Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Wii Game Console Review:
Nintendo has made its mark again with its latest system, the Nintendo Wii Game Console. Unlike its competitors the Sony Playstation and the Xbox 360, this console downplays on graphics. Also the name is odd enough taking into fact that its earlier version was named GameCube in 2001. The gamepad is also unconventional. Unlike PS3 and Xbox360, the Nintendo game console uses a gamepad that looks like a TV remote control.
The Nintendo Wii Game console package comes with all the things required to connect it to a television. These include the Wii console, sensor bar, power adapter, and a set of composite A/V cables. The composite cables that come with the console donot support top resolution of 480p, and so HDTV users may have to buy a Wii component cables separately.
Coming to the Wii console itself, its size is tiny. Measuring 1.75 X 6.25 X 8.5 inches, it is
about the size of three DVD cases. Thought presently it comes only in the white color, one can hope that other colored models will follow soon. Similar to other game consoles you can either keep the Wii console horizontal or vertical. The Wii uses a slot mechanism for loading Wii and GameCube discs. Coming to the memory, the Wii has 512 MB of internal memory for storing games, etc and also includes a card slot for additional memory storage.
The Wii ships with “Wii sportsâ€, a sports game that lets users know the capabilities of the Wii. Wii sports is a compilation of games like baseball, tennis, golf bowling and boxing. These games support upto four players at a time, and if necessary additional remotes may have to be purchased to play games like tennis. Though Wii sports is not cutting edge, it makes an entertaining play and gives plenty of insight into the Wii’s capabilities.
Is the Wii worth buying? The answer to this question lies in your requirements. If you are looking to get your hands on the next-generation multimedia box with stunning HD graphics, then the Wii is not for you. The Wii gives plenty of fun and innovative gameplay. The Wiimote, it gamepad remote and its motion sensing pseudo-virtual-reality controls are the biggest plus points. Other nice features are its online capabilities, Wii channels, Virtual Console, and GameCube compatibility. The Nintendo Wii is also much cheaper at $250 when compared with other high end consoles in the market. And added to these, the Wii Sports CD that ships with it, really gives fun gameplay out of the box.
Full specifications:
- Type: Game console
- Weight - Height: 3.84 lbs - 1.75 in
- Media Type: Nintendo Wii disc, Nintendo GAMECUBE disc
- Processor: IBM PowerPC (RISC), Broadway processor clocked at 729 MHz
- Memory / Storage: 512 MB built-in flash memory
- Video / Graphic: ATI Hollywood GPU clocked at 243MHz
- Input Device: Joystick
- Memory Card: Flash Memory Card
- Connections: (4 pin USB Type A), 4 x Game controller, Composite video output, S-Video output, Mitsumi DMW-W004 WiFi 802.11b/g wireless module
Product Features:
- Includes Wii Sports (bowling, boxing, baseball, tennis and golf)
- Includes one wireless Wii Remote and one Nunchuk
- Plays two disc formats in a single, self-loading media bay
- Features a processing chip from IBM and a graphics chip from ATI
- Completely backward compatible, all the way to the NES of the 1980s
- Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming service
- Wii Channel for news, weather, photo viewing, message boards and more
Other Nintendo Wii Reviews:
Now that I actually have my Wii console I can stick to my promise of editing my review to it is a review and now just a preview. First of all lets start with the name of this console. The code name Nintendo used during production was the "revolution". its actual name is the "Nintendo Wii" (pronounced "we"). Since I bought an N64 I have been a huge Nintendo fan and so when the next generation of game consoles were announced my immediate thought was that I would be buying the Nintendo console. This thought was without really consulting any information about the console and when Microsoft began to advertise its next generation console my thoughts started to waver. It was only when Nintendo announced its plans for its next generation consoles game pad that I knew I would be buying this console. As this is the real selling point about the Nintendo Wii: the extraordinary game pad.
