Nintendo Wii Console

Great value for money with a fantastic games library, but – ... the price Nintendo want for the Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Selects edition is extortionate. $50-$60 for a game played on a console that now also sells for $50-$60? It's especially poor form considering that other Nintendo Selects games are half the price. No respite with preowned versions either as they somehow go for upwards of $60. Now that… Read more

I have that off my chest, let's take a look at the console.

Excluding the DS, the Wii is the best selling Nintendo console of all time. It introduced revolutionary features such as the Wii Remote controller, a handheld pointing device which detects movement in three dimensions and the Wii Balance Board that ushered in a Wii Fitness craze supported by titles like Wii Sports.

The games library is vast and includes classics such as Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy and the aforementioned New Super Mario Bros. Most Wii games can be found for under $10 these days, so you can build a pretty good games library with very little outlay.

The Wii console generally comes with one Wii Controller and one Nunchuck Controller. These can be linked together (one in each hand) to provide more options for controlling games, especially when the motion control is used care of the included Wii Sensor Bar. You'll need to consider batteries for the controllers, or alternatively invest in a third party rechargeable battery pack. Battery life is pretty good and you'll get many hours of play out of 2x AAs but the recharge cradles not only give you a place to store the controllers when not in use, but charge them while you are not using the console.

While the controllers offer a unique way to control games, they are definitely geared towards games like Wii Sports or Wii Play that rely on motion control. Using the Wii Controller in a horizontal mode (like a traditional controller) is awkward, especially when playing for long periods of time or for those with big hands. Think back to the original NES console from the early 80's and you'll get the idea.

The Wii console itself is quite compact and comes with a composite AV cable (i.e. Yellow, Red & White RCA connectors), which produces a suitable blurred picture. Although the Wii is only capable of SD resolution (480p/576i) I would recommend investing in a component AV cable to reduce colour bleed and produce a sharper picture. Colour bleed will be much more obvious on larger TVs. Even with the better cables, don't think this will approach the quality of the Xbox 360 or PS3 let alone current generation consoles. The Wii is not a graphical powerhouse and despite being super fun to play, the games definitely show their age.

As a final thought, I'd definitely recommend using the included wrist strap when playing as hand movement can get pretty vigorous during intense play and a Wii Controller launched at your LED TV will almost certainly end in tears.

This is a great console – The Nintendo Wii is a great console because the games are almost all $5 for it now as not many people play it .This console you do movement unlike the newer consoles from today . This is a great console for kids starting to play a console.

Out dated – The Wii shouldn’t be around anymore because it’s out dated, obsolete. This is a piece of junk. A thing of the past and it should stay that way. Get this piece of junk outta here and let the REAL CONSOLES through. XBOX, PS4, Virtual Reality, etc. Wii should SUCK IT

A great, family-friendly, cheesy console – When I heard about the Wii, I was excited. Though I wasn't as excited as when I opened the box and set up the thing. The Wii is an entirely different genre of console from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and so should not be compared with them. In fact, they shouldn't even make multi-platform games for the Wii. It's just so... different. I've… Read more

noticed that the rival consoles release many shoot-em-ups, first person shooters, and shooting games. As well as shooters. Oh, wait, I already said that.

The Wii is much more family friendly. Wii Sports is quite possibly one of the best video games I've ever played, and it came bundled with my Wii. It's sequel, Wii Sports Resort, was also quite exciting (even if I had to pay extra for some stupid MotionPlus accessory). In fact, the whole Wii series is good.

My Wii did crash 3 or 4 times, I remember. I also think some of the games are cheesy. But I guess that's what you get when you market to the casual.

