The recent bundle releases are the Wii Console with Mario Kart Wii Bundle Black and the Console Black With New Super Mario Bros. The question you need to ask yourself is which of these bundles best fits you. I'll discuss what you get in each bundle and the differences/similarities below.
Included with the Mario Kart bundle for $146.98 (price fluctuates): a Wii console, Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel, nunchuk controller and Wii remote plus (black or white depending on the bundle you pick).
Included with the New Super Mario Bros bundle for $149.99: a Black Wii console, Black Wii remote plus, Black nunchuck, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and the Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack
SIMILARITIES:
Each bundle contains a Wii console, nunchuk controller and remote plus.
KEY DIFFERENCES:
The Super Mario Bros. Wii CANNOT play Gamecube games. The New Super Mario Bros. bundle only comes in black. The Mario Kart bundle comes in black OR white.
The Mario Kart bundle includes Mario Kart and a wheel ($45.52 if bought separately), whereas the New Super Mario Bros. bundle includes the New Super Mario Bros. game ($43.99 if bought separately).
CONCLUSION: The prices are similar enough, $146.98 (fluctuates and sometimes goes to the low $140s) vs. $149.99, that it is silly to pay the same amount for a console that doesn't offer backward compatibility. Buy the Mario Kart Wii console. I'd recommend picking up the Super Mario Bros. game separately. This game is incredible. A blast from the past with 2-d scrolling and multiplayer. One of my favorites and a perennial best-seller on Amazon.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Warning! This wii console is not backwards compatible with game cube games, it has no port for the dance revolution pad, and you can not stand it upright. The Super Mario Bros game comes in a cheap paper sleave instead the usual plastic jewel case. So your game is more likely to be scratched and has no trade in value without the jewel case. Do yourself a big favor and buy the wii bundle that comes with Mario Kart. This is still backwards compatible with the game cube games. It costs a little more but its well worth it!Best Deals for Wii Black Console with New Super Mario Brothers Wii and Music CD
I've read a lot of less than five-star reviews for this new Wii package but I have a different perspective on it.I bought this for a family member who has never owned a Nintendo Wii and doesn't care for the game Mario Kart but loves Super Mario Bros. So this was a win-win product solution for me. It just depends on who the product package is for and their likes/dislikes. I'm concerned the negative reviews are going to make first-time buyers think there are other issues with the gaming console. If I bought the bundle that included Mario Kart, I would have had to buy Super Mario Bros separately, adding about $50 more to the cost. And not everyone cares about playing Nintendo GameCube titles, it's just a preference.
If anyone is a hardcore Wii user, I can't imagine they would consider this product anyhow, just wait for the next version of Nintendo Wii to be released in the near future.
Game On!
Honest reviews on Wii Black Console with New Super Mario Brothers Wii and Music CD
First, let me just say I love the Wii and love LOVE New Super Mario Brothers Wii. In fact, that game is the reason I bought a Wii. So my 3 star rating is not an indictment on the system or game, but rather the value of this bundle compared to the Mario Kart bundle. As a previous reviewer mentioned, this does not feature compatibility with Gamecube games and/or accessories. Obviously, that is a big negative. You'll be missing out on a vast library of games that include Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, and many other greats. Many of these games could be purchased rather cheap on here, eBay, or Gamestop.Then there's another "feature" they removed that I don't think was mentioned yet. And that is that this system is not meant to be set up in the vertical position. This Wii is designed a little differently and is a bit smaller, what with all the Gamecube "guts" taken out. It is not designed to be placed vertically, only down like the picture on the box indicates. Consequently, it does not come with a stand. Obviously, a lot of people enjoy the vertical positioning of their Wii, whether it be for aesthetic reasons or space saving necessity.
And then, of course, you have the price. I think 149.99 is worth it for the Wii and this great game. Not, however, when there is much better value out there. Even at the MSRP of 149.99, the Mario Kart bundle is a better deal because of the Gamecube compatibility and vertical placement option. However, as some of you may be aware, Target and Walmart have permanently dropped the price of their Mario Kart bundles to $134. So you are paying 16 dollars less for a system that features Gamecube BC and a vertical stand and vertical placement option. It seems like a no brainer. In fact, when I heard that this bundle without these features was getting released, I figured it would be priced at about 100-120 dollars. I was surprised that this inferior bundle would be priced the same or in some cases like I mentioned, higher) as the superior Mario Kart bundles. The good news is that this bundle is not replacing the Mario Kart bundles. They will still be manufactured and available, this is just an alternative.
So in conclusion, I just don't think this is a good buy against the Mario Kart bundles. I love the Wii and the Mario game and urge everyone reading to buy one... just not this particular one. At least not until there is a price drop or you find a great deal that makes it worth not having the removed features. You can always buy the New Mario Bros game separately. And the advantage of doing that is that you get the game in a nice full sized red Wii case. With this bundle, you are getting it in a cheaper paper sleeve case, like Wii Sports in the past, which leaves the discs more prone to scratching and also lowers it's potential resell value, if you ever decide on selling it back for whatever reason. Hopefully this helps you make a better decision on which Wii Bundle to buy or not buy
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Wii Black Console with New Super Mario Brothers Wii and Music CD
Let me clarify that my rating isn't about the Wii in general; that deserves a 5-star. Nor is this about the bundled games, which may be worth more or less depending on the person. My review is about this particular console package, which is definitely inferior to this one: Wii Console with Mario Kart Wii Bundle Black.Both this bundle and the other come with the standard accessories, one game, and the console itself. There are also some small items in each one (the SMG 2 soundtrack and the Wii Wheel, respectively), but I'm largely ignoring those. As both bundles sell for about $150, the significant differences are simply these:
This console is not backward compatible. The other bundle's console is.
This console can only be placed horizontally. The other one can be placed horizontally or vertically.
And that's really about it. If this bundle was selling for $100 or so, I could see buying it. But it's directly competing with a different console package that provides more. Happy hunting!
PS As a point of comparison, Japan is also getting a new Wii bundle next month. It retains the same price, backward compatibility, and vertical placement; but it also has an extra Wiimote.
No comments:
Post a Comment