Wii help please

[DUKIECB]

I am considering purchasing a Wii and have a few questions.

-I am not a hardcore gamer, but have owned some systems in the past. Does the Wii live up to the hype and if so what games are must haves?

-If I buy the sports bundle and want to play two players do I need two nunchucks and two remotes or just one extra of one or the other. How does this work for most two player games?

-If I can't find Mario Kart in a bundle with the system, I'm assuming it's worth it to pay the extra $50.00 bucks for the game and the wheel?

-A lot of the systems on ebay have the Wii fit included. Is it any good and is it worth it to pay quite a bit more to have this included?

-Any other recommendations/advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[bjornolf]

must have games is kind of a matter of opinion. What kind of games do you like? My kids and I LOVE the Wii. WE think it lives up to the hype, but some don't. If you are looking for party games, Wii Sports is good, Wii Play is fun and includes a wii remote, Rayman Raving Rabbids 1 & 2 are great, Mario Party 8 and Mario Kart are cool. Super Smash Brothers Brawl is fun...think Mortal Kombat with all the fun Nintendo characters like Mario, Luigi, Link, Solid Snake, etc. There will soon be a Rayman game for Wii Fit. Speaking of which, Wii Fit looks cool, but I don't have it yet, so I can't say. To play Wii sports, each person needs a wii remote, but no nunchuk is needed. I can recommend other genres of games if interested.

My kids (and I...I admit it) LOVE Super Mario Galaxy, which isn't a party game.

[Jmac1970]

The Wii is very popular in our house (two boys, 5 and 8). They got over Wii Sports pretty quickly but played Galaxy for months after we got it (admittedly, so did I). They also like the Lego Star Wars games which are great fun and pretty good for even younger kids.

Mario Kart is a blast and one wheel should come with the game. It's worth it. My 30 something neighbor came over and played it and as it turns out loved it more than my kids so it would make a great party game. My other neighbor who is in her 60s has a Wii and just got Wii Fit. She loves it and has actually lost a few pounds in the process.

The newest Metroid Prime game is fun for older kids and adults although I also have the Xbox 360 which I prefer for adult games. Nintendo makes great machines and games but are still geared pretty obviously toward the younger set.

[Ben63]

I have a Wii and am not a fan at all. It was great for about two weeks then it got boring. I think thats just because when I want to play video games, I want to sit on my butt and be lazy, not work to play a Wii. I havent played Mario Kart but I loved all the other versions (GC, N64, etc) so I'm sure I would enjoy it. The Wii doesnt fit my gaming style but it is perfect for certain people, I just dont happen to be one of them. Oh, and the Wii Fit is the silliest thing I have ever stepped foot on. This video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns) sums it up perfectly.

This being said my brother loves the Wii and if you are going to buy one he can offer up some great advice. Ill have him post under my name on this thread sometime. I guarantee he will have a totally different tone.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I like my Wii quite a bit. Honestly, my favorite game thus far is still Wii Sports (included with the system). I've had decent luck finding Wiis in stock at Best Buys/Targets lately although your timing probably needs to be right (weekday mornings).

I had a lot of fun with the Wii Fit as well, it's an extra $90, but worth it IMO. Ski jumping is pretty cool.

Wii specific games are terrific. Platform games ported to the Wii would probably be better on a 360 or PS3. For example, I'd rather play Madden on a 360 than a Wii.

[Jfrosh]

The Wii hardware and the software it supports is more in line with a PS2 or Xbox. If you are looking at true gaming, other systems are better. The Wiimote is the gimic that makes the Wii so fun for some games. It is not ideal however for other games. My son mostly plays the xbox 360, while most of the family including 3 girls loves the Wii.
The Wii fit is fun too but it has brutal guidlines as to who is overweight or obese.

[bjornolf]

Wii specific games are terrific. Platform games ported to the Wii would probably be better on a 360 or PS3. For example, I'd rather play Madden on a 360 than a Wii.

