A great console that will bring families closer together (Nintendo Wii)

Member Name: timtam

Product:	Nintendo Wii
Date:	23/10/07 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Promotes playing together, will get you off the sofa, it is FUN

Disadvantages: Lack of games that use the controller effectively, graphics last-gen

Before you buy a console, you should have a think about what you want to do with it. If you want to watch high-definition movies out of the box and little else for the time being, then the PS3 is the machine to consider. If you want to play first-person shooters with people around the world, then I’d opt for the Xbox 360. If you want to buy a console that the whole family can enjoy at the same time, then I’d go for the Wii. As I’m a bit of a gaming fan, I’ve got all three. I’m generalising a bit with the definitions of what each console can do, they all can do a lot more than that of course. I got the Wii so the whole family could enjoy it. Whether the kids are creating a Mii virtual character, voting in silly polls on the voting channel or drawing moustaches on their mum’s digital images, they have fun while doing it.

The Wii does seem to be the only console that promotes playing together. There are some great multiplayer games for it including Mario Party 8, Carnival Games, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play. The included Wii Sports game is one of the best. The new Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games looks like a lot of fun – one I’ll definitely be buying. Perhaps the age-old question of who is better, Sonic or Mario, will finally be answered.

The Wii is fully compatible with GameCube games (it even has GameCube controller ports) and you can also download old SEGA Mega Drive, NES/SNES/N64 games to play via the Virtual Console option.

The graphics are no way up to the high quality that the Xbox 360 and PS3 can produce, but that isn’t what the Wii is about – it’s about having fun. We love ours.

Summary: This console is all about having fun with friends and family. It'd be a welcome addition to any home