Wife wants a Wii for X-Mas. I'm not a gamer and have no idea what it is. Are there different versions? Are there any accessories that are necessary? TIA.
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so - you'd like a weee bit of information about the Wii, eh?
The Wii made its mark over and above other video gaming consoles by:
- emphasizing active play, over inactive play (the wii remotes are motion-sensitive)
- by focusing on family friendly games
- by interfacing the wii console with other consoles over the internet to create live gaming.
My lids love the Wii (I'm fairly good at bowling, and remain the family champ with a top score of 290).
I'd caution you that your Wii console will be a fun novelty for a few months, and will later be relegated to your primary Netflix console.
Another problem is there's no app for woodworking or carpentry. I recommend writing to Nintendo, and telling them you refuse to buy in until they set up a virtual workshop. -
Wii is a game conole, you use Wii DVD's We have one and it is fun especiall with the grandkids around. Be careful I messed up by shoulder boxing, and tennis. Do search on Wii and you will find all you need to know make sure you get two remotes and a dual charger. You use the remotes to play the games. There are many Wii DvD out. You wife probably wants Wii Fit which has a bunch of work out game on it.
tomComment
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It's a fun device. We used ours a lot when we first got it, but don't get much time to do anything else with the twins taking up a lot of our time. Last Christmas I got the latest NHL game. Loved it, but am a little rusty now. It is sure fun to put your arms up like you actually checking a guy into the boards, or winding up for a "real" slap-shot.Comment
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We have had a Wii for about 2 years now... We also have a PS/3. They do different things. The Wii is FAR better for active games like bowling, boxing, etc... Sports games and the like. The Wii for us has been primarily a piece of fitness equipment.
We have the following accessories.
#1. Total of 4 Wiimotes with the WiiMotion Plus (added / more sensitive sensors).
#2. Wii Balance Board.
#3. Energizer cordless rechargable battery packs and charging station.
#4. Cabelas Big Game Hunter game and gun accessory...
#5. EA Active Fitness game and accessory set (leg band and resistance bands).
The main difference between current consoles is the color variations. When I bought mine, white was the only option. Now they are in white, black, and I think blue...
The must have games, at least for me are...
#1. Wii Sports Resort
#2. Wii Fit Plus
#3. EA Active Fitness
#4. Cabelas Big Game Hunter.
The rest is just fluff by me. LOML has obviously different ideas... The good thing for us, the Wii Sports Resort gives us lots of family play options. I stink at the bowling, but it is fun...Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
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We have a wii too, and while we don't use it for much but netflix anymore, I would recommend that you get items #1 and #3 that dbhost mentioned. 4 remotes is good because then you are only limited by the game's max players, not your lack of remotes, and with normal batteries, the wiimotes die at random times, and the battery meter doesn't really give you much warning.AlexComment
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You might want to find out how she wants use it to make sure it's the correct platform to choose. There are three current game platforms offering various tradeoffs: Wii, PS3, Xbox360.
Gaming:
The PS3/Xbox have much more powerful computer hardware, enabling the games to contain much more visual detail (lifelike in some cases). Wii tends to offer more family friendly titles with Xbox/PS3 being more dedicated to the hardcore and/or mature gamer. PS3/Xbox also cost a bit more for that increased horsepower. For a long time, Wii had the only motion controller interface, but both PS3 and Xbox360 have added motion based accessories in the last year or two, but usability probably depends on the specific game.
Streaming:
The Wii can only stream standard definition video from Netflix while the PS3 and Xbox360 can access Netflix's HiDef library. The PS3/Xbox can also stream various other online content, such as Pandora (music) or Hulu while the Wii is limited to only Netflix.
Addtional functionality:
The PS3 is also a CD, DVD, and Blu-ray (think HiDef DVD) player with the capability of being a home entertainment hub for audio, video, and games including interfacing with a home computer network. The Xbox probably offers similar functionality minus the disc based media capabilities, but I'm less familiar with it.
-BrentComment
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Let you know after xmas as we bought 1 for the g-daughter and me for indoor exercise this winter.Won't be climbing the falls for a while
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We got one for our boys last Christmas. It gets used almost daily.
The following is based on my experience:
Get rechargeable batteries!!!!! I don't care if they recharge while in the Wiimotes or separate, but you will save a fortune!!!!
Don't buy a generic Wiimote and Nunchuck controller. I made that mistake last year. The generic Wiimote wouldn't work with the Nintendo branded Nunchuck, and the generic Nunchuck broke pretty fast. Oh yeah, it didn't work on the Wiimote either. So, Santa bought a new Wiimote and Nunchuck and will be putting them under the tree this year.
The newer Wiimotes have the motion sensor built in. Get those if you have the option...fewer parts to lose. Otherwise, be sure to get a motion sensor add on for each controller. (I already had the 2nd motion sensor, which is why Santa bought a controller without one.)
As others have said, the Wii is a more family friendly device game wise compared to PS3 or XBox. If I were buying for just me, I'd probably go PS3, but have enjoyed the kids playing on the Wii. Only games I seem to be competitive in are in the Wii Resort package (frisbee, golf, etc.).
From what I understand, a 2nd gen Wii may be released next year (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U). My kids have already heard about it and are wanting it.
My wife and kids love the gel skins that you can get. I personally don't like them, plus I can't put the controller in the charging base."It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)
Eat beef-because the west wasn't won on salad.Comment
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We've had a Wii for a couple of years. I recommend the Wii Fit Plus - it helps make fitness entertaining. Guitar Hero is quite fun also. My kids are just about old enough to start playing, so I'm sure that I'll start playing other things soon.BillComment
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I would like to thank all that responded. The suggestions were great. I got her the Wii, and also got Fit Plus. She didn't set it all up until yesterday, but spent most of the afternoon bobbing and weaving.
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Hopefully you got the Wii Sports Resort also... The Bowling game is a lot of fun for family game night... I still don't have my hook shot down though...Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
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