I thought you meant Platforming games. I was confused. :rolleyes: Anyway, there are exceptions to this. For example, I never played Resident Evil 4 on the PS, but a LOT of reviewers are saying they like it better on the Wii because using the remote fixes the aiming problems with the PS version. I kind of like Madden on the Wii...the throwing and kicking is cool, I think. No, the graphics aren't as good, obviously, but for some games, the UI is more intuitive and fun on the Wii. ;) I like a mix. For example, I think Lego Star Wars or Zelda is more fun on the Wii, whereas some games are eye candy and are more fun on a PS3 or Xbox 360, like MGS4 (which is of course, PS3 exclusive), for example.

[bjornolf]

The Wii hardware and the software it supports is more in line with a PS2 or Xbox. If you are looking at true gaming, other systems are better. The Wiimote is the gimic that makes the Wii so fun for some games. It is not ideal however for other games. My son mostly plays the xbox 360, while most of the family including 3 girls loves the Wii.
The Wii fit is fun too but it has brutal guidlines as to who is overweight or obese.

I wouldn't say "true gaming". That's a perception that Nintendo and others are trying to debunk. The current term is "hardcore gaming" vs. "casual gaming". Nintendo likes to say "gaming is for everyone, not just the hardcore gamer". And, the thread originator said he wasn't a hardcore gamer.

Also, calling the wii remote a gimic plays right into Microsoft and Sony's hands. I don't think Nintendo thinks it's a gimic. It's their control mechanic for their current generation of console, which they'll be locked into for the next several years. I don't think they'd basically bank the future of their piece of the billion dollar pie on something they thought was a gimic. Now, some of the peripherals like the wii sports add-ons...THOSE are gimics! ;)

[Cavlaw]

I'm not sure what "in line with the PS2 or Xbox" means, unless graphically. In terms of fun factor, the Wii is hands down the best system on the market right now, in my opinion. I have at some point owned just about every system there is, and am an avid gamer. In the current generation, my wii games are the only ones I don't sell back and the ones I find myself spending the most time with.

To DUKIECB's questions:

1. I think it does live up to the hype. My wife, who is not a gamer, loves it. So do my parents (I bought them one for Christmas). "Must haves" depend on your preferences. I love Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Zelda, Crossbow Training and Smash Brothers. Some of the sports games are terrific, too.

2. Not sure what is included in the sports bundle. As a rule of thumb, every player needs the remote for every game (if you are to play simultaneously). Some games require each player to have the nunchuck, as well, others don't. If you have the money, I would recommend just making sure each player has both items.

3. I think Mario Kart is worth the money (especially since the wheel is free with the game). My wife and our friends like the game (and the wheel) so much, I bought 3 extra wheels so all four players can use one.

4. I'm really interested in the wii balance board and wii fit, but haven't acquired one yet. Wii fit looks amusing, but wii ski has the potential to be a lot of fun, and there are some new games coming out over the next couple of months that would be great games to play with the wii balance board (olympic snowboarding, in particular).

5. I think the zapper is underrated. I really like Link's crossbow training, though criticisms of the effect being somewhat more like a pointer than a lightgun have some validity. The current third-party shooter games it works with don't appeal to me greatly (Ghost Squad, Resident Evil), but there are some more coming out in advance of the holidays this year (in particular some WWII-style shooters that look great).

[bjornolf]

I agree with 90% of what Cavlaw said (just read my previous posts), and I also have four wheels (one even has "ground effect" lighting!). However, anyone that tries to play RE4 with a Wii zapper would be lucky not to end up in the hospital. How would you do that?

[Johnboy]

I second what CavLaw said. Here are a few other comments:

My wife and I have loved our Wii, though the kids spend more time on the PS3 (Guitar Hero and Call of Duty 4, plus we all use the Blu-Ray, but that's a different discussion).

We have a WiiFit and really love it - and use it. There are fun games on it, but mostly it's good to improve your balance, flexibility and overall fitness. There are also exercises and games that are kinda dumb that you can easily ignore.

[sue71]

We have a WiiFit and really love it - and use it. There are fun games on it, but mostly it's good to improve your balance, flexibility and overall fitness. There are also exercises and games that are kinda dumb that you can easily ignore.

