Why We Love the Wii

I, like most of the people around wanted a Wii immediately. I was not, of course, able to get one right away. I finally got my Wii in mid 2008, and a year and a half later, I'm thrilled to say it's still a favorite for everyone in the house. I was originally concerned about spending so much on the Wii Wii
because electronics do typically lose their appeal in a short time, once the latest and greatest comes out. I have a love/hate relationship with this thing, and I have from the start. I still think it was worth it, and the negatives, for me, are more like minor irritations!

So, let's get on with the lists.

1. It's new and different from other consoles out there.
I love the controls. The reason I don't get into other game systems is because of the controls. Complicated button sequences to perform actions within a game just don't work for me at all. I am not a 10 year old kid or a teenager, therefore I am ill-equipped to play those games with the controllers that have a dozen buttons all over them. I'm just not that coordinated! I love that many of the games are heavily based on the movement you make. How many of you remember playing, for example, the original Mario Bros game on NES, and jerking the controller back and forth, though it did NOTHING for you game? Well, now it does!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess which has always been a favorite for me, requires that you 'slash' with your wii mote to slash in the game with your sword. This simplicity works well for me. The down side for this is that there are so many pieces! There are so many extensions and accessories it can be baffling, and expensive! There's the Wii Motes, at nearly $40 each, Nunchuks, at around $20 each, the Wii Motion Plus for some games, which is another $20 or so, the retro controller for some of the Wii Ware console games, which is $20, and so on. There's the Wii balance board, which seems to run $80 to $100! The accessories, like the steering wheel, racket, guns, etc, are all optional, and cheap, but they add up when you need or want a few of them!

There are only two of these accessories however, that I personally think really make a difference in ease of game play, and those are the steering wheel and the gun. Many of the cart and racing games come bundled with a steering wheel, so that's not really too bad, and the wheel is worth it! Find one you're comfortable with, as there are several incarnations of the wheel available. The same for the gun. The gun can also be purchased with games, I like the Official Wii Zapper that comes with the Link's Crossbow Training game. For $20, it's a fun pick up and play type game.

The balance board, while very pricey, seems to be a huge hit, and the bonus is that games like Wii Fit can help you lose weight, and have even been put to work in many nursing homes and physical therapy facilities to help aid patients in their healing from injuries! If you shop around, there are 3rd party remotes (wands) and Nunchuks available, like this one made by Nyko Wand for Wii. They work well, and can be $10-15 cheaper than Nintendo originals. Batteries can be a big drawback, but there are several rechargeable options available, and the best option for your money seems to be this Energizer product:

2. It's great for family play!
You can even play via the WiFi connection with family that doesn't live with or near you! Just this morning my son and I were playing Mario Kart Wii with my nieces, who live a thousand miles away! I don't really have a down side to this, except that both households must own the same game, and it can be tedious to enter in friend codes. It's simple enough though, and it's fun to play with friends and family from the comfort of your home! If you don't have any available, many games allow you to play with players online, just for fun!

3. It's a workout. Some games, without even meaning to, can give you a workout! Try swinging the club properly in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 or Playing some Wii Boxing! The Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus offer even more of a workout, combined with the balance board, and it is in your home, on your time, with no gym membership necessary Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board!

4. Parental controls and monitoring game play.
This is a big one for me. The Wii will send you a message every day, which not only lists game achievements, but it details the time played. If you're concerned that your kids are playing too long without your knowledge, this is an easy way to track the time they've played each day!

5. Variety is key to making everyone in the house happy, and this game system does a great job!
The Wii has so many options available, you're sure to be able to find something to please everyone in your house! I had a Playstation 2, and before that, I had nearly every incarnation of game system out there. Many are just too complicated for the oldest, and youngest members of our family. With the Wii, everyone from my 60+ year old mother down to my First Grader can play together, and have loads of fun!

All in all, I would say the Wii was a great choice, and even after more than a year, it gets a ton of use in our house!