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Nintendo Wii: Review

Posted to Video Components 2008-12-09

For those of you lucky enough to around in the mid-eighties and play the original Nintendo Entertainment System, you would understand what I mean when I say, it is fun to use a controller with less than 12 or 14 buttons. Enter the Nintendo Wii, where it's not buttons that make Mario jump, but your motion that keeps him moving.

In the past it has been tough to find, but you don't need to hire a professor of archeology to find this treasure anymore. Available in most stores these days, the Wii is a viable option for anyone looking for a gaming console, limited budget or not, young or old, it has found what everyone is looking for and if you haven't tried it out yet, you are truly missing out.

Rating:

4.2 out of 5

Quality

When a customer came into my store and asked which system to buy there were a few precursor questions I always asked. Who are you buying it for? How old are they? Is there a game rating you want to stay within (meaning for content, such as M - mature or E - everyone)? What is your price range? What besides gaming do you want the system to do? Inevitably, as the conversation went more in depth, the needs of the customer became clearer. And while the Wii is not for everyone, usually the hard core gamer, looking for high end graphics, online play, and mature titles, generally speaking, knowing where gaming has come from, even the most hard core of gamers would concede that every now and then, playing the Wii is fun. It seems to have transcended conventional thought that graphical power is what mattered most. Nintendo, in my opinion, may not have started but certainly brought video games to the forefront with their original 32-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). We use to joke in the store about how Nintendo could continually use the same characters over and over again, sometimes the same exact game even on system after system. Yet they have, time and time again, made some of the most award winning games by relying on the same equation they used over 20 years ago, simple fundamentals + entertaining game design = fun and quite honestly, fun sells. Nintendo takes care of their customers too. I had a family member who bought the Wii the week it came out. You remember that right, that's when it was considered to be on the same level as the holy grail? Anyways, I helped them hook it up but to my dismay, the system didn't work. I was so let down. However, I got on the phone and called Nintendo, after being on hold for less than 5 minutes, (could have just been I called at the right time, but regardless, I was impressed) and on the phone for less than 10 minutes total, Nintendo promised to have another system delivered the following day. Sure enough, Fed Ex dropped it off and we were playing Wii in no time. I mention this story, because Nintendo is without doubt a quality company. In recent years they have struggled to maintain composure versus Microsoft and Sony, but I think they have found their niche once again.

Value

While I know the graphics ability of the Wii is nowhere near that of its competition in the Xbox 360 and the PS3, I think it helps Nintendo market to a broader market. It's extremely user friendly, allowing grandchild to grandpa play, and everyone to have fun. At $250, it is not only the cheapest next generation system out right now. In some aspects; it's the best value for the buck. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Xbox 360 fan and slowly but surely, the PS3 is growing on me, but were I to buy a system right now, personally it would be the Wii. I like that it brings multiplayer back home. While I love getting on Xbox Live and playing with friends online, it's a refreshing change to go over to a friend's house and play games together (I think this is one of the reasons Guitar Hero and Rock Band are so popular). It reminds me of when we use to get together and play the original Nintendo. Everyone had a NES at their house, but it was so much more fun to get together and play against or with each other. The value in the Wii lies in the fact that not only Is the system inexpensive, the games and accessories are less expensive than the other two systems currently and since it is targeted for a much broader audience, more people can enjoy it and play it. While it can take a little time to get use to the motion sensitive controllers, most pick it up quickly, and it's simply a blast to play.

Features

The system is the size of three DVD cases side by side and stands upright on a stand. While it doesn't play CD's or DVD's it will play both GameCube and Wii games. Nintendo said that their focus on this system was price and being a video game system. So I will give them a break on the multipurpose uses, because honestly, who doesn't have a DVD player, which plays CD's, already? The wireless remote can be connected to the nunchuck, which is a secondary controller necessary for most games. One set comes with the system. With gyroscopes built into the remote and a sensor bar that sits around the system (most conveniently on the top of your TV), it detects motion and relays that to the system, making your controller become anything from a sword to golf club. Also really cool, when you turn the remote sideways it becomes the original NES controller from days of old, which is useful because you can download the old games and play them on the Wii. Fans of the original can cheer as Punch Out! and Double Dragon and Super Mario Bros. grace their TV's once again. Hundreds of games from the NES, Super NES, Turbo Graphix 16, Genesis and N64 can be purchased from $5-$12 using point cards or your credit card on the system. There is also the Classic controller to play all the games, as the N64 games, for instance, require the analog sticks. The games can be downloaded using the internet which can be accessed wirelessly through Wi-Fi on the Wii. For the most part, the online capabilities of the Wii are pretty limited when compared to the other systems. However, you can play and chat with friends, view the weather channel and news channel, and create avatars to use in certain games, like Wii Sports. Speaking of Wii Sports, just like in the days of the NES, the Wii comes with a game in the box. Granted, it is more like five mini-games, but these are so addictive, you will play it just as much as any other game you could buy. Golf, Tennis, Bowling, Baseball and Boxing are available on Wii Sports. If you only have one remote to start with, you can take turns with the remote you have, unless of course you want to play against other people then you will need to purchase more remotes and nunchuks accordingly. You can use standard SD cards for memory which is great since flash memory is so cheap these days. There is also compatibility between the Wii and DS using the wireless Wi-Fi, allowing you to unlock extra features in games like with Pokemon and many others. With such diversity, it doesn't need the best graphics processor or latest and greatest online features. Nintendo has simply taken a proven formula, added a few twists, and provided all you need to have a great time with friends and family.

Summary

Nintendo didn't step outside of the box with the Wii, they leaped. With its revolutionary design and addictive game play, has brought people back together like in the old days, only instead of multi-taps we have wireless, motion capturing controllers. If you're looking for a system that is geared for children, this one is great because as Nintendo has always done, they keep a majority of their gaming selection focused on making games for everyone.

Pros

Unbelievably addictive game play
Revolutionary motion capturing controllers
Multiplayer games have never been so much fun
Most affordable next generation gaming console
Free wireless online services and gameplay

Cons

There are no cons for this product