I also think Nintendo's given themselves a new demographic, and I think they should stay that way. I've truly disappointed that Nintendo's apparently marketing to the "hardcore" demographic again with the Wii U. Nintendo, if you give yourselves a new name, then keep it! A relief from the shooters of other consoles, great multiplayer, inexpensive compared to the other two consoles, remotes are inexpensive, some of the games have surprising entertaining value, innovative A bit unreliable, some cheesy and corny (whatever you call it) games

Excellent – Although it's been out for some years now, despite some negative reviews about it's capability, Nintendo has proven that they have a winner, causing many of their competitors to innovate with wireless and physical participation games to catch up. To the detractors, the Wii was not intended to be a multimedia player (Playstation heavily marketed… Read more ·  1

their Blu Ray capability first and fun games second) and was not intended as a hardcore gamer's machine (better use a PC with a high-end graphics card for that!)

It has successfully attracted a new demographic of gamers and slanted as more a family-oriented fun console. Even though there are a few more hardcore action games available, it's their mini-games and physically-active games which shine. It's not intended to have the best graphics, but you don't need the best graphics for a game to be fun!

It's a shame that they couldn't include the advanced motion sensor plus technology in their controller in earlier models, requiring us to purchase it separately, but I believe they are including it in new models now.

And whilst they have games you can vege-out on the couch to play, it's their games which require physical interaction which makes this console interesting. Beneficial if you have a lot of couch-potatoes in the family! family-oriented gaming, small footprint (very compact), wireless, backwards-compatible with Gamecube games, online browsing (wifi), encourages more physical participation and less couch-potato gaming Wii shop points system uneconomical (minimum points must be purchased resulting in waste), browser very limited, new game titles very pricey, Wii motion sensor plus not built into original controllers, graphics not comparable to competing consoles, no DVD player although DVD discs are used, limited software online for Australian market

Entertaining for young and old! Interactive, educational, skill & technique-building. Huge variety! – My almost 5-year-old son absolutely loves this! It is so much more age-appropriate skill and theme-wise than most other gaming consoles that I've come across. Great range of games, controls, accessories and hours of fun! Not only do many games help develop certain physical skills and techniques, there are certain games that literally increase… Read more

your physical fitness and stamina, not to mention the games that are sure to keep your mind sharp and refined!

For the parents: want a guilt-free hour or so to yourself? ;) Your kids will love it and I don't even have to know their genders or personalities! There is bound to be something any child and adult will be absolutely rapt in! This is a great way to unite families with activities that will more than excite every family member!

Highly recommended for people of all ages.

Trust me, you'll find something you'll really enjoy!! Age-appropriate, huge variety of games & accessories. Reasonably priced!

This is perfect – Your Nintendo Wii console is amazing and your support is amazing aswell it's helped me so much and is easy to use, Thankyou so much this is excellent!! I can use the Internet great I couldn't be happier!! I installed YouTube and I was soo happy it worked I am over the moon this is amazing!!!!

this is an excellent console for its time – I have had it for years now and it is a very good console to have for good games. The games on it are good and the graphics are spectacular along with the sound. As a console it really stands out in terms of innovation as it was the first modern one to successfully implement motion control. My one gripe with it is that the motion control in question can be unresponsive at times.

Wii – I rate this wii 5 out of 5 because its a good & fun to play, anyone can play it but at least 3 year old and up can play. Children is perfect to play with because they keep it safe. Teenagers is also good because they can go play on wii sport or wii fit. Adults and Parents they will be fun to play with on family games if you have 4 remote… Read more

controllers, 4 nun chucks, 4 shooting guns and a wheeler. You can play with your whole family. There's not much games like playstation 3 games.

A complete failure – Wii continues to fail us as the already poorly made, poorly thought out Wii gaming console now does not offer Wii point cards to purchase old games from the network. As well the wii's apps often fall short of their droid, pc, and ios counterparts. Also doesn't play DVDs. Failure

OK – All in all this is a great buy. The consoles are so cheap at the moment and well worth the money. With the great range of games and character customisations it's hard to get bored with it. The batteries run out in the hand set before you do. You can also purchase games and apps online at the Wii Store including the old Donkey Kongs. You can find… Read more

the games almost everywhere fairly cheap, but the graphics aren't as good as the PS3 or Xbox. Well worth having one around. Gets you moving, slim design, great games, multi-player mode, comes in different colours, first of it's type to be successful, internet connectivity. Graphics are not high definition.

