Wii Official Review

It has been about one week since the Wii landed. I count myself pretty lucky that I have one. From the sites and blogs I have read it seems that these hot little units are in high demand and short supply. The latest I heard the only place you can get one is at the Toys R Us in Times Square, NY.

So is all this hype even warranted? Short answer: Yes. Long Answer: read on....

1. What does this thing cost and what does that include?

$280 CDN. It includes :1 Console, 1 Remote, 1 Nunchuk Attachment, all necessary cables, stand, sensor bar and a game, Wii sports ( Iz nice!)

2. Are the graphics a big step up from the gamecube? Not really, technically they are more polished but on the few games I have played there isn't a huge difference. The chip is faster however so we can expect to see some slicker games in the future as the developers learn how to tap into the Wii's graphical potential.

3. Does it matter that the graphics aren't Holy @#$@ that looks so real!!! No, it doesn't. You will be so engrossed with the gameplay and fun factor that the graphics will be unnoticeable. If you need to have cutting edge graphics I recommend an XBOX 360 or PC gaming. The Wii does not try to be about horsepower and so it's unfair to knock it for its inferior graphics in my opinion.

4. Will this console appeal to typical non-gamers? This has been one of the markets that Nintendo is hoping to access with the Wii. My fiance, who only dabbles occasionaly with games, loved it instantly. She especially enjoyed kicking my virtual ass in Wii boxing. Similarly my sister and her boyfriend, who are not serious gamers, came over last night and got into it right away. My sister who hasn't played video games since the Donkey Kong days said she would buy the Wii just for the Mii channel( where you make a cartoony virtual version of you) and the Photo Channel( where you can put your digital photos and MP3s to create a slide show). This could just be an exception to the general market but I foresee many non traditional gamers being attracted to this console's unique features.

5. Does the motion sensing control feel gimmicky? Nope, not at all. In fact, going back to my PS2 after playing with the Wii just felt unnatural and cold. I am sure I will one day go back to Final Fantasy 12, a great game by the way, but for now I am completely taken by the intuitive and fluid wii controllers. They are responsive, lightweight and work exactly how you would imagine motion sensing controllers to work. When you swing a forehand in tennis, your player follows. In bowling if you twist your wrist , you will get some wicked spin on the ball as it hurtles down the lane. Amazing and a whole lot of fun.

6. Is the new Zelda game any good? It's brilliant. Tough puzzles, excellent art presentation, great story and the controls are totally rad! You swing the remote to slash with your sword and shake the nunchuk to do a spin attack. Its fun, easy to figure out and, no, it's not tiring. I won't go too in depth with this game review as I have only played it for about 6 or 7 hours. When I get further I will definitely give an update.

I will continue to dissect and update the Wii experience as more of this delightful little enigma unfolds.

My final word: IF you can find one, buy it. I can't imagine anyone with even a minimal interest in video games, or fun for that matter, not liking this system. However, If you aren't interested at all in this system but you find one, buy it anyways and sell it for a profit on ebay. Easy money.

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