During the mid-1980s, Nintendo revolutionized home video gaming when they introduced the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Now, it looks as though history is repeating itself. Once again, Nintendo has changed the way we get our game on with their latest offering, the Wii. While Wii’s claim to fame is its ability to provide the gamer with a truly immersive gaming experience, the fact that Wii possesses a number of other “Next Gen” capabilities is sometimes overlooked.
Wii Channels
One of Wii’s most important features is its effortless internet connectability to Ethernet hardwire or Wi-Fi networks. In a matter of a few utterly painless minutes, Wii becomes a true living room multi-media internet portal. Access to Wii’s many channels providing online content is obtained simply via the main menu. Wii’s Weather Channel plugs directly into weather data from around the world. One can view the current local weather conditions and both a 24-hour and 5-day forecast for just about any city on Earth, large or small. The interface has an almost “Google Earth” feel to it and is very user-friendly.
Wii’s online uses continue with its News Channel. Connecting directly to the Associated Press newswire, users can browse for anything from the latest in world news to up to the minute sports scores. Again, Wii demonstrates its user-friendly attitude by offering a unique way to find just the news you want. Like Wii’s Weather Channel, the News Channel features another Google Earth-type graphical user interface, allowing for the selection of news relevant to a certain city or geographical region. For example, if New York City news is desired, the user simply spins the globe until they see “New York City”, and then clicks on the city’s icon. All news pertaining to NYC will then be presented for browsing. It’s really like having an up-to-the-minute newspaper delivered directly through the T.V. on demand.
Wii also offers a Shopping Channel. The user may purchase “Wii Points” to use for acquiring new pay-based add-ons. Wii points are either purchased like gift cards at major department and electronics stores, or they can be obtained online through the Wii Shop Channel with a credit card. Wii Points are sold in allotments of 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 and cost $10, $20, $30, and $50, respectively.
Web Surfing
Another great feature of Wii is its Opera-based web browser. It allows a person to sit back and point-and-click their way around the World Wide Web while lounging about the living room. As with every aspect of Wii’s user interface, browsing is done using the “Wii-mote”.
Surfing the web has never been easier, and can be enjoyed by anyone from almost any age group. Wii has all the functionality of a standard PC web browser, and even allows for viewing online videos. Although Wii really isn’t a PC replacement, its online browsing capability lends itself easily to providing the user with internet-based entertainment.
Virtual Console
One truly exciting and fun aspect of this channel is the ability to purchase video games of yesteryear for download. For an average of a few hundred Wii points, a person can download an old favorite from the NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx 16, and Nintendo 64 consoles. After purchase, the Virtual Console game is downloaded onto Wii’s hard-drive where it will be ready to play immediately. Keep in mind though, the majority of Virtual Console games require the Classic Gamepad which is sold separately at most electronics outlets.
Photos
Wii can be used as a platform for enjoying all day to day photos via the Photo Channel. It provides a number of viewing and editing options. What makes it so great is Wii was designed to accept direct input from SD memory cards. This means the SD card in a digital camera can simply be removed and inserted directly into the SD slot on Wii’s front-side access panel. From the Photo Channel, shots may be immediately accessed either individually, or by starting up a number of slideshow options that will progress the photos to a selection of music chosen by the user.
There is even a photo-editing element for having some extra fun with pictures on-screen. It allows for making basic changes like black & white and brightness, and features a simple way to draw on-screen with the Wii-mote. Another cool little function will take the photo and break it into a 6-piece puzzle. Understand though that the photo editing does seem to be geared more for children than for adults, but sometimes it’s fun to act like a kid every now and then, right?
Always Something New
On the system-side of things, Wii points may also be used to purchase new system add-ons as they become available. For example, email is reportedly on the way. Nintendo intentionally designed Wii to be upgradeable. As an upgrade becomes available, Wii’s blue LED lighting will glow and pulsate. From there, a simple push of a button or two delivers the new upgrade. This may be a free software addition or fix, or it could mean a brand new pay feature has become available. Either way, the user will never have a doubt whether or not something new is in store.
Nintendo’s television and print ads make the statement, “Wii would like to play.” That statement is quite true. The gaming experience Wii provides rates about a “10” on the fun factor scale; however, Wii also likes to “do”. It does so much more than play straight video games. The extras discussed here are merely the beginning. One only needs to see the number of empty channel slots to realize that Wii has much more in store down the road. For a box slightly larger than a paperback book, Wii can already transform a living room into a fairly powerful multi-media gateway. And with regular content and capability upgrading from Nintendo, it just keeps getting better.