OK – The nintendo Wii is good for parties, kids, adults and basically everyone, many game to choose from varing from racing, strategic to shooting. An improvement from other nintedo products such as the nintendo ds or nintendo 64, which I used to own. After playing the Wii I decided straight away I had to buy one. The nintedo Wii console has a large… Read more

range of games for all sorts of ages, easy to use, good for all ages, a Very interactive and social game The nintendo Wii console has very expensive games, not very good graphics, sometimes the remote dosn't work and

This is a-must item for home party.! – If you are inviting some friends over, then this is a-must item.! I usually have 3 or 4 friends coming over and we always have fun with it. our favourite is boxing and racing. i am not a big gamer, but this is just fun and we just have lots of laughs when playing. also, i do yoga too. it's so accurate and i'm really hooked. i believe this is… Read more

one of the best investment for the last 10 years.! Individual or group, always can have fun with it.! You will need a decent space to play.

A fun family gaming console – I was a little hesitant about the Wii when it first came out, and was not sure if it would be up to the standard of the PS3 and the XBox. It is true that it is a completely different type of console, however, I have to say I now prefer it over the other two! The games are almost all family friendly and fun which is a major bonus and the graphics are great. Good graphics and family friendly Games somewhat limited compared to other consoles

Fun for the whole family! – This console is great to interact with, it gets you up and moving while still playing video games. Games such as Wii Fit are great to exercise on a rainy day. This console has games for all ages and genres. Easy to turn on, not hard to setup, this makes a great gaming console. Reliable, family, fun A lot of popular games are not available on this console

Excellent – This is an incredible product that will make you have a blast and will keep you in shape.Definitely is a must have game for every family. This is the best product that nintendo has created after nintendo 64. This a video game system that you could use it for many positive things. It could be use as a hobby or as an entertainment for you, your… Read more

friends or for the family. It could be use as a work out or as a learning tool. The good thing of this product is that even if you are playing a tennis game or a fighting game any game you are actually part of the game because is not just a controll where you press a or b you are playing using your body motions.

These are great as they are now a more reasonable price – Now that the xbox 360 kinect is out, the price of wii console and games has come right down to a decent price. It is a slim design that doesnt take up much room and has some great games and accesories to make your gaming experience fun for all. The only problem with the wii consoles is that you have to continuously charge your remotes after… Read more

extended play sessions or have spare remotes or batteries (bought seperately) on hand to continue with your games. I found with my children that they had trouble getting the sensor to pick up the remote movements sometimes as they jump around quite alot. Love the slim design Hate having to charge the remotes

Hours of fun in one little console! – Recieved this as a Christmas present a few years ago. What can I say......amazing. It caters to all ages. Ours came with the WII Fit me to go to the gym. The games vary from the original (and best!) Mario bros to Tiger woods golf, WII sports (tennis, bowling)....the list is endless. It came with 2 remotes which is good in families where 1 person… Read more

always seem to hog the remote (I won't name any names!) Nintendo has come so far since the introduction of the original nintendo console. The WII is more interactive, and allows the user to be more active. It is not just sitting in front of the TV playing video games. With the WII console it is an interactive experience! Keeps you fit also! Small, lightweight. Easy to use. Provides hours of family fun! Saves money going out! Games can be expensive

Great Entertainment For The Family – My husband bought the black console as a "family" gift last Christmas. Great bundle offered by Kmart at the time gave you the console, 6 games and Wii Motion remote. Since then we have bought 4 more remotes so there is one for everybody, and a charger with the rechargeable batteries. Great idea those! Many people call the Wii "lame" but it… Read more

really is a lot of fun. Great selection of games from kids games to the more adult games. Just select something you like to play. We especially love playing the various quiz style games that are on offer. Great entertainment when nothing is worth watching on TV.