Stupid question time. How much space do you need for the WiiFit? I mean for me to use it, do I need to clear out my living room area? I have very little space I can move in due to a coffee table that's too big. :rolleyes: It can be moved temporarily I suppose, but not sure where....

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Stupid question time. How much space do you need for the WiiFit? I mean for me to use it, do I need to clear out my living room area? I have very little space I can move in due to a coffee table that's too big. :rolleyes: It can be moved temporarily I suppose, but not sure where....

The balance board itself is pretty small, about the size of a bathroom scale. You'll need some room if you're doing push ups and some of the aerobic/yoga activities. Most of the balance games don't need much room. You can move the balance board in between games and pack it away afterward.

[Johnboy]

The balance board itself is pretty small, about the size of a bathroom scale. You'll need some room if you're doing push ups and some of the aerobic/yoga activities. Most of the balance games don't need much room. You can move the balance board in between games and pack it away afterward.

sue71 - HFETW has it right - it doesn't take much space, though there are some exercises that require more than others. We don't have much space in the room where we have the Wii (probably less room than the manufacturer would approve, considering there's a huge, immovable treadmill right in front of the TV), but it hasn't been that big of a deal - you just have to move the balance board around to accommodate the exercise you're doing.

[bluebutton]

My favortie Wii title so far has been <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpMkCF3AdMY">Boom Blox</a>.

It's got a couple types of games in it--there's a Jenga type game where you pull blocks out of a tower. My personal favorite is when you get a baseball or bowling ball and use it to knock blocks out of a tower. The game physics are so nice you really don't notice them--gravity is a touch light.

I don't play much in the way of games despite my video game programming husband. For this one I bothered to figure out how to turn the whole system on and played for hours.

[Shammrog]

I am considering purchasing a Wii and have a few questions.

-I am not a hardcore gamer, but have owned some systems in the past. Does the Wii live up to the hype and if so what games are must haves?

-If I buy the sports bundle and want to play two players do I need two nunchucks and two remotes or just one extra of one or the other. How does this work for most two player games?

-If I can't find Mario Kart in a bundle with the system, I'm assuming it's worth it to pay the extra $50.00 bucks for the game and the wheel?

-A lot of the systems on ebay have the Wii fit included. Is it any good and is it worth it to pay quite a bit more to have this included?

-Any other recommendations/advice would be appreciated. Thanks

The Wii is awesome. Especially if you're not a hard-core gamer. Other systems are fancier and more powerful, but anyone can have loads of fun with the Wii.

Get two controllers and two nunchuks. You really need them for head to head in any game that requires both.

I don't have Mario Kart, but have heard its a blast.

Likewise - don't have Wii Fit, but have heard wonderful things about it.

I can recommend a bunch of games, but a lot depends on your preferences and who (kids?) will also be playing.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

The sequel to Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort (http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/07/15/e308-wii-sports-resort-announced/), looks pretty awesome BTW.

[alteran]

The Wii hardware and the software it supports is more in line with a PS2 or Xbox. If you are looking at true gaming, other systems are better. The Wiimote is the gimic that makes the Wii so fun for some games. It is not ideal however for other games. My son mostly plays the xbox 360, while most of the family including 3 girls loves the Wii.
The Wii fit is fun too but it has brutal guidlines as to who is overweight or obese.

Actually, it's just following the moronic BMI, which is what has the brutal guidelines for what constitutes obese. And yes, I fall on the wrong side, according to the BMI.

Maybe I like being taunted, but I laugh every time I check my weight, it does the calculation, and then plumps out my mii. I can't even believe they did it that way.

[terrih]

I am working on a team building event for about 60 people. We are going to send out 4 activities for the team to vote on. One of those activities is something we are calling Wii Olympics. Plan is to get approximately 10 consoles (some of the folks on the team have consoles) and then get mulitple copies of a few games and have some type of competition.

Can you all suggest some good games for this? Age range is probably 20 - 55. Attitude is reserved to adventurous... Games I have so far are:

Mario Kart Wii
Wii Sports
Kung Fu Panda
We Ski

I own a Xbox and have never played the Wii, but think this event could be a lot of fun.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[bjornolf]

Mario Party 8 or Rayman's Raving Rabbids 1 or 2