"The name is ridiculous, can you judge this book by its cover?"

When you look at the box in the store you see Wii!!! all over it. If you're sane you're thinking, "what monstrosity has Nintendo concocted this time", or "Is that an acronym?" It's not. It's a weird name for an almost equally weird console. But then again, it's probably best to lay the urination jokes aside and delve into what is quite literally a gaming revolution, possibly the beginning of the long predicted virtual reality era. Or maybe it's Nintendo trying once again to go against the flow with the very real possibility of crashing and burning.

Crashing and burning didn't happen. The Wii made somewhere in the realm of three BILLION dollars in the first month. Its profits never leveled out either. It is still number one in the fifth (or sixth) generation of consoles.

The first thing you notice about the Wii is its size. Its obviously smaller than the PS3, and even the XBOX360, but it's pretty much impossible to prepare you for this things utter lack of mass. Before long though, you'll probably appreciate it. It looks distinct but not overwhelmingly so. It will fit anywhere you put it fairly easily. Its definitely easier to appreciate in the upright position (and it won't topple over if you use the little disk shaped stand that's practically invisible). If your mom is only willing to by a console that matches her furniture, this is definitely the way to go.

The next thing you'll notice is the incredible oddity of the controller. It will probably be the strangest electronic device you hold in your hand for years to come. You'll also notice that it slides smoothly into your palm and your fingers fall onto the right buttons automatically. This is because Nintendo puts the most work into their controllers, as far as anatomy and button usage and placement, BY A LOT. They did with the Game-Cube to, that's why they look so funny but feel so nice. But anatomy aside, the real ice breaker here is what the controller can do. The controller senses motion left to right, up and down, three dimensions of tilt, and acceleration. That remote can practically read your mind.

OK, so now you've set up your Wii and your turning it on and you've popped "Wii Sports" in. What is going to catch your eye? That's right, the Graphics. This is Nintendo's Next Gen. Console right... The graphics aught to be amazing right... Nope. This is easily the systems weakest point, the lack of volume comes with a price, and its graphics. Nintendo made it clear before hand that they didn't want to get into a graphical war with their competitors, and its showing. Contrary to popular belief, the Game-Cube wasn't that far behind its competitors as far as graphical capabilities (if it was behind at all, the later games would suggest not). This is not the case with the Wii. The Wii is only inches ahead of the previous generation and light years behind the next generation as far as Graphics are concerned.

Technical caboodle aside, the Wii is many more light years ahead of its competition when it comes to intuitive and amusing game-play. Remember that controller I told you about? Well it's the key. You'll be playing Golf and Baseball, but that's just the beginning. You'll be driving trucks, shooting stuff, and hacking your enemies apart with an often astounding amount of realism. And even without those amazing graphics (though at best they are nothing to sneeze at) you find yourself many times more immersed in your game console than you ever have been before. If you're worried about getting tired playing video games (god forbid) then you can rest assured, the physical exertion will never bother you, let alone overwhelm you. Its all just game nerds and their flukes.

One of the Wii's more eye turning features is its relatively new (though not completely original) use of the Internet. And for the record, the Game-Cube could in fact connect to the Internet (pull some of the covers off the bottom) but only Fantasy Star Online every used it. Not so with the
Wii. Numerous games are boasting online play and many more are on their way (Super Smash Brothers Brawl among them). But the big stink about online play is the virtual console. It is now possible to back track. You can download games (for a fee) for NES, SNES, N64, Sega-Genesis, and Turbo-Craft-16. Although some games are poop, others are real live pinnacles in the gaming world and definitely belong in every collection. Granted, its not quite as nice as XBOX Live, it is quite a bit cheaper as it requires no subscription. In fact, if you have a wireless modem, you don't need to do anything at all except enter your password.

Which brings us to the price. At $250.00, your spend about half as much on this console than you will on any of its competitors. This is particularly notable because the NES never cost more than $200. If money is an Issue, this is obviously the way to go.

The big question is, should I by something that sounds like a kindergarteners name for a bodily function? The answer is probably. The only thing really stopping you is being a graphics boob. If you pick this over XBOX360 or PS3, I can honestly promise, you won't regret it. This is one time, you cant judge the console by the cover.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/07

Game Release: Wii Hardware (US, 11/19/06)