Nintendo Wii Console (Includes Wii Sports) | 
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| From: Nintendo
Category: Video Games
List Price: £179.99
Buy New: £177.99
You Save: £2.00 (1%)
New (21) Used (8) from £169.99
Rating:  427 reviews
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Media: Video Game
Age: 3 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 7.9
Dimensions (in): 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4
MPN: WII
Model: Wii
UPC: 045496342043
EAN: 0045496342067
ASIN: B0007UATDG
Release Date: December 8, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Disc Channel, News Channel, Photo Channel and more | | • | Includes Wii Sports (bowling, boxing, baseball, tennis and golf) | | • | Also includes: one wireless Wii Remote and one Nunchuk | | • | This is a Euro Version with an adaptor plug included. This product is fully PAL compatible and will play all UK games etc |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Nintendo's Wii video game system (pronounced "we") is designed to attract people, regardless of their age or video game experience, to sit down and play together--whether they're in the same room or on different sides of the globe. The system's name reflects this simple idea. It's easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and the distinctive spelling suggests two players side by side. The two Wii features Nintendo thinks will create new levels of gaming community are built-in Wi-Fi access, supported by a new online gaming service, and Wii's intuitive, wireless, motion-sensitive game controller. As with every new console release, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The system boasts 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, and a slot for SD memory expansion. Wii's technological heart -- a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named "Broadway" and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named "Hollywood" -- are said to deliver stunning performance. Instead of a tray, Wii uses a single, self-loading media bay that will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs. The real revolution in this system, though, is its controller, called the Wii Remote. Shaped like a TV remote, it's been designed to be easily used by beginners and pros alike. Sensors determine the Wii Remote's position is in 3-D space, which means that racing-game steering and a tennis swing, for example, are done through movements of your hand rather than by just your thumbs. What's more, a tiny speaker built into the Wii Remote promises some interactive surround sound experiences. The controller also has a force feedback "Rumble" feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. An adapter that fits over the Wii's wee remote will be available for those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller.
Amazon.co.uk Review - Wii Sports
In a nutshell:
As if the idea of five games in one package didn't sound a good enough deal on its own the Wii's best multiplayer compendium comes free with the console. The lowdown:
Clearly realising that they need to provide some quick and obvious reasons why the Wii Remote is such a good idea Nintendo have packed in this compilation with the console, which includes simple versions of tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing. The four player tennis game is the obvious stand out as you swing the Remote exactly as you would a real tennis racket, with the game seeming to almost magically interpret your movements into the game. All the other games work in a similar way, as you hold the Remote like a golf club or ready it like a baseball bat - you can even use it to gently roll bowling bowls and add some subtle aftertouch. The graphics make be purposefully basic but these are the games to instantly prove why the Wii is going to be such a revolution. Most exciting moment:
While even Wii Tennis can be played with very minor movements of the Wii Remote the boxing game actively encourages you to act things out properly. You hold up both the Remote and the nunchuck to simulate your two hands and then duck and weave as you switch between trying to pummel your opponent and dodging or blocking their own attacks. Since you ask:
You can use your own customised Mii Channel character in any of the games for that personal touch. The idea was originally just a joke featuring caricatures of Nintendo's top brass for a press conference, but it proved so popular that Nintendo ensured anyone could make their own character to play with. The bottom line:
Five of the best games on the Wii and they all come free with the console!-HARRISON DENT
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| Customer Reviews:
 Wii60 October 26, 2006
mortalbug (London, UK)
116 out of 149 found this review helpful
I was lucky enough to get the chance to play the Wii at Nintendo's UK office recently and it really is brilliant. The control system works as it should (very intuitive) and is nice and resposive. I played a 4x4 racing game, Wario Ware and the bundled sports game. I have to say, the graphics I saw were pretty much Gamecube quality but the control system adds to the gameplay so much, the graphics wern't such a concern. The only danger of the Wii is the damage to house and friends when wildly flailing your arms about when you get too into the game. I think the perfect set up is going to be a 360 for the 'regular' games and a Wii for the Nintendo magic (Wii60?)
Just to clear up a few things... July 2, 2007
matisfaction (The Potteries)
103 out of 120 found this review helpful
I'd just like to clear up a few points that a lot of people seem to be using in their "my console is better than yours" routine, as it gets ever-more tiresome so does the fact that people are talking complete and utter rubbish to try and get there favourite machine over in the review section.