Setting it up for multiple players doesnt take long, maybe 2 minutes to set up 5 remotes in player order.

We also dressed ours up with a "grunge union jack" skin and a stand with a blue LED inside it.

Some games are ridiculously expensive but they do drop in price quite quickly. There are lots offered for $15 now.

Being small it doesnt require much space and for those who dont like the wires you can buy wireless sensors for them.

Overall I would recommend it - you will have fun! Its cheap at less than $200 now. There are a few bundle packages around for that price so shop around to find one you like. great fun, inexpensive, compact doersnt play CDs or DVDs which makes it behind other consoles

Something for everyone – This is on constantly in our house,there is something for everyone-a great range of games available across a wide range of price points,from the very cheap to expensive! It it invaluable in keeping the kids entertained on school holidays or rainy weekends and great for keeping the adults fit when they can't make it to the gym.Fantastic family fun! Fantastic family fun - something for everyone!

Good – Being basic games I think that it can be played by all ages. It is very basic to use. It is good to see computer games that get people active. I know that it is not alot of activity but watching someone stuck infront af a gaming console for a couple of hours , its good to get some sort of activity even if it is standing and sitting. Good active fun. The games seem to be quiet basic.

Excellent – This is a revolutionary idea and makes for interesting interactive games. While they do get boring if you play them repetitively over and over and I feel there is a limited selection in terms of what you can play, but if you take it in moderation it can make for great entertainment for groups of friends you invite over. Love this system Not as capable as other platforms

Good – It is definatly a great product, it may need some more time for more better games to be released and also pricing of each game to go down. It is the only console that uses movement sensors in the controlers available on the market at current. It has the oppurtunity to make use of this and make with some very intresting gaming The selection of… Read more

games at current are of non intrest to me. There is a only a handful of games worth playing and of which are quite pricey

OK – overall it is a good device, but i would recomend getting a playstation, its so much better. the wii gets very frustrating at times and chews though so many batteries a great device that brings people together - good graphics - good games - annoying motion senser - laggish - frustrating

Good – It's great for gaming, but internet is just NOT its place in this world. So, the games are great, and is a REAL time-killer. A must-have for hardcore gamers. It's gaming is exceptional, there is no need to plug in any controllers except for game cube controllers. After a while, when using the nunchuk for mario kart wii, the character randomly… Read more

turns to the right , which annoys me. Also, the internet search is so ow that it's not even funny. Plus, this Wi-Fi has to be re-confivured after 3-4 weeks of no Wi-Fi usage whatsoever.

Terrible – This machine is a gimmick that quite frankly should be classed as a sixth generation console rather than seventh. Aside from the poor motion controls at launch, you can't play many of the games for more than an hour without having to take a break due to constant swinging and waving of the remote. Many games require you to have both a remote and… Read more

nunchuk - which means spending even more money when the PS3 and 360 only require one remote.

I've had my Wii since launch and I can honestly say I've only spent the amount of time it takes to complete Resident Evil 4 with it because there are just no other decent games available (besides Mad World).

No, I'm not the target market for this machine and no, I don't like casual family games. That's why I can't recommend it. You can't sit around playing Call of Duty with three friends all night (imagine the cost of the 3 x each remotes and nunchuks) and you have little hope of finding a title that isn't aimed at females and kids who have never played a game in their life.

Do yourself a favour and purchase a PS3 instead. You get a lot more multimedia options, better graphics and a much larger game library. Good for casual gamers, aka women and children. Outdated hardware, poor graphics, not made for gamers, terrible remote control layout, lack of good games, no DVD or blu-ray, Wii codes, no player profiles, I could go on ...

