The Wii box includes everything you need to hook the system up to a standard television: the Wii console, a wireless controller with nunchuk adapter, the sensor bar, a cradle (for mounting the console vertically), the Wii's modestly sized power adapter, and a set of composite AV cables. It's strange, it's different, and it's not as powerful as its competitors, but the Nintendo Wii succeeds in its primary mission: it's fun to play.

(Consider some of the company's earlier attempts to go against the grain: the Power Glove and the Virtual Boy.) But the gamble paid off: since its November 2006 release, the Wii has become a runaway hit, so popular that it remained tough to find two years after its initial release. Underplaying processing power, using a strange new controller setup, and giving the whole package an odd name could have been major mistakes for Nintendo. These strange choices could have spelled failure for Nintendo's newest endeavor. And while the PS3 and the Xbox 360 both use conventional gamepads bristling with buttons, control sticks, and directional pads, the Wii uses a device that looks more like a TV remote than a gamepad to control its games. While the Sony and Microsoft consoles keep the branding of their respective predecessors, the oddly named Wii is a semantic departure from Nintendo's more literally named 2001 console, the GameCube. While the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 both emphasize their impressive graphical capabilities, Nintendo downplays the importance of graphics on its new console.

Nintendo has ventured off the beaten path with its newest system, and the company knows it. As such, we highly recommend this new bundle to anyone considering a Wii, as you are getting an additional $50 to $70 worth of software and hardware at no additional cost.īe sure to visit our Wii resource page for your Wii news and accessory needs. These new bundles will include the games Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, as well as the MotionPlus accessory. Editors' note (May 7, 2010): On May 9, 2010, Nintendo is releasing updated Wii bundles in white and black.

Wii instant artist review