Impressions of the Wii

Strange name or not, the Nintendo Wii is trouncing the PS3 in sales. Yesterday I was able to get my hands on one to find out why.

While a bit difficult to initially point with, the Wii really gets you in the game with its interactive appeal. The game is less controlled with your fingers than it is with your hands, which gives the Wii its superior play. Most actions are controlled by a motion and tilt sensitive chip inside the controller. This means, for example, that instead of pressing buttons to steer a car, you tilt and sway the controller to move the car you are driving.

This doesn't mean that everything about the Wii is rosy, however. One of the points that detracts from the game system is the graphics end of things. I was able to play several games that included Zelda and Wii Sports, but the graphics left something to be desired. Everything seemed to be 'Game Cubesque' (Nintendo's previous generation of console) and nothing quite revolutionary that the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 are offering. Another drawback is the missing HD support meaning that the Wii looks better on low definition sets. Not that I have my own HD set to regularly play on, but it would be nice to know that when I do upgrade, the graphics capability will upgrade with me.

Despite these drawbacks, the Wii packs a lot of fun. The idea of being more physically active is quite attractive to the parents that I've spoken to. They were excited by the fact that their children are more active and moving around quite a bit more versus sitting on a couch while playing their games.

However, the novelty is bound to wear off as the other consoles catch up to implement the technology, but the console definitely has something going for it. Also, the game selection is somewhat limited when compared to the XBOX 360, but such is expected when the XBOX has been out for a full year. Nevertheless, Wii is a great console, and for the $250 price tag, it is definitely a winner.