Alright, I don't have one yet.

But when you do, please post your first impressions here.

Thanks,

Kyser

Just got back from getting 2. Got scary for a bit there, the Walmart that was supposed to get 60 got 28. I was forced to hang on to my 11 year old in a sea of people as the line broke down when the Walmart employees just opened a warehouse sized door and said "come in".

Updating the Wii now...

Picked the country then another update...

TENNIS!!!!!

WTH is up with that crappy speaker!

TENNIS! I will pay any price for a real Tennis game!

We're pretty short on downloadable titles.

Oh and this thing is BLURRY on a 50" plasma using composite, but the store did not have component :(

AI for Tennis is dumb as a post at times. My back court guy is OK but the front court player is nearly useless. They do not get in position very well at all, leaving you to take shots from the back court you would have done better to do up front.

My son just loved Baseball but IMO its the dumbest thing on the disk. The delay is most noticable and it actually effects gameplay...

Bowling is a ton of fun. Its SO close ot being a complete game and really works well!

Boxing makes me want to cry :( The nunchuck is fine. Every time I swing with it I throw a punch. The Wiimote however... its like my arm is broken. Most of the time its not swinging. I am sure this has something to do with my room or sensor bar placmenet (Thought its fine for eveyrthing else) but its REALLy unresponsive for punches. (Fine for blocking!) The cord is a PITA in this game too. They REALL TRULY need a wireless nunchuck as punching and blocking has the cord flying up infront of your face. Maybe games can support two Wiimotes for one player? That would solve the cord problem.

Wiimote: COOL AS HELL! However... it gets jumpy at the edges of my 16:9 screen. Seems rock solid in the middle but as you get aways from it the hand (looks like its wearing MM's glove) actually shakes onscreen. Does not seem to effect Wiisports but I am concerned about CoD3.

OOPs sleepy 4 year old walked behind me during Tennis. Wife says: "You Wii-wacked her". :)

Going to bed now, son will be up ALL night with this. Hope you all get one!

Keyboard: Not detected in Mii creation or Store. I did not work on this at all, just plugged in a USB KB and it was not detected (I have not slept in many hours).

Working through the menus is very simple with the Wiimote so not a big deal for setup.


Bought 5K Wii-points, charged me TAX. Damn Nintendo TAX does not need to be charged to NY residents for internet purchases in most cases!

Seems I have 2,161 blocks on my internal memory. Downloaded Solomon's Key, it was 93 blocks.

When you go to buy a game it appears there is no demo. It tells you on two screens exactly what controllers can be used for the game. Mario then proceeded to collect my 500 coins and we now have a Nintendo Entertainment System Channel. Worth mentioning this game cost as much as the Techmo Classics disk on XBox did at Ebgames and that hade 5 other games as well as Solomon's key. I will certainly ONLY be buying my absolute favorites on NES. I must be missing somehing but I cannot find a way to play NES games in a 4:3 windows. SK is S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D when being played. I may need to read the manual...

It included system state saves for thegames which is a very nice feature for these old games that in many cases used passwords.

I'll get flammed in the Sony forum but as much fun as R:FoM was... after an hour its a FPS that is not as good as XBox games I have. I played Tennis for longer than I played R:FoM and Bowling is getting close....

I need to really sit down with CoD3 and Zelda more but so far I think the Wii is going to be a must buy for Wii games, not Zelda but games that use the Wiimote in ways that definatively say "You must have this tool to enjoy the game".

While playing Zelda (Especially during combat) you just know in the back of your head... OOT played better with the N64 controller than this...

Then you put in Wiisports and you know what the future of the Wii is. Kudos for whomever packed that in!

Yikes Frank sucks when they don't keep these structured.....Humans need structure! Regardless...what are your feelings so far??

Got home and got it unwrapped.

I must say, the controller is pretty cool right now. I haven't had gameplay with it yet, but I do like the way it feels and there's that new coolness to controlling the cursor on screen. Very slick.

Trying to get the update done now but having some trouble. I hope that's due to Nintendo's server getting killed by the east coasters and now central time zone folks like myself. Failed the first time, now slowly updating (and failed again while I'm typing at around 20%).

I've got a couple of installation glitches so far...turns out I can't get the signal to pass through my AA switcher (due to the component out from it I'm sure), so I'm running it straight into the composite on my plasma. That precludes me from trying it out on my projector for now. Got to get that component connection. Looks like the sensor bar wire is going to be long enough for my setup, though. I just wonder how it will work once I get it set up underneath the screen.

I never thought I'd say it, but the Wii has placated my desire for the ps3. I can now find one of those whenever I like in the spring/summer as my Wii60 keeps me occupied until then.

Well, off to explore the system a bit more, then some Zelda, then some sleep, then a whole lotta more Zelda.

Got mine around midnight. I had the same problems updating as well and never did successfully update. I'll try again when things cool down. I got Super Monkey Ball as well as Wii Sports, but only tried Wii Sports. Not bad at all and very intuitive.

It seems the sensor bar is the central point for where your cursor is. When I stand up, my sensor bar is at shoulder level, so I have to point higher than feels natural. Hopefully a future update will allow you to calibrate to the center of the screen.

Super Monkey Ball appears to have all the favorites from previous games. Total of 50 mini-games.

I wish I had component cables. There were none at GameStop (3rd party or otherwise). It's neat that it allows you to set widescreen without 'em though.

Making a Mii is pretty straightforward. I couldn't check out any of the channels because it won't let you "use" an Internet connection until it's tested (OK), immediately followed by an attempt to update the system (Not successful yet).

Should be fun, 3am here and I have to be up at 9:30, so I can't wait to get back to it tomorrow.

Cush

I got mine last night at midnight. Set up was very easy. I placed the sensor bar below my tv at the edge of the table like they said to do and measured it to make sure it was perfectly centered. I have it hooked up to my 46" Sony XBR3 . Turned it on and everything works perfectly. Better than I thought it would. I am using component cables and of course everything is not as sharp as the 360 but after playing Wii sports and Super Monkey Ball and Zelda I really do not care ! To me this is the most fun I have had in a long time. Just playing around with the menus is fun, the Wii Remote is smaller than I thought but works perfect. I had my doubts about this thing working right but for at least the first time playing it I think they have a winner. Also did all the updates and everything went smooth as could be.

Bought 5K Wii-points, charged me TAX. Damn Nintendo TAX does not need to be charged to NY residents for internet purchases in most cases!


Nintendo has a presence in NY state, so Tax for us.

Just got mine home. I am setting up my wireless connection and it seems like I have alot of updating to do. I did buy Dragon Ball Z so I will report back when I get to playing.

So what kind of wireless security does it support...WEP or WPA????

How is the quality of the sound using Dolby PLII? Similar channel seperation to GC games?

Download more VC games and tell us about them!...you know you want to!

Anyone get a classic controller?

Good luck Frank with the widescreen VC games issue.

Setting it up was fairly simple. The sensor bar has 2 sticky tape things so it sits nice and secure on the tv. The power supply has a massive box closer to the Wii then I prefer (it sits on top of my rack right now, so the power supply must also sit on it). I would have like to see the power box closer to the plug. Setting up internet was a tad frustrating. I found out that it's best to name your network something other than the default (dlink, netgear, etc.). It seems to have a conflict. As soon as I renamed network within the router, it was fine and the updating began. Super Monkey Ball is interesting, though I would have liked to turn the remote sideways for control. It would have given more of a sense of moving the board around under the monkey. As it is, so far, it's a little tricky. Only played it briefly, though. On to Red steel. It's difficult. I'm very good at FPS games, and this was a hard learning curve that I still haven't mastered. When you move the remote to the left and right, it jerks the screen too much once it reaches near the edges. Holding the remote as a gun is not intuitive. I would like a gun controller, as was being made, but I haven't seen it yet. I can hold the remote flat and it still seems to think I'm holding it cockeyed. So far, the gunfights have been frustrating. And my poor arms. I have not yet tried Call of Duty 3, as Red Steel is making me take a break. Not sure whether I should open it or return it. If the controls are as spasmy as Red Steel, I just might return it and get something that doesn't require so much accuracy. When inserting a disc into the system, it nicely pulls it in when part-way inserted. The menu switching is a little slow for my taste, but that's forgiveable. And I'm not quite sure if the system can be turned off or on via remote. So far, I haven't found it to be so. The manual told me to switch it on using the power button. That's a bummer. The dpad on the remote is awkward. It forces you to reposition your grasp on it. I like the fact that you can quit games with the remote and return to the menu. So far it has potential. My verdict's still out on gun-based games. I really need a gun peripheral before I condemn them. So far, I like it, but I'm wondering whether if I should keep messing with it or play PSU. Probably mess with it some more. I think it boils down to adapting. I'm so used to playing things with normal controllers that the Wii has so far made me feel like a moron that's never touched a game in his life. :D

It's basic Wep security. All it wants is to search for acess points. Once it finds one, you enter a wep key. Seems to have 3 slots for possible wifi connections, wired or wireless. It does NOT have an ethernet port built in, though. So wireless is my choice right now.

The surround mix is just fine. The menu is even surround. heh.

man thats alot of updates. i really like this stuff so far.

im waiting for the update for the news and weather channels. should be fun.

wii sports is great, i only picked up zelda as the other game, waiting to pop that in.

If you dont like the new controllers can you play the new WII games with the classic controllers? Thanks a lot! Sam Zeoli

I couldn't find a USB to Ethernet adapter for the thing so I'm going to be without updates for awhile. Did anybody else see them around?

WPA is supported. There are four different types of wireless security the Wii supports IIRC.

Cush

WPA is supported. There are four different types of wireless security the Wii supports IIRC.

Cush

Well that will make people happy.

best buy sells some 3rd party usb adaptors

Wow....Just got back from Nintendo World and Toys R Us in Manhattan where the demand for this thing is TREMENDOUS!!! These places were stocked to the gills with systems, accecories and games! Toys R Us had Wiimotes and Nunchucks and games in these tremendous pushable baskets. They had stacks of Wiis all over the place. People were buying 2 at a time with no sight of the supply running out......This is a succesful launch!

Wow....Just got back from Nintendo World and Toys R Us in Manhattan where the demand for this thing is TREMENDOUS!!! These places were stocked to the gills with systems, accecories and games! Toys R Us had Wiimotes and Nunchucks and games in these tremendous pushable baskets. They had stacks of Wiis all over the place. People were buying 2 at a time with no sight of the supply running out......This is a succesful launch!

it's nice that there's tons of stock there. Here in Little Rock the system has sold out almost immediately. My Walmart had all of 20 consoles...the same one had 36 of the xbox 360's last year. I don't know why they got so few, but I'm hearing that that 20 number seems to be a common thing with the Walmarts out there.

Still, shipments will replenish soon and will continue to do so. This launch will be much better for the consumer than that other big launch that started recently.

First experience...WOW!!!
I saw a demo set up but i wanted to wait till I was home with my unit. Wii sports is fine.
Simple but fun which was Nintendo's point.

Composite - looks great so far..no problems then again, i havn't played a "real" game yet so once zelda comes out, maybe i'll update my first review Hopefully i find componenet cables soon. Temporiraly, i have it hooked up via SA cable box and tv changed resoultion to 480p... is that possible or is the cablebox upconverting the signal?

WiiMote - light, easy to use
Menu - easy, my usb keyboard didn't work so it took a couple of attemps to get wireless to work. Im in the middle of updateing (again)

Easy to set up, i thought getting the sensor bar to work would take calbration and what not but out of the box, it was good to go. Angle is not that great so we see what happens when 4 people come over.

Small unit...ove the size and looks nice in the stand ;)

Overall, very happy. After i get the basics out, i unwrap zelda and step it up a notch.
I have excite truck also, i didn't want it but it came with the bundle i saved 20 bucks (costco bundle) so i just look at it as a cheap game

I had to wait 2 hours at costco for my wii as target was sold out.

Anybody know what wi-fi is in here? i thought it was wireless g...the only way my router let the connection go though was have it on mix mode (i only enabled g products) and i also run a mac filter to allow networking devices...

Wireless connection seems slow to me...updates took 5 mins each time (not sure how big the updates were) but just seemed slow with the progress bar...anybody else think that?

so for my lack of spelling but since Wii inst spelt "we", i'm all confused, hehe

I think it is 802.11b like the DS is and the update might have been slow because everyone was updating their Wiis as well, I can't wait to hook mine up in about 3 hours, I also have not played any demos and just wanted to see hwo it was when I got it home.

If you're not doing any online stuff, do you have to update. My wireless router is about as far from where the console will be as possible in my house and I am not sure the signal will go that far through all the floor and walls. We just want to play Wii sports and the other games we will buy.

Well its official mine is broken!!! I am so annoyed! It makes an awful clicking noise when trying to load a disc and it gives me an error screen. And nintendo is not accepting calls....gee thanks Nintendo!

has anybody been able to use weather or news channel?

its says you must update to use...it attempts to update but says everyything is up to date and i keep going in an endless loop

Wii lasted less than 18 hours! Wii seems fine but the remote is flashing all 4 controller spots when any button is pressed. As Mike metioned Nintendo has a message saying they are overwhelmed with calls...

Wii lasted less than 18 hours! Wii seems fine but the remote is flashing all 4 controller spots when any button is pressed. As Mike metioned Nintendo has a message saying they are overwhelmed with calls...

i had that for a minute but it finally went away after a min or two (this happen when i tried to sync 2nd wii mote after 1st was already signed on sports

Weather and News are not online yet, One launches in Dec and the other in January. I have ad my Wii running since 8:30 this morning and it's still running strong.

i had that for a minute but it finally went away after a min or two (this happen when i tried to sync 2nd wii mote after 1st was already signed on sports


Only one remote here. Would not resync for about 30 min, seems OK now.

could that be a battery problem?

could that be a battery problem?


Tried brand new ones first thing. Old ones are back in and show full charge.

Is anyone else getting thin pillarbox lines on some games? Wii sports and Zelda are fine, Excite Truck and Raymond are both slightly pillarboxed.

Update on my situation:

I finally got through to Nintendo after calling and recalling for about 45 minutes. I spoke about the symptoms my Wii is having....System starts up perfectly...I go to insert Wii Sports or Zelda and it goes to load then makes a really really nasty clicking noise like it's breaking or scratching the disc. I can then eject it or let it keep doing it and I basically get a dirty disc screen. After that it says to unplug the system for 5 minutes retart and retry....Well it just kept happening.

NOA said:
This is apparently a problem they are aware of and is somewhat widespread. It has something to do with failure of the loding tray or mechanisim they said. They also said they are overnighting me a new Wii tomorrow evening and I am to ship the old one back in the packaging they send. So it's good to know I will have one by Tuesday! No if only I coudl get some components!! The Wii seems like a fun system from what I can tell so far. It is just a damn shame I can't play it right now! Nintendo use to make such solid equipment!

but these are all brand new batteires.....

frank, i think your on to something...my second wii mote acts stupid like yours, it takes forever to sync sometimes (not all the time)...i tried switching batteries, nothing
i think on wii menu once you switch screen, it shuts off for a second and comes back on once screen is back... on my problem wii mote, it doesn't come back on...

i might open upp another wii mote that i brought for a friend and see if thats the problem..i don't think it should take forever to sync like that

Anyone tried it with the component cable yet ?

Picked the country then another update...Huh?

you update when you first connect.

it then asks you to select your country.

it then starts another update. I've yet to finish this second update as their servers have been getting killed and getting connected as been a problem.

I don't know what either update does.

Clevername, I had to complete both updates before I could access the downloadable game section (Virtual Console).

