Thinking of having a Wii !!!

[dr strange]

I'm almost 40, have three little daughters, and have never been into video games for about 25 years. However, for Christmas I quite like the idea of getting a Wii. It seems to play on the idea that it's good family entertainment, but I also want something for, well, just me. Are the games any good? What are the best games? Is it worth it? Has anyone got any ideas for or against?

[NotNowCato]

Hi Dr. Strange, I am 40! and the wii is excellent. Its great fun, a real party console for the family or for when you have friends round. You cant beat having a few drink and playing wii sports. There are plenty of good games out there but it really depends on what your tastes are regarding games. Theres allsorts sports, racing, even cooking! I think if you want a system specifically for great family fun you cant beat the Wii, if you want really serious games for yourself you might want another console. What games do you fancy?

[Andy_G]

The Wii is mainly a group/multi player console; there are a few good single player games like Zelda which are very good. If you like Nintendo style games i.e. Mario, Metoid & Donkey Kong then you can't go wrong.

I've got a Wii in the living room for the family and Xbox 360 in my bed room for myself. The 360 & the PS3 aren�t really that suitable for children. A lot of the best games are 15 rating or above. There are children games but they don't come close in terms of quality compared to the Wii's range.

If you can afford it? You need to get two consoles; if you can't afford 2 then I would suggest just getting the Wii as children would be a bit disappointed with the PS3 & 360.

[dr strange]

The kind of games I'm interested in are the sports (which comes with it I think?) I like the look of the fishing game, bowling, and a couple of others. I'm affraid with 3 young daughters I won't get to play it a lot - and I have really never gone for the Doom or Lara Croft type stuff. Is there a classic space invaders game for it????

[dolly pond]

do u need a loo?

[dr strange]

dolly pond - with 4 girls in the house, i think i need my own bathroom!!!!

[Petal~flower]

Well we are games console heaven in this house, although my 2 oldest (boys) play on the xbox 30 a lot.

The Wii, is used by everyone, though we dont have many games. The wii sport is fun. But you also need handsets for everyone to play. They cost around �30 each

[souldriver]

For you get resident evil 4 and Resident evil: Umbrella Chronicles (the latter is released in November.

For the kids, something like Rayman Raving Rabbids and Paper Mario.

[198x]

I'll admit that the Wii was fun whilst I owned it but being a game nut I was slightly tired with the choice of games that was being released for the Wii.

I sold mine and bought an xbox 360 with the money.

But I think you should get a Wii especially as you have children. The games I mostly played on were Wii Sports, Wii Play and WarioWare: Smooth Moves as it was a bit of family bonding.

[paulos66]

I heard there's a shortage at the moment, try here for the latest:
http://www.wii-consoles.co.uk/default.asp

[dr strange]

You're right, supply of the Wii is very low, unless I buy a bundle package. Fingers crossed more stock arrives for Christmas!

[meredith101]

"You cant beat having a few drink and playing wii sports"

Once upon a time that was illegal :)

Wii great for family fun.

Apart from that: there is just no way I'd let my kids have consoles. Want smart thinkers, not zombies.

[munchie63]

well, I'm 43 and bought one last week.

I've had playstations, and megadrives in the past, and bought the kids a PS2 last xmas.(they're 6 and 10)

the Wii was bought as a little luxury for me, but something the kids could enjoy too.
Bearing in mind the games range from �25-�40, and a lot aren't much better (graphics wise) the the PS2, the real plus with a Wii is the controller.

the kids love playing tennis, bowling and baseball, and I'm enjoying the NFL and Tiger Woods games.

I had a good look round, and ToysRUs are great for trying out the consoles instore.
If it's for yourself, then an Xbox looks great, but I read a lot of reviews saying they broke down a lot.

Lakeside's Mall last week had no Wii's anywhere.....there's a new package coming apparently (?) but I got a good deal from Smyths
Be warned though, that you'll need two controllers and nunchucks, which cost �15 and �30 each.(although you can buy PlaySports and get a free controller for only �25-30

[munchie63]

one last bit after theta long answer......

We've had loads of fun playing it, but losing at baseball to a 6yr old's led to loads of taunts from my kids.

If you can get a good deal with a few games etc from somewhere like ToysRUs, for say �250 I'd say grab it.

[dr strange]

Hi Munchie63 - thanks for the answer, and thanks to everyone. I think I have made up my mind and i'll get one for Christmas. I don't live too far from lakeside myself, so i'll keep trying there. If I don't get any joy from a shop, then i'll try my luck online.

[shortstop]

Come down to Dorset...I got one last weekend in Toys R Us in Poole and they had LOADS left......