calculates your BMI from your user-entered height and a balance board-measured weight. The weight measurement seemed a little off, as it made both me and my BF about 5-10 lbs lighter than we've been told, from other scales. But, that's A-OK with me! It seems like it's mostly set up to help you lose weight and burn calories (while improving your balance & posture), however my BF and I have different goals - I'm trying to lose 20 lbs, and he's trying to gain 20 lbs. The Wii did rightfully call him underweight and told him to do strength-training to build muscle. It just laughed at me and told me to 'strap in'! haha - jk!

WISHES & BENEFITS:

While it might not be 100% perfect (wish there was no 'dying' in the Balance Bubble or Tightrope game; and in the snowball fight, it'd be nice to have the option to physically move my arm to throw, instead of just pushing 'A' to throw; skateboarding goes thru a long 'training run' every time you play; it would be cool if Super Hula Hoop was more than just Left AND Right circles (like add arms or something); and oh, to be able to enter total calories eaten for the day; etc.), it sure is a LOT of fun and DEFINITELY motivates u to MOVE! The corny but pleasant music, scenery, and challenges are already helping me look forward to getting going in the morning and coming home at night. You earn fit credits, with activities, which then allow you to unlock more advanced activities, giving you a good bit of motivation to keep going - imagine if they gave you 'legal trade' currency coins for working out! Plus, it always fits into my schedule: I can do as little as a *minute* of activity or as much as I want! It's closer than a gym, there's no monthly dues, you can wear whatever you want, it's open at 3am, the smoothies are always organic, and (depending on where u play) there isn't that icky/smelly/sticky/germy/loud atmosphere of a typical gym! Team up with a friend, for a little extra motivation and competition!

SUMMARY:

For those who aren't familiar with video games, (or who see them as a 'waste' of time) this is a great one to 'start' with. The Wii is my first real game system (other than an old Intellivision, we've had Super Nintendo, Game Cube, & Playstations in the house, but with all those cryptic buttons and 'codes', and my busy schedule, I never bothered with them). However, the Wii was up and running in no time and the 'controls' are very intuitive. I've even had a lot of 'older' people playing and having fun, in short order! The Balance Board was easy to set up, easy to figure out, and is SUPER fun to play with, oh, and I burned a boatload of calories - woo-hoo! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Wii Balance Board AND the WiiFit Plus!

UPDATE:

Did another 30 mins this afternoon: tried the Penguin Game and the Flame and the Tightrope - all were lots of fun (keeping the flame still was a little stressful with noisy neighbors!)

UPDATE 2:

My parents just came over and I had them try it out, using the "Trial" mode, so they didn't have to go through the in-depth setup process - my mom really liked the HulaHoop activity and my dad really liked the Bull's Eye activity (where you flap your wings to fly and land on targets!) We had such a great time - it was hilarious to watch each other!! The trial mode is a great feature - it lets you share your WiiFit Plus experience with guests who are not looking to set up a whole profile and get weighed and do balance tests, etc. Of course, there are those 'measurement' options in the Trial mode, if a guest user so chooses, they just won't be able to save their profile.

I rely on reviews here at Amazon, to help me make informed buying choices. I hope this review has helped you in the same manner. If you voted this as helpful, I Thank You!

Review by Cynthia James:
Ok, so I'm in my mid 40's, I've broken everything from my neck in 2 places to my ankle in 3 places, my knees were rammed into an engine block at 65mph when I was 25 and haven't been right since, ad in 2 concussions in this lifetime so I don't have the best balance to boot. Then toss in a nice little dose of being peri-menopausal and HATING doing anything outside in the FL Summer, which lasts for 7 months of 90 degree plus weather, and sprinkle that with a tad of depression from NOT being outside which doesn't exactly have you running about the house singling merrily while pushing a vacuum and you have 15 extra lbs that you haven't a CLUE where those little suckers came from , and you are flopping and sagging in places you never knew you had to begin with to ad insult to the poundage! Now according to the wii I'm just above normal putting me in the barely overweigh category, but I FEEL overweight and I know I've gotten weaker/un toned and I FEEL it.

