Review: Nintendo Wii games console

The Wii is supposed to feature several online channels but, in fact, there’s not a lot to it – at the moment, at least.

Neither the news nor the weather channels were up and running when we wrote this review, despite the fact that the Wii has been on sale for several weeks. Similarly, there were no Wii software applications to download and no message board photos to browse.

Nintendo has, however, managed to get its much-vaunted Virtual Console up and running in time for launch. This is a system that works a little like Xbox Live Arcade, where games – mainly favourite titles from yesteryear – can be purchased online and downloaded directly to the console.

Only a handful of Virtual Console games are currently available, ranging in price from about £3.50 to £6.99. Most are old NES, SNES and Megadrive titles, although at least one Nintendo 64 game (Super Mario 64) has also made the launch list. Nintendo promises many more downloadable games will be made available throughout the console’s life.

The only other non-gaming feature currently supported is photo browsing. Insert an SD card with some digital snaps on it into the console and it’s possible to browse them on your TV or view them as a slideshow. Accompanying music is available, although the typically twee Nintendo tunes on offer can be a bit grating.

It is possible, however, to pop an mp3 of your own choosing onto the SD card and the Wii will play this along to your slideshow instead. A handful of amusing photo-related activities (such as doodling on them or turning them into an onscreen jigsaw puzzle) are also available.

Some mention has been made of the fact that Wii-related accidents have been causing people to injure either themselves or their TV sets during frantic bouts of remote waving (see wiihaveaproblem.com for some examples).

We certainly didn’t suffer from anything more serious that a slight breathlessness during our own tests, but you can see how the introduction of such a physical element to video gaming could, in the wrong hands, prove somewhat dangerous.

Overall, however, the Wii has made a promising debut. Time will tell how well it stacks up against the technically superior Xbox 360 and the new Playstation 3 (due to launch in the UK in March), but it’s clear the console has the potential to appeal beyond the hardcore gaming market to those who wouldn’t normally buy a games console.

Also consider:
Xbox 360
The most powerful games console to date

Nintendo DS
Dual-screen pocket gaming

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