In the eyes of the public and industry alike, the Wii is seen as a very accessible gaming machine with games that are easy to pick up and play much like the original Nintendo Entertainment System was back in 1985. To a lot of gamers, though, they see the system as not having a lot of worthwhile titles to play. People are constantly saying their Wiis are in the closet or collecting dust. They're not lying. I have a lot of close friends who literally have their Wiis boxed up in their closets. The reasons are probably because of the Wii's lack of a unified online infrastructure or it's lowered graphically fidelity in comparison to this current gen's home consoles. But here I am, buying my second Wii.
I consider myself a hardcore but well-rounded gamer. I like playing the Call of Duty and Halo games that everyone else is playing but I love the Marios, Kirbys, Metroids, Zeldas, and just about everything else, too. The motion control of most games is tacked on and extremely gimmicky, but it can still provide for a very fun experience when done correctly. I'm also an extremely retroactive gamer. I love, love, love games of old and that's one of the biggest selling points of the Wii for me. I'm 22 years-old so a lot of these old games I play are first time experiences. The Virtual Console feature of the Wii is a very large library of old games you can download from the Wii's Shop Channel with a straightforward pay-per-title payment structure. You can download games from past Nintendo home consoles from the NES to the Nintendo 64. You can also download games from other non-Nintendo platforms such as the Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx, and even arcade. There are also Wii exclusive downloadable "Wiiware" games and a limited variety of apps such as Netflix so you can stream movies and TV if you're a subscriber to Netflix. So obviously lower quality graphics don't bother me, though, I must admit the maximum resolution that the Wii can output at 480p is rather disappointing, especially as time goes on. It won't bother a lot of people, especially kids, but I game on my PC too at super resolutions so I longingly wait for the day I can play my Nintendo games in HD. The overall reproduction of games in the Virtual Console though is mostly spot on, which is more than I can say for a lot of other retro ports of classics. The Wii can also play Gamecube games by simply inserting the games and plugging in a Gamecube controller. One thing that is a bit disappointing is that not all old games are on the Virtual Console. Nintendo tries to release more when they can but it can be hard for them at times due to licensing royalties and fees, especially when the license holding companies don't exist anymore and multiple parties own the rights.
Anyways, that's my opinion of the Wii in general. Here's some of this product's specifics:
25th Anniversary Wii Bundle
What makes this bundle different than other current Wii bundles is that the system and included remote/nunchuck are Red to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of the NES and Super Mario Bros. I'm guessing because Mario's clothing is mostly red but it's a unique and supposedly limited color for the Wii. The bundle also comes with two games: New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Sports. The other bundles (Black or White) come with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. You may or may not have already played Wii Sports which has fun pick-up-and-play games such as tennis or bowling. Wii Sports Resort is in the same style but has other games that utilize 1:1 motion such as sword fighting or archery. If you end up getting this bundle I highly recommend still getting Resort as you will get an additional Wii motion Plus attachment with the game. All bundles come with either a Wii motion Plus attachment (which gives the remote more accurate 1:1 detection and is required for some games such as Resort) or has it built in the remote.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
This game is in the same "2.5D" style of New Super Mario Bros. for the DS with it's 3D rendered visuals but classic 2D platforming of older Mario games. The games look very similar but the levels are largely different with the added option of 1 to 4 players. I loved the DS version but I thought that playing it with more people would get kind of frustrating. Well, it actually is, but in that kind of crazy, fun kind of way. You can cooperate and compete. Helping each other to make that distant platform or hog all the coins to yourself while throwing your brother or sister into a pit as you make your way to the end of the stage. I asked my family if they wanted to try playing the game with me and they did. The next day I didn't think to ask them again because I was interested in something else I was playing, but they actually asked me. I said no, so they proceeded to playing the game, just three of my family members. Turns out they ended up beating the game without me that night. I was surprised but maybe I shouldn't have been. It's a really great game that recalls what made games so fun and simple 25 years ago. If you don't already have a Wii this is a good bundle simply for this game. It actually reminds of the old system bundles we used to get those years ago.