I know I needed to and WANTED to get and feel more fit but I HATE gyms, gym rats, the stereo typical gym ANYTHING. I don't want some sleek 20 year old in my face saying "AGAIN, do it AGAIN" I,.e. (you want to look like me, you never ever will..but try, try HARDER) No thanks!

I don't want some guy telling me 'a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips!' either. And tho I think I've seen every late nite infomercial for every get fit contraption there is, and nope, I have not parted ways with my .95 yet, nor is their a bow flex in the corner of every room, yet I see many of them for sale in the flyer for bucks HMMMMMMM!

So, for about a year now I've been eyeing the nintendo wii with the wii fit. Here, there, everywhere. Then they drop the price. Hmmmm And then they come out with a wii fit PLUS...HMMMMMM. Ok, so me and my 0 dollars took a chance and parted ways. (for the console plus the balance board and wii fit plus)

I LOVE THIS THING! Not only does it calculate your BMI and weight and all that. (Even has a place for you to put Fido or Fluffy on the "scale" but I've been too selfish to share yet and see what that's all about. IT'S FUN! And don't let the little weeble looking characters fool you, you WILL get a work out. But what's great, is you're actually smiling because it is cute and engaging and you don't feel the pain till after the fact. And you find yourself wanting to...go do some more, too! I've given it a dedicated TV and room so I can just wander in there and do 1 or 2 exercises, or spend an hour. It also tells you how many calories you've burned for each activity and keeps a running tab-it will tell you how long each day you worked out (cumulative) as well as calories burned, (so I can have that moment on the lips without the lifetime on the hips) for each actively as well as for the day. And IT'S CUTE and it's FUN, I cant say that enough. And it may look easy, but ITS NOT.

Now I think any GQ gym rat out there who can do 500 chin ups and runs 5 miles every morning might laugh at it. But if you are just an average person who doesn't want to get out of shape or out of shape person, which are about 90% of us, then its great. Their are a couple more serious sections, Yoga and Weight Training I think, that have more adult looking trainers to guide you, but the rest of the activities are colorful and you are a "weeble". And it lets you know when you are doing great or not so great, and it is not belittling at all, if anything it makes you want to try to do better next time.

My ONLY complaint is I hate have to push "A" 3 times to get to a game I already played and know how to play-now if you push A fast you can skip past the tutorials pretty quickly, but it still annoys me, because I want to PLAY IT AGAIN. But on a good note, you can walk away from it or get off of it without messing everything up.

And as a person who has been beaten up pretty bad (auto wreck, high speed horse wreck/fall) and who has spent WAAAAAYY tooo much of her life in PT (which can be even MORE depressing than a gym), let me say this, THIS is a GREAT rehab tool. If they would have had one of these in the hospital I would have gotten so much better so much faster. I hope PT rehabs/hospitals and even nursing homes will get and use these! My leg isn't right, nor are my knees or my balance for that matter, but, wow, I can see improvement already! And I go to bed happily sore, but look forward to DOING IT AGAIN! So even if you have some disability you can still use this! I even cheat when my leg has had enough and can sit on the board and use my tush for some of the games just as well, and I'm still active and moving my upper half! Oh and another helpful hint...don't do it barefoot like on the box, at the very least wear socks and after hurting the bottom of my sensitive footsie, I now wear rubber soled lightweight slippers to give some cushy to the bottom of my boney feet. Works GREAT.

The only thing I find a little disturbing is the board says something like "ouch" or "oh" when you step on it. If my scale did that I never would have put on 15lbs LOL!

So what are you waiting for...GO BUY THIS, (and I suggest a bottle of Motrin,and maybe a heating pad, because you'll be having too much fun to notice the pain and soreness till after the fact!)