Nintendo Wii Console (Includes Wii Sports)

I’m a little late reviewing this item, having bought it just over 9 years ago, but having played it again recently, I’m compelled to put some words down about the Wii, as a decade on It’s still a fantastic piece of kit. I’m also conscious that there are still people buying the console for the first time who might appreciate the view of a seasoned user. I’ve been a gamer since my childhood (I’m now 42), and have owned many different bits of gaming hardware over the years, starting with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum back in the early eighties, through many generations of Sega, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft consoles since then. Without exception, the progression has always been represented by incremental increases in processing power of each new generation of hardware, with the competition always trying frantically to out-perform each other. Usually the primary indicator of this was graphical capability, with players being blown away by the new levels of realism afforded by bigger, better video chips. But when Nintendo launched the Wii, it was already behind the latest generation machines from Sony (PS3) and Microsoft (Xbox360) and it was widely known that the Wii simply couldn’t compete in terms of raw power with either of those. In fact, it was dismissed by many as a failure before it was launched, purely on the strength of its inferior hardware. The focus on ‘fun’ through the crossover with physical activity through the motion controllers was written-off as a novelty fad that would soon pass, with many proclaiming the console would only really appeal to the younger generation, and certainly not “real gamers”. How wrong they were. Nintendo were certainly taking a gamble, but it paid off big time. Not only was the Wii fun, but it engaged a wider demographic than either Microsoft or Sony had ever hoped to court with their consoles. Young children, teenagers, right through middle-aged and elderly players. The versatility offered by the Wiimote controllers to interact with games in a much more subtle and organic way opened the door for a whole host of wonderfully creative games, and even tried and tested genres had a new angle. The free Wii Sports disc bundled with the Wii gives a great introduction to the potential of the hardware and the motion controllers, with bowling and tennis being a definite favourite for many a rainy family afternoon (or wine-fuelled adults evening!). Then there are games like Cooking Mama. Who would have thought chopping onions would even be a thing on a video-game, let alone it actually being a physically taxing task, and much more fun than in actual real life? Putting an entire recipe together and seeing how well it turns out is an absolute blast, and when in competition with another real player, things get even more fun. Then there’s Trauma Centre, which takes the concept to an altogether more serious (albeit still hilariously fun) level. You take on the role of an upcoming surgeon, carrying out actual surgical procedures on patients, using the Wiimote and Nunchuk controllers to cut the patient open before manipulating various tools to carry out increasingly more complex and sweat-inducing procedures – getting ranked on your performance each time. Titles like these just could not be replicated on the PS3 or Xbox360, for all their technical power. There are literally hundreds of titles for the Wii that are worth playing. Sure, there are some that are duds, and the Wii versions of the majority of multi-platform games are not a patch on the PS3 or Xbox360 versions of the same game. But the point of owning a Wii is for all the games that do not, and cannot exist on PS3 or Xbox360. Thinking of the Wii as an alternative is all wrong – it’s a completely different proposition. If you already own a PS3/Xbox360, or PS4/Xbox One for that matter, you should have a Wii as well! It’s true that the Wii-U has since been released, and is a fantastic evolution in itself, but the Wii is still a very relevant console in 2016 as it is still such undeniable fun, has such a huge back catalogue of games and peripherals, and is available at a fraction of the price. Ultimately the Wii was a landmark moment in gaming. One that should be applauded, as a victory for gaming itself, over the mindless pursuit for bigger, faster, stronger hardware. The Wii did, and still does fire the imagination, and is a reminder why Nintendo is so very important to the gaming industry.

Thanks to Amazon, we had a console on 9th December. Resisted the temptation to sell it on EBAY like everybody else seems to be doing so here are my reflections. Beautifully compact and unobtrusive - was very surprised to find no digital output for sound (to play over a surround sound setup)but here is the rub - graphics are very good and more than adequate, stereo/prologic sound is again more than adequate. We don't have the RGB scart lead and even over the standard composite video lead when displayed on a B&O Avant RF, images are crisp and colours vibrant. Set-up is 5 minutes out-of-the box. By far the most impressive thing about the Wii is that everyone - of all ages - wants to play it. No console in our house has ever been used by my wife of her own will, and there she was playing tennis and ignoring the pleas of the wailing kids to have a go. It really attracts 'non-gamers' with the use of simple movements. Give it two to three minutes to get the basic idea of the handheld control and you'll be away. I bought the Console and also ordered 'Play' which comes with an extra controller - I think we'll need all four controllers working over the Christmas period to be honest!!!! I deal in premium audio visual goods for a living and it is strikingly obvious that Ninetendo have struck a good balance with the Wii console - sometimes High Res images and Dolby Digital/7.1 outputs are simply not necessary. My initial impressions are that the console will widen the appeal of gaming and make people prance around like fools enjoying themselves with other 'non-gamers' amongst friends or extended family. We are using the Sports games bundled with the Console and those we are buying effectively for free in 'Play' (for the price of an extra controller which comes with the game)to get used to the console and the new controller which is highly impressive. I can only think that as developers get to grips with the potentials of the new hand-held controllers the games will get more and more impressive and enjopyable. Well done, I think the Wii will take a sizeable chunk of the market share based on my first experiences with the family.