My very first impression? That the wii was heavier than I expected.

I'm very happy with it. It's working great, although I was a bit confused as to the blue light around the disc slot; in all the advertisements it's lit up. Turns out that it's only used as an indicator of new messages from the 'net. I guess it would be distracting if it were on all the time though.

Some pics and first impressions. I picked up red steel, trauma center, and zelda.
http://aroganworld.blogspot.com/2006/11/nintendo-wii.html

Some pics and first impressions. I picked up red steel, trauma center, and zelda.
http://aroganworld.blogspot.com/2006/11/nintendo-wii.html

excellent reviews. this is a must read :tu:

Clevername, I had to complete both updates before I could access the downloadable game section (Virtual Console).

yeah, I finally got the 2nd download finished.

Now I can't get connected to the Virtual Console store.

Ah, the first days of an online service. So little aggravation.

WOW @ the dude whos getting a Wii overnighted. thats decent. and for free!

Does the Virtual Console render games like Mario 64 in 640x480 instead of the original 320x240? I'm not talking scale, I'm talking render.

My first impressions are very positive. I like Wii Sports a whole lot more than I thought I would, and my non-gamer wife really enjoys playing it too. Call of Duty 3 is very hard to play as was pointed out in another thread, and I still have Madden and Zelda to try. So far I'm very happy, and I love being able to play some games with my wife! Thanks Nintendo :)

Don't know about render but the NES Zelda looks alright to me.
Did have trouble connecting on my wi-fi, but turned on SSID broadcast and connected, then turned SSID broadcast off and put the Wii mac on the router access list and turned mac filtering back on. Wii connects fine.

Our local BB had 30 more than originally listed, we got ours at Target (21 of 24, got there at 6:15 for 8:00 opening). The sales guy at our local Target said they were not expecting more until 'after Christmas' though ???

I am very pleased with the responsiveness of the Wii-mote so far. I had no issues during setup. I measured for sensor placement on top of my LCD.

I have Wii Sports and Zelda. Wii Sports is more of a demo, but it is really beneficial for showcasing what the system is capable of. I really tried to play Zelda, but it's just so damn blurry with the composite cables. Even my wife mentioned how blurry it looked. Has anyone else with a fixed pixel display noticed this? My component cables should be here today, so I'll report back if this has been rectified by a better connection.

Overall: Control seems very intuitive and responsive. It is nice that Nintendo didn't try the "me too" approach and went in a different direction. I love the speaker on the Wii-mote and can't wait to see what direction developers take on games designed for the Wii.

Imagine a grown man playing Zelda with this console in front of his 92" PJ screen.

Entertainment for the whole family :)

I never had so much fun playing a video game since Goldeneye 64.

I really tried to play Zelda, but it's just so damn blurry with the composite cables. Even my wife mentioned how blurry it looked. Has anyone else with a fixed pixel display noticed this? My component cables should be here today, so I'll report back if this has been rectified by a better connection.


I was able to clear up most of the blurriness. I eventually realized I had never used the composite and all the settings were at factory default. Tinkering for 15 min made things MUCH better.

I was able to clear up most of the blurriness. I eventually realized I had never used the composite and all the settings were at factory default. Tinkering for 15 min made things MUCH better.

I'm not even going to waste time calibrating an input that I will never use again :p All of my settings are at the default values as well. I'm sure that the component cables will really clear things up.

Our Wii ran almost non stop from 1Am Sunday to 9Pm sunday. (Offline for 30 min when the remote refused to sync), I had to make changes as watching my son play gave me a headache! I am waiting for component cables to be available here. I read the component cables add more jaggies and I am thinking the softer image might be superior. I am not sure how many more jaggies my eyes can take!

Our Wii ran almost non stop from 1Am Sunday to 9Pm sunday. (Offline for 30 min when the remote refused to sync), I had to make changes as watching my son play gave me a headache! I am waiting for component cables to be available here. I read the component cables add more jaggies and I am thinking the softer image might be superior. I am not sure how many more jaggies my eyes can take!

Shouldn't the progressive scan clear up some (not all) of the jaggies?

Shouldn't the progressive scan clear up some (not all) of the jaggies?

Not really. The PS image is going to make the picture more vibrant and clearer. The softness you get from composite is masking some of the jaggies.

someone let me know how madden 07 plays in the game

Imagine a grown man playing Zelda with this console in front of his 92" PJ screen.

Entertainment for the whole family :)

I never had so much fun playing a video game since Goldeneye 64.
Well, this 50-year-old man can't wait to start entertaining his family in front of his PJ screen... :D

-Dan

Not really. The PS image is going to make the picture more vibrant and clearer. The softness you get from composite is masking some of the jaggies.

It is true that the composite cables don't provide as sharp of a picture, but the component cables should really make a difference in colors and provide a much more vibrant and less muddled picture. Zelda was so horrid over composite that I couldn't stomach playing.

First impressions:

Wii console: It's amazing how small the Wii itself is; it basically looks like someone took a DVD drive out of a PC, turned it sideways, and put it on a stand. Of course it features a relatively large power brick, which is somewhat odd considering it should be pretty low current, but which is consistent with the Gamecube design.

Wii remote: Feels pretty nice in the hand, actually, and seems to work pretty well for pointing. Comes with a wrist strap to avoid accidentally tossing it around when performing some of the more acrobatic stunts for certain games. Generally seems to track correctly, but if one stops aiming (e.g. to put it down for a second) and then resumes later, requires some waving around to find the cursor again.

Sensor bar: Absolutely tiny; had no idea that it would be so thin and lightweight. Unfortunately this causes problems, in that it is so light that the weight of the tiny power cable pulls it, spinning it or pulling it off center. Nintendo provides some adhesive pads to try and get around this, but this isn't particularly elegant and most won't want to use this solution.

WPA is supported. There are four different types of wireless security the Wii supports IIRC.

Cush

Good to know. Does it support WPA+AES?

I use software to automatically rotate the security key. Will I have to turn that off?

I gave it a go with Wii sports today, I didn't have much time so I only tried Boxing and Bowling.

I've read elsewhere that the boxing controls were bad. I have to disagree, it worked great for me. Although I only threw mostly jabs and blocked the controls were spot on for me.

Bowling really surprised me. I bowl on a league and was able to throw the ball the way I would in real life, I couldn't believe it. I figured it would only be straight ball bowling but it's not. The way it detects your movement was very impressive. If I didn't swing my arm straight the remote would sense that and the ball would travel the way my arm swung.

I'll probably give rest a try tomorrow but so far Wii sports was a blast.

Camped in fromt of target from 9 PM sat nite till 8 AM sunday for this damn thing. I must say, it was worth it!! This thing is great. Playing with someone elsi is great. And when i gave the controller to my 6 year old and gave him no instruction on bowling, he got it right away and was kicking my ass! Thats when i realized that i made a great purchase. The remote is killer and made me forget about the last gen graphics. I bought Rayman and it is alot of fun. Golf is my favorite on the sports. I cant wait till they get a tiger woods on this thing. If you have kids or lots of friends I highly reccomend this!

Alright so
WEP,
WPA-PSK (TKIP)
WPA-PSK (AES) and
WPA2-PSK are supported!

Setting up was very easy.

Got one after FREEZING in line at a Target for about 5 hours... O.K., it only got to about 36 degrees up here in northern Indiana that night, but I couldn't feel my toes for awhile.

So far all is good. My kids love Wii Sports; now my 5 year old can take out her punching fits on those Mii characters. My 10 year old loves bowling, as do I, but Baseball seems useless so far. All you do is pitch and bat (at least that's how my first game went).

I refuse to play Zelda until I get component cables, but I did watch the intro and caught a few glimpses of the kids wandering around. I didn't mind the blurriness, but maybe it's because I was running it thru my Optoma HD70.
Speaking of projectors, I haven't had any issues yet with the sensor bar, but I'll be watching closely. And also speaking of component cables, some guy ahead of me claimed to have some. He said he picked them up at Meijer and some guy behind him bought FOUR component cables. He was not a newbie so I took him at his word, but a follow up search at 3 local Meijer's showed no signs of them. I'll keep trying.

I am happy to report that I received my component cables (and refund due to a shipping error on Nintendo's part) today. The cables seem to be of good quality and only disappoint due to the fact that the audio cables are closely tied to the video cables.

The difference between composite and component is night and day. I was literally unable to play Zelda because it was so blurry. The component cables cleared things up greatly with the expected effect of pronouncing jaggies. This is more than OK to me because it was unplayable otherwise. Even Wii Sports look leaps and bounds better.

I definitely recommend anyone with a HD display, especially a fixed pixel display, to give these a try. It really made my experience that much better.

I am happy to report that I received my component cables (and refund due to a shipping error on Nintendo's part) today. The cables seem to be of good quality and only disappoint due to the fact that the audio cables are closely tied to the video cables.

The difference between composite and component is night and day. I was literally unable to play Zelda because it was so blurry. The component cables cleared things up greatly with the expected effect of pronouncing jaggies. This is more than OK to me because it was unplayable otherwise. Even Wii Sports look leaps and bounds better.

I definitely recommend anyone with a HD display, especially a fixed pixel display, to give these a try. It really made my experience that much better.

how much was the componet cables.. also what kind of display do you use? i want to get one of those 42" olevia lcds on BF.. i got the wii on sunday and played zelda and wii sports all afternoon.. i am a video game collector.. ive got just about every system.. i went from playing gears of war on 360 on saturday to wii on sunday.. true the graphics are not next gen at all.. but its nintendo and zelda.. and i am here to say they have not let me down.. this is no power glove.. it takes a lil bit to get used to the controls.. but once you play with wii sports for a bit.. you learn quickly.. in fact for awhile there i was playing bowling and tennis.. standing in the middle of the living room.. having probably the most fun i have had with a new gaming system in years.. truely enjoyable.. if you haven't tried a wii yet.. go try one.. if you calibrate it as in zelda.. (options.. hit + then calibrate) it works great.. but anyways back to my question

what display are you guys using?

how is it on a lcd?

anyone with a 542i olevia?

thanks in advance

Dave
BRPC

Is anyone else getting thin pillarbox lines on some games? Wii sports and Zelda are fine, Excite Truck and Raymond are both slightly pillarboxed.

I noticed pillarboxing on the left and right side of Rayman with my Wii set for 16x9 through the composites on my Sony A10. According to the Rayman manual, it is supposed to be 16x9 compatible. I don't get the pillarbox lines on Legend of Zelda which also supports 16x9.

Interesting thing I noticed...

According to the Rayman manual, there is an "Options" selection (There is even a screen capture of it) and you are supposed to be able to set the display to 4x3 or 16x9 under the "Video" settings but in the actual game it shows "Audio Options" only. They also omitted the "Commands" setting under the "Options" selection. which according to the Rayman manual, was supposed to allow you to toggle the wii remote rumble feature.

I think this is because Nintendo changed it so that you set your display via the Wii and the Wii is supposed to automatically output the correct aspect ratio instead of adjusting it in-game. The Wii remote is also adjusted via the "home" button in any game where you can toggle the rumble.

Anyway, is anyone else getting the pillarbox lines or does anyone know what may be causing it?

how much was the componet cables.. also what kind of display do you use? i want to get one of those 42" olevia lcds on BF.. i got the wii on sunday and played zelda and wii sports all afternoon.. i am a video game collector.. ive got just about every system.. i went from playing gears of war on 360 on saturday to wii on sunday.. true the graphics are not next gen at all.. but its nintendo and zelda.. and i am here to say they have not let me down.. this is no power glove.. it takes a lil bit to get used to the controls.. but once you play with wii sports for a bit.. you learn quickly.. in fact for awhile there i was playing bowling and tennis.. standing in the middle of the living room.. having probably the most fun i have had with a new gaming system in years.. truely enjoyable.. if you haven't tried a wii yet.. go try one.. if you calibrate it as in zelda.. (options.. hit + then calibrate) it works great.. but anyways back to my question

what display are you guys using?

how is it on a lcd?

anyone with a 542i olevia?

thanks in advance

Dave
BRPC

I have the Wii hooked up to my Westinghouse 32w1 LCD (1366x768 native resolution) and it looks good. Let's be honest, it's not Gears of War, but graphics aren't the intent of the system. No issues on an LCD besides the fact that composite was near unplayable. Get the component cables from Nintendo and you're set.

Saturday, around 11am I was driving around to see how the lines were at the walmarts... and already there were lines of over 12 people at all 5 walmarts within 15miles of my house.

So I picked the one in the "nicer" area of town, and figured I'd get there at about 6. But I talked to an employee in the electronics department over the phone and he said I'd be crazy to come then, because at that time (on the phone it was about 2pm) he said there was nearly 20+ now and they were only getting 30 units! So I made it there around 3:30pm and ended up being #27 in line.

So 8.5 hours of sitting playing the DS and my newly purchased Children of Mana passed and I finally had a Wii in my hands... After getting the system I went to the Gamestop that I preordered Zelda at and picked that up at 12:30am too. I was a very happy wii-ite.

Apparently every single store that sold the wii sold out where I live. The closest best buy had 80+ people waiting, 2 targets were full, 5 walmarts, circuit city, and gamestops didn't have any in addition to the preorders. The guy behind me had waited 24 hours for a ps3 and didnt get one, so he was hoping to get a wii.

got home ~12:45 hooked it up to my optoma dv10 and 92" screen, and we started taking turns hitting tennis balls, punching faces in, etc. It was a blast! that was nearly till 4am haha.

I decided to not get any extra controls or games etc, figuring I could easily get them at best buy and put them on my best buy CC on sunday... but I got there and they had no nunchucks and only wii-motes. So that sucked. I got a wii-mote and debated what other game... decided on super monkey ball. Afterwards I stopped at blockbuster and started a gamepass (keep 1 game as long as you can, and exchange it whenever you want) - they already had over a dozen games and said they'd be getting more, so I'll see how that works.

Damn I really need to find one of these, it looks so much fun.

Damn I really need to find one of these, it looks so much fun.
I agree the Wii looks extremely fun to play and navigate the controller ^^

I just got a Wii from Best Buy! (Brea, CA). My wife, who I've always known is the best wife in the world, has been calling a list of 10 different stores every couple of hours. My ears perked up when I heard her say "Can you hold it for me?" (They wouldn't.) So I drove to Best Buy as fast as I could without getting stopped by the police, because that would really suck -- getting a ticket and being delayed so long they sold out again. Can you imagine?

My first impression is, the box and packaging look nice. :p I'm about to hook it up, but I had to come here and check a few things, and I couldn't resist posting. It's the closest thing to opening the door and shouting that I'm willing to do.

I'll post some impressions after hooking it up, assuming I decide to take a break from Zelda!

-Dan (beaming :D :D :D)

My Wii little story:

I learned on Sunday that my Costco would get a pallret 24) in on Monday and they would sell them on Tuesday. I arrived at 9:20 and was the first person to buy one. Those things were flying off the "shelf".

First impressions:
This thing is bad ass. Can I say that? I've been gaming since the 2600 and have gamed on everything from consoles to PCs. What the Wii lacks in graphical power (which, I feel, isn't that much) it makes up in overall game play. Nobody comes close.

The Wii-mote is small enough that you don't "feel" it. Even with the nun-chuck attached it is very, very light. I like the fact that your hands are separated. I can relax as much as I need to.

Everyone loves it. gaming has gone from me playing a game as entertainment for everyone else to games we can all play together. Although, my wife and daughter still love the Zelda stories so I play for their benefit :wink:wink:

We all played bowling last night and had a great time. My wife won. I mean... I went easy on everyone as not to make it uber-competitive. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Much like everyone else, I'm waiting on component cables. It's the only reason I'm not playing Zelda right now.