EDIT: Both Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. Wii come in cardboard sleeves rather than plastic casing. The bundle still comes with a New Super Mario Bros. Wii manual identical to that of a stand alone game along with identical inserts. Check out Wiiboxart.com if you're interested in printing out a case cover and keep in mind that the stand alone version has a red case.
Some Miscellaneous info:
If you're interested in purchasing games of the Wii Shop channel the pricing structure is as follows:
Commodore 64 500 points
NES 500
Sega Master System 500
TurboGrafx-16 600
TurboGrafx-CD 800
MSX 700
Sega Genesis 800
SNES 800
Neo Geo 900
Nintendo 64 1000
Arcade 500
Each point is essentially 1 cent so 1000 points is $10. You can purchase points directly online in the Shop Channel of the Wii or at retail in a pre-paid card. Just keep in mind that you can only purchase points in increments of 500 and tax is added where applicable.
Some titles I would like to recommend:
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Rated E)
Super Mario Galaxy (E)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (E)
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (T)
Wii Sports Resort (E)
Metroid Prime Trilogy (T)
Kirby's Epic Yarn (E)
Muramasa (T)
Boy and his Blob (E)
No More Heroes (M)
No More Heroes 2 (M)
Tatsunoko VS Capcom (T)
Super Smash Bros (T)
Pikmin (E)
Klonoa (E10)
Super Paper Mario (E)
Edit, games since released after review:
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Goldeneye
Epic Mickey
Sonic Colors (I love this game!)
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I remember back in 2006 when the wii was first released, my brother got one, we were about 17. I played his and had a lot of fun. My now fiance and I have always talked about getting our own wii for our own place, but I said wait, because the price will drop. Sure enough, the price dropped, but I still said wait because Nintendo will be doing something else that's cool, which ended up being the wii remote plus.Now the wait is over, we got the anniversary wii. I always wanted our wii to be the classic white color, but now that we have the red, I couldn't imagine it being a different color. Wii Sports is classic. I beat New Super Mario on my brother's copy, so now I have a copy of my own. Now after my back story to get this wii, time for the review.
Mario is 25 years old. To celebrate, Nintendo launched a worldwide campaign to celebrate the occasion. The campaign has a bunch of wallpapers, super play videos of the games, interviews, prizes, and of course special video game bundles. The Wii bundle comes with the red wii with a red wii remote plus which has the technology of motion plus built into a standard wii remote, a red nunchuck, all the hookups you need, and 2 games: Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
The Wii, remote, and nunchuck has a red glossy red finish. It looks great, but it will leave fingerprints if you can spot them. The wii is just a plain red, no fancy decals like the anniversary DSi Xl or anything. I actually like the lack of decals because the wii more often then not will be tucked somewhere where you can't appreciate the decals, but still appreciate the shiny red finish. The wii remote and the nunchuck have the half finish, the top half is glossy and the bottom half is plastic. Smart move I think, plus you have the red jacket which looks great, and 2 free batteries to get going right away.
The wii is great just as a game console, but the wii can really shine if you give it a broadband internet connection. Doing so will give you access to weather, news, wii shop catalog, online play, Netflix (with a disc or its own channel (if you have an account)), Nintendo Channel, and a lot more. The wii can sell well on its own just for how well the online functions work.
The game that comes with any wii bundle, Wii Sports, is the game that is meant to be played first to show how the wii works and how responsive it is to the characters on the screen. Technically, it is like a beta to the Resort sequel, but it has a sense of classic to it because it is the first game for the console.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is like a sequel to the game on the DS. I think the best way to describe it is if you took all of the side scrolling Mario games plus something new to keep things fresh, you get this game. It's everything you'd expect from a Mario game and a little bit more.
There is one thing that I found was missing which annoyed me but didn't deduct points from me. In Japan, the same wii bundle would have came preloaded with Super Mario Bros. from the Virtual Console with a twist: all ? blocks replace "?" with "25". That did not make it into the bundle here, but the bundle is still a fantastic deal.
