Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3 in Computer & Video Games
• Model: Wii
• Released on: 2006-12-08
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Platform: Nintendo Wii
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, 7.91 pounds

Features

• Disc Channel, News Channel, Photo Channel and more
• Includes Wii Sports (bowling, boxing, baseball, tennis and golf)
• Also includes: one wireless Wii Remote and one Nunchuk
• This is a Euro Version with an adaptor plug included. This product is fully PAL compatible and will play all UK games etc

Amazon.co.uk Review - Wii Sports
In a nutshell:
As if the idea of five games in one package didn't sound a good enough deal on its own the Wii's best multiplayer compendium comes free with the console.

The lowdown:
Clearly realising that they need to provide some quick and obvious reasons why the Wii Remote is such a good idea Nintendo have packed in this compilation with the console, which includes simple versions of tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing. The four player tennis game is the obvious stand out as you swing the Remote exactly as you would a real tennis racket, with the game seeming to almost magically interpret your movements into the game. All the other games work in a similar way, as you hold the Remote like a golf club or ready it like a baseball bat - you can even use it to gently roll bowling bowls and add some subtle aftertouch. The graphics make be purposefully basic but these are the games to instantly prove why the Wii is going to be such a revolution.

Most exciting moment:
While even Wii Tennis can be played with very minor movements of the Wii Remote the boxing game actively encourages you to act things out properly. You hold up both the Remote and the nunchuck to simulate your two hands and then duck and weave as you switch between trying to pummel your opponent and dodging or blocking their own attacks.

Since you ask:
You can use your own customised Mii Channel character in any of the games for that personal touch. The idea was originally just a joke featuring caricatures of Nintendo's top brass for a press conference, but it proved so popular that Nintendo ensured anyone could make their own character to play with.

The bottom line:
Five of the best games on the Wii and they all come free with the console!-HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description:

Nintendo's Wii video game system (pronounced "we") is designed to attract people, regardless of their age or video game experience, to sit down and play together--whether they're in the same room or on different sides of the globe. The system's name reflects this simple idea. It's easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and the distinctive spelling suggests two players side by side. The two Wii features Nintendo thinks will create new levels of gaming community are built-in Wi-Fi access, supported by a new online gaming service, and Wii's intuitive, wireless, motion-sensitive game controller.

Media bay accepts both Wii and GameCube discs

As with every new console release, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The system boasts 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, and a slot for SD memory expansion. Wii's technological heart -- a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" -- are said to deliver stunning performance. Instead of a tray, Wii uses a single, self-loading media bay that will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.
The real revolution in this system, though, is its controller, called the Wii Remote. Shaped like a TV remote, it's been designed to be easily used by beginners and pros alike. Sensors determine the Wii Remote's position is in 3-D space, which means that racing-game steering and a tennis swing, for example, are done through movements of your hand rather than by just your thumbs. What's more, a tiny speaker built into the Wii Remote promises some interactive surround sound experiences. 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. An adapter that fits over the Wii's wee remote will be available for those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller. The Wii Remote communicates via the Bluetooth wireless standard. Up to four remotes can connect to Wii.

Wii offers superb backward compatibility -- the cornerstone of Nintendo's all-access approach. This new console will play fan-favourite games from Nintendo's 20-year-old library. The drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and select Nintendo titles from the original NES of the 1980s all the way through the Nintendo 64 will be available through for download through the Virtual Console. 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.
Several new titles have been confirmed for Wii, including Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, as well as Square Enix's Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

A number of Wi-Fi-enabled titles are in development that will employ Nintendo's newly-announced wireless gaming service, WiiConnect24. This worldwide network promises Nintendo players a comfortable, inviting environment in which they can gather and compete. The always-on network will deliver game updates and surprises, even when the Wii is powered down. And as you would expect, Wii will be able to communicate with the Nintendo DS mobile gaming system wirelessly.

The Wii console will revolutionise how people play games. But more importantly, it will entice new players into the world of video games by offering a variety of entertainment, information and communication Channels that add value to the console and make it a device that the entire family can enjoy. The Wii Channel Menu will be the first screen shown on the television, as it easily integrates itself as part of people's everyday lives.

Disc Channel: This channel allows users to play either Wii game discs or the entire library of Nintendo GameCube discs.

Mii Channel: Fun caricatured portraits created in this channel can be used as characters across a variety of Wii software. Portraits can be stored in a user's Wii Remote and taken to a friend's house to play on another Wii console. Each member of the family can have his or her Wii Remote personalized with a caricature.