Well, I've played with my new Wii for a few hours, and here's my impressions: It's everything I hoped for. :D

I've got it hooked up using the composite cable into my Denon amp, which is connected to my SP4805 projector via component cables. My current screen size is about 80". The graphics in Zelda look amazingly good. (I'm not comparing it to the PS3 or 360 because I don't have either one of those.) I expected it to look really crappy, after reading some of the other posts, but it's really pretty good. Of course I'll get component cables when they're available, but this works fine.

The controllers work great, and there's no problem using the sensor bar with my PJ. I can lean back on my sofa, rest the controllers on my legs, and play just like I would with a normal controller (except of course when I'm waving them around, but so far with Zelda that isn't a constant thing, especially since there's a lot of reading).

So, I'm happy as a clam (are clams really happy?) Back to the game.

-Dan

2 questions:

Can the remote be used in the "traditional way" as well for legacy games?

Are the previous nintendo system games free to download and play via the emulatore?

Thanks!

Loving it!
Except that the non-Nintendo games are underscanned with black bars on the side just like GameCube games.
That's not fun when you have a new Panny.

2 questions:

Can the remote be used in the "traditional way" as well for legacy games?

Are the previous nintendo system games free to download and play via the emulatore?

Thanks!

The remote can be used with NES games yes. Other than that, you need either a classic or gamecube remote for the other systems

Nothing is free on the virtual console that I've seen. I think NES games are ~$5 or so . I know that Mario 64 that I got was 1000 points... 2000 points was $20 so $10. But now I legally own it I dunno. Hopefully they'll adjust the prices better later on, because they seem slightly too much.

The remote can be used with NES games yes. Other than that, you need either a classic or gamecube remote for the other systems

Nothing is free on the virtual console that I've seen. I think NES games are ~$5 or so . I know that Mario 64 that I got was 1000 points... 2000 points was $20 so $10. But now I legally own it I dunno. Hopefully they'll adjust the prices better later on, because they seem slightly too much.


You could always play emulated games on your PC. I play alot (on the handheld like below) and the games work good on that or a PC. The VC seems to be kind of a rip off especially if your unit breaks and you need it replaced, what happens to all of your old VC games?

got one!!!

so stoked!!!!

You could always play emulated games on your PC. I play alot (on the handheld like below) and the games work good on that or a PC. The VC seems to be kind of a rip off especially if your unit breaks and you need it replaced, what happens to all of your old VC games?

Nintendo has said that a) it will allow redownloading of new games if they get deleted and b) if your console gets bricked, they'll allow you to transfer your rights for the games to your new console.

i just wanted to post again. this thing is AMAZING!!!!!!

no regrets. playing on a 92" diagonal screen off of my IN72. my pioneer 84 is upscaling the 480i to 1080i and the picture is actually pretty darn sweet!!!!

this was a smart move. my wife and i had an absolute BLAST last night after putting the little one's to bed.

they hit a home run with this thing for sure.

take care everybody.

My order from CC (pre-order 11/17) arrived in two pieces -- Friday for the extra controller and today for the console. Timing is fine because they are a present for my kids. I just feel better knowing I have them safe and sound in my house. I can't wait to give this to my two boys (7 and 10) and can't wait to play too. The reviews are almost uniformly positive. The only negatives I've read seem to be from gaming purists. NY times review yesterday was absolutely glowing.

Only problem with CC shipping was the way the console was packed. It was placed diagonally in the box with the plastic airbag package things only on one side. There was some wiggle room for the box. It should have been placed in a larger box with the airbags or peanuts all around it so it was tight inside the packing material. It should not move at all when the packing box moves. I'm not taking any chances. I am calling CC tomorrow and demand that they overnight me a new console with a prepaid return packing slip to send back the original. I have never received any electronic good so poorly packed. Even my surge protectors are packed better than this. If need be I will elevate this up the corporate ladder until I get satisfaction. The last thing I need is to have the kids unwrap their present and have it not work. Am I being unreasonable?

The Wii has definitely exceeded my expectations. Any I concerns I had about the controls were put to rest the moment I got my hands on it. On top of the awesome, awesome pack-in game, the launch games are generally very good so far (of course, Zelda is in a league of its own). Everything from the quality of the slot loading drive to the interface to the fantastic retro-game compatability screams quality. Hell, the photo channel beats any photo viewer I have ever used, hands down. And the entire Mii concept is pure genius. Making Miis and seeing other peoples' Miis is just plain fun.

Being among the first owners is also great since you get to show people how amazing it is and watch their expressions. The system appears magical to them, and I'm starting to believe it actually is :). Well done Nintendo.

The Wii has definitely exceeded my expectations. Any I concerns I had about the controls were put to rest the moment I got my hands on it. On top of the awesome, awesome pack-in game, the launch games are generally very good so far (of course, Zelda is in a league of its own). Everything from the quality of the slot loading drive to the interface to the fantastic retro-game compatability screams quality. Hell, the photo channel beats any photo viewer I have ever used, hands down. And the entire Mii concept is pure genius. Making Miis and seeing other peoples' Miis is just plain fun.

Being among the first owners is also great since you get to show people how amazing it is and watch their expressions. The system appears magical to them, and I'm starting to believe it actually is :). Well done Nintendo.
I agree 100%. One thing I like about the controllers, which I haven't really seen addressed anywhere else, is that fact that in a lot of respects, it's like they took a normal controller and split it in two, so you don' have to keep your hands together. For me, this puts less strain on my wrists, and allows me to play longer.

-Dan

Finally got mine at BB this morning. I got in line at 8:30, but I got lucky and was still only #24 in line.

I was very surprised by the quality on my plasma even with the composite cable. It's definintely a bit blurry, and I'm looking forward to getting the component cable, but it's not nearly as bad as some posters have said. Same goes for the graphics quality of zelda, too. I dont' dispute that it doesn't compare well to the PS3 or 360, but I have neither, and didn't have a PS2 either. Lowered expectations, I guess, but I'm happy with the graphics.

Absolutely awesome. I don't care if it's not PS3 quality graphics. The controller is simply amazing.

I've been playing nothing but the Sports game it comes with. Baseball, Tennis, Golf, and Bowling are hugely fun.

And, honestly, I like the graphics just fine. And yes I've seen PS3/360, and I've been playing with better graphics on PC, but I don't care. The grass fields in Golf and Tennis and Baseball should be more than visually pleasing to anyone.

For front PJ users, is there an extension/long cable for the sensor. My equip is at the wall behind the seats and 15ft from screen? Can't go to nintendo website where I am now.

Thanks.

Found this with search of fp:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=753291&highlight=fp

oddly, pj and projector had 0 results.

For front PJ users, is there an extension/long cable for the sensor. My equip is at the wall behind the seats and 15ft from screen? Can't go to nintendo website where I am now.
There are some do-it-yourself solutions if you have some basic electrical skills. Basically the cord is just carrying 5v of power (2 wires, 5v and ground), so you can just extend the cable yourself, or hook it up to an alternate power source.

There are some do-it-yourself solutions if you have some basic electrical skills. Basically the cord is just carrying 5v of power (2 wires, 5v and ground), so you can just extend the cable yourself, or hook it up to an alternate power source.

It measured 7.8V with a voltmeter, the guy who modded it said it still worked fine with a 7.5V power source.

Received my Wii from an auction sale yesterday. Felt glad that I paid only $40 over retail value of the items (console, Zelda, extra Wiimote) and that I was spared the aggravation of waiting in line at a brick/mortar store. To put my thoughts in perspective, I'm also a "grown up dad" who has played games since high school, but I'm far from a "gamer." To put this in perspective, my wife and I loved to play Super Monkey Ball with friends (mostly the party games like Monkey Race and Fight). I find that I rarely have the skill (or time) for games with lots of levels and roleplaying

First, I hooked it up to a 720 FP Samsung on a 110" screen. Front row of seating is at ~10 feet, so there was room to maneuver without too much "Wii-wacking." I ordered a second sensor bar from Nintendo (only $10) and failed in my attempt to solder it to an old switchable universal power supply (set at 7.5V). I'll give it another shot. So far, we're using the stock cables (component on backorder from Nintendo). Since nunchucks are also backordered, we played Sports (tennis, golf, bowling), I played with Zelda for a bit, and then we played some Monkey Balls party games.

In a nutshell, we had an awesome time. This clearly is a revolutionary way to play games, and while I would have been happy with better graphics, I do agree that the change in the experience more than outweighs the lack of detail. Some favorites were WiiSports Tennis and Bowling, and Monkey Race. I think our favorite so far was the Snowboarding game on Monkey Balls--my wife particularly loved it and it nicely shows off what the controller can do. Also downloaded Donkey Kong on the virtual console--sent me back to 10th grade when I wasted many quarters on the real thing.

Some random thoughts:
--Black borders around many of the games are annoying. I could have gotten rid of these with the PJ by changing the zoom, but it's not worth the hassle each time. Not sure why this is needed.
--The controls were generally excellent, though a couple of Monkey party games were very difficult to control (Monkey frisbee golf is a good example--we were both frustrated).
--Picture quality at 110" even with composite was fine. No one will be unhappy playing on a decent FP system, and the whole thing was immersive and incredibly fun. It reminded me of playing the bowling simulators at Sony's Metreon in San Francisco when it opened--it seemed amazing at the time, and now we basically have the same thing at home 10 years later.

Update: Using JaremyP's post as an inspiration, I've successfully hacked my sensor bar to accept a 9V battery. It's now wireless, and this is great for my front projection theater, since I can now keep the Wii in the dedicated media rack which is quite a distance from the screen. See my post here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=759093

I can't wait to see how developers utilize this control system. All I can say is for a while, I will have a hard time getting work done at home evenings when the kids are asleep.

I got lucky and picked one up the day before Thanksgiving. I was in BB buying my new Sharp LC46d62u set when my friend who works there held up the box. I jokingly asked when more would be in stock--it seemed a woman was returning hers unopened as her husband had also been able to purchase one in the line he stood in across town. Picked it up right there.

First impressions: I honestly couldn't stop laughing when playing with the Wiimote for the first time--it was just so crazy and cool. I'll save judgment of Wii Sports here. My simple take on it is that its fun to play with, but its clear that its more meant as an "box-in demo" for the console. And that's fine. As everyone has said, the bowling is great. I brought it to my parents house for Thanksgiving and we all took turns playing the various games--everyone had a blast with it.

The video looks "good enough" through composite--I'm not about to spend the $100 or so that the component cables are going for on ebay right now. I'll pick those up after the holidays if I have to.

No other games yet--but I'll say this. For my $250, the entertainment value for my family and my girlfriend sitting around on that Wednesday and Thursday playing with those games--it's already been a completely worthwhile purchase.

My order from CC (pre-order 11/17) arrived in two pieces -- Friday for the extra controller and today for the console. Timing is fine because they are a present for my kids. I just feel better knowing I have them safe and sound in my house. I can't wait to give this to my two boys (7 and 10) and can't wait to play too. The reviews are almost uniformly positive. The only negatives I've read seem to be from gaming purists. NY times review yesterday was absolutely glowing.

Only problem with CC shipping was the way the console was packed. It was placed diagonally in the box with the plastic airbag package things only on one side. There was some wiggle room for the box. It should have been placed in a larger box with the airbags or peanuts all around it so it was tight inside the packing material. It should not move at all when the packing box moves. I'm not taking any chances. I am calling CC tomorrow and demand that they overnight me a new console with a prepaid return packing slip to send back the original. I have never received any electronic good so poorly packed. Even my surge protectors are packed better than this. If need be I will elevate this up the corporate ladder until I get satisfaction. The last thing I need is to have the kids unwrap their present and have it not work. Am I being unreasonable?

Update:

Through my usual detective means, I got transferred to the secretary of CC's vice president for retail operations. My case got taken up by senior escalation services. The agent was out yesterday so I called my contact back and she promised action by the end of the day. I got a voicemail message from her and the district manager in charge of my local store. They are expecting a shipment by this weekend and will set aside a unit for me. I just need to come to the store and swap out the unit I received with the unit they set aside for me. Both my contact in corporate and the district manager were as nice as could be. Also, the managers of the local store said they would be willing to help me out if corporate could not. CC did right by me. In general, I found my local store to be very helpful. As an example, when they installed my XM radio, they needed to correct their work. They did it with a smile at my convenience and got it right. Best Buy is a half mile down the road. They know they have competition and act accordingly.

Alright so
WEP,
WPA-PSK (TKIP)
WPA-PSK (AES) and
WPA2-PSK are supported!

Setting up was very easy.

Doesn't mean they all work. When I attempted to connect via WPA-PSA (TKIP), I got an error code, yet the Wii identified all three routers in my area. It was a long distance connection (2 rooms). I wish they would show signal bars for network connections. Can't debug this further until xmas. The gift is wrapped up. I suck at baseball and tennis. Got bored in 1 hour. Time to move on to real work, the paying kind.

Guys, just want to make sure of which console to buy. Am i right in assuming the Wii does not have online game play? Like shooter games where you cna play against your friends online.

I do love Zelda and the idea of the Wii, but not sure i want to get something with no online play.

Thanks a bunch!

Online play is planned, Nintendo has not announced the launch date of the service. The system launched without developers having recieved the tools in enough time to provide online play...the following is from wikipedia's WiiConnect24 page:

Confirmed Titles
The following are titles whose developers have confirmed the existence of features to take advantage of WiiConnect24:

Elebits [3]
Pokémon Battle Revolution [4]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[3]

[edit] Possible Titles
The following are titles whose developers have expressed interest in implementing features to take advantage of WiiConnect24:

Animal Crossing Wii [5]
Battalion Wars 2 [6]
Far Cry: Vengeance [7]
Mario Strikers Charged [8]
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [9]

Third-party developers have not yet been provided the tools necessary for online play to be worked into their games. This means that, at least until 2007, no third-party games will feature online functionality.

Guys, just want to make sure of which console to buy. Am i right in assuming the Wii does not have online game play? Like shooter games where you cna play against your friends online.

I do love Zelda and the idea of the Wii, but not sure i want to get something with no online play.

Thanks a bunch!
Oh come on, just buy them all!. :p

-Dan

Dan, i wish i had that kinda $$$.

Thanks Naylia. So if i had to guess, they won't have online gaming for a while still. I kinda wonder if they will charge extra for online or add-ons ot the machine or if you just by a game and voila, you're good to go.

Got mine ! plugged into my Westinghouse 47" 1080p and... first time I powered it up, it had noisy pink lines across the screen for a while, I got afraid I got a broken unit, but eventually and after pressing reset a few time, I finally got the wii screen ! but it does look a bit washed out and definitively fuzy with wigly lines... I'm still using composite because my component cables arrived at ups near my home but won't be delivered until monday :-(

So first impression was a bit disapointing ... Is there a way to calibrate the TV for the wii ? (like the thx optimizer or a simple gray scale to adjust brightness/contrast ?)

But then I put in wii sports and... what a blast ! immediate success with my kids... specially tenis ! (we started with bowling then golf (a bit too hard for 6-8y) but tenis was great, and making Miis was cool too)

Random: When I setup wireless network, I had to go through 2 system updates (why can't they do 1 update to the latest ?) and it still doesn't have access to the forecast or news channels

Dan, i wish i had that kinda $$$.

Thanks Naylia. So if i had to guess, they won't have online gaming for a while still. I kinda wonder if they will charge extra for online or add-ons ot the machine or if you just by a game and voila, you're good to go.

Should just be good to go, i remember seeing an interview where Nintendo said that the policy would be the same as the DS...always free, but we'll see.

