Wii from Nintendo (2006)
Nintendo’s Wii video game console is the first of its kind. Its controllers are motion sensing remotes that respond to your movements. The Wii will support Nintendo Game Cube games which will load into the consoles self loading disc slot. Older games from older consoles like the NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Turbo Grafx 16 and the Sega Mega Drive can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel and run on the built in Virtual Console. The Wii is a very smart piece of kit it has a built in Wi-Fi internet service called Wii Connect 24 for online gaming and gets regular software updates directly from Nintendo. The Wii Sports game included with the Wii includes a fitness test system which allows you to keep track of how fit you are by playing golf, baseball, bowling, boxing and tennis. If you do not know how to one of the sports on Wii sports there is also a training scheme to teach you how to play any of the included sports. The Wii also has a built in timer which keeps track of what you play and how long you play it on the Wii message board. The message board also tells you about awards you have won in Wii sports or Wii play. You can also keep in touch with another Wii owner, a mobile phone or a computer using the built in message board. The Wii has a number of built in Channels, Channels are like programs on a computer, they all have a different purpose. The first is the Disc Channel it lets you load a Nintendo Game Cube Game Disc or a Wii Game Disc. The second is the Mii Channel which allows you to make your own little people which you can use in Wii Sports or Wii Play. You can make your Mii look like whatever you want. The third is the Photo Channel which allows you to use photos from an SD card or from the Wii’s own message board. Note you can only use an SD card if you have connected to the internet and preformed a Wii System Update. Once you have selected your photo you can Hard Boil it, Brighten it, Zap it or doodle on it. If you use photos on an SD card you can make a slide show and play any music on your SD card to the slide show. The fourth is the Wii Shop Channel which allows you to download Virtual Console games or additional Wii Software (Channels etc.) using Wii Points (Nintedndo’s online currency). The fifth is the Forecast Channel which keeps you up to date with the local whether. You can also view a globe with the forecast channel which will show the whether in any part of the world. The sixth is the News Channel which keeps you up to date with news from around the world. Again like the Forecast Channel you can view a globe; the only difference is that there are newspapers which when clicked on will show a list of news from that area. You can also view a slideshow showing the headlines from around the globe. The seventh Channel is the Internet Channel which is an Opera based browser that is designed only for the Wii which can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel’s Wii Software section. As from the end of June 2007 users who haven’t already downloaded the Internet Channel will have to pay 500 Wii Points to download it. The eighth and last Channel is the Everybody Votes Channel which allows you to answer questions and predict what you think the rest of the world might say. There may be other features added to the Wii later on in the year so we will keep you updated with any new Channels or features.
Technical Specs
CPU – Custom-built IBM, “Broadway”
GPU – Custom-built ATi, “Hollywood”
SRAM – MoSys-developed 1T-SRAM
INPUT/OUTPUT
2 USB 2.0 Ports
4 Game Cube Controller Ports
MAX RESOLUTION – 480p
GAME FORMAT
12cm Wii Discs and 8cm Game Cube Discs
4.7 GB or 8.5 GB Dual Layer
CONTROLLERS – Supports up to 4 Wii remotes and 4 Game Cube Controllers
WIRELESSS CONNECTIVITY
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EGR)
STORAGE
SD Card
Built in 512MB Flash memory
Accessories
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote Was designed to give people of all ages a bit of fun.
Nunchuk Controller
The Nunchuk was designed to be used alongside the Wii Remote for playing different games like Fishing and Boxing.
Classic Controller
The Classic Controller was designed for playing retro games from the NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Turbo Grafx 16 and Sega Mega Drive.
Wii Points Card
The Wii Points Card was designed so you could pay to download retro games or new Wii software.
SanDisk 2GB SD Card for Wii
SD Cards can be used to back up downloaded software/games, save files, photos and Wii message board contacts.
Wii Scart Cable
The Wii Scart cable can be used instead of the supplied cables.
Wii Component Cable
The Wii Component Cable can be used to make your Wii display higher quality graphics on compatible television sets.
Also compatible with: