Pros: Innovative controller, good selection of games, Virtual Console, built-in wireless card
Cons: No DVD player, problems with loading games, below-average graphics
The Bottom Line: While not the most cutting-edge system in terms of graphic capability, the Nintendo Wii is leading the pack in innovative gameplay that lets you get some exercise
It's been said countless times before, that children these days aren't getting enough exercise because they sit indoors all day playing video games. At long last, there is a system to prove those people wrong, and they'll have to find something other than video games to blame for children getting too fat. In fact, the Nintendo Wii can provide you with such a strenuous workout that you can think about canceling your gym membership right now, and it's a whole lot more fun than a treadmill as well.
The reason that this system provides you with such a workout is the revolutionary wireless controller that enables players to simulate the movements in their video games. For instance, in Wii Sports , the title that comes with the system, you can make actual punching motions in a virtual boxing match, or swing the controller to strike an oncoming baseball. And if you think that sounds easy, just try it for 15-20 minutes, and then you'll start to feel the burn, at least on titles such as Wii Sports .
To be honest, this was the reason I initially had reservations about buying the Nintendo Wii. About a year ago, I suffered a devastating injury in which I fractured my right elbow and sprained my left elbow, from which I continue to experience symptoms to this day. I tried physical therapy, but it just didn't work out, and in fact, made me feel worse than I did before. Finally, I decided to try the Wii, because of all the fun games available for the system, hoping that it would not require too much use of my arms. I was surprised to find that while it's no miracle cure, the Wii has already made some significant improvement to my arms, and as long as I don't use it to excess, it is a thousand times more effective than physical therapy. So if I can do it, you can handle the exercise too.
Of course, not every game requires you to make frantic arm gestures, there are still some more traditional titles, such as the recent RPG Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn , which only serves to make the Wii a more balanced system. However, the majority of games will fall somewhere in the middle, requiring you to use the controller in innovative ways at times, but not at every point. An excellent example of this is the Wii's practically undisputed best title Super Mario Galaxy , which still has the standard button-pressing for running and jumping, but requires you to shake the Wii Remote to make Mario perform an attack or launch to another planet in the space setting of the game. For those looking to really try out the Wii Remote to its full potential, there is no better game to start with than Wario Ware: Smooth Moves , which has you using the remote as everything from a sword to a cup that you drink out of to a razor used to shave someone's face.
Perhaps the biggest surprise about the controller, however, is how responsive it is. The wireless controller makes use of a Sensor Bar that you put on top of your television set, which really does detect even slight movements of tilting the Wii Remote to the left or right. And I must say that once you've gone wireless, you really can't go back to having to untangle the wires on older controllers and having to sit so close to the system due to wire length. The controller also has a rumble feature that is used frequently, and a particularly interesting speaker built in so that sound effects and at times even voices unique to each title can be played directly out of your controller.
The downside is that the system only comes with one Wii Remote, so you'll have to fork over some more cash to compete in a boxing tournament against an actual human opponent. Also, if you want to play any of the Virtual Console titles, which I'll get to in a moment, you'll need to buy an additional "Classic Controller." Nevertheless, it's not entirely out of the question to have to make these added expenses given that the system only costs $250, as opposed to the loan you'll need to take out just to play the PS3.
As I mentioned previously, one of the most innovative aspects of the Wii is that you can go online and purchase Virtual Console titles, which include a wide variety of old titles for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo (which is quite possibly the best system ever made, at least up until the Wii), the Nintendo 64, and even the Sega Genesis and Neo-Geo. All of the titles are at reasonable prices of no more than $10, and original Nintendo titles like Super Mario Bros. will run you only $5, which I feel is worth it even if you already own the older titles to be able to play them all on one system with a wireless controller (and yes, the "Classic Controller" is also wireless and plugs directly into your Wii Remote to function with the Sensor Bar).
Of course, you will need to provide your own internet access to get online, but the Wii does come built in with a wireless internet card, which works well with most wireless routers. The one gripe I have about the internet access is that you actually have to purchase, albeit for a nominal fee, an internet explorer browser as with Virtual Console games in order to use the Wii to surf the net (but I'm not sure why you would need the Wii to do this anyway). Once online, your Wii can even pull up the news and weather around the globe in a very user-friendly interface.
So with all of this innovation, are there any downsides to the Nintendo Wii? Well, there are always some, and a big one in this instance is the graphics, which are vastly inferior to the PS3 or X-Box 360. But if you're like me, and you care more about gameplay than graphics, who really cares? In fact, on some titles such as Super Mario Galaxy , the graphics are still very impressive, so there's not much cause to complain on that ground.
There's also a really great selection of games to choose from as compared to the PS3 or X-Box 360. Beyond the instant classic Super Mario Galaxy , which is reason alone to purchase the system, there's the quasi-RPG Super Paper Mario , which lets you switch back and forth between 2D and 3D, some great party games like Wario Ware: Smooth Moves , the shooter Metroid Prime Corruption , and many more on the way such as an awesome looking new Mario Kart game and Smash Brothers title early next year.
However, notwithstanding all the great titles, I do have one genuine complaint about the Wii hardware, and it's a significant one. I have noticed that the system seems to have fairly frequent problems with reading CD's, which requires you to eject them and reload them, much like those old-timers will recall having to blow inside cartridges for the original Nintendo Entertainment System to get them to work. In particular, there seem to be a lot of problems loading Wii Sports as evidenced by all the complaints you can find on google, although it is nice that the system comes with a warranty and can be replaced if malfunctioning (assuming you're willing to go through customer service and all that, which I've been too lazy to do).
The only other downfall of the Wii is that they kind of cheaped out in not providing a built-in DVD player, which I've come to expect with my PS2. But that's certainly not enough to stop you from buying what is otherwise a fantastic system that's going to provide many hours of great gameplay, and of course, exercise.
So while it's not a perfect system, I must confess that I adore the Nintendo Wii, and have no regrets about my purchase. If you can find one, and that's still a big if, you should buy it without reservation.
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