Can't find any Wii's (or is it just Wii plural too?) in C-bus yet. But I do want to clarify a question I asked earlier and add another one.

1) I realize that the classic remote is needed for legacy games (downloaded or Gamecube), however, can the Wii-only games be played with the classic remote too? I'm just guessing that Madden football for instance may be easier with a classic remote.

2) Does the classic remote come in a wireless version as well?

3) Finally, I remember hearing a rumor that Nintendo may be able to upgrade the Wii to play DVDs via firmware? Any truth to this?

OK, I asked 3 questions...sorry :)

1) So far all Wii games are played with the Wii Controller (most people say Madden is easier with the Wii controller)

2) The Classic controller is wireless inasmuch that it plugs into the pass of the Wii-mote

3) It is still just a rumor

3) Finally, I remember hearing a rumor that Nintendo may be able to upgrade the Wii to play DVDs via firmware? Any truth to this?

False, unfortunately. Nintendo may sell a modified version of the Wii in 2007 w/ DVD capability, but existing consoles will never be able to do so.

False, unfortunately. Nintendo may sell a modified version of the Wii in 2007 w/ DVD capability, but existing consoles will never be able to do so.
What's your source for this? Just curious.

-Dan

Any more information on how well the Wii plays classic NES games (Metroid, Gradius, etc.)? Do you need a non-Wii controller for them? Thx.

What's your source for this? Just curious.

ign.com - if you can't find the relevant articles I can track down links.

Any more information on how well the Wii plays classic NES games (Metroid, Gradius, etc.)? Do you need a non-Wii controller for them? Thx.
I don't think the specific games you mentioned are available yet. However I just got the original Legend of Zelda (NES), and it plays just fine with the Wiimote, however I'm going to buy the "Classic" controller when I can find it in stock somewhere.

-Dan

Just got my Wii yesterday after sitting in front of Circuit City for 5 hours. We were 1st in line!

No extra nunchucks for sale, no classic remotes, no wii remotes, no points for sale..... accessories are gone EVERYWHERE. Checked, CC, BB, Target, 5 local Walmart, Toy's R Us, and 3 Eb games... nothing.

I have LAN adapter and Component cables ordered through Nintendo.

Bought Zelda and Excite Truck to go with it.

I hooked it up directly to my Samsung 4695 via composite that was provided. I'm not sure why but I couldn't hook it up with my Onkyo HTS 894 system. Still trying to figure out what I was doing wrong heh.

Anyway, the games look great on Samsun 46 inch. I love the new controller style but as others have stated, controlling gets tricky when you get to the edges of your widescreen TV's.

I have had no problems in any way with it and couldn't be happier.

You can actually play Metroid (NES) already if you own Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion. Of course, you have to unlock it by beating Metroid Fusion (GBA) and hooking up the GBA to GC/Wii via the gamelink cable. Fortunately I've already done that; once it's unlocked you can always play it if you keep the memory card used w/ MP.

As far as accessories, Target had a bunch of remotes yesterday; I walked in at 5 PM and grabbed 2.

http://photos-871.facebook.com/ip002/v45/6/33/10120008/n10120008_32800871_8426.jpg

What game is she plaing? :p

-Dan

He's playing baseball - He's not very good :)

You bought 2? Wow... I'd sure like to buy one, because I do have a GameCube game but no working GameCube, Super Smash Bros Melee, and I heard Wii can play it. Wii seems to be able to host a greater variety of games, this motion sensor adds a new component, so it's not just your fingers anymore.

In fact, if you strapped a weight to your Wii-arm then it could build muscle!

You can actually play Metroid (NES) already if you own Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion...

Or you can use the GCN w/ GBA player to play the Classic NES release or the unlocked version on Metroid: Zero Mission.

Considering the Japanese have no love for the Metroid franchise, that original game has to be one of the most over-released titles ever.


Love the cat w/ the Wii, BTW.

Reminds me of my sister in law's ferret who can turn the TV on using the remote. He loves to watch. The only problem is that he hasn't figured out how to change to channel to animal planet.

ok has anyone thrown the wii threw the TV yet?

ok has anyone thrown the wii threw the TV yet?
A buddy's of mine buddy, pitched a perfect curve ball right into his 40" Sammy LCD. Believe it or not, the wii-mote did not break, but the TV got a huge crack going all the way down the middle. Very upsetting to say the least. They are splitting the cost of a replacement....

My boys opened their gift Friday night. They were totally jazzed. I think it was the best surprise they ever got. Took me about 20 minutes to get it setup. Most have that time was getting the plastic wrapping off the cables. Having them in the room watching over me was not helpful.

They each created a Mii. That alone was entertaining. Then they were ready to start Wii Sports. The only confusing things is that sometimes, inexplicably, the wii mote that has control of the menu switches. Also had some intial issues with syncing but got it all worked out pretty quickly and the games began.

So far bowling is the biggest hit. Second place is tennis. Third is baseball. I have to admit, I tried baseball. For me, it was not easy but then again I was never a very good hitter. My seven year old seems to be the best, but he's good a making contact in the real deal. While I was not in the room, they tried golf and said it was very hard. They want to try boxing but I have to plug in the nonchucks so that is still waiting.

Saturday, I got the internet connection setup. I had to assign a static IP. After that, the console downloaded and installed to the two updates. Am I right in assuming that other than that, nothing on line is active yet?

They are thoroughly enjoying themselves. They made a do not cross line of shows about six feet from the set. My older son was a bit out of control and got too close to the set so we set up the do not cross line. My seven year old has been a pool of sweat.

They also love creating Mii's. We now have about 10. They even made mii's of their teachers. My wife is the only one who has created a Wii yet. I don't think my wife has played a video game since pac man. Certainly not since I've known her and we met in 1983. She had a blast playing tennis.

This week they will get Excite Truck and Rabbids. I may get Madden for myself.

So far this has been a huge success. The only problem is tearing them away from this. Definitely the best play thing they have every gotten and not too shabby for the adults either.

Saturday, I got the internet connection setup. I had to assign a static IP. After that, the console downloaded and installed to the two updates. Am I right in assuming that other than that, nothing on line is active yet?

Virtual console is open for business, and you can add friends to your address book, send them Miis, and see their Miis in the Mii parade.

I gotta admit...this thing is the most fun I've had since playing the Odyssey 300 (http://www.classicgaming.com/gamingmuseum/odyssey300.html) my father bought us in '76.

The bowling is fantastic. Tennis is fun. Boxing is nice too; can somebody make a Karate trainer for this soon?? :) My son and wife love Zelda; I'll try CoD3 once they're off to bed. Let's see how I get into that, instead of a mouse and keyboard.

No probs w/wireless internet; once I addressed the MAC filtering in my router it was fine.

Picture is too soft w/composite (damn them for no component included, and they're in short supply) and the lack of Toslink for DD is inexcusible- particulary when the audio is 'fixed' onto the video cable- but overall I am very pleased.

Wii opened ours (my son's actually) and it is an immediate winner... all of the bundled games can be played by any family member. Excite Truck was a good use of the remote as a 'driver' experience, and my son seems to love Zelda. We have Madden coming but it did not arrive yet.

I ordered the component cable direct from Nintendo & it arrived well before today so that we could take advantage of the better video. I also found it very disturbing, however, that the component cable audio is 'fixed' to the video until the last foot. I have a projector for the video that the cable connects to & there's just no way to get the audio over to my receiver without purchasing a female-to-male converter and extending cable back to the receiver -- it's really an unnecessary expense... if they simply kept the cabling separate, then I could strip it apart myself, as I have for many other electronics over the years.

The Wii is undoubtedly the most successful gift that we have ever bought. That's all our boys want to do. And to be honest, I wish I had less to do around the house so I could join them more often (surprise surprise).

They love Wii Sports. Not surprising, the sports they like the most are the ones they are best at. My 10 year old is hand eye challenged so he likes bowling best. He destroyed me in one game with a 201. He won a Turkey with 3 strikes in a row. My seven year old had the best hand eye coordination in the family and is smoking everybody in baseball. I definitely need to throw some more splitters and screwballs to throw off his timing. He also plays a mean game of tennis. My wife likes tennis the most. My 10 year old schmiced me in boxing scoring a first round knock out. I don't think I have the hang of that. We are all still getting the feel for golf. I will post separately with a golf question and video lag. The kids make do not cross line about 6 feet from the set because they tend to get a bit out of control, especially in tennis and I don't want them accidentally hitting the TV.

Excite Truck is also a big winner. It is totally zany and gets the adrenaline pumping. I need to put some MP3's on an SD card (I think I have an extra floating around the house) because I am not a big metal fan so the music is a downside for me. The kids don't mind so much. I am hoping that Rayman arrives today. It's their last present. I ordered for my mom (I'm her online purchasing agent). I had to cancel my original order and place a new order. It was shipped last Wed. From the reviews I've read, I think the kids will totally love it.

One of the biggest surprises has been Mii creation. Everybody is getting into it. I think we have about 15 Mii's at this point including some very unflattering political caricatures (I won't reveal names because I want to remain non partisan).

I am displaying the Wii on a Sony 46E2000 rear projection LCD via Nintendo component cables. Both the video and audio are fine. The only issue is artifacts in Wii golf as the picture pans but it's no biggy and nobody in the family has noticed.

I still can't believe how lucky I was to score one of these when CC had it online for preorder on 11/17. For those who were not as lucky, I would advise being patient and waiting. An article on PC Mag online ways that the Wii shortage may last until March. Given the fun we've had and will have for years to come, it will be worth the wait.

I just got one yesterday.

I'm not impressed at all,but am extremely satisfied and enjoying the system for the most part. Well worth the money spent.

We play it at work on a huge wall.
Pretty fun, it's a party console.

Traded my 360 for it.

It is a blast, and I have only played Wii Sports so far. Have yet to crack open Zelda, Tony Hawk, among others.

Well, heres a story for ya. Got my hands on one last night brought it home and set it up. I LOVE IT but...Everytime I went through a "loading" screen (switchng channels, starting a game) my wii mote shuts off and cant be powerd back on unless I re-sync it with the console. Called Nintendo about the issue and they are sending me a replacemnt (2nd day air) at no cost (I just have to return the defective one). By the way once the remote was re-synced it worked fine within the game or another chanel. What else can I say, love the idea of a motion contoller, love nintendo but a little frustrated over the fact of a defective remote. Cant really complain otherwise since Nintendo is hanling it at the moment. I will post an update as soon as I get my replacement.

Well, heres a story for ya. Got my hands on one last night brought it home and set it up. I LOVE IT but...Everytime I went through a "loading" screen (switchng channels, starting a game) my wii mote shuts off and cant be powerd back on unless I re-sync it with the console. Called Nintendo about the issue and they are sending me a replacemnt (2nd day air) at no cost (I just have to return the defective one). By the way once the remote was re-synced it worked fine within the game or another chanel. What else can I say, love the idea of a motion contoller, love nintendo but a little frustrated over the fact of a defective remote. Cant really complain otherwise since Nintendo is hanling it at the moment. I will post an update as soon as I get my replacement.

There was most likely nothing wrong with your wii-mote...... I don't have a Wii yet but you need to set your wiimote for Permanent Sync or something like that. Yours is probably set on temporary Sync.

There was most likely nothing wrong with your wii-mote...... I don't have a Wii yet but you need to set your wiimote for Permanent Sync or something like that. Yours is probably set on temporary Sync.

It was perm. synched (not temp). I went through a 20 min diagnostic with nintedno rep (after doing it myself with a manual). The remote is defective, a replacement I already purchased at GameStop works fine; just had to spend the extra $40.

Here's an update from my post about two weeks ago. We've had the Wii for about 3 weeks and my kids, my wife, and I all enjoy it. Wii Sports continues to be a big hit, especially tennis, baseball, and bowling. Last night we did the fitness tests. My fitness age was 39. As a 48 year old I was positively thrilled. Excite Truck is a total adrenaline rush. I just wish there was a way to set the music to the SD card by default instead of having to do it for each race. The latest addition is Rayman. I can't stop laughing.

One of the great things about this system is that my older son, who has some significant coordination issues, is having fun and doing well (except for Excite Truck). He regularly creams me in bowling and blew out my plunger shooting score in Rayman. And last night in the fitness test he whacked 4 home runs.

We've been thrilled and all our guests think its awesome.

Anybody have problems with VC games on an HDTV, I guess my TV is upconverting the games and as a result the games are skipping frames and left unplayable. Anybody else have this problem? Would the component cable help? So far the Wii shop has been a huge let down, between problems I've had connecting to it and now unplayable games, I may just write the Wii Shop off and not even fool with it anymore. Everything else about the Wii has been great.

One of the great things about this system is that my older son, who has some significant coordination issues, is having fun and doing well (except for Excite Truck). He regularly creams me in bowling and blew out my plunger shooting score in Rayman. And last night in the fitness test he whacked 4 home runs.
That's interesting. My nephew (who is about 35) came over for Christmas. He's disabled -- he was in a wheelchair but is now on crutches, because of some serious problems with his back. One of the things he used to love to do was to bowl. He was in a league and all that. Well, when he started plaing Wii Bowling, he was literally in tears because he was so happy. He thought he'd never be able to experience bowling again, but the Wii had given that back to him. I can't wait for the Wii to become more available, so we can buy him one.

-Dan

That's interesting. My nephew (who is about 35) came over for Christmas. He's disabled -- he was in a wheelchair but is now on crutches, because of some serious problems with his back. One of the things he used to love to do was to bowl. He was in a league and all that. Well, when he started plaing Wii Bowling, he was literally in tears because he was so happy. He thought he'd never be able to experience bowling again, but the Wii had given that back to him. I can't wait for the Wii to become more available, so we can buy him one.

-Dan

Thanks for sharing. That's a great story.

Got mine 5 days ago. My family ranges from 5 to 70 and I mean everybody enjoyed it. :D My wife hasn't shot me yet, maybe she has not seen the bill (but she does know about what it costs. ) :rolleyes: She wants to know where the exercise program game is.
My daughter sent her kids off with Mamaw to a show so she and her husband could play on it. Everybody has their Mii and we have a male and female from A to Z! Really got some laughs out of how the Mii resembled the real people. :p
Nes games bring back memories- My son is a GIS professional, and was really impressed with the weather channel and how fast it responded. Zelda is and was my favorite, due to posts here, I will see if the component cables will make the $50 difference!
No probems so far with the setup. The 9yr old did it. Just a problem locating the second controller. Can't believe I'm here typing this when I could be playing Wii.

Surprisingly, we've been enjoying the fitness test. I'm 48 so I was overjoyed to be rated at 38 on the first test. Then I went up to 52, arghh. That's because 2 of the three tests were baseball including target hitting. Last night I went down to 32. I thought that the home run test was going to sink me. I was zero for the frst five but then I hit 3 out of the last five. I love the tennis test. It's mental stamina, a real test of concentration. My wife who is 46 also scored a 32. She laid a big goose egg in homeruns but aced tennis and bowling.

My 19 year old nephew who will be staying with us for two weeks arrived last night. The boys couldn't wait to show him the Wii. He was amazed by the technology. He has a 64 at home which his parents got for him and his brother ages ago.

We continue to think this system is tops. Hope the shortage eases soon and everybody who wants one will be able to walk into a store and get one.

My local Gamestop received 3 today and I was lucky enough to be there at the right time to pick one up! Now the long wait until Friday so I can surprise my daughter with it(Friday is my day off and I work 2nd shift).

My local Gamestop received 3 today and I was lucky enough to be there at the right time to pick one up! Now the long wait until Friday so I can surprise my daughter with it(Friday is my day off and I work 2nd shift).