If you were to buy a white or black wii now, you would get everything mentioned before but Wii Sports Resort instead of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The bundle celebrates the 25th birthday of Mario, that is reason enough for me to consider buying one, especially if you like the color red. Any wii deserves a 5 out of 5, and this bundle is no exception.
Best Deals for Wii Hardware Bundle - Red
My wife and I have wanted a Wii for awhile now and with rumors of price drops and an all powerful "Wii HD" we were holding on to our cash for the latest and greatest. With Nintendo confirming no price drop in the near future and no announcement of a new Wii in sight, this is a great deal.For $200 you get the latest version of the Wii Remote with true 1-1 motion detection due to the previous Wii motion plus add on being built in for a more ergonomic and hassle free design and the standard nunchuk attachment.
You also get New Super Mario bros. Wii. If you are a old-school Mario Bros. fan then this game is a must own. It is a dream pack-in for a Nintendo console and is great for someone who isn't very interested in the gimmicky motion controls Wii sports demonstrates. Not to say Wii sports isn't tons of fun but the real gold nugget is Mario Bros. Truly a $50 value, "yours free!"
You get the console itself which is unchanged from the previous models. THIS is where my nitpicks come in. I have a 32 inch HDTV and the composite cable that comes with the wii makes anything displayed with any detail a fuzzy, blurry eye-soar. IF you own an HDTV do yourself a favor and buy a cheap component cable. It isn't mandatory but you will notice the blur if you are with-in 10 feet of a HDTV of that size. (Nintendo could have packed that in.) The console and controller has a finish that collects finger prints like crazy it's frustrating when you get it all set up to stand back and see smuges all over the surface of a brand new $200 game console. Those are really my only nitpicks and they are just minor problems that won't effect game play or fun.
I only touched on some basic things in this review but I think you get my point. If you don't have a Wii yet, don't mind the color red, are a fan of mario, and saving money, than this is as good as it gets... for now.
Honest reviews on Wii Hardware Bundle - Red
i was one to be excited about the wii since i first heard about it. sure, i was bummed that it wouldn't be the graphic powerhouse that the xbox360 and ps3 have become, however nintendo has taken a completely different approach to this generation of consoles. nintendo has always been a company that wants to do their own thing, to set new and exciting gaming experiences, and the wii is no exception. nintendo has always been a company that revolutionizes how we play games, and after they succeed, the competition will follow suit. look at sony, coming out with the playstation move, and they ragged on nintendo about their ideas. nintendo is one of the most profitable companies in the gaming industry, they create games in their image. they take pride in their work, and it shows when we play a nintendo developed game. the red wii is a great concept, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NES. the console looks great, and it has new super mario bros wii packaged in it. finally, a nintendo console that ships with a mario game. history is repeating itself with this release.in all, even though the wii isn't a graphical powerhouse like the ps3/xbox360, it is still an amazing console. nintendo puts more focus into the games, rather than the graphics. they create, fun family games, and we see the occasional mature title here and there too. what this system lacks in graphics, it makes up in gameplay. for those who haven't really played a wii, and still says it's not your thing, give it a shot. pick up mario galaxy, or zelda, mario kart or donkey kong country returns, you will not be disappointed. this console is well worth the purchase!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Wii Hardware Bundle - Red
I bought this Wii bundle yesterday from a local game store. I was attracted to the bright red coloring which is apparently exclusive to this bundle. It was a decent price, $199, which i didn't see as bad given what was included. Now, I'm a pretty big gamer, and know about the Wii, but I've never actually owned one myself, or really even played one all that much; so i was a little apprehensive about buying this. If you share those feelings, don't worry, it really is worth the price tag. The system is easy to set up, and very helpful to adjust to your personal settings. The included game(s) Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. are very entertaining, my family and I played both for hours last night, something we haven't done in years. Overall, I give this five stars as is, and i expect it will only grow better as i buy more games.Whats Included:
Wii Hardware (Red)
Wii Remote + Nun chuck (Red)
Grip Jacket for Wii Remote (Red)
Wii Sports + New Super Mario Bros.
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