Digital Trends

Nintendo Wii

November 15th, 2006 | by Scott Steinberg

Setup and Use

Setup's a cinch, with pop-up menus and intuitive commands walking you through basics like configuring the console and syncing up remotes (a.k.a. Wii-motes, to industry insiders). The trickiest part is getting WiFi network access up and running – and yes, encryption is supposed so you needn't compromise home security – although even that's a fully-menu-guided and therefore relatively painless process. Note that those without wireless LANs will require an additional adapter to go online (the console's built-in WiFi capabilities are the priority here, apparently). And that not only are network servers not up and running at this point, preventing us from sending other users messages and enjoying multiplayer match-ups. We were also unable to exchange cartoon avatars known as Mii that jazz up your user profile or appear as characters in various games, of which 10 can stored on Wii-mote's 6KB of memory, with other users.

Then again, perhaps it's for the best random acquaintances don't see the obese, bespectacled parody of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il we're using as a digital double. Or, for that matter, that we're temporarily prevented from accessing oft-discussed "WiiConnect24" features, which provide perpetual connectivity and download enjoyable extras (i.e. bonus cars and characters) while you sleep. There's only so much time we working professionals can afford to invest in Call of Duty 3 or Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, after all.

The Nintendo Wiimote

From the outset, it's worth bearing in mind that the doodad feels like no other console you've ever experienced. For starters, it's not your average, everyday set-top box that requires precise placement of a gesture-tracking sensor bar centered above or below one's TV screen. Or, for that matter, once said item's been positioned, allows you to browse a TV-style, software-based system menu interface that contains up to 48 channels, or specific functional callouts, using the virtual equivalent of a laser pointer. While manipulating the Wii-mote does take some getting used to due to its extreme sensitivity (practice makes perfect) and free-roaming 360-degree movement, you'll be up to speed in roughly one to two hours. And instructional windows, warnings and text prompts constantly guide one through the process, making the overall venture feel more akin to fiddling with a high-end PC than a snazzy new videogame system.

The Nintendo Wii Sensor Bar

In terms of basic navigation, the aforementioned channel-based setup keeps things manageable and ergonomic. There's a news channel for sourcing breaking headlines, forecast channel for grabbing weather reports, Internet channel for Opera browser-based web surfing (alas, thus far announced as free only through June 2007) and even a messaging channel for sending friends online or cell phone-ready pictures and notes. You can further import and manipulate digital snapshots to create funky images or MP3 soundtrack-backed slideshows using a dedicated photo channel. The disc channel is likely to be your most frequent stop though, as it's the location from where all games – Wii or GameCube – inserted into the machine are directly booted from.

Nostalgic geeks can also enjoy retro gaming goodness via the Wii Shop channel, where classic NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 titles may be downloaded on-demand. (Retro titles are tied to your specific machine, tough, so sorry… no storing them on SD card and carting them around to a buddy's house, however.) Using gift/credit cards, one simply purchases Wii points ($20 buys 2000, so 100 points equals $1), then can browse or buy from a selection of age-old hits including F-Zero, Sonic the Hedgehog and Bonk's Adventure. These software-emulated outings – which cost a wholly-reasonable $5-10 apiece – are stored in Virtual Console channels, capable of being accessed and enjoyed at any time. And while the current selection's limited to 30 or so offerings temporarily, between Nintendo and Sega alone, you're looking at options to easily expand this number of available offerings into the hundreds in coming months using both companies' extensive back catalogues alone.