Same thing for me this morning. Gamestop got 3 in around 10:30. I grabbed one and the other 2 were gone within 10 minutes. Can't wait to hook it up tonight!!!

[QUOTE=bphouston]Really got some laughs out of how the Mii resembled the real people. :p
QUOTE]

My kids made a Mii that looks WAY too much like Michael Jackson (they called him Michael J. (copyright). Amazing how they were able to piece him together from Wii parts!

[QUOTE=bphouston]Really got some laughs out of how the Mii resembled the real people. :p
QUOTE]

My kids made a Mii that looks WAY too much like Michael Jackson (they called him Michael J. (copyright). Amazing how they were able to piece him together from Wii parts!

Does he fondle other mii's in mii plaza?

Itrackr works again, got mii my second wii, this one at Circuit City. (First one was at Target, ebayed). Got the last one at CC (Natick MA), and the guy was asking if I wanted a PS3 to go with it. I already have one.

First impressions! Small! I ordered the component cables, wii mote, nunchuck, and classic controller from the nintendo store. To the first downfall, the component cables. Why can't Nintendo have them so I can split or peel the audio cables away from the video? I know the games don't support 5.1 sound, but I'd still like to hook it up to the receiver to get it to the speakers for my surround sound. I just can't reach the receiver with the audio cables. The fix will be to get another optical cable and hook it up to the optical out on my TV.

Now to the good parts, my fiance and I played golf, tennis, boxing, and then bowling, and we had a blast. No, the graphics aren't great compared to my 360 and ps3, but it sure is fun!

The wireless setup worked for me no problem. I have the Linksys WRT54G using WEP. It's in mixed mode, always has been, never let me keep it at G only. I also use MAC filtering (permit only), so I had to add the Wiis MAC to my router. Did that, and plugged in my WEP key, and the internet connection ...failed! I was worried cause I have read the issues on here that people are having connecting to the net with the wii. I made sure that I was on channel 11, mixed mode, etc. I retested the connection again and it worked, I probably should have just gave it a few minutes before trying it in the first place. Anyway, the Wii did all it's updating with no issues after that.

I then created a mii, checked out the weather channel and here we are. Glad to be able to post that I have one!

I was talking with my 12 y.o. son about the Wii graphics bashing that goes on here, with some saying how bad the Wii graphics are. His response was classic. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but he essentially said that the shooter games that he's played on some of his friends' systems look way too realistic. He says that he really doesn't want to feel like he's actually shooting someone else & the Wii graphics are exactly what he wants because he always knows he's playing a game that way. (yes, this is the same kid who helped make the Michael Jackson Mii).

What made the Wii fun for you? I enjoy the Wii because of the different game play with the remote and nunchucks.

What made the Wii fun for you? I enjoy the Wii because of the different game play with the remote and nunchucks.

That's exactly what makes it fun. Also, the first thing I bought on the VC was Super Mario for NES. Out of all the video games I've owned, I never bought the NES (why, everyone else had it) and I never beat that game, or Punchout for that matter.

So I got a PS3 before xmas and played around with it for 2 days. I was so unimpressed and pissed off with it that I took it back. My post on my impressions and issues with it can be found under the PS3 section. I just got a Wii and it is awesome. In no particular order:

1. Wireless took me 15min to get up and running. 10min to enable internet and then 5min to do the system updates and download the Opera web browser. This
included setting up my WEP encryption. The PS3 took me an hour and would not
do the system updates over the internet because it kept saying it needed the download/update to make the internet work so I had to manually figure out where to get the update using my PC and then DL them to flash drive/SD card, of which 2/3 of my media was recognized by the PS3, but it would not read the DL file!! The Wii Web browser uses the WHOLE 16x9 screen and has a zoom feature while the PS3 uses a 4x3 section of the screen, has no zoom and unzoomed looked way worse than the Wii even though the PS3 was 1080i DVI vs Wii 480p component! Also, Wii is much easier to navigate webpages with the click and point virtual KB. Wii browser more compatible with web pages than PS3 and will get better with the final Opera version due in March. Oh yeah, the Wii has a much better wireless antenna than the PS3 so you can put it further way from your router. In my case, its a Belkin using channel 7.

2. Wii has a weather forecast instant channel and soon will have a news instant channel (will go live in 10 more days. These are free and fast ways to get some info. Yeah, you need to have it hooked up to broadband wireless to get them.

3. Wii is small & doesn't overheat. Sony shutdown half a dozen times in 2 days due to heat and it weighs a ton so moving it to bring to your friend's house is a pain. The Wii will update automatically even when it's turned "off" as long as you have broadband. So no manual updates after the 1st time and no "you must do this update" in order to get something to work. Any new changes will be downloaded automatically.

4. Wii controls are intuitive and easy to use. And they are novel and a step towards virtual reality. PS3 is same ole, same ole. Yes, you can do a slight amount of tilting the control pad to do somthing (exL COD3, you can move it to hit someone with the butt of the gun), PS3 has got better graphics, but that's about it. PS3 downconverts a lot of games so you don't even get 720p or 1080i most of the time anyway and you're in 480p!! Try Wii boxing/tennis or Madden07 and you will laugh your ass off having a good time. Any ANYONE that comes over can play the Wii in a matter of minutes, they don't need to spend 10hours learning controls. Hell, even my wife likes it and my 3yr old can mess around with it too.

5. For hardcore gaming, PS3 will appeal, but it still isn't as good as a PC or nearly as useful. The hub of the entertainment center it surely ain't. So don't buy the marketing hype. Bluray was nice, but truly unless you have a 1080p TV (and most people don't), there is not a hell of a lot of difference between a bluray disc and a good 1080i upconvert DVD player and a standard DVD disc. The Wii does not play standard DVDs. So what? Who doesn't have a DVD player? Nintendo did this on purpose and the real reason is to avoid easy game copying. Sony solved the problem as well by going bluray, at least until there are burners et al, but probably bought themselves a few years until they are widely available.

6. Wii was simple to get your pics, video and mp3s to play from the SD card. PS3 would not automatically display your stuff ules you copied it to the HD 1st. To even see and access your files, you needed to find the almost hidden "display all" and then you could select stuff. And there was not nice viewer or juke box. Wii has a way to manipulate stuff and then post it/send it. While no jukebox either on the wii, you can play any mp3s you want and my guess is it will get better.

7. Wii plays ALL Gamecube games and virtual console lets you play any other old school Nintendo game. PS3 does NOT play All PS2 games!

8. Wii does not have digital audio output. I actually think that this should have been included. However, the plus side is that I would need to get a digital audio switchbox since all my receiver inputs are full and dolby digital II on my amp with one of the simulated surrounds is just fine.

9. $250 for the Wii including Wii sports and 1 remote/nunchuck. $599 for the PS3 for no games and 1 control pad. Hmmm...

No brainer, Wii is a blast and a relative bargain.

You had some very interesting problems with your PS3 that I find strange. PS3 does not down convert a game unless your TV does not support the games intended resolution. If you TV takes 720p and 1080i then you are fine. Blu-Ray looks way better than what any upconverted DVD player can produce, even people who are not tech-savy can see the difference easily. If you put in a mem card with pictures, music, or movies on it the PS3 can view them right away without copying to the HD just as quickly as the Wii can, plus you get it's cool pic slideshow mode. Nearly all PS2 games are playable and look fine, there are very few that do not work well just like when the PS2 had a hard time with some PS1 games. Oh yea and the overheating and updating problems might have just been a bad unit you had, mine updates quickly and has never over heated but my Wii takes hours to update and has crashed a few times if I leave it on for a real long time. Plus the wii never seems to automatically update it just tells me there is an update ready to download when I see the blue light glowing in the morning... I thought it was supposed to just downlaod them and be ready to go. Anyway I am not bashing the Wii it is my favorite of the new ones, I have all three and I play it the most.

I have had wii since launch and Im very disapointed. The controller is fun and all but the games selection is just not my bag. Im 22yrs old and I really thought their would be some games for my age range but their is one or two maybe. To me the wii is for little kids and non-gamers. Yes the idea is cool, the controller is cool but for me im not impressed. Im not comparing this system to ps3 or 360, im judging my opionion based on my experience with the gamecube. Im not trying to bash the gamecube, but come on, lets just say i was more than disapointed. This will be my last nintendo product, I guess I have just grown past lil kiddy games and cheap played out franchises, mario,metroid,zelda etc etc. I think i was just expecting to much from nintendo, they could have at least put a little more effort in graphics department or at least in include a little higher rez wouldnt kill come on 720p. Im done

You had some very interesting problems with your PS3 that I find strange. PS3 does not down convert a game unless your TV does not support the games intended resolution. If you TV takes 720p and 1080i then you are fine. Blu-Ray looks way better than what any upconverted DVD player can produce, even people who are not tech-savy can see the difference easily. If you put in a mem card with pictures, music, or movies on it the PS3 can view them right away without copying to the HD just as quickly as the Wii can, plus you get it's cool pic slideshow mode. Nearly all PS2 games are playable and look fine, there are very few that do not work well just like when the PS2 had a hard time with some PS1 games. Oh yea and the overheating and updating problems might have just been a bad unit you had, mine updates quickly and has never over heated but my Wii takes hours to update and has crashed a few times if I leave it on for a real long time. Plus the wii never seems to automatically update it just tells me there is an update ready to download when I see the blue light glowing in the morning... I thought it was supposed to just downlaod them and be ready to go. Anyway I am not bashing the Wii it is my favorite of the new ones, I have all three and I play it the most.

Board_jay: Look out guys we have a 12 0 clock flasher here! Jay Im glad you returned your ps3, ps3 community doesnt need ID 10 T like you. Please stop playing video games and invest in a education.

Thank you: sunkist

Board_jay: Look out guys we have a 12 0 clock flasher here! Jay Im glad you returned your ps3, ps3 community doesnt need ID 10 T like you. Please stop playing video games and invest in a education.

Thank you: sunkist


Fancy that, a post slating the Wii followed by one siding with the PS3. Odd that.

:rolleyes:

COD3 is suppose to be in 1080i. It down converts to 480p on my TV and the 2 plasma and DLPs that I tried it on! Games in 720p also down convert to 480p on my TV and that problem IS my tv as it does not support 720p so yeah I understand, but the PS3 should upconvert it to 1080i with all the hardware it has in it... When I put in pictures and movies and mp3's into the PS3, it would not find them unless I went into the "look at everything in the device" option (can't remember the exact terminology). That was before xmas so maybe another update fixed that. As for Blue ray, I just wasn't impressed and saw no real benefit from it right now. Like I said, a much better TV might make the difference you talk about. Overall, I think that the PS3 will be better in about 9-12months when there is a way to boot up a separate Linux OS and you can chose apps to run like a PC - then it really might have a shot at being an entertainment hub. It is a high-end game machine and it's online play will be the coolest attribute combined with the graphics, but it's not anything new, just better than the prior console. It still can't compete with a jazzed up PC and FREE online play. I am a gamer and that's how I play if I want to really get into it. For the price, the Wii does the "center entertainment hub" better than the PS3 - you can play games, get info, surf the net, write email - all easier and faster than with the PS3. The bottom line is that the PS3 was launched WAY before it should have been as it just has too many issues that need to be resolved.

I do wish the PS3 used a scaler to make everything one res too, havent played COD3 so I dont know. For pics, movies, and music I just took my memcard out of my digicam and once I plug it in they show right up.

I just got one tonight.

Overall - I htink it's Awesome, lot's of fun and very entertaining.

A few minor, and I do mean minor gripes right out of the box.
The interface is not very intuitive at all. There are several instances so far where I have searched for too long to find something. I spent a while searching for my Wii Code to share with friends.
These little things are nothing that's holding me back from the system, but it could be a little better in that area.

i want one

I've had one since day one (I had to camp out at the local Target for 2.5 hours) and I can honestly say that this is one of the best systems ever.

Zelda is freaking amazing on it, I was skeptical about using the Wiimote at first but it became second nature in a Zelda game very quick.

Wii Sports is the highlight of the game my parents are very impressed with it as am I. Bowling seems to be the fan favorite around here. I had achieved a Pro Status but during my parents NYE (New Year's Eve) Pary my aunts and uncles didn't create there own "Miis" so they ended up using mine and well I lost it. The others are pretty good to. I don't care for golf but hey don't care for the real thing either.

Rayman is a blast to the mini games are really fun to play.

Virtual Console well that really needs improvement, I just wish they'd release some of the better stuff instead of giving games that nobody has heard of.

Internet channel I haven't messed around with to much because I prefer to do my web browsing on a PC.

Other than that the system is a hit. Nintendo did a very good job.

Was in the rain yesterday at BB. Brought one for my son for his 4th birthday coming on the 3rd. Will get to play it then.

I got a Wii Sunday morning and so far it's been a blast. Both my girlfriend and I love Wii sports except for boxing. We both find putting in Golf to not be quite sensitive enough when making short puts, but I've found if you over exagerate the length of your swing and just keep the speed slow it picks up on it. The other sports are spot on and have been lots of fun. Zelda is great. I've come to like playing a more standard game with the split controller. It's very relaxed to be able to hold the controller however you please.

It's kind of sad...despite being 25 my Wii Sports Age is 49!

Anyone tried on big screen? Is it good?

Anyone tried on big screen? Is it good?


How big's big? 40in here and it's pretty good yeah. Should imagine there's plenty using projectors though.

How big's big? 40in here and it's pretty good yeah. Should imagine there's plenty using projectors though.


120'' looks just fine. :D

Anyone tried on big screen? Is it good?
There are already some threads on this topic, in this forum. Look around a little.

-Dan

There are already some threads on this topic, in this forum. Look around a little.

-Dan


True, but I'm still more than happy to tell everyone that I love it @ over 100" diagonal. :cool:
It's not HD, but as I've said other times, I really don't care for gaming & neither does anyone else in the family!

Got one and very happy. Playing on a 51 inch TV. I already ordered some component cables. I can really see where this thing is going to be a blast with a house full of people. We played golf and it was so funny because when my GF pressed A to hit the ball she would take a step forward like she was really there. The Wii has exceeded my expectations.

The Wii has exceeded my expectations.
That's rare these days, when something with this much hype exceeds your, or at least my, expectations. Enjoy! And throw a Wii party soon!

-Dan

does anyone have a wii with a wall mounted tv? i'm wondering how the hell you mount the sensor bar thing with a wall mounted setup that's probably 6-10 feet away from the a/v rack...

So we’ve had our Wii in our home for about 2 weeks now which means this will be more of an “impressions” post rather than “first impressions” as I am a firm believer that first impressions are only skin deep and don’t really tell you everything you need to know

That said, after 2 weeks of constant play with the Wii I can say without hesitation that the people at Nintendo have showed us once more that they are a bunch of geniuses.

I never thought I’d get so well acquainted with gaming console after years and years of being a causal gamer who in truth is more interested in the Home Theater / HD capabilities of the 128-bit generation and beyond (and someone who missed the 32/64 bit generation of consoles entirely). The true gamer in my family is my boyfriend who is more of a gamer-addict than an avid gamer. But we’ve had to set up a schedule for when I can play my Zelda b/c it cuts into his 360-Phantasy Star Online gaming time and he gets upset.

I really never imagined that the Wii mote would update video game play in such an incredible way. When I read previews of Wii sports – particularly bowling – I was completely skeptical. But after a few days of playing Wii-tennis, bowling, and boxing, I am astounded. I even prefer Wii-bowling to the real thing! I’ve yet to try Baseball and I can’t seem to get the hang of golf, but I’ve never golfed besides the occasional put at the mini-golf birthday parties so I’m no expert.

