So we have decided to get a Wii for the kids at xmas. I have been down to BestBuy and now suffer from choice overload , there are way too many bits and pieces on offer.
What add ons or games do you recomend, mostly aimed at sports simulators (tennis etc) and no doubt we will have to get a Star Wars game for the boys. Also has any one tried the Wii fit stuff - any good?
Not interested in Guitar hero type stuff or FPS games, kids are less that 9yo.
cheers
PCM
Generally, I’ve found that you mainly only need the main system, which comes with one controller and one nunchuck, plus one extra controller and one extra nunchuck. Those things will allow you to play the vast majority of all games.
Marion Kart is pretty fun and tho you don’t need them, the steering wheels make it a little moreso.
The only extras I bought were a classic controller and ‘offbrand’ batteries and controller chargers.
Is there a particular brand that you can recommend? The one I have (which is presently recharging) gets about 90 minutes at a time, and will completely discharge if I leave it off its cradle for an afternoon. But yes, your budget of AAs will skyrocket if you don’t figure this one out. Controller battery life is a major pitfall for the Wii versus the PS3 and Xbox 360, IMO.
No real recommendation, but the ones I have are Nyko. A pair of rechargeable batteries and a charger station. The only drawback is that the batteries are too big to fit the battery cover back on, so I always use the plastic sleeve for the controllers.
I got this induction charger by Nyko and it seems to fit and work fine. The controllers are held in place by magnets so they’re pretty secure, and it even works with the plastic/silicone sleeves on.
Whether there is value for you in the wii fit depends on your family’s current fitness levels and exercise interests. The balance required helped me solve some pretty big back issues and started me on a regime that allowed a pretty hefty weightloss but I outgrew it after a while and now do lots of the same stuff I learned from it without the wii being involved. I occasionally weigh in on it and do the tests to make sure I am still on track.
The balance board is used in some other games that may interest you too.
I prefer EA Sports Active (and the expansion pack) over Wii Fit - the exercises are more, well, active and still fun, and you have the option to use the balance board if you own it. For a better upper body workout, get “real” tension bands to replace the ones that come with Active, and/or use hand weights.
Some other kid-friendly games include the Lego series (including Lego Star Wars) and Rayman’s Raving Rabbids.
Stay away from those piles of plastic that look like tennis rackets, golf clubs, etc. You don’t need them. Spend the money on an extra game. If a game needs an accessory, it’ll be packed in (Mario Kart, Link’s Crossbow, etc.).
Get the “motion plus” options for the controller. Most of the new games are incorporating the upgrade, and the difference between the old style (without the motion plus doohicky attached) and the new one is obvious if you play them side by side. Motion Plus makes the thing a lot more accurate.
Off the beaten path, I thought the $16 or so I spent on this USB/LAN adaptor for the Wii was money well spent. Downloads updates and stuff much more quickly now and really helped the speed of browsing Netflix movies and watching them.
YMMV depending on your own internet set-up but the Wii’s wireless capacity never impressed me so wiring it made a nice quality of life improvement.
The only exception, IMHO, being NHL slapshot. Buy a second stick for that!
You can get netflix through the Wii, cool, i was on the verge of getting a dvd thingy that could do that .
Thanks for the suggestions, please continue to add.
Pcm
Actually, some (all?) of the new Wiis remotes being sold now (which includes the one that is bundled in the new system) have Motion Plus built in, and for the same price, IIRC. Though I’m sure you can still easily find old remotes on the shelves that don’t have it built in.
So when shopping, make sure to get the Wii Remotes that say they have Motion Plus built in, and when you get the system, also make sure it’s one that includes built in Motion Plus, because it’s still all the same price (though some retailers might discount the system that doesn’t have it, but it’s still not a deal because the new bundles also include Wii Sports Resort in addition to the regular Wii Sports that comes with the older bundle.
So I would say a good start-up kit would be:
New Wii System with Wii Motion Plus ($200, the prices of systems usualyl aren’t any different online or in store.)
A second remote and nunchuk (should be about $60 for both (remote is $40, nunchuk is $20, maybe less online))
And maybe a “real” game, since just Wii Sports and Sports Resort can get old after a while.