Features

Wii - Fun for everyone!

Who's it best for?

The Wii console is a family friendly console, with games to suit everyone - from kids to keep fitters, wannabe sporting legends to wannabe war heroes, beginners to seasoned experts. There's even something for the OAPs amongst us.

The Wii is often seen as a family and party console. However Nintendo is working hard to change that perception by releasing more and more 'hardcore' titles like Resident Evil 4 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Edition.

Best Bits

Physical game play

Thanks to its unique motion-sensing technology, the Wii offers a completely unique game play experience. Rather than passively sitting on a sofa for hours on end bashing away at a controller, the Wii sees you controlling your onscreen character by physically acting out its movements. No other console offers the same degree of full body game play.

Simple to pick up and play

Anyone of any age with any skill level can pick up and play a Wii game. It really is that easy.

The ultimate party console

Entertaining to play and amusing to watch, the Wii is a truly social console - great for getting people of all ages up off the sofa and joining in at family parties. You've never seen anything until you've seen Grandma, Uncle Ronnie, Mum and little Zak sitting in a virtual bob sleigh, leaning from left to right in unison while whizzing down a slope at a hundred miles per hour. Hysterical!

The Wii even comes with the FREE Wii Sports to have you playing tennis, bowling, boxing and baseball straight out of the box!

Worst Bits

It's not as whiz bangy as the PS3 or Xbox
The Nintendo Wii has the fewest hardware and multimedia capabilities of all of the next-gen consoles. Plus the graphics on the Wii just don't compete with those of the Xbox or PS3.

Not suitable for small spaces
By its very nature, the Wii requires space to move around in, particularly when playing sports and fitness titles - unlike the PS3 or Xbox, which could be played in a closet (if you were that way inclined).

The accessories aren't cheap
Wii accessories (whilst not essential) can all add up to a fair penny.

Bonus Extras

The Wii is able to play all official Gamecube games. Another added bonus is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.

Online Features

Wii has a built-in Wifi and its online service is FREE, FREE, FREE. Yay!

Getting started
Got Broadband? Got a wireless router? Brilliant. You'll be up and running in minutes. Don't have wireless connection? Not a problem; you'll simply need to use a special USB cable instead. It's a simple and hassle-free process, which doesn't require a degree in computer science.

What will you find online?
Once you're online you have access to a number of features and functions:

• get the latest news and weather,
• surf the Web,
• message and email friends,
• create a character and play yourself in a game,
• view and send personal photos,
• browse the Wii Shop,
• plus download games and applications through the WiiWare service.

Buying games online:
Once online, you can purchase games from the Wii Shop using Wii Points.

Wii Points can be purchased through your console using a credit card or in your local GAME store.

Essential Accessories

If you're new to consoles, figuring out which accessories are a must-have - and which ones will just fester in the bottom of your odds-and-sods drawer - can be quite a tricky business.

The good news is that the Wii comes with everything you'll ever need to start playing right out of the box, including the all-important Wii Remote and Nunchuck. These are your two most important accessories. Without them it's virtually impossible to do anything on the Wii.

Non-essential (but oh so fun) accessories
The following accessories are among the most popular available for the Wii and are guaranteed to enhance your game play.

• Additional Wii Remote Controller and Nunchuck: Everyone knows that Wii games are ten times better when played with friends. So once you've got your Wii Console, you'll probably want to invest in a second Wii Remote and Nunchuck Controller. These most certainly won't go to waste.
• Wii Motion Plus: This is an expansion device for the Wii Remote that allows it to more accurately capture complex motion.)
• Balance Board: Step - or sit - on this innovative accessory and it interprets the movement of your feet and brings the motions to life on screen. The Wii balance board doubles up as weighing scales, a running machine, a bob sleigh, and much more.
• Steering Wheel: This is a must if you're playing one of the most popular video games ever... Mario Kart Wii.

If you really want to go the whole hog, you can invest in all sorts of snazzy motion-sensor accessories, including tennis rackets, golf clubs, light guns, boxing gloves, fishing rods... and more.

You'll find GAME's full range of Wii accessories here.

Games

Wii games tend to be more colourful and quirky, simply because of the motion sensing technology. Get a Wii and you'll quickly find yourself jumping around the living room, waving your arms about wildly and having a total blast.

Summary

It's not an all singing all dancing multi-media console like the Xbox and PS3 but it's fun, fun, fun. Perfect for families, great for beginners, popular at parties and terrific value. Even people who suck at video games, can play and still have fun.