When I first saw the Wii-mote I thought it looked a bit on the clunky side. I never imagined it would be so intuitive to use and that the Wii – Sports motion would mimic so closely the real thing.

I was reading an article the other day in which someone from Microsoft (I think it was Bill Gates himself) commented on how “odd “it would probably be to hold two separate pieces of the Wii controller in each hand. I wonder if he still feels the same way today. I pretty much dread going back to a traditional controller. I've personally heard Bill Gates say so many "out of the box" things over the past 12 years, that i can't believe he would comment this way. the Wii controller is so well implemented it is really REVOLUTIONARY.

My one big gripe with Wii sports is that it doesn’t have built-in online play. In hindsight this looks like a much more serious oversight being that there are 4 million Wii consoles in homes around the world at this moment (or at least shipped, but you tell me where one is actually available for purchase at retail price and you start to realize that there are pretty much 4 million Wiis that can be linked together for online play.) In particular, I cannot wait to play Wii Tennis and boxing online. I understand that Nintendo didn’t want to spend all that extra time developing features that may never become popular, but with the success of the console more or less ensured, it seems silly not to be Wii-connect24 capable out of the box. Anyway perhaps they can add this feature via software update or something.

My second gripe (which also has to do with the Wii online strategy) is lack of voice chat. My boyfriend spends countess hours every day playing PSU on his 360 and I feel so sorry for all those playing PSU on the PC or PS2 who have to type out commands to communicate. Of course the average participant seems to be male, age 14, so most of the conversations are not what you’d call intellectual in nature. But if the original xBox was capable of voice chat over a broadband line, then the next gen consoles can do it as well and they should. It really adds so much to the gameplay.

With regards to the Wii interface, I have to say I like it very much although at times I think it looks decidedly “dated” or “low res” especially in comparison with the 360’s interface (which admittedly is running at 720p on my setup). I’m also super impressed with the Opera browser beta – although I’ve found little practical use for it besides when I’m too lazy to move from the couch to my computer to check email and read some news stories.

Being right handed, I find that it is easier to press the “minus” key w\ my right thumb than it is to press the “plus” key thus making zoom-in kind of a pain. Otherwise I find surfing the web with the Wii-mote to be really well done.

Note to 3rd party developers: Please create a USB dongle / sensor bar combo that will allow us to use the Wii-mote as a standard mouse.

Interestingly enough, the “News” channel came on the other day and I couldn’t be happier. I was so impressed with the way the articles were formatted to be easy to read on the TV without having to zoom in and pan left and right. I hope we are given the option to subscribe to news feeds that we find relevant in the future so that we can get news sources that have different points of view besides the few standard US-based news sources.

The most non- intuitive Wii menu option I found is when attempting to set up Wii Connect 24 for the 1st time. Instead of taking you directly to the parental controls section where you must agree to use Wii-Connect 24 when 1st trying to set it up, it makes you drop all the way out into the parental controls section, agree to use Wii connect 24 and then makes you go back to the online options. Which I thought was unnecessarily cumbersome, although I can see how it might throw a little bit more weight to the importance of the decision.

It is Zelda: Twilight Princess that has me most impressed of all. I always took statements like “Once you play Zelda with a Wii-mote you will not be able to go back to a regular controller.” With a grain of salt. “Oh please!” was my typical response. But I have to admit, I am sold. I have my GC Zelda: Ocarina – Master Quest disc waiting in line for when I will replay it using the Wii and I’m scratching my head trying to figure out a way to make it work with the Wii-mote.

Note to Nintendo: Please re-release all 3D-Zeldas with Wii-mote functionality.

I never want to play Zelda without a motion sensitive controller again. And I was following quite closely the other Zelda Wii vs. GC thread and I thought I would chime in. Particularly on the comments where people said they didn’t find the Wii-mote to be as responsive as a traditional controller. All I can say is that the people who feel this way must have some Jedi-like reflexes. I find Link times my hacks, slashes and spins in a 1-to-1 ratio (or close enough to it) that I can’t even imagine what people are referring to as lag.

In terms of the rest of the gameplay I find it is exactly what I was expecting, namely Ocarina Part 4. Truth be told I grew up on Sierra adventure games for the PC and have always found the story line and gameplay of Zelda games pretty pedantic – although I can appreciate some of the puzzles that the 3D gameplay has to offer. I think one way (besides the wii-mote functions) that Zelda:TP could have been brought into the next gen by leaps and bounds is by adding Voice work to all the characters. Of course I have to keep reminding myself that this game is a true GC port with Wii-mote functionality rather than a next-gen title.

In fact around 10% through Zelda:TP, after you recover the 1st set of light beams in Link’s village and get introduced to the shaman who’s lips look lie they’ve been injected with way too much collagen and look horrible that I once and for all understood that this was a GC game and was not a true showcase for the Wiis graphical abilities.

Let me be clear: the graphics, at times, look absolutely stunning. And I also actually love opening new treasure chests b/c each animation has a background unique to the location that link is in which was not always so obvious in previous 3D Zelda games. But I also belong to that school that says the graphics in WindWaker were pretty much stunning from start to finish. And for a while I really believed that Zelda:TP was almost like a step backwards in terms of graphics. However, at some point my BF and I were talking about this and he said, you really cannot compare cell-shaded WindWaker with 3D Twilight Princess. And I believe this is a fair assessment. Although I was very impressed with the fluidity of Windwaker (and the near complete absence of load times between areas) I will say that the Zelda:TP world is much more detailed world.

Its funny how if you give a game a stylized look, as with WindWaker, even though it may not be realistic or lacking in some pretty basic details, it still comes of as “complete” or “finished”-looking. I think it was a conscious choice made by Nintendo to go the cell shaded, stylized look. This allows them to seemingly “do more” than the technology might permit. In the same vain, I guess if you increase the level of detail on screen you have to increase the load time for everything to be drawn. Not that the loadtimes in Twilight Princess prohibit the gameplay, its more that I was stunned by the way the loading was masked in WW and it is now definitely noticeable – albeit minor in TP. I wonder how the load times are in the GC version of TP. I also find that the graphics seem to be improving as I progress through the game. I am still pretty much at the beginning of my quest having only completed the second dungeon so far, so I expect I have a few surprises in store graphics-wize.

Come to think of it, Nintendo also chose a stylized look for the graphics in Wii sports because they wanted the focus to be on gameplay. But it also masks some of the graphical shortcomings of the system. In general, I am satisfied with the graphics I have seen thus far, but I guess I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t wish the Wii could “do more” in terms if graphics.

Still, I think in a few years time when we see a second Zelda title for the Wii the “newness” factor of the Wii will have dissipated and so even with voice chat or crazy graphical updates it wont be considered next gen b/c we will be so deep into the current generation of consoles. Meanwhile I think that the worst thing Nintendo could do is make the mistake that Sega did during the Genesis: try to capitalize on the success of their current console that they offer an “updated” version (think Sega X32 or “Wii HD”) that would only serve to confuse prospective consumers (and their parents) and compete with the Wii for people’s limited gaming dollars. But all of this is pure speculation. Nintendo is much too careful for that IMO. I only hope that innovative games continue to be released for the Wii and we are not stuck playing Wii sports for the next 5 years.

Anyway, my next games will probably be Wario-Ware and Trauma Centre and I am totally looking forward to the next Mario Bros. adventure. (I may even pick up the upcoming "Ninja Turtles" game in an attempt to relive my SNES days *ducks to avoid tomatoes*)

Most of all I am excited that b/c of the success of the Wii (and I’ve become somewhat of a celebrity to my non-gamer friends and family who quite inexplicably light up when I tell them I spent an afternoon playing on my new Wii and who all seem to want to get their hands on one) Nintendo is going to find it economically viable to actually come develop the console to a degree that the poor GC sadly never was.. They are going to come out with useful accessories, and even original Virtual Console games. (Does anyone else wish they’d give you a 24 hour “trial” of the games available on VC to see if they’d really be worth spending $$ on?)

Anyway sorry for the length of this post. These are just some ideas that have been swimming around my head for the past couple days and I’m happy to put them down on paper. Please feel free to post your comments, if any.

They sell sensor bars with an extra long wire or even a wireless bar.

We've had our Wii for about a week now and I haven't touched my 360 since. The gameplay is phenomenal. We have Red Steel, Trauma Center 2nd Opinion, and Wii Sports (obviously) and couldn't be happier. My fiance and I finally have a gaming system that we can both play together.

Graphics aren't as nice as the 360, but the gameplay makes up for it IMO. The component cables made a noticable difference, so we're happy.

I'd be nice if I could mount my projector in my apartment so we could bowl on the 80" screen on our Infocus projector. For now, the 42" Sammy will do.

I bought my Wii on the 28th. Went to Wal-Mart at 11:30 (on the 27th) and waited until midnight. I got the second one out of four. Basically sold out right at midnight as the manager escorted 4 of us to the registers and checked us out.

Since then, my wife and I have been playing Wii Sports like crazy. It really is the most fun I've had with a gaming system in a long time. My wife was never really into games, but I eased her in with a Gameboy Advance SP, then a DS (with Nintendogs), and now she's all into the Wii. A few minutes ago, she texted me that she just got the high score in that bowling training game. Alas, I'm stuck at work. :(

I've been playing Rayman off and on. It's really fun, but it's strange how strong the lure of Wii Sports is. I keep going back to it for one last game of bowling or tennis. Or even boxing. My one gripe is that some games are 480i (a la Rayman). Other than that, no complaints. :D

yes wii sports are the coolest got mine on the feb 11 at target its the most fun i have had in long time gl all

I have had mine for a week and impressions are good.
I'm having a blast continuing old Cube games that I gave up on (I'm looking at you Sunshine).
Even stranger, Super Mario 64 VC is getting more time from me then Zelda (waiting for the reading to stop and action to start).
Yes, Nintendo are geniuses but only for the fact that they took a console that no one bought, added an innovative add on, repackaged it and everyone stood in line to buy it.
No matter what anyone says, this thing is a Gamecube with bigger storage. I haven't seen anything that the 2001 system can't do.
They probably should have done the same thing with the Nintedo 64 HDD. Instead of making it a pricey add-on, just redesign the case, add the HDD and resell it as Nintendo 128 (or something).
It is fun but I can't help but wonder if they did some innovation with the graphics and sound.
The price is right but when will we ever see a next-gen Mario or Zelda title?

Picked mine up Sunday. I really am bad at golf and baseball. I can't hit any homeruns at all. Also, the controls in boxing seem finicky, like the system can't pick up on my punches fast enough.

I'm a bit disappointed with Wii Play. It's much more a tech demo than even Wii Sports. I was looking forward to real billiards, not the "billiards" they gave us. It did only cost $10 essentially, so I guess I can't complain.

Picked mine up Sunday. I really am bad at golf and baseball. I can't hit any homeruns at all. Also, the controls in boxing seem finicky, like the system can't pick up on my punches fast enough.
For Baseball. Instead of taking full swings, just flick your wrist at the ball when its about to make contact with the bat. The ball will go out nearly everytime. Works for me.

Purchased my Wii a little over a week ago. I am playing it on a 42" Sony Grand Wega LCD. It's probably my favorite console since my TurboGrafx 16 back in the day. I consider myself a hardcore computer gamer who plays mainly FPS's with a high-end gaming PC I built myself.

The Wii has brought me back to what gaming is supposed to be: FUN. I'm so drained from spending hours obsessing over getting games like F.E.A.R. running smoothly: should I use 2x or 4x AA? Hmmm... if I use 2x AA I could enable soft shadows and 1600x1200, but it's still a little slow. Ok, no AA, full 8x Anisotropic, no soft shadows at 1600... looks good... wait, how about no soft shadows, turn down water effects, full world detail and decals, set to 6x AA at 1024... bleh.

Now I play at 480p, sit on the couch and have a blast. It's incredibly fun with family and friends.

Now that I have had time to extensively play with the Wii I have to admit it is fun, however it is just one of those systems to me that you play every once in a while. For me it's kind of a novelty that presents me with quick fun that cannot be sustained for extended periods. I have some high end home theater gear and playing the Wii on my 1080 P flat panel from atleast five feet back provides a decent picture but it seems so last gen. I connected it to my hi def projector and that's when it hit me. There is no way this system will last 5 plus years because it looks so bad in hi def. Now there are games on xbox that can be played @ 720 P and 1080 i that look good, but my thinking is how fun can this thing be to keep my eyes not so fixed on how bad the games look. Don't get me wrong they would look great on a standard def set, but I don't have one of those and I'm not going back to the "tube" just so my Wii games don't look so bad. I love the system don't get me wrong because for me this is like "reinventing" the wheel. My dates enjoy coming over and playing and it's engaging. I guess what I'm thinking is outside of Wii Sports and various party games, what else could this thing put out that would make me want to play it more then once or twice a week? I don't like Zelda! To be honest I never have enjoyed any of the Zelda games, and now that I'm older would Mario really interest me. I skipped out on Game Cube, but the number one reason for me to purchase the Wii is the possibility of playing R.C. Pro Am racing again. That game is my all time favorite Nintendo game. That and the Mario Kart series. Now if I can get more use out of it then that I will have gotten my monies worth. I hope you guys enjoyed my first impression. I won't be returning it. I'm going to give them a chance and be a little more open minded towards a new revolution in gaming. I just wish it were easier to get online and find some decent people who aren't children to game with. Who wants to game with 12 year olds anyway? Unless you are a parent that is!!!

I think the Wii is a great console so far. They've managed to change the way games are played and if developers can take advantage of it, I'm sure future games will be even more fun with the remotes.

I just hope they can keep releasing games that are worth buying and not let it end up like the GC.

Impressions: Had mine for a week, it's what I expected so far: a lot of fun. I play a ton of retro and emulated arcade games so the graphics don't bother me at all. It definitely feels more like a "toy" to me than the 360 does, and as a 30 year old gamer, that's good and bad. Good because it has a "magical" feel to it, maybe it's a novelty that will wear off, but bad because, well, sometimes I feel like it's not meant for me. This is my first Nintendo system, and I always stayed away from Nintendo machines for that very reason - too much kiddie stuff, I never cared for Nintendo's "franchise characters" (although Zelda: TP is pretty amazing).

However, I've always loved peripheral based games (I have Dreamcast maracas, 2 DC fishing rods, light guns, PS2 EyeToys, 2 Guitars, racing wheels, etc.) so this right up my alley. The way the Wii is flying off the shelf should ensure plenty of 3rd party development.

The Wii will likely never be my "primary, go-to" system. But as a fun diversion it's a nice break and completely different experience from the 360, and obviously a lot of fun in groups of people. It's pretty cool to have a "pick up and play" machine that doesn't intimidate.

I do think it's overpriced at $250; $199 would be a more reasonable price for this hardware. So far I'm happy, but a console is only as good as its games, so time will tell.

It's also loud...as loud as the 360 IMO. I don't really care, I just would have figured all the AVS crybabies would be b*tching about it.

It's also loud...as loud as the 360 IMO. I don't really care, I just would have figured all the AVS crybabies would be b*tching about it.

My 360 is VERY loud, but I haven't heard a peep from the Wii so far.

Exactly how I feel and well put. It is more of a novelty system that will be around just for kicks. I can't see myself playing first person shooters on it with great success. It's just not that feel good thing. More like hey grandma lets play a game and all you have to do is swing this this way and that way and that's it.