First I'd like to point out that Wii basically comes packed with everything (as well as the excellent Wii Sports) that the 360/PS3 BASIC packs do apart from the multimedia capabilities, HD graphics and in the PS3's case: a hard drive. All the extra bits for the 360 like HD-DVD, hard drive and Xbox live have to be bought separately or via the more expensive packages.
The Wii online games like Mario Strikers charged run on a free service via WIFI. What you do have to pay for though are (obviously) the Virtual Console games (the pricing is a tad draconian for some VC titles but it does level out when you look at some of the rare tg-16 games that are available) and the OPERA web browser (it was free to download before the end of June). It's also worth mentioning that the Wii is the only console out of the three that is 100% backwards compatible, the PS3 & 360 claim to be but will only run a few titles.
For a hundred and eighty pounds, the Wii is undoubtedly value for money, people may harp on about the PS3/360's multimedia capabilities and HD graphics but as a stand alone games console, the Wii is very a attractive purchase. Not to say that the 360 and PS3 aren't, just be aware that a lot of people don't state that all the extras = more cash spent.
New-gen levels the playing field! February 8, 2007
A. J. Roche (Berks, UK)
88 out of 91 found this review helpful
OK, so it's not a "serious" gaming machine. If I want to play Call Of Duty 3, I'll play it on my Xbox 360. If I want HD graphics, and an online multiplayer experience, then ditto.
But sometimes, you know the times, when all you want to do is have some fun, there is nothing like the Wii. The greatest thing about it, is of course, the control system, which completely levels the playing field, and rightly so. I'm a semi-serious gamer, but when I first played Wii Bowling with my 4-year old daughter, she kicked my ass. I had to learn how to bowl. When it came to Tennis, I had to time my swing, apply power, spin, loft, instead of "pressing A". When it came to Baseball, I had to perfect fastballs, pitching speed, time my swing, get the angle of the bat right. And this was just from playing 3 of the 5 Wii Sports games.
It's fun! Anyone can play! Anyone can be good at it, most are bad! More importantly, it brings the room together! Everyone wants to play this thing, people see it and want to have a go. How many video games consoles can you say that about?
Apart from the superb retail games (Wii Play and Warioware are highly recommended by the way), the Wii Shop channel allows you to download great games from Nintendo and Sega's past. So far I have bought Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, Sonic, Altered Beast, Super Mario Brothers, Mario Kart 64 and Golden Axe, all games I loved as a child. I love the Xbox Live Arcade, but it's very hit and miss. The Wii Shop Channel is hit after hit.
We have found the Weather Channel extremely useful on numerous occasions, especially for 5-day forecasts. The News Channel is particularly informative and well presented. The Internet Channel is excellent, and saves us having to boot up the laptop or PC for quick enquiries. The Photo Channel is fun, if a little shallow (but it's all about fun, remember...)
Lastly, we come to the Mii Channel, which is one of the most addictive pastimes going. Creating Mii's will soon take over the world, I am sure of it. I have created everyone I know, they are all there, meandering around my Mii plaza, bumping into each other, each one exaggerated in their own special ways, and the fact that they pop up in and around your games is a great touch. FYI, I have now taken to creating famous people, which is kind of odd... My John Lennon is particularly impressive
It's not going to set the world on fire when it comes to graphics, but if you want a superb, fun, addictive, thoroughly enjoyable experience, that EVERYONE will love, then trust me, get one of these!
(If you can of course...)
A fine, inexpensive system designed for the whole family November 29, 2006
michael myers
76 out of 92 found this review helpful
The Nintendo Wii is the most inexpensive of the current generation of gaming consoles. At only $250, it provides motion sensing controllers which are great fun - and 480p graphics which aren't as good as our other two systems.
The Wii is designed around a menu of "channels". These make it very easy for even a non-gamer to start using the console quickly. There is of course the game-playing channel, where the Wii will play any Wii or GameCube game. Simply load the disc in and go - it's a simple front-loading "slot", no carriage to break. There is a Mii channel where you set up a profile and avatar to connect to all your game playing, with many cute options. You can even make your Mii thin or thick. The Photos channel lets you look at photos on your TV, although its loading options are limited. Other channels for news, weather, and online shopping require an interent connection, and at least at launch aren't available yet.
The system does NOT have a regular network cable port, which both the PS3 and XBox 360 have. Instead, it works with built in wireless or with a USB network adapter. I am a firm proponent of wireless - less clutter! So I am thrilled that they offer wireless automatically. With the PS3, you have to pay the extra $100 for the 60 gig unit to get this built in. The XBox 360 doesn't have it at all. We had our wireless up and running in about 5 minutes.