Photo Channel: This channel allows users to take digital pictures stored on an SD memory card and display them on their television screens. Users also can manipulate the photos in a variety of fun and creative ways, such as zooming or creating mosaics, puzzles or slide shows. They can draw, add stamps, and copy and paste. They also can change the "mood" of photos by brightening them, converting them to monochrome, inverting the colour or changing them to stark black and white. Users can even add an MP3 tune to their slide shows. It provides a fun and easy outlet for people to edit their digital pictures. Users also can send their pictures to other Wii consoles by attaching a photo to the Wii Message Board.

Forecast Channel: Users who have connected their Wii console to the Internet can access free local weather forecasts just a few seconds after turning on the Wii console. The WiiConnect24 service automatically updates local weather information. Users can view forecasts for cities around the world on a 3-D globe.

News Channel: Users can access breaking news with the touch of a button. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates this free channel and organizes it in a variety of topical categories. Users can see where news is happening by viewing the location of news stories on a 3-D globe.

Wii Shop Channel: This is where users go to buy Wii Points or redeem them to download classic video games to the Virtual Console. Users also can use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel.

Internet Channel: This channel dramatically changes the relationship between a user's home, the television and the Internet. Users download the Opera browser with Wii Points. Then they can surf the Internet right from the comfort of their couch. They can do quick research while watching a television program ("What was that actor's name again?"). Or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash.

Wii Message Board: Forget hand-scrawled notes tacked to the refrigerator door. Users can leave messages for other family members on a calendar-based message board. They also can use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside the home as well. Even better, people can trade photos and text messages with cell phone users. The service also allows for incoming messages targeted at software, such as a new map or weapon for a game. Games can constantly be updated, thereby extending their playability.

Box Contains:

• Wii Console (white)
• Wii Remote with strap
• Nunchuk
• Wii UK power adapter
• Wii Stereo AV Cable
• Wii Stand
• Wii Stand Plate
• Wii Sensor Bar
• Sensor Bar Stand
• AA Battery
• Wii Sports game (baseball, tennis, bowling, boxing, golf)
• Instructions
• Warranty/Registration card

Customer Reviews

My new Wii
Have just got my nitendo Wii and its great fun and really easy to set up,Wii sports is v good but would advise buying a second controller to make it that much more fun.Will need to buy some more games though asap.

Best thing since electricity!
I'm really not a console gamer at all, in fact this is my first console! I was thrilled by the thought of playing tennis in my own home. I have had the Wii for nearly 5 months now and am still absolutely hooked. I would recommend getting some rechargeable batteries as if one if playing every day (as one is bound to do) then you'll need them!

It's fabulous for all ages really - my parents are now hooked too!

It's a must-buy gadget!

I hope it catches on...
Let's compare the Wii to games on other next gen consoles first. Now don't get me wrong, GTA-SA (not seen GTA 4 yet), the Halo and Half Life series, to name but a few, are some of the finest games ever made. But you can't have a QUICK game of any of them because each stage of the campaign might take up to an hour to complete. Playing them requires a dogged mindset, which can feel like having to tackle a sinkful of dishes when you only want a clean cup for a quick brew. A lot of modern games have the depth, complexity and epic scope of Wagner's Ring Cycle, but there are times when all you want is a three-minute pop song. You get the picture. The Wii fills this forgotten gap in the market admirably.

The ethos of old-skool video gaming lives on in the Wii. Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Wii Play, Super Smash Brothers Brawl and even Link's Crossbow Training are masterful, being simple pick-up-and-play games where the emphasis is on a mainlined injection of fun and action rather than the drawn-out, drip-fed satisfaction of strategy and exploration. Wii Sports, which comes with the console, is utterly brilliant. It's a killer app, nothing like it exists (or has EVER existed) on any console, and it's a perfect multi-player game.

The Wii is undoubtedly less technically sophisticated than the 360 or PS3. The Wii does not raise the bar in terms of technical umph, but rather limbos under it in a floral shirt, shaking the remote and nunchuck controllers like a pair of maracas. The Wii is primarily about simple, and often mindless, fun, and there's nothing wrong with that. While the Wii may only nibble numbers while the other consoles crunch them to dust, it is still no technical slouch. The graphics and sound are about as good or slightly better than the old Xbox, and much better than the PS2. Campaigning gamers are still catered for with the likes of Metroid Prime Corruption and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, although the console comes into its own on simpler fare, particularly Super Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Kart, and Super Mario Galaxy, which is another killer app for the Wii. I would never have believed that the tired old platform format could be given... well, not even a face lift, more like a brain transplant. The technology might not raise the bar, but the gameplay on all these titles certainly does. I've been playing home video games since the days of the Atari 2600 (yes I am an old git), and these are some of the best games on any platform... ever! Mind you, all the games I've mentioned here are Nintendo originals, and not all developers lavish their games with the amount of attention and warmth that Nintendo do. I'll return to that subject later.