Works ok but one wii remote had problems with the movement in a game and i had to get a new wii remote for it apart from that my mum and i are happy with it wish the game that came with it came in its og box but can not have everything

Amazing

My impressions of the Wii, now I have one, are that it's a design classic. That little white box, about the size of a text book (but suprisingly heavy) has a clean design but hides all manner of flaps covering quite a range of possibilities. I had two worries about the Wii relying so heavily on motion sensitive controllers. One that it would be a bit patchy; it's not the controllers work perfectly and seem to pick up each and every movement fluidly. Second that this was a bit of a gimmick and I would be tired of it after a few hours; that however is not the case, it's just done so well that playing like this just seems to be second nature and the range of motions that can be detected is impressive. The software on the box itself, is as you would expect from Nintendo - simple, functional and very, very well done. Hopefully the great launch that this console has have will encourage more game development for this console (we can hope the they use the "WiiMote" in the way it's intended) but if you only ever end up buying WiiGames and the new Zelda it's still well worth the money. Once again, Nintendo have taken a fresh approach, only this time they've surpassed even their own standards.

ITS A SCAM do not buy! Console and disc didn’t work and amazon customer service did nothing to help me but tell me to return. So amazon do not protect you from fraudulent advertising and the seller basically stole £60 off me just to send me a non working game and console

Unfortunately our first Nintendo arrived it was not working, which was a disappointment as it was purchased for my granddaughters because their own Nintendo had broken, when we tried to return the item we were offered a replacement, however when the replacement arrived, it did not include any cables, but thankfully we still had our own cables , we did manage to get the Nintendo working but I feel the stock should be checked before being dispatched and the cables should have been included.

I'm going to aim this review at people who have never really played video games before or who have only had a passing interest, as I think there may be quite a lot of you who are considering, or actively trying your best in, purchasing a Wii. If you are a more experienced gamer, you may find another review more helpful. Basically you take the Wii home, get it out of the box, plug it into your TV and into the mains just like a DVD player, and then plug the 'sensor bar' into the Wii unit. You then place this same sensor either on top of or just underneath your television. The sensor bar is basically a long, slim grey piece of rectangular plastic with a cable running out to plug it into the Wii. You then put some batteries into your 'Wii-mote' (Wii remote, included with the Wii console), and use it to turn the unit on. Of course, you're going to need a game to play. The Wii uses a disc format the same size and shape as a DVD; you just slot these into the unit. To get you started, Nintendo includes a game disc with the machine called 'Wii Sports'. This features Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf and Boxing. To actually play the games, you'll have to go through a few menus. Just use the Wii-mote by simply pointing at a particular point on your TV screen and clicking the buttons (the Wii-mote is kind of half-way between a computer mouse and a TV remote - but so much more). It's when you actually get into the game that the fun begins. You don't just sit there pressing a series of buttons like with most video game consoles. Yes, you will probably have to push or hold one or two buttons, but the real idea here is that you move the remote around, and the sensor bar (which I told you about earlier) does the rest. The sensor bar can tell the Wii the place on the television screen where you are pointing the remote - but it also tells the machine exactly *how* you move the remote. Basically, motion sensitivity! What this means is that to play golf you hold the remote like a golf club, and take a swing; and hey presto, your on-screen character hits the golf ball with just as much power, lift and spin as you put in. There is some very well developed technology at work here! Tennis is much the same: swing the remote like you would a tennis racquet. In bowling you hold the remote as if it were a ball and 'throw' it (you don't actually let go of it!). Each different game makes subtly different use of the remote, and there are loads available to buy: from one called Zelda where you get to sword-fight using the remote; to Wii Play which features a number of fun games; and of course, Wii Fit...but that's another review. I can testify that this is fun for everyone, from age 3 to 63 or older. Nintendo have been sorting out supply difficulties so it's generally now much easier to get your hands on one. If you are having difficulty, I would suggest checking out the Amazon Wii 'Customer Discussions' for helpful advice, just scroll down to under the reviews on this page. Good luck!

Muy buena compra. Producto totalmente nuevo. Tiene todo incluido. Funciona a perfección, no tenía que comprar ni adaptor para la tele, se conecto bien con cables de colores. Y eso que tengo TV de últimos. Juego también está muy bien. A instalar consola pide actualizaciones. Todo fenomenal. Mi hijo y yo muy contentos. Creo que incluso juego yo más que el. Gracias.

No game included as stated on box

Prodotto di ottima qualità. Servizio assistenza clienti impeccabile. Efficenza e cordialità. Stra consigliato.

Tout semble ok mais attention, prise UK, penser à acheter un adaptateur en même temps il n'est pas fourni

Ottima console. Consegnata nei tempi previsti e con una assistenza continua e puntuale da parte del rivenditore, sempre molto disponibile. Buona scelta di giochi. Soddisfatta!