As a big RPG player, I'm hoping the Wii will snag more this gen. N64 was dismal, and the Cube had only a few really good RPGs. Wii sports is a ton of fun, and I'm more amazed every time I play tennis, how timing etc really do affect how well you play, but I need more games I can just chill with. I can't just lay down and relax and play Wii sports, you gotta be up and about. Plus, with the small room that I have in my bedroom, I actually have to stand to the side of the TV, making it very akward to play baseball.

Sounds like a great many of you who purchased this console were expecting it to be an HD capable, or at least close to HD, console with a load of gory, adult oriented games to satisfy the truly hardcore gamers. Well, take it back to the store. I play FPS games on my PC. No console on earth is worthy of a FPS anyways, period. End of story.

I am hardcore when it comes to games. So, anyone reading this thread who wants a console to sit along side your 360 or PS3 as competition, forget it. It's a fun, family oriented console. If you don't like Zelda or Mario, or are too 'mature' for them, you won't find anything to like here.

I see people posting that they don't like Zelda and the games are too 'family' or the graphics are 'so last gen' and think that, if I were in their shoes, I could have found a much better use for $250. I also think they bought it just so they could complain about it, as many people live to do. :confused:

My 360 is VERY loud, but I haven't heard a peep from the Wii so far.


The 360 is way way loud! I have not heard a word from the Wii!

After playing Wii sports and Super Monkey ball over at a friends house a couple of times, we just got a Wii yesterday. The wife was skeptical at first about getting one, but eventually gave in. Got the Wii, Wii play, Banana Blitz and a 2nd nunchuck. After getting everything setup, we stayed up 2 hours later than normal having fun playing the mini-games in Banana Blitz.

Internet was easy to setup because I already had a wireless network working. The update isn't going as smooth, but that's because my TV is about as far away in the house as you can get from my router. I plan on getting a wireless sensor bar so I can move the Wii into the entertainment counter and be closer to the router, and maybe a repeater to extend the range of the router.

I'm really looking forward to some games coming out in March that offer online play. I thought about buying Madden, but decided I'll wait to see if the 08 version has online play. Other than that, Sonic is the only game I might get before online play comes out.

Got one on the 23rd of Feb. without being forced into a bundle. I just wanted to make sure I had the system for when Super Paper Mario comes out (hopefully April 9th). For now I put Wario Ware, Excite Truck, Trauma Center and Blur in my rental queue. I might end up buying Zelda as well. As of now I only played Wii sports and bowling is a huge hit with me. I'm very impressed with how nice the controller works. I have to admit that the 360 is definitely my primary gaming machine, but the Wii is a nice change of gaming especially when Nintendo starts dropping top notch 1st party games as they normally do.

Just got a Wii for my Grandson (3) to play and have not yet found any games he can play. he liked boxing but went to daycare and started hitting everyone so his parents have told me he can not play boxing anymore. Any good recomendations for a 3 year old?

I am not aware of any young child oriented games out yet, maybe the Happy Feet game (never tried though) every game I have played so far is geared towards kids a bit older than that I think. Can he play Tennis and baseball on wii sports?

Walked into Best Buy on Friday and apparently they had gotten a large delivery in that morning. Snatched one up along with SSX Blur, Zelda, and Warioware. Thus, my Next-Gen Triumverate is complete. I'm happy the Wii itself is so teeny, it fits between my 360 and PS3 perfectly.

So far, i'm cautiously optimistic. While the graphics aren't going to blow any doors off, theyre not as godawful as I feared. The virtual console is a pretty cool service so far, Gunstar Heroes at the click of a button is a beautiful thing. I actually am having fun with the secondary features in the short term, like creating Miis and the news channel.

The whole friend code thing is *dumb*, and I don't think online play will ever be a focus of the system, but I think the Wii will have a nice home as a "secondary console" for wacky games and things to play when company comes over.

The whole friend code thing is *dumb*
Don't tell that to all the peoplw who've posted on the "Let Our Miis Mingle" thread!

-Dan

G/f just got a wii, it freakin rules. Haven't played zelda yet, but wii sports is a lot of fun :)

it freakin rules
LOL! :p And I agree, of course.

-Dan

I got one a week ago (eBay)... so cool to play with your friends and family... bought because I was a little bored with my PS3 (no games to play)...

Got one at the end of march. Love the system, it is a lot of fun and a nice twist away from the norm. The only complaint is the game selection is really slow to take off right now...hopefully they will come out with some more good games shortly.

I just got mine today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hooked it up and played Wii sports with my parents, my wife's parents, and my sister and brother in law. (All older people). And everyone had an absolute blast. Never thought I would get my father to try a video game but the grin on his face was a mile wide! I got TP with it of course so I can't wait to try that out tomorrow!

Making my 1st post using the Wii internet channel. Lots of cool features so far.

Picked one up yesterday in one of those "because it's there" moments.

I need to get some component cables this evening and try some of the tips for improving the WiFi connection. My chair is just outside the range for the Wii-mote with the sensor bar in it's current position, so I'll have to move that around a little too.

I downloaded the Votes and Internet channels, and skimmed through the virtual console list to note the games I'll want to download. I made a Mii to wonder around. I tried out a little bit of every sports game and wound up boxing for about 45 minutes. The baseball and bowling were fun as well and the golf was eerily accurate. I managed to stay up 2 hours later than I intended to, but a couple of cups of coffee seem to be helping with that this morning.

I think Wii sports will steal a lot of Guitar Hero's thunder at parties now, or at least keep my friend's kids inside (where their mother's can watch them!) cutting down on the Will Ferral "Get off the shed" moments.

I've got some titles coming from Gamefly to try out and will probably wind up buying RE4, since I've managed to not play it on the Gamecube or PS2 yet. It definitely won't replace the 360, but it looks like it will be a fun diversion.

That's interesting. My nephew (who is about 35) came over for Christmas. He's disabled -- he was in a wheelchair but is now on crutches, because of some serious problems with his back. One of the things he used to love to do was to bowl. He was in a league and all that. Well, when he started plaing Wii Bowling, he was literally in tears because he was so happy. He thought he'd never be able to experience bowling again, but the Wii had given that back to him. I can't wait for the Wii to become more available, so we can buy him one.

-Dan

Even though I'm not much for the Wii....that is a touching story.

Just picked up mine Friday night. It's the first Nintendo console I've owned since the Super NES (back when I was in middle school).

How much do I like it? All I can say is that my right arm hurts like a *bitch* from a full weekend of Wii Sports and Tiger Woods 07... and it's worth every sore muscle in there :p

1st Impression: Found one at Walmart Supercenter. Wii remote range about 6 feet. Wii included sports game disk was more fun than four other purchased $50 games. Target had extra remote with bonus games disk for $50. Making Mii's was very popular with grandkids. No problem linking to WiFi with SSID turned on then later with SSID turned off. Wii came with latest firmware. Some concern about heat in standby so bought a $10 base with fan at a local game store. Attaching remote strap to arm is mandatory due to wild arm movement in sports games. Heath insurance is also mandatory should you dislocate your arm playing sports games. Having to wire the sensor bar to game machine is annoying. Photo slide show with mp3 music works perfectly from owner supplied SD memory chip. Very young children will have difficulty steadily aiming remote.

The remote range can be turned up in the Wii sensor bar settings. I initially turned it down because I thought this was controller sensitivity but it turns out that it extends the range of the remote.

Just got one today. Im in Grants Pass, OR and called all the stores carrying the Wii. Only 1 store had some. 3 to be exact. Problem was I couldnt get into Medford till afternoon. Had other things to do. On a wing I called again. They had 2 left. Asked if they could hold me one. They told me no. Off I went not knowing if I would get it or not. Its about 26 miles out. I get there and see one in the case. One lady was ahead of me. She asked the clerk for a "game". My heart sank. I thought she was going to buy it. They had sold another one just in those few mins of me calling. The next clerk waited on me. I said please get me that Wii!!!!!! He smiled and said its the last one. Someone just called 2 mins ago and they were on there way. I lucked out. I bought nothing else for it yet. So far. Im like a little kid in a candy store all over again. This thing is FUN!!!! Ive owned all the Nintendo consoles before. Usually I get them on day one. I just didnt have the money until now. The excitement level for me towards this system is just like when I got the first NES!

Great story. It must feel like Christmas morning when you were a kid. Enjoy your system!

-Dan

The remote range can be turned up in the Wii sensor bar settings. I initially turned it down because I thought this was controller sensitivity but it turns out that it extends the range of the remote.Whats the point of that?

Whats the point of that?
Changing the controller sensitivity can affect how well or poorly the remote works, when you are pointing it at the screen to control something. Setting it too low or too high can have adverse affects. The bottom line is, if it's working for you, don't change anything. But if you're having issues with the pointer, sometimes changing this one way or another can help.

If you want another explanation, RTFM. It's in there.

-Dan

after months of trying to find a wii online last night toysrus just happend to have ADD TO CART - OMFG! i clicked that as fast as i could and locked it in! i've been looking for so long and every time i tried to get one always got that sorry were sold out - im sick of 360 so this should be a nice change

anyone running panasonic and fujitsu plasma's with nintendo wii's?
just curious because on the fujitsu even a vhs looks like hd lol
so im hoping the wii looks amazing!

Changing the controller sensitivity can affect how well or poorly the remote works, when you are pointing it at the screen to control something. Setting it too low or too high can have adverse affects. The bottom line is, if it's working for you, don't change anything. But if you're having issues with the pointer, sometimes changing this one way or another can help.

If you want another explanation, RTFM. It's in there.

-Dan

If you look at the sensor bar through your camera, you'll see that the "sensitivity" setting is nothing of the sort. Instead, it controls the voltage flowing through the IR lamps in the bar. At the higher settings, the lamps glow brightly but merge together.

IIRC, someone suggested that the higher voltage made the life of the lamps shorter, but I wouldn't worry about that too much since I can buy a new bar now.

finally arrived in the mail today! Wii sports is pretty fun - boxing wore me out after 30min, what a workout

...toysrus just happend to have ADD TO CART - OMFG! i clicked that as fast as i could and locked it in!
Got one in my cart this morning at toysrus.com, entered my billing info click place order and....removed from cart :(
Uhg man, thought I had one.

Well, back to the search.

If you are still looking for one, try your local Wal-Mart around mid-week. I have seen 5-6 at every Wal-Mart in my area the past few Wednesdays. Granted I live in Northwest Arkansas, the home of WM...maybe it is a regional thing.

Good luck!

several of the local walmarts around here got 5-6 of them in wednesday.

TY for the help guys.

Ya, talked to Walmart today and they said they will be getting in about 30 for Sun. morning and told me to show up after midnight Sat. and they should be able to sell me one.

I'll let you know how it goes.

I got my Wii, I think, 11 days ago. My wife's brother got one and they've really been having fun with it. They wanted us to get one, but we've been having a lot of trouble finding one in stock. Anyways, I was out one day, not looking for one and more or less just about tripped right over one. We've been having fun since.

Its a really cool device. Its a lot of function and product for $250. My first impression was at how small the console is. Its not all that much bigger than the original XBox controller. Its quiet, runs relatively cool. I certainly appreciated that, having it in a media tower.

Anyways, there are so many cool features. My wife and I are very impressed by the photo channel. It works so much better than anything else I've used. It kills the 360 for photo viewing. I like the fact that it uses plain non-proprietary SD cards for memory and storage.

The games have all been fun. I'm very impressed at how responsive and sensitive some of the sports games are. It seems like in Wii bowling the path of your toss with change with even the most subtle alterations in hand movement. I like it a lot.

I've played Wii Sports, Wii play, Super Paper Mario and Mario Strikers Charged and Super Swing Golf. They've all been great. Graphics and sound are much better than I would have expected. The only game I've played that I did not like was Bust A Move. Its so stupid and boring.

I'm rambling. Point of all this is, I am very impressed and the Wii is well worth the $250 cover charge.

the best game that used the controls for me is Zelda, I cant see going back to the standard controls for this type of game.

Found one Sat. at a local Gamestop. :D
My kids are loving it and I must admit it's pretty damn cool.
The controls are very impressive.
Much better than I thought they would be.

After 1 week of searching low and behold, as I walked thru walfarts joke of an electronics department there is was, one Wii sitting in the case. Im home now and will be firing this thing up 2nite, came with the sports and I also got the misc table games w/free remote

I only wanted the Wii for the bowling game for my parents. I am happy to say that it met my expectations and more. Wii sports games were simple to pick up and fun to play, especially against other human players. My mom bowled the whole afternoon, and my friends and I had fun dueling each other in golf and tennis.

There were however some nice surprises in store for me as I skimmed through the manual. Hmm, ports and card slots for game cube peripherals? Nice backward compatiblity to save people a few bucks for sure. Hmmm, insert game cube discs? You mean game cube discs won't jame inside the Wii, or does Wii actually play gamecube games? Man, I didn't read this bit anywhere, lo and behold when I inserted my favorite Mario Kart game into the Wii, it works!

Thank you Nintendo!

anyone running panasonic and fujitsu plasma's with nintendo wii's? just curious because on the fujitsu even a vhs looks like hd lol
so im hoping the wii looks amazing!

Panasonic plasma playing Wii Tony Hawk Downhill Jam is a fantastic high color detailed image experience. Super sharp big screen action with extremely fast graphics. The Wii has proven to be a highly capable game blaster.

FYI - Torrance, CA Walmart had at least 7 Wiis in stock this weekend

So far after a week of ownership I have to say that the Wii is my favorite console since the original NES. My previous console was the Xbox and I just never really enjoyed playing it. The Wii control scheme has its quirks but its also so much fun. I was into the whole virtual reality thing back in the 90's and with the Wii I think we're finally seeing the first engaging, mainstream use of VR. Metroid 3 would be a standard game but with the Wii controls it adds so much to the immersion factor. I have it currently hooked up to a Espon S3 projector and 100" screen.

I have owned the Wii since the first day it came out and I have to say my 360 has been collecting dust ever since. The only thing that I have a problem with is connecting to the internet. Til this day I still can't connect. Does anyone have any troubleshooting tips out there.

I have owned the Wii since the first day it came out and I have to say my 360 has been collecting dust ever since. The only thing that I have a problem with is connecting to the internet. Til this day I still can't connect. Does anyone have any troubleshooting tips out there.

Have you tried calling Nintendo's help line? The very first time I tried connecting my Wii to the net I had problems too and they were very helpful. I remember I had to change settings on my router. I believe I had to make sure it was in b/g mode and set WEP to shared. But give them a call to be sure. Both times I've called, the other was for my DS, I got a very helpful and pleasant cust. serv. rep.

Have you tried calling Nintendo's help line? The very first time I tried connecting my Wii to the net I had problems too and they were very helpful. I remember I had to change settings on my router. I believe I had to make sure it was in b/g mode and set WEP to shared. But give them a call to be sure. Both times I've called, the other was for my DS, I got a very helpful and pleasant cust. serv. rep.

Thanks, I will give it a shot. I have an old router so I might just replace it with a new one if they can't help me.

Is there a certain router out there that would work better with the wii.

I was so hooked on the Wii after first playing it at some friends, I couldn't wait to get one. But it was so hard to find, that I finally couldn't wait and picked up an XBOX 360. A week later I finally found a Wii at Gamestop and returned the 360.

Only a week later and I had a severe buyers' remorse. I'd have to say, the Wii is a blast to play with friends, but for a single player it gets really boring very fast. Aside from the Wii sports package, I've yet to play a game that was at least remotely interesting. Zelda to mee was not any different than Gamecube versions, and the use of the motion controls was very limited.

The monkey ball banan blitz was madeningly stupid. After only a week alone with the Wii, I actually started hating it, mostly because the discusting Gamestop would not take a return on an open item, so I felt really trapped.