As any fule no by now, the unique feature of the Wii is the controllers. They are packed with more clever gadgets than Q's Christmas stocking. They contain speakers which play sound effects, usually to give hints or warnings on some games. With the remote connected to a nunchuck, you have one analogue thumbstick (on the nunchuck), one d-pad (on the remote), and four main buttons, two on each controller. The role of the right-hand thumbstick on traditional controllers is assumed by the sensor bar which you place above or below the TV screen, and the infra-red receiver at the front of the remote. The sensor bar is not aptly named, since it does not actually 'sense' anything, it merely emits two points of infra-red, and the remote cleverly converts it into three-dimensional co-ordinates for your on-screen pointer. That's right, I said THREE dimensional co-ordinates: some games require you to push and pull the remote in and out of the screen like a snooker cue. You can apparently mimic the action of the sensor bar by placing a couple of tea-lights on your telly because they also emit some low-level IR radiation. I don't know if this is true, and I'm not inclined to find out because I don't particularly want to set my house on fire.

As Prince William recently demonstrated on national television, gawd bless 'im (he was on the news playing Wii Sports tennis, I don't know what the story was), the controllers also have motion detectors to recognise when you are tilting or shaking them. This means that most games have you pretending that the controllers are bats, racquets, fishing rods, lassos, hammers, swords, guns and heaven knows what else. You might look a pillock if the neighbours see you through the window, waving your arms around, smashing the light fittings and giving yourself tennis elbow, but it doesn't half add to the fun of playing. The Wii's clever control system makes its games feel distinctively different, not to mention more tempting to people who would never normally show any interest in playing video games, like maybe Prince William. It also means that the Wii lends itself to 'lifestyle applications' like Wii Fit in ways that the other consoles do not. Motion detection and infra-red sensors are far from new technology, but the way Nintendo have incorporated them into the Wii is a genuine innovation, and one which I'm sure had the boffins at Microsoft and Sony slapping their foreheads and asking why they didn't think of it. I'll bet all my saved game files that they will do something similar on their next generation of consoles. Unfortunately, the controllers run on batteries and there is no 'corded' option to run or recharge them off the console's power supply. Given that cheap and reliable rechargeable power packs are put in everything nowadays from toothbrushes to fence-paint sprayers, and most companies are trying to enhance their green credentials, it's a bit thoughtless of Nintendo not to have done the same with their controllers.

If you like a bit of fun in addition to 'serious' gaming, you should get a Wii to sit alongside your 360 or PS3. If you are not in the least bit interested in video games normally, then this is definitely the console you should buy. The games I've mentioned here will keep you going for ages... but it's a good job that they will, because there are also some problems with games for the Wii, as I mentioned earlier.

Third-party game developers do not seem to take the Wii seriously. There are far too many cutesy novelty titles, which all too often are collections of substandard mini-games that have you wobbling the controllers around just for the sake of it. The very worst offender here is Sonic and Mario at the Olympics. My Amazon review has been slated and given umpteen `not helpful' ratings, but I stand by my opinion - it's a high-gloss, polished turd of a game, and ludicrously overpriced. There are others that sink to similar depths of gameplay, but this one was the most overhyped. After that, check out the revolving racks of your supermarket for the glittering array of shovelware on offer - all of it so stinky that not even a dog would sniff it. Then, check out the `hot new releases' section of Amazon for the Wii, or just wander into your local game stockist and look at the Wii racks. Depressing, isn't it? True, some developers (Konami with PES 2008, Capcom with RE4) have taken their games and given them a revolutionary twist for the Wii - but they're about the only examples I can think of.

Bottom line, the Wii is capable of great things, and some of the games available for it are truly modern-day classics. But the third-party games market for the Wii is a pretty barren landscape at the moment, and without them I'm not sure how much patience we Wii owners will have with the trickle of good new games that come out, particularly now that Nintendo have surely squeezed the Mario franchise dry. I hope, with its squillions of sales, that the Wii catches on!