It's hard to generalize gameplay on any console - it really depends on what games you buy. That being said, the comes-with-it software of Sports is really quite fun to play and is about as basic as you can get. We've had 8 year olds and adults try it out and really enjoy it. You swing at baseballs, lob tennis balls, bowl, box and play golf. A "fitness" mode puts you through a variety of tasks and then calculates your fitness age, sort of like how Brain Age keeps track of your mental age. If you did both every day, you could aim to be as fit mentally and physically as possible!
In a world where video games = couch potato, it really is quite amazing to have a game where it natively expects you to move and be active. You don't lounge back and gain pounds here while playing games. Boxing can be quite strenuous, jabbing, blocking and weaving in real life. Tennis involves quick reflexes and strong arm movements. Bowling might be the most relaxed of the sports, but even there you are standing, moving, swinging. You get your heart going at least a little, and get some exercise. My boyfriend found his arms were sore after a few hours of fun gaming.
The 480p resolution is certainly not high def 1080p like our other two systems. It's something you accept when you're paying such a low price for the console. But really, it's not that big a deal. I still play the old Zeldas and love them for their gameplay, even though you can't see the pores in Link's face. If they are going for the cartooney characters and environments, 480p is DVD quality and is quite good. If you really, really crave high definition super realism in your games, then the Wii might not be the best choice for you. However, if you're fine with playing games with a more impressionist / cartooney look to them, the 480p can show that quite nicely. For example, in Wii baseball, there aren't fans in the bleachers - just colored blocks.
Nintendo has always been known as a "Kid's Console" since the release of the gamecube - but I really do think with the Wii that they have become a all round console combining a slick looking console with software that appeals to the hardcore gamer aswell as the casual. It's not just kids who will enjoy this. Seniors can have fun bowling without knowing anything "Tricky" about how to use a video game unit. It's very intuitive. Moms can easily play with their kids, each with their own Wii profile. Adults having parties can have fun passing the controllers around. Family groups can share slideshows on the big screen while hanging out and drinking wine.
Revolution? Revelation! April 5, 2007
Benchimus (England)
69 out of 74 found this review helpful
My brother-in-law got one at launch, and initially I was sceptical as to whether it was worth being 'bleeding edge'. I couldn't have been more wrong.
I don't have any particular allegiance to a console brand, but I do admire excellent execution of hardware and software.
In my opinion, if you're looking for state-of-the-art graphics, you're probably best plumping for a top-spec gaming PC. But if you want something that will change the way you interact with a game, then it would be worth checking out the Wii.
I would never have thought that I would see my mother-in-law enjoying herself playing a video game; PC, Playstation and Xbox games are typically targetted at boys (young and old). The supplied Wii Sports is designed to get you used to the Wii remote, but is excellent in itself.
The Wii is very compact and seems well made and sits nicely (even upright) on the bottom shelf of my TV stand. At the moment it is available only in an Apple Mac-like white, but I remember seeing promotional material of a version in black; and as 'black is back', I think it's only a matter of time before a black version becomes available (the PS3 is in black, as will be the soon-to-be-released Xbox 360 Elite). I think Nintendo will do the whole thing that they did with the DS handheld, i.e. launch in one colour, then release other colourways.
The Wii remote and nunchuk are also supplied (in white) and also seem to be well made. It shouldn't matter if you are left- or right- handed: considerately, the Wii remote isn't handedness-biased. You definitely must use the wrist strap, unless you want to see the remote flying into your TV screen/furniture/partner/dog/cat/etc after a vigorous throwing action. There were some initial concerns with the nylon lanyard of the wrist strap being too thin and flimsy, but I had reassurance from Nintendo Customer Service that there shouldn't be any problems as long as the strap is used in accordance with the instructions (anyway, because it's so hard to get hold of a console, when/if you do, you're likely to get the 'upgraded' strap supplied).
For multiplayer games you will need up to 3 additional sets of Wii remotes and nunchuks (which at RRP is almost as much as the console itself!). I bought another set of controllers for 2 player games with my better half, and those instances when we get together with my brother-in-law.
There are a good selection of games available for the Wii, and a number of soon-to-be-released Mario titles. But I challenge you to not load up Wii Sports every now and again for a quick game of tennis!
Definitely worth getting if you want a video console that will get everybody involved.
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