I couldn't stand it any more though, so went back and got my XBOX back. The Wii is on ebay for sale, really hoping someone will buy it.

Just a little thought on it's "cheap" factor.... Yes, the basic package is cheap, but what does it really include? Since to me the Wii is only fun when played with at least 2 people, that means absolutely mandatory second control set which runs around $70 for the Wii mote and the nunchuck. If you want to have 4 people... let's not even go there.

Connections? Just basic a/v, so to even take advantage of the max 480p resolution that's another $30 purchase. When I bought the 360 it came with HD component cable, and with a free second controller. There goes the difference in the price.

When I first played the Wii I never thought I'd say it, but here it is - I am hating it now. Maybe down the road some better games might change that, I hope...

I was so hooked on the Wii after first playing it at some friends, I couldn't wait to get one. But it was so hard to find, that I finally couldn't wait and picked up an XBOX 360. A week later I finally found a Wii at Gamestop and returned the 360.

Only a week later and I had a severe buyers' remorse. I'd have to say, the Wii is a blast to play with friends, but for a single player it gets really boring very fast. Aside from the Wii sports package, I've yet to play a game that was at least remotely interesting. Zelda to mee was not any different than Gamecube versions, and the use of the motion controls was very limited.

The monkey ball banan blitz was madeningly stupid. After only a week alone with the Wii, I actually started hating it, mostly because the discusting Gamestop would not take a return on an open item, so I felt really trapped.

I couldn't stand it any more though, so went back and got my XBOX back. The Wii is on ebay for sale, really hoping someone will buy it.

Just a little thought on it's "cheap" factor.... Yes, the basic package is cheap, but what does it really include? Since to me the Wii is only fun when played with at least 2 people, that means absolutely mandatory second control set which runs around $70 for the Wii mote and the nunchuck. If you want to have 4 people... let's not even go there.

Connections? Just basic a/v, so to even take advantage of the max 480p resolution that's another $30 purchase. When I bought the 360 it came with HD component cable, and with a free second controller. There goes the difference in the price.

When I first played the Wii I never thought I'd say it, but here it is - I am hating it now. Maybe down the road some better games might change that, I hope...

Should have waited to sell it. There are some great games on it now, Metroid 3 being one of the best and in the next few months there will be alot more coming. Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicals, Mario Kart Wii and the New Gun that is packed with links Crossbow Training. Believe me I was slightly dissapointed with the game selection too, but now that Metroid has come is will just get better.

I'm so sick of Mario games. It's all my kids play. Mario this Mario that, Super Duper Origami Mario Galaxy Party will be the next one.... Nintendo really know how to milk the cow, give it a rest already. Sorry, had to vent.

I'm so sick of Mario games. It's all my kids play. Mario this Mario that, Super Duper Origami Mario Galaxy Party will be the next one.... Nintendo really know how to milk the cow, give it a rest already. Sorry, had to vent.


I am with you on that one. I had fun with Mario on a gameboy advance, but it was kinda scary that the privew I saw for the Wii looked about the same, as far as graphics and gameplay.

Fact. Most of the Mario games are good. Lighten up and try to actually enjoy them.

I am with you on that one. I had fun with Mario on a gameboy advance, but it was kinda scary that the privew I saw for the Wii looked about the same, as far as graphics and gameplay.

Fact. Most of the Mario games are good. Lighten up and try to actually enjoy them.

All right, dad!

I am with you on that one. I had fun with Mario on a gameboy advance, but it was kinda scary that the privew I saw for the Wii looked about the same, as far as graphics and gameplay.

Umm, I don't mean to attack you or anything of the sort, but are you being serious? And if so, what game was that cause I missed out on it. :)

Connections? Just basic a/v, so to even take advantage of the max 480p resolution that's another $30 purchase. When I bought the 360 it came with HD component cable, and with a free second controller. There goes the difference in the price.

When I first played the Wii I never thought I'd say it, but here it is - I am hating it now. Maybe down the road some better games might change that, I hope...

Well the reason Microsoft is giving away controllers with the 360 is because sales are stagnant. Regarding the Wii controllers, do you really need more than two? I agree though that the controllers are overpriced but only by $10. No big deal if you use them regularly. Buy all of your cables from Monoprice.

The Wii is a fun system and developers are now utilizing it's potential. In a year I think you'll see some pretty revolutionary games.

I've been borrowing my brother's 360 and I just can't play any of the games for more than 10 minutes. I dislike the multiple buttons and combinations needed to play the games. The Wii controller is just that much more intuitive for me. Metroid Prime 3 uses a multiple button and motion combinations but it all just makes a lot more sense to me.

Anyway, each to their own. If you hang onto your Wii for another month or so when demand exceeds supply again you'll probably be able to turn a profit.

Meh. I finally bought a Wii because Super Mario Galaxy is coming out soon -- I am a platformer freak and I was dying to play that game. I say "was" because I too am having severe buyer's remorse about the Wii. Took it home, hooked it up with composite cables (ordered component ones online immediately), played around with Wii Sports for a while, got the wifi working, and realized:

I'm already tired of Wii Sports. I'm not used to standing up playing games, and the games are rapidly losing interest for me.
I find the remote awkward--trying to click on a button on screen with it means a lot of overshooting and doubling back and trying to click at the right moment before my hand shifts a bit and the cursor's off the button again.
I wish I had some eye candy. 32" flat screen Aquos LCD, and I just hooked up what amounts to a Gamecube with a new motion-sensitive gimmick.
I am just not loving the motion-sensitive thing.
I am annoyed at the tiny selection available on VC. If I could relive Banjo-Kazooie from the N64 for $10, I'd be up for that. (Told you I was a platformer freak.) And the SNES had Super Mario All-Stars with four games collected together and improved graphics, so why are we going back to NES Mario games, sold separately, with the original graphics, for the VC? Gah!

I wound up plugging in my old Wavebird and putting in a GC game, and after playing for a while, thought, "Maybe I should eBay this thing and just buy a set of component cables for my GameCube." The only thing stopping me from doing that is I want to give Super Mario Galaxy a chance.

You really cant play wii sports alone, I only play it when I have a house full of people, alone it does get really boring. Moving the remote takes some getting used to because you need a steady hand. When I first got it I had problems selecting buttons but now I can move the hand smoothly across the screen while newbies that come over do have problems with it.
If you want some eye candy pick up metroid, that should keep you and your TV happy.

Maybe I should eBay this thing and just buy a set of component cables for my GameCube." The only thing stopping me from doing that is I want to give Super Mario Galaxy a chance.
uhm, isn't this exactly why you bought it in the first place? How can you be dissatisfied with a product you bought specifically to play a game that you haven't played yet?

In any case, the media buzz around Mario Galaxy has been extremely positive. If it's a platformer you want, I think you're about to get one that will satisfy you. As for the rest of the library, the most enjoyable games really are best played in a social setting, so if you're a loner gamer then the Wii might not suite you. Then again, there is Zelda and there is also Metroid.

As for the VC, don't forget to check out Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

Good idea about Metroid. I checked out the preview -- FPSs are usually not my thing, but it looks like there is some variety in the gameplay, and eye candy.

I've played SM:LL as part of Super Mario All-Stars (SNES), so I don't really need the VC version.

I might give Crash of the Titans or the new Spyro a shot.

Amazon and Circuitcity have been having Wiis on their sites pretty regularly. But they only seem to last 10-20 minutes. It's not too hard to catch them, but the key is to know WHEN they have them. They seem to come at random times, so you need to sign up for alerts, preferably on the cellphone.

I signed up for alerts from wiialerts.com (http://wiialerts.com) . I bought a Wii for myself, and lately I've bought some for my "internet-challenged" relatives too..

I finally got my wii yesterday. (Gamestop in Macedonia, OH - Cleveland area)

I love it...I was visiting a friend for a week and he had one...played it all week and decided I needed to get one. I have a PS3 and I already know I'll be playing the wii more.

I also like the virtual console games...already downloaded Punch-Out, Tecmo Bowl, and MarioKart 64.

I've had my Wii for about a month now and thoroughly enjoy it! Nintendo really hit it out of the park with this console. I really like the channels user interface, VC, built-in wireless and the wonderful immersive aspect that the wii remote provides. No suprise, I find myself playing WiiSports most of the time. I haven't had a chance to rent many games yet but am looking forward to it as the Winter season approaches, especially Mario Galaxy!

My turn to give my first impressions of our new family fun toy. Wii love it! I'm an ol' skool gamer from the days of the Atari 2600, moved onto Sega, Sony PS1, PS2...then dumped consoles for some bada$$ PC gaming on-line. (F.E.A.R., BF2142, Bioshock is just jaw dropping gorgeous all around!, etc...)

The Wii was a family gift from "Nanna" and it has been a blast for me(35), the Mrs.(36) and our daughter(3) can even swing the Wiimote on baseball and loves to box on Wii Sports. We all got to play a bit on my Nephew's just weeks ago and the whole family had a blast during the wedding weekend get together on the Wii.

It is definitely a group thing, but I still like to get my golf on in the morning, while they sleep in before work and the daycare trip.

I picked up Metroid Prime 3 last night and just grinned from ear to ear, while being in awe of Samus on our 42" Aquos LCD. (Composite cables are just fine for us, BTW.)

GH3 is sitting in a closet until Christmas, we have created Miis for all of us, we have WiiConnect24 set up on/on across the wireless broadband Netgear WGR614 v6 router, and all is good.

If I want to get my frag on solo, I play out in the family room on daddy's gaming rig PC, but seeing my wife jump around playing tennis, and my little girl pitching and bowling is soooo worth it.

Time to buy another Wiimote and nunchuck ASAP, since we have friends coming over to play it this weekend. They want to play mith my Wii (so freaking funny to say, while disturbing at the same time...LOL)

The only issue we had was that our daughter's Little Touch keyboard 4 IR LED array was seriously interfering with the sensor bar's IR array, and even jamming TV remotes, while in the room and powered up. Ahhh...you gotta love IR interference!

If you bought it and have no friends to play it with you, I am sorry...The Wii is certainly a "group thing", while the PS3, Xbox 360, and even PC's are best for solo fraggin'.

I just e-mailed my Wii registration request from home to daddy's work PC, so that bright blue slot light should drive the wife nuts all day long. :D

Well I must say, after playing this thing for two days, I am loving Wii. My daughter recieved the Wii for her birthday and the family is having so much fun. I can't wait to try more games. I saw the Godfather game and some of the other "M" rated games and am wondering if I really want those....so much blood and guts. Do I really want to put that in my mind?

This is my first time at playing games so I have never compared it to PS3 or xbox360, so to me this is pure fun...with others and by my lonesome.

frenchmon

finally got one. these things were definitely not made for large projection DLP systems (graphics just don't hold up - Dreamcast via VGA even looks better). it's great fun to play it's just a shame they didn't plan for any sort of HD support.

I just purchased a Wii to give the kids for Christmas and am getting ready to wire for a home theater system that will have the equipment in the closet under the stairs. This video game request for Christmas came at the last minute and it was an adventure just finding the damn thing, I had no idea a year old platform would still be hard to find. Until now I was thinking all I needed was a RF remote and I was good. Now I have the Wii with what I am assuming is a IR remote (it's still in the box).

Can I use the Wii and put the console in the closet with some kind of IR extender?

If so is it the same kind I would use for the IR remotes for the home theater system?

Feel free to recomend any favorite brands and items, I still have the walls open downstairs and want to cover the bases while I can. I am just starting on this project so don't assume I know anything.

Thanks guys
Speck

It is an actually an IR _sensor_, not an IR remote. The wii brings a bar that blasts IR continuously at the area you are playing from, and the remote has an IR camera that sees the bar and does some math to figure out where on the screen you are pointing at. So, good news - u can stash your wii in the cabinet. Bad news - you need to run a cable for the sensor bar, or build your own (google it).

That said, some games (wii sports) don't use the sensor bar at all.

There are also battery-powered wireless sensor bars like this one:
http://www.nyko.com/nyko/products/?i=101
It's the one I have and it's great. So, you put that on or under your display, and the Wii can stay in the closet. No wires between the two.

I got a Wii last year, and let me say, since then I have sold my other systems on Ebay since they did not get played at all. The Wii remote is so much easier to use then its predecessor the Power Glove, so Nintendo got that part right. Also the virtual console games are great since now I dont have to worry about the infamous purple screen on Zelda.


Dave

I was shocked and very happy to score a Wii from Amazon today. I just got home and my cellphone text message went off. I went on immediately and scored! Saturday delivery will give me enough time to wrap it and hide it for my adopted 8 year old daughter who realy wants one. I picked up Super Monkey Ball and Mario Party 8 along with the wireless bar and component AV cable. I was damn glad to find out the gamecube games and controllers will work with it. Awesome. Anyway, I then went into my local Walmart and they had just received some more remote controllers so I went ahead and picked up 3 of them with different color skins. I got all of this today for around 500 and to think I was getting so desperate last week I almost spent that much alone for the wii alone... Talk about luck... :)

And it just arrived! Now time to sneak and wrap it... :)

I was shocked and very happy to score a Wii from Amazon today. I just got home and my cellphone text message went off. I went on immediately and scored! Saturday delivery will give me enough time to wrap it and hide it for my adopted 8 year old daughter who realy wants one. I picked up Super Monkey Ball and Mario Party 8 along with the wireless bar and component AV cable. I was damn glad to find out the gamecube games and controllers will work with it. Awesome. Anyway, I then went into my local Walmart and they had just received some more remote controllers so I went ahead and picked up 3 of them with different color skins. I got all of this today for around 500 and to think I was getting so desperate last week I almost spent that much alone for the wii alone... Talk about luck... :)


I got one the same way joerod:) We have been having a blast with ours and I am sure you will as well. This thing is FUN.:D

Cool, this Christmas will be a blast! Good thing I get the entire week off! :D

Cool, this Christmas will be a blast! Good thing I get the entire week off! :D


Nice! I have been having a lot of time off to as the snow is flying and it is hard to landscape in the snow! Not complaining though as I have plenty of HD, BR and gaming to catch up on:) Simpsons BR tom and more Mario Galaxy.

Should be a fun week! My Wife just mentioned to me this morning to bad we couldn't get the Wii for her for Christmas because she really wants one. I just said there is always her birthday... :D

Finally got to play mine after a 2 hour long system update, and it's a blast. Tennis is sooo much fun w/the wife, although in the first hour we played she's smacked me in the arm, my dog in the face, and my laptop on the table. Full contact Wii!

Awesome fun console :D

I am shocked...I walked into the local Circuit city in Santa Cruz and they had 10 sitting on the back counter for sale...I was there to return a product...It was a no brainer buy....

Damn, now that is lucky... :)

I am probably in the minority on this one, but as fun as wii sports, Zelda and Mario Galaxy are, SSX blur is my favorite game that I have right now. If you have a FP setup, this game is such a blast. Once you get past the first hour or so of frustration and can start to do uber tricks, you will be hooked. Once you get the controls down, it is such a rush getting huge air, pulling insane tricks and going down the mountain a thousand miles an hour. Atleast give it a rent and give yourself atleast an hour as the controls can be frustrating, but once you get them down it is so much fun!

We will rent it then. I purchased the Super Monkey Ball game and Mario Party 6 to go with it. I figured it won't feel like a Nintendo System without getting at least one Mario game. And since we all can play it together it should be fun. Same with Monkey Ball. :)

There are also battery-powered wireless sensor bars like this one:

It's the one I have and it's great. So, you put that on or under your display, and the Wii can stay in the closet. No wires between the two.

Thanks