Nintendo always has less games available for its consoles because less game produces take a risk on Nintendo. Big companies such as rare have had major success on Nintendo and then fallen out with them and been bought up by companies such as Microsoft. The big loss this time is that of Capcom which although producing games for Nintendo for the moment may well move elsewhere. Nintendo previously held all Capcom rights and all games produced by Capcom were on the Nintendo. Games such as resident evil and street fighter were only Now these games are also available on other platforms and may in the future be solely available on these platforms. I also asked the question "how many being produces will actually take into account the Nintendo's capabilities with its new game pad and use this? Will this affect games being made on the Nintendo? Of course certain games of these types only be available on the Nintendo. Adverts for this new Nintendo console show players firing with the game pad, striking an imaginary ball and even conducting music. Nintendo say that you will be able to perform such actions as putting slice and topspin on tennis games. I was just trying this today and it is true. This seems an extraordinary feat of engineering. There are a few games that will be released with the Wii and some look amazing. The ones I am looking forward to most are the new super smash brothers game (which includes new characters such as metal snake), the new legend of Zelda game and the latest metroid 
prime offering. Another major bonus of the Wii is the fact you can download any game from the entire history of Nintendo gaming and play them on the Wii. It has connectors for gamecube controllers and plays those games directly too. The prices for downloading work by a voucher system. You purchase a voucher for around £20 with 2000 points on it. N64 games cost 1000 points. Snes games cost 600 and nes games cost 300.
The Wii has the possibility to do the same thing. Few of your Halo and Final Fantasy skills are going to translate to this system. Instead, you're going to have to learn a whole new way to think about games. When it comes to the Wii, we're all newbies, and while that may make some hardcore gamers uncomfortable, it's a revelation for new gamers who finally have something they can pick up and figure out instead of feeling like they couldn't compete without years of practice. The graphics are underwhelming, sure, but that Wiimote is a brand new way to play your games.
The good: Revolutionary controller design offers unique motion-sensitive gameplay options; built-in Wi-Fi delivers free online services and (eventually) gameplay; Virtual Console has major nostalgia appeal; compatible with all GameCube games and controllers; built-in SD slot for storage and photo viewing; includes Wii Sports game; most affordable of all next-gen systems. [From Cnet]
The bad: Controller eats batteries and takes some time to get used to; lacks the advanced HD graphics and surround sound found on the Xbox 360 and the PS3; requires a wired receiver unit placed near the TV to interface with wireless controllers; can't play CDs or DVDs.
The bottom line: It lacks the graphical prowess and rich media features of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but the Nintendo Wii's combination of unique motion-sensitive controllers and emphasis on fun gameplay make the ultra-affordable console hard to resist.
February 17th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Nintendo has made a strong comeback with the launch of Nintendo Wii.The console has a small form factor in fact the smallest amongst the next generation console. The Wii indeed will be the favorite console because of its lower price and also because of the fact that it is an ideal family console.The Wii nunchuck controller is an excellent innovation and the fact that it brings physical interaction makes it more popular. However this Wii controller can be tiring after a few hours of usage. Ideally it is recommended to take a little break or even better switch between the nunchuck and the classical Wii controller while playing.
The opera browser for the Wii is good and at last Nintendo acknowledged the need for an online download service.
The review is very good and it highlights a very important point.Whether the Wii will outsell other consoles will depend upon whether gamers prefer innovative gameplay to better graphics or not.
I would anyday opt for the former
February 17th, 2007 at 9:21 am
Not being a fan of Nintendo the Nintendo Wii is a very impressive seventh generation gaming console. The one-handed controller that resembles a normal television remote control that comes with another controller with an analog stick with two trigger buttons is a very unique aspect of the Nintendo Wii. The fact that the Nintendo Wii is almost completely wireless, using infrared and Bluetooth give the Nintendo Wii a bit of an edge over the other seventh generation gaming console. I’m really hoping to see the Nintendo Wii in action because I have yet to see the graphics displayed by this console.
February 18th, 2007 at 5:12 am
Nintendo’s newest game console, the Nintendo Wii, is a must have for people like me who love to play games. I have been hearing about the Nintendo Wii Game Console and reading about it online for some time now, but unfortunately I havent gotten a chance to play with one yet.
My all-time favorite games were produced by Nintendo and so I hope that the games available for the Nintendo Wii Game Console will be as good. One of my friends is planning to buy a Nintendo Wii Game Console this coming month. I can’t wait to get to check it out!
February 19th, 2007 at 7:36 am
The Nintendo Wii is a very impressive seventh generation gaming console.The Nintendo Wii, is a must have for people like me who love to play games.The Nintendo Wii, has very unique features,the one-handed controller that resembles a normal television remote control that comes with another controller with an analog stick with two trigger buttons,which is very fascinating.The Nintendo Wii is an excellent innovation.
The Nintendo Wii built-in Wi-Fi delivers free online services and (eventually) gameplay,Virtual Console has major nostalgia appeal; compatible with all GameCube games and controllers.
One drawback is It lacks the graphical prowess and rich media features of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but the Nintendo Wii’s combination of unique motion-sensitive controllers and emphasis on fun gameplay make this ultra-affordable console hard to resist.