Excellent – I enjoy playing Wii. I play Wii fit for myself, can do yoga exercises and balance games.. It is fantastic at getting me off the couch in winter when it is cold and raining. The other Wii games (especially Wii Sports and Wii Party) are great for when friends come over. Even though we are in our twenties we thoroughly enjoy using the Wii. One of the… Read more

best things $350 bought us. Great for adults, children and teenagers. Perfect for parties. Adults have more fun than the kids on it. Great variety of games. Old Nintendo classic games are being made for the Wii, fantastic to relive your childhood There is nothing I dislike about this product. It is great

Excellent – Would recommend it to any family, makes great family time fun and gets everybody involved. Large choice of games and accessories makes it easier to please everyone that wants to play. I have only just brought the console as I'm not a big gaming person. But it is so much fun playing the wii, It is great that a company has made a product that you… Read more

just don't sit and play. You are excerising when you don't realise, and it takes the boring part out of exerising The cost of the total product can work out to be quite expessive.

Having to be in the sensers range, if you are too far back it still won't pick up your movement

Excellent – a great idea for family fun. it's keeps you active while playing and gets everyone interseted. A great time for familys or when you have friends over for a game night. I love the wii and the many options you can choose. This is a great gaming system that gets the whole family involved and up on thier feet and active. I love the wii fit aspects and… Read more

train on this everyday where as my boyfriend loves the sports pack and playing the old nintendo games that you can get along with it. We also love to rock with the guitar hero games. nothing that i can think of

Excellent – Fantastic, love it. Wii gaming console is a fantastic addition to my family's leisure activities. Personally I have lost over 15 kgs using Wii Fit Plus. Wii is awesome. Allows you to maintain fitness and an active lifestyle in the comfort of your own home, rain, hail or shine. Great for getting the kids involved in physical activity.

Excellent – awsome gaming console,you can view pictures, everyone in the family can play, it is just so much fun, you hook so many different things to it, example tennis raquets, baseball bat, wii fittness bourd, guns, and so many more. very hands on gaming

Excellent – I think that its a great innovative console that really breaks the rules of console gaming. It gets you up and active and is great for the whole family to play together. I personally think any game that gets my children active instead of sitting in front of the tv like zombies is a very good investment. A great game that gets the whole family up… Read more

and moving. Great way to have fun indoors but be active and healthy too.; Great range of fun and exciting games to be bought too. The colour of the wii is white and looks quite cheap and so do a lot of the accessories that come with it. I wish that they had a larger range of colours to choose from.

OK – It's innovative and it really is a lot of fun but I think you need to be right into your gaming consoles for it to hold your attention past the initial few weeks(but it's probably not graphically advanced enough to be a real gamers delight) It's unique, it's fun and easy to use for many ages. I couldn't wait to get my Wii and the sports games… Read more

and Wii fit are a lot of fun. More than just your typical gaming console, it's a fun way to interact with friends and family. Unfortunately once the novelty wore off it was put in the cupboard and hasn't been seen since.

The games, while fun, are a bit childish and it is very easy to get bored with Wii fit (and even Wii fit plus)

Good – The Wii console has been so much fun, with loads of games it is easy to use & navigate. The kids love playing all the sports games & with games like Dora & Diego, Barbie and loads of others it's fantastic for co-ordination and gets them moving too! Now it comes in black & red as well as white. It's nothing for us to invite some friends over and… Read more

play the wii all night, heaps of fun and now it is relativley inexpensive as well. Games can be a bit expensive but if you just wait to purchase them for a little bit they come down in price. Overall a great purchase. Interactive & Loads of Fun For at least over 4's

Excellent – We got a wii mainly because of Mario Kart and other Mario games. I was surprised at how good wii sports was too (which comes with the wii). The wii is best played with friends and family, but some games are fun to play by yourself too (Mario Galaxy for example). Easy to play (even my dad got hooked on one game - the island flyover in sports resort… Read more

- and he never usually plays any video games).

Nintendo have the best games like the Mario games and Zelda.

Great for playing with friends and family.

Cheaper than other consoles.

The virtual console games! None really, as long as you are careful when playing and actually follow the safety instructions!