wii - Wii Game Console Review

Last Christmas we splurged and bought the kids a Nintendo Wii Game Console.  Although the price was steep (about $ 300.00) there were such a large variety of video games available for the Wii, and we had heard so many positive things about it, that we felt it was worth the money for a Christmas gift.

The Wii Game Console womes with one controller with wrist strap, the console, and a Wii Sports video game.  What makes the Wii unique is that it in an interactive video game, that gets users off the couch and into active play that uses movement to control the game.  You can buy (and I would highly recommend doing so) additional controllers so more than one person can play, as well as other different controls that are used for specific purposes.  The nunchuck controller is one that you will need to purchase, as it attaches the the regular controller in many games.

More than just video games, you can do other things with the Wii game console as well, including plugging in to your digital camera and creating unique slideshows which can be viewed from the Wii.  You can add music, backgrounds, fade in and out of photos, and much more.  It does not work with all types of memory cards and memory sticks, so be sure to see if yours will work with the system before you cram it into the console.

I have noticed that while the Wii gets used a lot when we have guests, or get-togethers, my children do not seem to play it as much when they are alone.  I have asked them WHY they don't play it by themselves, and they say they just don't like it as much as being able to "veg out" on the couch and play.  However, whenever we have family or friends over at the house, the Wii always gets pulled out and we have sports competitions with the various sports games we have for the Wii.

Regardless of the age of your children, or the person you are considering buying the Wii for, you will have no problem finding a Wii video game that they will enjoy.  The sports games are my children's favorites, so we have a wide variety of baseball, football, and sports themed games.  The boys also enjoy playing MarioKart and ANY driving game we purchase for them.  You can even buy sporting "gear" that attaches to the Wii controllers that are in the shape of baseball bats, golf clubs, tennis rackets, and so on.  We do not own any of these, as you really don't need them at all, but they are fun to look at.  However, I would definitely recommend purchasing a driving wheel for any of the driving games.  The controller snaps right into the middle of the wheel, and players hold the wheel in front of them and turn it in the direction they need to steer.  It works really well and makes playing the driving games much more enjoyable.

One question I had in the beginning was, "How do I know what controller to use?"  If you look on the back of any video game, it will typically show you which controller is required.  The Wii will also SHOW you the controller that is needed when you insert the game disc. 

We invested in the Wii Fit as a means to work out at home, and I think it made a nice addition to our Wii video game collection.  This video game comes with a Wii Fit "Board" which you stand on while you play, and it is essentially a video game controller that you stand on.  Your weight balances the direction of play, and it helps adults and children alike learn coordination and balance.  The "board" can be used with other video games as well, including skateboard games, skiing games, and other new video games that keep getting released from Wii.

Since the initial rush of the Wii game console release, the price has not come down much.  However, you can often find gently used Wii game consoles on websites such as ebay, Gamestop, and the like.  So, if you are interesting in finding a less expensive version of the Wii game console, I would advise looking there.  You can also find Wii game console packages on these sites which will give you controllers, and games.

Some of the various video games that are available for the Wii game console include:

• Sports games (baseball, football, basketball, skateboard, golf, etc.)
• Arcade and shooting games (Nerf, Chicken Shoot, etc)
• Racing games
• Role play games (Sims, etc)
• Rhythm and music games (Guitar Hero, Rockband, etc)
• Adult (Call of Duty, Silent Hill, Medal of Honor, etc)
• Simulation (Wii Fit, Biggest Loser, Paws & Claws, etc)

Bottom Line- I recommend the Wii Fit Console to everyone simply because it is so unique.  What other video game allows you to have a tennis match inside your living room, or a bowling competition in the bedroom?  There has never been a video game that allows users to experience the interaction that the Wii Game Console does. 

It should be noted that not all the video games require movement from the players.  For example, the "Indiana Jones Lego" games are very fun to play, and you don't do anything other than move the controller.  Thus, you don't always have to be up and moving to enjoy playing the Wii game console, but most of the games will require it.